The Enticing CEO's Chosen Bride novel Chapter 2034

Danielle's chest tightened with emotion. Cicely was here in Seth's place?

Cicely said Danielle was nothing but trouble. Indeed, there she was, bedridden and unable to care for herself. If that wasn't a bother, what was?

Cicely sure had a knack for twisting the knife with her words.

"Get out." Even as she tried to suppress her feelings, those words betrayed her anger and agitation.

"Don't get all worked up, you know. Getting angry is bad for your health. If you end up bedridden for life, Seth and I will be driven to madness, won't we?"

Danielle glared at her coldly and then let out a mocking laugh. "You're scared, aren't you? If I really am disabled for life, you'll never be able to shake me off."d2

Cicely's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Danielle, who seemed to have given up hope. Cicely gave a faint smile. "How shameless are you to say such things? Sadly for you, even if you wish for a life of disability, the Ellis family won’t allow it, and neither will Seth. Even blood relatives fed up after years of care. How important do you think you are in Seth's heart? You've got, what, another three or four decades to live? How patient do you think he'll be, to tend to you day in and day out? Or rather, do you think Seth could ever love someone disabled?"

Danielle's pale lips trembled violently as she glared at Cicely. Each word was a stab to her most vulnerable spots.

"Don't think for a second that you're off the hook just because you're disabled. Don't even dream of running away. You were so proud, weren't you? Well, even if you die, I will dig you up from your grave and lash your corpse to satisfy my hatred. Eat up. Maybe if you get better soon, you might be able to slap me back. Otherwise, don't blame me for bullying you."

Grinding her teeth, Danielle eyed the neatly laid out food before her. Her hand twitched, but Cicely's icy, detached voice rang out again.

"If I were you, I wouldn't starve myself just to spite someone. I'll prepare your meals over and over until you're willing to eat, that's if you don't find me annoying."

Just as her arm began to lift, it froze in place. To eat or not to eat, either way, Cicely would win.

"You're ruining my appetite. Please, leave now."

Cicely looked up at the nurse standing by. "Keep an eye on her. Let me know whether she eats or not."

"Understood."

Danielle took a deep breath.

Cicely didn't look at her again, turning towards the door to leave. But before Cicely could take two steps, the door swung open from the outside.

She paused, her expression darkening as the man who entered caught her eye.

It was Ray. The sight of Cicely brought a surge of intense hatred to his eyes.

Issac, who had just returned from the restroom, rushed in, positioning himself in front of Cicely.

Cicely, standing behind Issac, furrowed her brows as she recalled Ray's expression when he opened the door. She reached out and pushed Issac aside. "Mr. Ray, feeling any better?"

Ray's face stiffened, his teeth clenched as he glared at Cicely, embarrassment mixed with rage.

Cicely smiled, "Mr. Ray, don't you think you're misdirecting your anger? You were the one who nearly took advantage of me that night when you were drunk. I haven't even come to settle that score yet, and here you are looking as if I've castrated you myself."

The words hit Ray hard.

"Ms. Cicely," Ray stammered, "Seth never told you what really happened that night?"

Her gaze lowered slightly, "Does what he say negate the fact that you almost raped me?"

Raising her eyes with a faint smile, she added, "I'm aware of Mr. Ray's current condition and genuinely regret it. Let's put our grievances aside for now. But please, Mr. Ray, get your facts straight. It was your drunken folly that night that led to this mess, not anyone else's doing. Ms. Danielle is the true victim here, now incapacitated and dependent. Let's not make her situation any harder."

Issac, listening to the exchange, could hardly believe the facade.

Ray turned briefly to Danielle, his expression flustered, "I'm here to visit, not to cause trouble. Of course, I know Danielle is the biggest victim."

"Is that so?" Cicely nodded with a smile, "Then I must have misunderstood. With that cleared up, I'll take my leave."

Issac shielded Cicely as they left the hospital room. "Ray wasn't involved in the accident, so we can't hold him accountable. He's been hospitalized here. He came by yesterday, but I didn't let him in."

Cicely clenched the bag in her hands until her knuckles turned white. Encountering Ray again brought back the chaos of that night, the helplessness and the fear, so vivid and terrifying that even the mere thought of it made her shudder.

"Miss?"

Cicely blinked away the memories, "It seems Mr. Ray is quite fond of Danielle."

Issac had been skeptical. A rich playboy, surrounded by a constant stream of women, suddenly proclaiming true feelings for one seemed far-fetched. But now, it seemed genuine.

"Perhaps."

Cicely scoffed, "Not perhaps. With his family on the brink, he's willing to throw money into this charade for Danielle. It's clear she means a lot to him. I even suspect this accident was orchestrated by his family for her sake."

Issac frowned at the thought.

Ray liked Danielle so much he'd nearly get her killed? That seemed a bit far-fetched.

*

In the hospital room, Ray stood by Danielle's bed. His handsome face etched with concern and guilt. "I'm sorry, I had no idea it would turn out this bad."

Danielle wasn't in the mood to give Ray any more attention than she had to. Holding her fork clumsily, she shoveled food into her mouth with mechanical indifference.

"Ray, it's a dog-eat-dog world. Regardless of the tactics used, your family is finished," she said, not looking up from her plate. "Is it really necessary to go for the jugular? Nothing's happening to him now, and your family is on its last legs. Before, there was at least a chance for a comeback, but now, you guys have blown it for good."

Ray's hands were clenched so tight his knuckles were white, and a vein throbbed on his forehead. "He orchestrated the downfall of my family from the very start, Danielle. I've told you not to be fooled by his act. His ruthlessness is beyond what you can imagine. My dad said the moment he entered showbiz and started his agency, he had his sights set on bringing us down."

"A fledgling talent agency, run by a guy who hasn't graduated from college yet. He relied on these things to make everyone relax their guard against him, and then suddenly delivered a fatal blow. He played innocent but was actually cunning and ruthless. That night, I wasn't simply drunk. I've never hidden my feelings for you, and if Cicely hadn't shown up, who do you think would have been at the receiving end of my actions?"

Danielle's face drained of color. She had pondered this question before, but she was too afraid to delve into it. She didn't want to confront the potential cruelty of this "possible truth."

"That's impossible." she whispered.

Ray took a deep breath. "I know you wouldn't believe it, which is why I never brought it up before. I've checked with the doctors about your condition, and the prognosis is optimistic, albeit a rough road ahead. I came here today to see you and to ask you something."

Danielle still didn't look up, her voice restrained and flat. "Go ahead."

"When you stepped in front of that car for him, was it truly out of a willingness to risk your life to save him, or was it just a ploy to achieve some ulterior motive?"

Danielle paused mid-bite and finally turned to look at Ray. "Does it make a difference? Even with a motive, my only desire was to win him over."

Ray gave a melancholic smile. "It's different. The accident was unforeseen. Even I didn't expect my father to be so obstinate. If you knew the crash would be severe, would you still have stepped in?"

After a long silence, Danielle set her fork down and looked up at him. "What kind of answer are you hoping for?"

Ray pressed his lips together. "You should know."

"Then no, I wouldn't."

Ray stared at her quietly. "I didn't expect you to brush me off like this."

"It's not brushing you off. If I had died, what would be the point of saving him?"

Ray nodded slightly. "Whether true or not, that's the answer I needed to hear. And you don't have to play the villain in front of me to push me away. At this point, if I stop caring for you, it's like denying everything I've ever felt. If I could go back, I would, but since I can't, I need to find a reason for it all."

Danielle had never seen Ray this composed yet so obsessively insane. Her hand on the blanket trembled slightly. She was afraid of Ray in this state. With nothing left to lose, there was no telling what kind of madness he might resort to.

*

Cicely and Issac stepped out of the elevator on the ground floor, only to see Seth standing across the hall.

Tall, stoic, and brooding.

His brow furrowed imperceptibly when he saw Cicely.

Cicely's grip on her purse slackened for a moment then tightened. She stepped out, with a familiar, faint smile on her face. "You're here?"