The Enticing CEO's Chosen Bride novel Chapter 2101

Damon wasn't one for the pleasantries.

The surgery had been a success; as far as he was concerned, Seth waking up was just a matter of time, the worst-case scenario being a bit of a waiting game.

Lana's words fell on deaf ears as Damon's gaze remained fixed on Cicely, his voice firm, "Once should be enough of a lesson. If we drag this out, are you really waiting for him to throw in another life for good measure?"

Cicely's heart skipped a beat, her emotions betrayed by her face, and Damon, seeing this, was satisfied. He turned to Chloe, who was huddled in his arms, and deftly fastened the buttons of her trench coat collar. "If you don't agree to get hitched, I won’t meddle in whether he lives or dies after this. But if you do tie the knot..."

After adjusting Chloe's coat and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear with a half-smile, Damon's gaze shifted back to Cicely. "There might just be an absolute stunner of a surprise in it for you."

Cicely's brow furrowed. "What do you think could possibly surprise me now?"d2

Damon's lips curled into a smirk. "If I say there's a surprise, there definitely is one. If you're curious, why not walk down the aisle and find out?"

The crowd exchanged glances, wordless. They all knew Damon was breaking his back over Seth. He was pulling out all the stops – carrot and stick.

Kane and Nathan exchanged a knowing look. Damon was going all out for Seth; they'd make sure Seth knew it and was eternally grateful to Damon.

*

Three days felt like an eternity. Damon's few words had completely spooked Cicely. Seth was still not out of the woods, and anything they feared could happen at any moment.

The ICU strictly prohibited visitors. The round-the-clock vigilance was torturous.

Seven days later, Seth came to and was moved to a regular room. Cicely, along with Hugo, visited him. Her expression was neutral, revealing no emotion.

Fourteen days later, Seth was off medical support. Cicely still showed little emotion, visiting at the same time every day, just before noon, always with Hugo. They never brought lunch; it was always Charlie who brought it, and the three of them ate together. Seth ate his share, Cicely sat on the sofa feeding Hugo, and occasionally herself.

Nathan and Kane were daily fixtures, their banter often ending with Seth sending them away with a cold glance. Yet the next day, they were back again.

One month later, Seth was planning his discharge, and the hospital had given the green light.

In that month, Cicely had scarcely spoken a few words to him. She came every day, ate lunch with Hugo in his room, and then went upstairs to see Erik.

On the day of Seth’s discharge, Cicely arrived early. Hugo had been restless all night and woke up at the crack of dawn. Cicely, roused by his fussing and unable to vent on Hugo, bottled up her frustration.

At 8:30 AM she was at the hospital, Seth no longer in bed. He stood by the window, already dressed, and despite the severity of his injuries, he never once appeared disheveled. Seth was standing upright at this point, cell phone in his right hand, talking on the phone.

As Hugo entered, he joyously called out to his father. Seth turned his head, his gaze shifting from Hugo to Cicely, unblinking, his thin lips suddenly uttering a few emotionless words. "I've got to go. Something's come up."

Cicely had just overheard him say "Don't press it.," but before she could ponder it, Seth was by her side. He grabbed her wrist. "Up with the birds today?"

Cicely looked at him, her tone detached. "Thanks to him."

She pushed Hugo toward Seth, feeling jealous.

Seth looked down as Hugo gazed up at him adoringly, sandwiched between his father and Cicely. Seth smiled faintly, ruffled Hugo's hair, and gently nudged him aside. Taking a few steps forward, he enveloped Cicely in his embrace.

Hugo stood to the side, suddenly feeling superfluous, his little lips pouting. He wandered out to the adjoining room, familiar with the place after a month of visits. On the coffee table lay his unfinished coloring book.

As Seth inhaled the subtle scent of her neck, he spoke, his voice a low murmur in her ear. "You haven't paid much attention to me this month." There was a hint of accusation and hurt in his tone.

Cicely pressed her lips together, her eyes cold as they fell upon the neatly made hospital bed. "Does it still hurt?" she asked, her voice frosty.

Seth hugged her tighter. "Not anymore."

Silence filled the room.

Eventually, she pushed him away and looked up into his handsome face, towering over her by a good margin. She smiled slyly and then slapped his cheek with a swift motion.

Seth's face turned with the force of the slap, a clear handprint appearing on his chiseled features. Yet, there was no other sign of emotion; he remained as composed and aristocratic as if the slap had landed on someone else's cheek.

Seconds later, he turned his head back to face Cicely's sardonic smile. He took her hand, his fingers spreading hers, gently kneading her palm. "Doesn't hurt?"

Cicely's fingertips trembled.

Seth brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly.

Looking up at her again, his expression faltered slightly.

Cicely's eyes were red, her voice quivering. "Do you feel relieved now? Like you've finally gotten it off your chest?"

As Seth stared at her, he saw the fear, the aftershock, the anger, and even more emotions that made it clear to him. Her indifference and calm of the past days had been nothing but a façade to suppress and control herself.

It was as if a tiny outlet had suddenly been forced open, and all the pent-up emotions were bursting forth.

Her chest heaved violently, and suddenly pulling back her hand from his grip, she clenched it into a fist and began pounding on his shoulder, her voice strained with tension. "Seth, you're an absolute nutcase. Fucking jerk!"

Cicely had never cursed anyone like this before. Even when utterly infuriated in the past, she would never have expended her energy on blind rage, let alone display the hysterical outburst she was showing now. Maybe she had never been pushed this far before.

Seth let her beat on him, but as he heard Cicely's words, he was momentarily stunned. His chest roiled, but he couldn't hide the surge of elation in his heart. He grabbed her hands, pulling her tightly into his arms, his gaze burning into her.

His overwhelming joy was like a sting to Cicely, fueling her anger even more. "Amusing, isn't it?"

"You're worried about me."

Tears streamed down Cicely's cheeks, a relentless torrent as day after day, the haunting image of him plunging a knife into his own heart played on repeat whenever she closed her eyes. The shimmering silver of the blade seemed to shorten inch by inch before her, a cruel mimicry of how her own nerves felt severed, slice by slice.

Though the steel pierced his chest, it was she who felt as if death itself were upon her. As the vision slipped through her mind once again, her face turned ashen, her body visibly trembling.

Seth held her tight, his deep and husky voice a soothing balm in her ear. “Sorry.”

“I told you I don't want to hear that word again.”

“I apologize.”

Cicely's breath hitched.

Seth's hand glided up her back, “I told you I'd be okay. I do everything with the sole purpose of being with you, so nothing's going to happen to me.”

“That's easy for you to say now that you're okay, Seth. Do you think I'm still the naive girl you could easily comfort? Everyone related to you was there that day, even Damon wasn't sure he could save you. There you were, lying unconscious in the ER, and your life in someone else's hands. What makes you so certain?”

“Because I have to live. I want to be with you. I owe you. I haven't yet made it up to you. I can't bear the thought of you with another man. You love me the most, and I can't let you lose me. You'd be scared, lost, taking all the blame on yourself, drowning in guilt. I won't let you suffer alone in this world.”

Cicely bit her lip, her throat tight with emotion, her vision blurred by tears. After a while, she suddenly let out a cold, mocking laugh, tears streaming down her face. “You say you have to live, and so you will. How very mighty of you, controlling fate with such precision. It seems there's nothing in this world you can't handle, right?”

Seth reached out to wipe her tears away, kissing the tip of her nose, resting his forehead against hers.

“No,” his voice was hoarse, kissing away her tears, “you know it's always been you. Ever since you first said you liked me, loved me, I've been terrified that one day you'd decide you didn't want me anymore.”

Cicely's breath caught. She looked up at him, her eyelashes wet with dewy tears.

Seth leaned in and kissed her. “You say you like me, but I'm not that great. I've always been worried that once your novelty of me wears off, and you realize I'm not as perfect as you thought, you'd leave me without hesitation. So I wondered if you would always love me and stay by my side as long as I am good enough, strong enough, worthy enough to give you what no one else can."

She had never heard him open up like this before, laying all his fears bare before her.

Was he afraid? Afraid her love was just a whim, and she'd let him go...

Turns out, he was afraid of these things too. She thought she was the only one scared from the start.

Cicely closed her eyes, the feeling all too familiar. “So you've always thought my feelings were that shallow.”