The Enticing CEO's Chosen Bride novel Chapter 1943

Cicely took a moment to digest his words— Her slap hadn't landed, so he wasn't seeking justice for Danielle. She supposed she could reluctantly accept that answer.

"Figured out how to make it up to me yet?"

Seth glanced at her coolly. "I didn't make you mad."

"Use the excuse of bringing me homework to check if Danielle was being bullied by my grandad, use me as a cover to care for another girl, and you think I shouldn't be mad?"

Seth fell silent, walked over to the car, and tapped on the window. "Pop the trunk."

The driver complied, and the trunk slowly opened.d2

Seth walked over, bent down, and pulled a box from the trunk. As he opened it, he said in a deep voice, "Come here."

He didn't look up, and it wasn't clear who he was speaking to.

Cicely approached. She saw him rummaging through a first-aid kit and instantly understood. A smirk tugged at her lips.

Watching Seth take out a bandage, Cicely arched an eyebrow and said, "Is this your way of making it up to me?"

He shot her a glance, took her hand, and applied the bandage to her wrist.

"The Diaz family's business has always been under your dad's wing. I wouldn't want him to find out I've upset his little princess and have him take it out on the company," Seth explained.

"So you really are trying to butter me up."

Cicely's wrist was slender, and the bruise-reducing bandage wrapped around it neatly. She waved her arm in the air, a playful smirk on her lips as she looked up at him. "Don't want my dad to see it?"

Wasn't it more obvious now?

Seth pressed his lips together, silently packing up the first-aid kit, but Cicely stopped him. She picked up another bandage, tore off the wrapper, grabbed his hand, and placed it on the back of his hand. "Courtesy demands reciprocity." It was where she had hit him with the book earlier.

After a glance at the haphazard wrapping, Seth let his hand hang, closed the first-aid kit, and shut the trunk, staring at her impassively. "All good now?"

Cicely raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. I got hurt because you were protecting her. Isn't it only natural you make it right?"

She flaunted her wrist in front of him. "I'm thirteen, not three. You can't fool me that easily."

Seth's gaze swept over her face, past her shoulder, landing on the books she had thrown to the ground. "Still don't want your homework?"

Cicely turned and saw the scattered books, frowning.

"Speak up."

"What's there to say? I threw them out, and now you want me to pick them up?" She’s not going to embarrass herself.

Seth simply walked over, bent down, and picked up the books, methodically packing them into a bag. "I'll have someone return your stuff later. You don't need to come tomorrow."

Cicely's face darkened again. "You wouldn't do that!"

Seth remained silent, opening the car door.

Suddenly, the bag was snatched from his grasp. Cicely stood holding her backpack. "Learning is my own business. Why should I let my education suffer because I'm mad at you? Tomorrow's the final exam, and you'd better stay home and wait for me."

She rushed through her words and turned to run away. Her gaze swept past Danielle, still standing there in a daze, her brow furrowed.

Seth watched her disappear into the distance, his gaze lingering on Danielle. "Aren't you going back?"

Danielle's eyes flickered. "Seth."

He looked at her calmly, waiting for her to continue.

"I want to skip a grade too."

Seth's expression was unreadable. "That's something you should discuss with the Ellis family."

Danielle bit her lip, her eyes pleading. "Won't you even ask me why?"

"That's your business."

Seth's tone was flat as he got into the car.

Danielle hurried forward, catching the car door with her bare hands. "I just got back to the Ellis family, and I don't know how to approach them with a request yet, but I have to skip a grade. Next semester, I'll talk to them, but I hope you can tutor me, okay?"

Seth frowned. "Are you sure you have to make trouble for me like this?"

Danielle clenched her fists tightly around the door. "Trouble?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Why is it okay for Cicely and not for me?"

"So you have to do everything she does?"

Tears swirled in Danielle's eyes, stung by Seth's words. "Seth, I'm scared..."

She was a newcomer to the Ellis family, and although they were supposed to be her family, she didn't know any of them. Now, even Seth, her most trusted person, seemed to be drifting away from her. All alone, she truly didn't know what to do.

Seth's brow twitched, his lips pressed into a thin line. Without answering her question, his cold gaze fell on her hand on the door handle. "Let go."

His voice was cold enough to shatter a heart.

...

Cicely was nestled on the sofa, holding a pen in her hand, with a spread-out workbook resting on the bent knees.

When she saw Danielle return, Cicely lazily shifted her gaze toward her.

Danielle couldn't stand the look in her eyes. Thinking back on Cicely’s attempt to hit her outside, Danielle still felt embarrassed.

"Cicely." She stood across from the coffee table, the first time she'd called Cicely by name since she arrived.

They hadn't had much interaction, not for lack of trying on Danielle's part, but Cicely was a tough nut to crack. Nothing seemed to faze her, with her aloof and superior demeanor that had turned away many who might have wanted to befriend her.

Her carefree, whimsical nature made it seem like a waste of time to get close to her. Despite her gentle, affectionate name, her personality couldn't be further from it. Yet, everyone seemed to like her.

Cicely was taken aback to hear Danielle formally address her, but she knew the seriousness likely meant trouble. Her posture unchanged, she continued to look at Danielle with a lazy gaze, waiting for her to continue.