Chapter 2028
Cicely''s gaze rested on the trinket on Seth''s desk. It was from her – a white cat figurine with
narrowed eyes, posed with its paw raised, cradling a photo frame with her picture inside,
apanied by a digital clock.
It was a stark contrast to the office''s drab, somber decor.
Cicely remained silent, and Shane exited without further ado.
About ten minutes passed before the office door swung open again, and in strode Seth, donning a
crisp suit and an aura of icy detachment. His stern face softened ever so slightly at the sight of her.
Depositing a sheaf of papers on his desk, he turned and approached her.
"Have you been waiting long?"d2
Cicely closed her gaming app and shook her head, "Doesn''t feel like it''s been long."
She gestured towards the carved wooden lunchbox on the coffee table, "I wanted to have lunch with
you today, so I''ve brought us quite the spread."
A half-smile tugged at Seth''s lips, "Thanks to you, I''m treated to avish lunch."
Cicely hummed in agreement, picking up her fork.
Midway through the meal, she would asionally pause to nce at the door, then resume eating,
only to look up at Seth again.
This sequence repeated several times.
Only after finishing lunch did Cicely speak up.
"Seth, why didn''t we have dessert today?"
There was a slight pause from Seth.
Cicely''s eyes were filled with a yful dissatisfaction—it was less of a tantrum and more of a faux
comint.
"Every time I visit, there''s always dessert. Have you been too busy to order it, or has Charlie
becent, thinking it''s no big deal to skimp on it once or twice? Perhaps I need to have a
word with Charlie."
"Charlie isn''t in today. I forgot to order it," Seth replied coolly. "If you want dessert, I can have
someone go out and get it now."
"No need," Cicely said lightly, with a carefree smile on her lips. "If you miss the right time for
something, it doesn''t taste the same when you try to make up for itter."
Her words were light and nonchnt, but Seth wasn''t dense; there was an underlying message he
chose not to probe.
Seth signaled his secretary to clear away the lunchbox and dishes.
Settling back into his chair, he said, "I''ll be tied up with work for a while. Would you like to head
home, go shopping, or visit Emiliana on set? I can arrange for a driver."
Cicely stood, walking to the coat rack to retrieve her jacket.
"I''ve grown ustomed to Charlie''s driving. If he''s not avable, I''d rather not."
After bundling up, she looked back at Seth, awaiting his response.
His gaze remained on her, noting her bundled figure and the faint smile on her face. His expression
was indifferent as he reiterated, "He''s not here."
Cicely nodded, her demeanor calm.
"That''s alright. I rang Issac earlier. He''sing to pick me up."
Seth''s impassive face darkened slightly.
"Don''t forget to bring the lunchbox home with you. I''m going out to have some fun and won''t be
passing by, so I''ll leave you to your work."
As she spoke, Cicely was already at the door, turning the knob. By the time she finished her
sentence, she had vanished from the office.
Seth stared at the closed door, his expression as gloomy as the overcast skies outside.
Downstairs, Issac was already waiting by the entrance. Upon seeing her emerge, he promptly
opened the car door for her, but Cicely didn''t move.
"Hand me the keys. I''ll drive today."
Issac hesitated, "You don''t have a license."
"You taught me to drive, and I know the rules of the road. If I get stopped, I trust you''ll handle it."
Issac frowned, "The forecast said it might snow this afternoon."
"Others can drive in the snow. Why can''t I?"
"Mydy, it''s all about your safety."
"Issac, you can say what you want, but I''m driving. If you don''t hand over the keys, I''m just going to
pick up a car from the dealership."
Issac didn''t doubt Cicely''s sincerity. Rather than let her impulsively choose a car with unfamiliar
features, he handed her the keys.
Cicely, satisfied, hopped into the driver''s seat. As Issac began to sit in the passenger seat, Cicely
stopped him.
"You don’t have to follow."
Issac paused, "If something happens to you, I don''t know how I''d exin it to your father."
"Are you hoping for something to happen?"
Issac fell silent.
"Close the door."
＊
Watching Cicely drive away, Issac turned back to nce at the imposing entrance of Diaz
International, his expression dark and foreboding.
In fact, Cicely''s driving skills were decent, but limited to conventional driving. Extreme sports like
racing werepletely beyond her qualifications.
Cicely valued her life and disliked pain, so naturally, she wouldn''t seek out unnecessary trouble.
But with time on her hands and no particr need to shop, staying home was just dull. Her only real
option was to pay a visit to Emiliana on set.
Seth knew her well enough.
Reflecting on it, it was quite ironic. She lived a life envied by others, yet it was profoundly boring.
With snow threatening to fall and temperatures lower than usual, Cicely opted to stay in the car,
ordering a round of coffees and cupcakes on her phone, delivered straight to Emiliana''s production
address.
It was the same brand that Charlie always bought for her when she visited thepany.
Emiliana had wrapped up her previous show, and now she was onto a new one.
Perhaps influenced by Cicely''s subtle suggestions, Emiliana was well-treated at C&P. The agent
and assistant Seth assigned to her weren''t top-notch but were fitting for her current standing.
The agent''s strategy for her seemed to focus on period dramas.
She was ying a supporting role again, likely a move to establish a solid foundation before aiming
for leading roles.
With little to her name, a slow and steady rise was a narrative that could sustain Emiliana in the
long run. Her acting prowess was evident, and even if she faced rivals in the future, it would be hard
for anyone to discredit her.
Cicely arrived on set to find several actors shivering, their ears crimson from the cold. The mood
instantly lifted when someone announced a visitor had brought hot coffee for the whole crew,
eliciting cheers and joyful whoops.
Cicely and Emiliana sat in the warmth of the studio, observing some crew members clutching their
coffee cups and stomping their feet to stay warm. Emiliana, however, seemed unfazed by the chill.
Out of boredom, Cicely asked her, “Aren’t you cold?”
With a grin, Emiliana lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing the fleece-lined leather pants underneath.
She even pulled up the leg to give Cicely a better look, winking cheekily, “Lined with fleece.”
Cicely raised an eyebrow, “And they’re freezing out there because?”
“They want to look good on camera. Every extrayer makes them look puffier, you know.”
Nodding in understanding, Cicely couldn’t really argue with that.
Holding her coffee, Emiliana studied her, “You seem down. What’s up?”
“And what gave you the impression I’m not in the best of spirits?”
With a sly smile, Emiliana nced down at her coffee and then pointed outside, “It’s snowing.”
Cicely nced out at the dull sky, now indeed sprinkling flurries of snow.
“So, snow equals a bad mood for me?”
“Well, the weather is awful, and here you are, braving the elements to visit me on set. You must
really love me to pick today of all days,” Emiliana teased. Ms. Cicely of P City, famed for her refined
taste, was not one to suffer the inconvenience of bad weather lightly.
Cicely smirked, acknowledging the truth in that statement.
Resting her chin on her hand, she took a bite of the cupcake she had brought with her. “So, with this
snow, are you guys still going to be able to shoot this afternoon?”
“The director isn''t oblivious, you know. He keeps an eye on the weather forecast. He''s already
switched to indoor scenes. But my part might take a while. If something’s troubling you, I’m here to
listen. I might not be able to do much, but I can keep a secret.”
Cicely nced down at the cupcake in her arms and set aside her fork.
“I don’t know what to say. No one’s at fault. I’m just feeling out of sorts.”
Emiliana took a sip of her coffee and sighed, “The car ident a while back was public news, and
there’s been a lot of talk online. I can guess why you might be upset. But it’s been over a month.
Are you just now feeling upset about it?”
Cicely looked up with a chuckle.
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“It sounds like anyone with a bit of insight would expect me to be upset. So, am I just making myself
miserable?”
After a moment of thought, Emiliana nodded, “If you know no one’s at fault but still feel upset, then it
might be that you’re overthinking it. Still, anyone would feel the same in your shoes. It’s normal. But
since you can’t change what happened, the best you can do is try to let it go.”
“He loves you, and he’s grateful to her. You have his love, and he’s yours. He can afford to be less
than perfect with you because your bond is strong and you can work through the not-so-great times.
But he can’t afford to be less than perfect with her. If she ends up short-changed, or if something
goes wrong, it’ll only add to his guilt. Nobody wants to be indebted when ites to favors; they’re
the hardest to repay. A slip-up there could haunt him for life.”
Cicely thought that was pretty much how she saw it too; only she’d never articted it as Emiliana
just had.
That was why she''d tolerated everything so far.
But still—
“How can you be sure gratitude is just gratitude, that it won’t develop into something more? He
loves me, so he’s mine, but setting aside whether it’s love or not, can you be certain that they won’t
end up together out of gratitude?”
Emiliana paused, then shook her head.
“I don’t know. But what are you afraid of? Do you think he’d leave you for her?”
Cicely forced a smile, tinged with irony and bitterness, “Emiliana, if he had to choose, I’m not sure
I’d have the upper hand.”
Surprise flickered across Emiliana’s face.
What were Cicely’s odds?
A love he didn’t return?
The weight of the Ellis family name? Or
her own charisma?
And what about Danielle?
She had the genuine affection for him, his gratitude and sense of debt, Patty’s favor and support,
and even a ce within the Ellis family.
If it came down to it, and he loved neither her nor Danielle, what were Cicely’s chances really?
Her rtionship with Seth had been held together by her own humility andpromise.
If she had an ounce of pride, they’d probably be at each other’s throats instead of together.
She understood him, but that didn’t change the fact that she was unhappy.
Emiliana had noforting words; matters of the heart were never so straightforward.
“I’m free tonight, no scenes to shoot. The snow doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon, and it’s
not safe for you to drive alone. How about you wait for me, and we can grab dinner together? You
know, a snowy day is perfect for hot stew. What do you say?”
Emiliana suggested, trying to change the subject and cheer Cicely up.
Considering the increasing snowfall outside, Cicely agreed.
“Sounds good.”
Emiliana breathed a sigh of relief.
As it turned out, the snow was perfect for the script’s winter scenes, and the director was thrilled
with how the day’s shooting had gone.
When thest scene wrapped up, his good mood led him to let the primary cast off early, a nod to
their status.
The extras remained for background shots.
Emiliana went to find Cicely, “We’re wrapping up early today. Everyone’s nning to go for hot stew.
If you’d rather not join arge group, I’ll skip it.”
“No worries, let’s all go together.”
*
Emiliana got along well with the crew, and Cicely recognized most of the five or six actors joining
them from social media and entertainment news. The production clearly wasn’t low-budget, as
evidenced by its cast.
Emiliana introduced Cicely to each of them, then added, “
At this hour, I think all the local diners and burger joints are probably packed to the gills. Luckily,
Santino owns an apartment nearby, and they have decided to have dinner there tonight. He''s
already sent his assistant out for groceries.”
Cicely scanned the surroundings but didn''t spot the Santino that Emiliana had mentioned.
She knew the name well. Santino had been a shoo-in for an Oscar nodst year; he had been the
talk of the town. And for the past couple of years, his poprity had been rock steady.
Zero scandals, no media stunts, he was easy on the eyes and had the demeanor of a gentleman—
always seen with a subtle, charming smile.
"Santino''s just finishing up his makeup removal. He had a fight scene today, so it''s taking a bit
longer than usual. He should be out shortly."
A female voice, cool andposed, sounded beside her. It was hard not to take notice.
Emiliana had introduced her before—it was the lead actress.
Not long after she spoke, a minivan pulled up next to them.
There was plenty of room for the five of them.
Santino came out to greet them, and upon seeing Cicely, he offered a warm smile. "Emiliana told
me you drove here by yourself. The roads are slippery with snow, and it might be dangerous to
drive. How about you wait until the snow eases up before heading back? Or, you could give me
your keys, and I''ll have someone drive youter."
Cicely noticed the heavy snowfall and didn''t feel quite as bold as she had when talking to Issac.
Just as Issac''s umpteenth call came through, she felt a twinge of annoyance, pulled out her phone,
hung up, and switched it off. Tossing it into her bag, she muttered, "Either way works for me," and
climbed into the van.