The Enticing CEO's Chosen Bride novel Chapter 1951

Creighton frowned slightly, a mix of joy and concern etching his features. He was pleased because, well, knowledge was power, and who wouldn't be happy about their child gaining more power? But the worry was, could all this hard studying take a toll on her?

He didn't exactly expect her to be a straight-A student or a valedictorian. In fact, he wouldn't mind if Cicely turned out to be a carefree, happy-go-lucky "good-for-nothing." After all, the Ellis family had the means to indulge such a lifestyle.

He had considered the future of inheritance. However, with his daughter's temperament, she didn't seem the least bit inclined to pour her heart into the family legacy.

It wasn't like he hadn't discussed it with her. More than once, he had tried every trick in the book - cajoling, enticing, but nothing seemed to sway her. Eventually, he had let go of that expectation.

She was, after all, Creighton's daughter. Her future was destined to be with the cream of the crop. He wasn't worried about the future of the Ellis family.

As the saying goes, "The children's luck is their own." To him, the Ellis family wealth was nothing more than the financial foundation for his daughter's future happiness. Nothing was more important to him than her joy and well-being.d2

Besides, that young lad Seth had both the mind and the capability, and had won over the affection of his clear-minded Cicely. With a little nurturing, the Ellis family would surely not decline.

No one knew his daughter better than he did. If Cicely wasn't thinking along these lines, he wouldn't have entertained the thought either.

She had always been "without high ambition," so why the sudden drive?

After pondering for a while, Creighton sighed. At the end of the day, more learning could only be a good thing.

He had barely hung up the phone with Cicely when Danielle's call came through. She, too, was skipping dinner at home for a tutoring session. Now, dinner would be a solo affair for him.

Might as well, he thought, and instructed the kitchen to prepare just one plate of spaghetti for him.

After school, Danielle and Cicely had bumped into each other at the school gates. Danielle was alone, whereas Cicely was with Joel.

Cicely never hid her disdain for Danielle, and Joel was well aware of it. Now that the three of them had collided, he felt a touch awkward. He wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

Danielle glanced at him, surprised to see Cicely this close to him. Everyone knew that Cicely was a loner at school, never one to initiate or indulge in friendships.

"What are you looking at?"

Cicely loathed that scrutinizing gaze from Danielle, as if she was trying to probe her life through Joel.

Danielle's eyes met Cicely's, “I won't be home for dinner tonight, and I've already called.”

Hearing this, Cicely frowned, “Are you trying to provoke me?”

Danielle's expression remained neutral, “I just don’t want you to hassle me like you did last night.”

A faint smile played on Cicely’s beautiful face, “Are you deaf or has your brain been waterlogged?”

Danielle’s usually impassive face now clearly displayed irritation, “No one is more self-righteous than you.” Cicely believed the whole world was hers, that she was the best, irreplaceable, and everyone else was just background to her brilliance.

Danielle had no intention of engaging further, leaving Cicely with a parting shot before walking away.

Cicely watched her leave coldly, saying nothing more, and proceeded to the café she and Joel had reserved earlier.

School had ended early, and Seth typically lingered on campus. He'd either shoot hoops with Kane and the guys or bury himself in the library. But with Kane now fully immersed in college life, cruising with girls and his entourage, Seth had forsaken those invitations, making the library his sanctuary. Indeed, even without Kane's escapades, the library would have been his only choice.

After last night's dinner, his mother had volunteered him to tutor Danielle. He always tried to avoid conflicts with Patty. Besides, tutoring wasn't hard; he had done it before.

Danielle had been anxious the previous night, but when he didn’t object, she felt an unfamiliar flutter of excitement.

They had agreed to meet at the university library after school for the tutoring session, but the anticipation and happiness were soon overshadowed by the scene she encountered.

The Seth she knew was a loner, cool, calm, detached, always keeping people at arm's length. No matter what, he was a thinker, not a fighter. That polished demeanor made it impossible for her – or anyone, for that matter, including Seth's mother – to envision the Seth she was seeing now.

She stared at the disheveled figure before her – his trousers stained and scuffed, his once pristine shirt missing buttons and bearing more stains and blood spots than his trousers. His face, with a bruise on his lip, clearly showed he had been in a fight.

A few meters from Seth, on the lawn, three guys were picking themselves up, nursing their wounds and glaring at him.

"You're crazy, man. Just you wait."

Seth stood tall, lifting his narrow eyes slowly. His gaze was seemingly light, but it was like a razor-sharp icicle, piercing and ruthless, aimed directly at his adversaries.

The three flinched, exchanged glances, and promptly scrambled away.

Danielle's mind went blank. "What happened?"

People had gathered around, and she turned to the person next to her. He shook his head, "I'm not too sure, it was him."

His gaze flicked to Seth, and his voice dropped a few notches, as if scared, "He started it."

“It was him, he just flew off the handle out of nowhere,” the person murmured to Danielle as they watched the commotion from a safe distance. “Those three guys were just walking ahead of us, and he went up and started throwing punches. I bet they have no clue what hit them.”

Danielle was utterly baffled. Why would anyone just start a fight for no reason? But then again, even if there was a reason, what on earth could it be that made him decide to resort to violence?

Most of the onlookers didn't dare stick around after the trio that got beat up had left, and the crowd quickly dispersed.

A classmate tugged at Danielle's sleeve, “Let’s book it out of here before he turns on us. He's terrifying. You... you can't even imagine how vicious this guy can look in a fight, considering how calm and collected he usually is.”

Danielle's gaze lingered on Seth, but she didn't say a word. Yeah, she couldn't imagine. But there were plenty of others who had gotten a glimpse of that unimaginable side of him.

When she thought about it, she realized that besides Patty, she probably interacted with Seth more than anyone else in the world. However, in reality, it felt like she and Seth were the farthest apart. She even felt like she was less connected to him than the random strangers who had just witnessed his outburst.

As the area cleared out, she slowly approached Seth. “Seth.”

His gaze was as icy and fierce as it had been when he looked at those three guys, and Danielle instinctively stepped back, startled.

Seth's face remained expressionless as he readjusted his disheveled shirt, his long fingers stained with traces of blood.

It truly was unimaginable, the scene that must have unfolded here.

“Keep your curiosity to yourself, and don’t ask questions you shouldn’t. Head to the library,” he said, his voice deep and clear, devoid of any discernible emotion. His words were harsh and to the point, leaving no room for further conversation.