Chapter 2043


    Seth shot Cicely a frosty nce, "Howe you''re hanging out with him?"


    Cicely replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "We''re in the same ss and part of


    the same club. Isn''t it pretty normal for us to hang out?"


    Seth turned and opened the passenger door. As Cicely bent to get in, Seth grabbed her arm. "What


    club are you talking about?"


    "Uh, the coding and programming club."


    Seth narrowed his dark eyes, "Still can''t shake off this hobby, huh? It''s been quite a while. How


    come the enthusiasm hasn''t faded?"


    Cicely smiled, her eyes curving, "I''m surprised myself that I''ve stuck with it for so long. Who knows?


    In a few years, you might be offering me a high sry to work for you. Let go. You''re hurting me."d2


    Seth released her arm with a snort and a chuckle, "I bet you haven''t written that many lines of code.


    If a corporate spy got their hands on you for a little interrogation, I doubt it would take two minutes


    before you''d spill all my secrets."


    The smile vanished from Cicely''s eyes. ring at Seth, she retorted, "Underestimate me? I could


    last five minutes, at least."


    "Heh," he couldn''t help butugh softly, his lips curling. "Get in the car."


    Cicely huffed and slid into the seat.


    As soon as the car started, Cicely began to recount her recent run-in with Ray. Seth hit the brakes,


    nced at her, then eased off again.


    "I''m fine. Joel was there too, didn''t even get a chance to exchange words with him."


    Seth''s lips tightened slightly.


    "Ray was at school today to drop out. I heard he''s sold off several of his properties, too. Joel''s


    worried he might do something drastic again, especially towards you..."


    "Can''t you speak without bringing up Joel?" Seth''s voice was heavy with displeasure, cutting her off


    mid-sentence.


    Cicely paused, "Of course, that''s what I think too."


    The car sped up, taking Cicely straight to her apartment.


    *


    With just a month until the wedding, July was shaping up to be the happiest month of Cicely''s life.


    Her birthday, her marriage anniversary, and her wedding day were alling up.


    Her wedding dress had been custom-made by a designer Seth had flown in from France a couple of


    months ago. It was due to arrive any day now. The jewelry was specially ordered by Creighton from


    Belgium.


    The wedding home was finished, decorated under Cicely''s meticulous supervision, with every detail


    personally designed and arranged by her. After all, it was where she and Seth would spend their


    lives together.


    Some custom furniture was still due to arrive, but that too would be sorted out in the next couple of


    days. Seth was so worried about her overdoing it, and he had carried her back from the wedding


    house several times.


    He had scolded her in various ways. She had pleaded for mercy, and Seth had believed her, for a


    while. But she would dare to do it again next time.


    Thest time was just the day before when she received a call from the renovationpany saying


    that the custom furniture had arrived and needed her direction for cement. She was about to


    leave when Seth pressed her to the bed, leaving her weak and unable to get up until the next day.


    After the Seth’s threats in bed, she was scared out of her wits, swearing she wouldn''t dare again.


    Now, recalling their shameless romp, she didn''t even have the courage to face people outside.


    Cicely chewed Seth out a countless number of times alone in her room for being a brute.


    Seth had Charlie take over the finishing touches on the renovation.


    The third day before noon, Seth called Cicely to Diaz International.


    Desperate to get out, Cicely got ready as quickly as she could, digging out summer clothes that


    would cover her up as much as possible.


    ck slim pants, and a white ruffled silk blouse – she was wrapped up tight.


    Just stepping out of the car downstairs, Seth''s call came through. "Where are you?"


    "Downstairs at thepany."


    "Wait there, I''lle down and take you to lunch."


    "Okay."


    Seth raised an eyebrow at Cicely''s outfit today. He''d never seen her dressed like this before. She


    looked like a delicate girl who somehow managed to pull off the look of a professional woman.


    "Aren''t you hot?" he quipped, noting her long sleeves and pants, which seemed out of ce in the


    summer heat.


    Cicely shot him a nce, "Whose fault is that?"


    Seth caught on instantly and chuckled lowly, wrapping his arm around her waist as they left the


    building.


    The lunch venue showed he had put in some effort, and the food was decent.


    "You didn''t call me out just because you found this nice restaurant, did you?"


    "No. I''ve got a surprise for you this afternoon."


    Cicely raised an eyebrow, asking a somewhat silly question, "What kind of surprise?"


    Seth just looked at her, saying nothing.


    Cicely didn''t press further. A surprise wouldn''t be a surprise if it was revealed ahead of time.


    After lunch, Cicely leisurely savored her cake, taking in the tastefully decorated restaurant. She was


    quite pleased until she noticed Seth checking his watch for the third time, deting her mood. "Do


    you have urgent work?"


    Looking up at her, Seth''s gaze was calm and serious, "She''s being discharged from the hospital


    today."


    Cicely paused, remembering her father mentioning this the day before, which she had forgotten.


    Swallowing thest bite of cake, she casually remarked, "Well, let’s go then."


    Seth''s eyes followed her hand as it rested on the fork beside her, his unfathomable dark eyes briefly


    betraying an indiscernible emotion. "Finished?"


    "Yes."


    Standing up, Seth said, "Then let''s go."


    Cicely took her time drinking some water, then slowly rose to her feet, shing Seth a smile as she


    approached him. He took her hand, and they left together.


    "Did you finalize the script you''ve prepared for her?"


    "Mhm." Seth buckled her up with straightforward honesty, "It''s C&P''s big feature this year."


    "But the script you picked for Emiliana wasn''t from C&P, and she even won an award for that role.


    Big features aren''t exclusive to C&P, you know."


    Cicely turned to look at the man whose expression was a bit tense. Her smile deepened,


    "Remember our deal, okay? Once she''s discharged, you promised her a role in a show, and then


    you''re free of any entanglement."


    "Understood."


    Cicely didn''t say much more. She had been holding back until now, just one step away from the


    oue.


    At this point, there really wasn''t any need for words or actions. It should all go smoothly.


    Danielle got discharged, and started filming. Cicely would marry Seth, and they would announce it


    to the world.


    Everyone would be happy, square and fair.


    ＊


    At the hospital, everyone was there. Erik, Creighton, and Patty.


    Everything was packed up. It seemed they were just waiting for them, or rather, for Seth alone.


    Danielle was dressed in a in, ankle-length dress, revealing a stretch of her slender, pale leg,


    moving as gracefully as before.


    When Seth arrived, Patty finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, let''s head home. I can''t stand


    another second in this hospital."


    Cicely was holding a bouquet of flowers, but seeing Danielle, she didn''t seem inclined to hand them


    over. Instead, she just raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, "Congrattions on your recovery."


    Seth stepped forward, handing over a folder to Danielle. "The promise I made to you."


    Danielle took it, flipped through it, and found a script. Her grip tightened suddenly, and looking up


    with augh, her eyes began to fill with tears. "Are you that eager to be rid of me? I haven’t even left


    the hospital, and you’re already looking to sever ties?"


    Seth''s face was impassive, "A discharge gift."


    Danielle bit her lip hard.


    Patty quickly came to soothe Danielle, ring at Seth, "Couldn’t you have picked a better time to


    give this to her?"


    "Sooner orter it had to happen. She knows it well. Filming starts next month. You’re the lead


    actress. Be prepared."


    Danielle''s tears fell in drops, infuriating Patty to the point of clenching her teeth, "You..."


    Suddenly, Creighton spoke up with a stern voice, "Enough! If you want a role, the Ellis family has


    plenty of resources to help you. We all knew what you were thinking when you made that deal with


    Seth. Having agreed to it has already granted you significant favor. Now that we''re simply fulfilling a


    promise, do you still expect to choose a time that suits you?"


    "And what time would that be, to your liking?"


    Cicely was taken aback; her father seemed unusually firm today. Danielle had not even left the


    hospital and was already feeling slighted by Seth, and now her father had given her another blow.


    Danielle''s face froze, apparently not expecting Creighton to speak those words. Her tears, in


    Cicely''s eyes, were like a fountain, flowing onmand, never drying up.


    "Creighton, what nonsense are you spouting at such a time?" Patty was getting frantic, ring at


    him.


    "Nonsense? Cicely and Seth are about to get married. When does Danielle n to give up and


    leave them alone?"


    "We came to pick her up from the hospital, and what then? She sat there determined to wait for


    someone. If she doesn’t move, we all have to sit and wait with her. No matter how spoiled Cicely


    might be, she’d never stoop to such low, selfish, disrespectful behavior. For years, the Ellis family


    has offered her nothing but genuine care, and what has it gotten in return?"


    It turned out Danielle was really waiting for Seth. Cicely regarded Danielle with eyes brimming with


    irony.


    After Creighton finished his words, he pulled Erik up, who was sitting in a chair, leaning on a cane,


    with a scowl that barely hid his exhaustion.


    "If it were just me today, I could wait with you. Your grandfather, at his age, came personally to take


    you home for lunch, and you have the nerve to sit here waiting. You really are something."


    Creighton took almost every ounce of temper he''d ever had in his life out on Danielle. Danielle had


    quite the skill to drive such a gentle and courteous man to this state.


    Danielle''s eyes blinked, and she suddenly realized her fault, but she looked up not at Creighton or


    the tired-looking Erik who was still hungry. Instead, her gaze was fixed on Seth, who stood beside


    Cicely. Even in embarrassment, it seemed she only cared about Seth''s opinion.


    Cicely walked to the bedside and tossed the bouquet she had been cradling into the trash bin. She


    approached Danielle, her smile chillingly cold.


    "What are you going to do?" Patty said defensively, stepping forward to shield Danielle.


    Cicely''s lips twisted into a discernible curve, her clenched hand in her pocket gradually rxing.


    "Why so nervous? Do you also feel Danielle indeed deserves a good scolding?"


    "Danielle, as the Ellis family''s granddaughter, it''s okay for you to be proud and arrogant. But you


    need to know your ce. If someone''s trying to teach you manners, you should be humble enough


    to learn, not keep thinking you''re above everyone else.


    "How long have you lived, and how long have grandfather and my father lived? The Ellis Group has


    remained stable under their guidance and is now a world-renowned enterprise. How many people


    want to connect with them, or be friends with them? Whether they seed or fail, even a fool can


    see it clearly. Howe when ites to you, even the most basic respect is lost?


    "No wonder Seth doesn''t see anything in you, and to think otherwise would be foolish. In fact, aside


    from Ray, no man would be so blind as to truly fancy you. Unless, of course, your looks have some


    selling point."


    Danielle was so angry she shook all over, biting her lip until blood seeped out.


    Cicely chuckled, "Since you have been discharged, what''s the point in lingering with everyone


    here? Go home and prepare well for your role; after all, this script wasn''t easy toe by."


    Patty held Danielle''s trembling arm tightly, "Let''s go, Danielle. Whatever it is, we can talk after you''re


    discharged."


    They had to leave eventually.


    Danielle red at Cicely''s retreating figure, her eyes filled with undeniable hatred. Patty squeezed


    Danielle''s arm and patted her back gently. The tension in Danielle''s eyes blinked away, and her


    body slowly rxed.


    The group reached the hospital entrance, where three cars were parked, arranging for everyone to


    get in.


    Cicely now stood on the hospital steps, her arm linked with Seth''s, her gaze faint and distant as she


    watched Patty and Danielle inseparable like shadows. "Seth, tell me, do you think Danielle will really


    keep the promise she made to you?"


    Seth looked down at Cicely with a pensive frown. "Why do you ask this all of a sudden?"


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    Cicely looked up at him, a wry and somewhat ironic smile ying around her eyes. "I just suddenly


    felt that she''s not the type to keep her word. She''s toopetitive, especially against me. She won''t


    just give you up. You say you''ll take care of her until she''s better, and you''ve promised her a role in


    a screeny. Do these things really mean more to her than her own life? Thinking about it, this deal


    of yours doesn''t seem to favor her much, does it? Can she really just let it go?"


    Seth''s brow furrowed deeper. "I am married, Mrs. Diaz."


    Cicely chuckled softly. "But if I can''t manage to get along with my mother-inw, it speaks volumes,


    doesn''t it?"


    She sighed then continued, "As long as your mom likes Danielle, she''s bound to dislike me. That


    means I could be kicked to the curb at any moment."


    A deep, cobalt me seemed to ignite in his eyes, his voice tight with tension. "Stop that nonsense."


    Cicely sighed again, tiptoed, and rested her chin on the man''s shoulder. "Danielle has your all-


    important mother to back her up. Look at me, what do I have? Isn''t that pitiful? Won''t you consider


    handing over Diaz International to me? At least then I''d have a fighting chance."


    Seth looked at her with a light gaze. "We''ve talked about this already."


    Cicely pouted in disappointment. As she turned her head, she suddenly caught sight of a figure


    standing behind the hospital''s reinforced ss door, wearing a ck hat and a ck mask,


    revealing only a pair of eyes that were coldly fixed on her.mHer heart skipped a beat at the sight,


    her body staggering slightly. When she looked again, the person seemed to smile at her, lifting a


    cellphone in their hand, then turned and disappeared around the corner.


    Seth steadied her promptly. "What''s wrong?"


    Cicely pointed towards the door. "I thought I just saw someone I know." She could only say familiar,


    but with that disguise, she couldn''t make out who it was.


    Seth looked back, but the crowd in the lobby was too thick to spot anyone familiar to Cicely. "Who?"


    Cicely furrowed her brow in thought, then finally shook her head. "I must have been mistaken."