The Enticing CEO's Chosen Bride novel Chapter 2094

Cicely was never a stingy person. Kane might not be the most reliable guy around. But his gesture of buying ten bottles of Chardonnay from her was sincere enough. So it was natural for her to prepare this table full of delicious food.

Yeah, it was all about the Chardonnay.

Cicely guided Hugo to his chair, where the maid tied a bib around his neck and set out a non-slip fork and spoon in front of him.

Cicely was there just to tidy things up a bit, rolling up Hugo's sleeves for him. Cicely was much calmer and relaxed now than at the beginning when she wanted to hug Hugo all the time and was all nervous and overwhelmed.

Grandpa was well, Hugo's eyes were healed, and she was free, living here with improved conditions. Everything had settled down.

She was slowly reclaiming her own identity, the one she had three years ago, haughty, aloof, and heartless. No one could catch her eye.d2

Back then, everyone but Seth got that treatment. Now, it was the same for everyone.

Unchanged, yet changed.

Her radiant face had gained a touch of maturity and grace through those three years. The arrogance in her brow persisted, yet it now held a certain fully-formed allure.

Seth's gaze never left Cicely.

She picked up the fork and served Hugo some food. "Want mom to blow on it?"

Hugo shook his head, "I can do it. You eat, Mommy."

Cicely smiled gently, caressing his cheek. "Good boy."

Even Kane found this version of Cicely unsettling. She was so different from before. He thought, in these three years, Cicely had grown more than any of them.

The once haughty woman who needed assistance for every task, and couldn't lift a finger, was now caring for others.

Seth longed to sit next to Cicely, but ended up across from her. It was the safest distance to avoid irritating her and the perfect spot for discreet observation.

Kane, observing Seth's unusual timidity, shook his head. Love was a strange and wondrous thing. He bet that after dinner, Seth would be back in his room, wide awake with insomnia.

Sighing, Kane attempted to broach a subject with an elder's poise.

Cicely glanced at him, "Care for some peanuts?"

Kane, reading the hidden thorns in her amused eyes, opened his mouth in confusion. "Maybe a bit more wine?"

Cicely frowned, "No alcohol served."

"C'mon, it's a rare gathering. Besides…" Kane winked towards Seth, "a little drink might help with sleep."

Cicely set down her fork, and Kane hastily added, "I will buy two bottles of Lafite in exchange for any wine you have. Is that OK?"

Cicely looked toward the maid, "Do we have any cheap beer?"

The maid nodded, "Two cases in the storeroom."

"Bring one up."

Kane was speechless.

*

Kane was all about helping Seth sleep, but in the end, he was the one who ended up paralyzed on the couch clutching a bottle of wine.

Once Hugo finished his meal, Cicely had the maid take him upstairs. She glanced at Kane, mumbling nonsense on the sofa, a shadow crossing her expression. "Get him out of here before he ruins my carpet."

With that, she turned to head upstairs.

"Cicely."

She paused, her delicate hand resting on the banister.

Seth forced a smile, "Goodnight."

Sounds of the dining room being tidied up mixed with Kane's muffled chatter. After a moment, Cicely's voice floated down, soft and delicate. “Goodnight."

Seth's heart skipped a beat. He had never realized how enchanting those words could be.

Kane slurred, "Cicely, I swear that I've never seen him making such a fool of himself. Damn hilarious..."

As Cicely's figure vanished at the top of the stairs, Seth looked away from the man slumped on the couch, yanking him up by the collar and dragging him out of the villa.

"Ah. I'm choking... This is awful..."

Kane was eventually pushed into a car, Seth not even allowing him inside his home. Charlie was instructed to take Kane back.

"Mr. Diaz, any chance you'll be invited for dinner again soon?" Charlie couldn't resist asking as he turned the car around. It wasn't that he was particularly nosy, but he truly feared Mr. Diaz's demeanor from three years ago and just a few days ago.

When Mr. Diaz was happy, the entire company prospered. One man's happiness affected the well-being of thousands. Though it was Mr. Diaz's personal affair, it had far-reaching implications.

Seth glanced at him, saying slowly, "Do you want a raise?"

Charlie was taken aback, "Of course."

Seth nodded, "Then perform well."

Charlie thought to himself. “What did that mean?”

*

The next day at noon, the doorbell at Cicely's Mansion rang again. Cicely opened the door. There stood Seth, impeccably dressed, holding two toy boxes. "Good afternoon."

Cicely leaned against the doorway, tilting her head slightly, "What's this about?"

"I'm here to deliver Hugo's belated gifts."

Cicely looked at him, saying nothing.

"I didn't cook, so I thought I’d drop by for lunch."

"I will but twenty bottles of Lafite."

Cicely looked down, silent for a moment, then turned and walked back into the living room, leaving the door ajar.

*

The third day.

The fourth day.

The fifth...

Seth showed up at Cicely's Mansion at least once a day for a meal. The gifts for Hugo piled up in the storage room.

Yet, humans are greedy creatures.

Cicely let him mooch meals, let him see Hugo, and interacted with him with calm indifference. These things would have satisfied him in the past, but she never once mentioned their past, nor talked about the future or whether she would leave.

His heart was hanging in mid-air. And he didn't dare bring it up, because any mention of the past was absolutely taboo for her.

He felt that maintaining the status quo was better than reopening old wounds. But all that sensitivity and withholding disintegrated the day Lana came to Cicely's Mansion for dinner a week later.

It was Lana who opened the door to the villa for him that day. Her brow creased slightly at the sight of him. "Well, " she said, her tone laced with disbelief. "I didn't think even you would have the nerve to show up here after everything."

Seth tensed the moment he laid eyes on Lana, his body coiling with an uneasy anticipation. "What're you doing here?" he asked, voice tight.

Lana raised an eyebrow, her gaze playful yet piercing. "Packing up some things before I leave," she replied casually.

Seth's grip on the gift he brought tightened noticeably.

Stepping aside, Lana granted him entry.

Inside, Cicely emerged from the kitchen holding a plate decorated with animal-shaped fruits, obviously prepared for Hugo. Her expression remained neutral upon seeing Seth, as she walked over to the pillowed nook of the room.

Hugo was sprawled on the floor, his nose buried in a picture book. Once blind, now that he could see, he dedicated hours each day to devouring the pages of his books.