The Enticing CEO's Chosen Bride novel Chapter 2134

The conversation they had tried to forget inevitably surged back to the forefront. However, regardless of what they said, Noah never seemed to mind.

And Ella? She paid them no mind either.

In the days that followed, Ella no longer stayed cooped up at home. She began joining Noah for lunch at his office, sometimes spending the entire afternoon there. They would leave together in the evenings, occasionally dining out at some cozy restaurant or catching a movie, or simply heading straight home.

It was all out in the open, no attempt to hide it, until the day Rebecca's call came in.

Paul had been trying to meet up with Ella almost every day, and after hanging up with Rebecca, Ella agreed to see him.

That morning, Ella had strolled through the mall, picking up a tie for Noah, and on a whim, a matching tie clip.d2

Ella and Paul had agreed to meet at the rooftop restaurant of the mall. When Paul saw her, Ella noticed an immediate release of tension in his demeanor. She knew Paul was still worried about her, and a wave of guilt washed over her. Her heart, which she had thought was hardened enough, showed its cracks.

They ordered their meals, but neither ate much.

"So, is this how things are going to be?" Paul finally broached the subject when Ella put down her fork.

Ella's face was calm, "Regardless of what happens, I'm sorry. Paul, I can’t be with you. You're a wonderful guy, and I seriously considered our future once. But now, I don’t deserve you, and you deserve someone better."

"So what do you mean by 'regardless of what happens'?"

Ella paused.

"Aren't you and Noah decided on being together? Isn't it just going to be the two of you in the end? Why speak like that? Ella, what are you thinking?"

Ella stared at Paul, taken aback by his approach. His cold expression wasn't because she had chosen another man over him, nor did he seem to hold onto the humiliation he'd felt because of her. "There's no need for apologies. I'm not the type to cling to what I can't have. I liked you, tried for you, and I gave it my all. Even if you never felt the same, I've no regrets. It's just an unrequited love that I'll get over eventually. If you don't love me, but you're with me out of guilt or to escape him, I doubt I'd truly be happy. I might not mind now, but who's to say I won't mind in the future?"

"But what about you, Ella? What's going on in your mind?"

Ella listened to him, gratitude filling her, but she still shook her head in response to his question, "No..."

"I expected to see a confident and happy you today, someone who's thrown caution to the wind. But clearly, that's not the case."

"I can't just be indifferent, Paul. I can't be ungrateful. I had nothing, and the Tretton family gave me everything. I want to live happily with what I love too, but I can't be so ungrateful. We can't escape society's judgments, and for the Tretton family, their reputation is defined by others.

“How many people are watching over the Tretton family for society? If the Tretton family suffers the slightest because of me, I couldn't live with myself.

“And it's not just the Tretton family, but you, the Reeves family, and Rebecca. Paul, this notion of true love above all has its conditions. Rebecca has been engaged to my uncle for four years, so how can I accept this relationship with a clear conscience?"

Overwhelmed by her own considerations, Ella felt suffocated. Once Ella started speaking, the words poured out uncontrollably. Her voice trembling, Ella was soon in tears.

Clutching her chest, the pain almost choking her, she asked, "Paul, what should we do?" In her mind, the path between her and Noah led only to a dead end.

Her anguish was palpable, and as Paul witnessed her present state, his own heart clenched. "Ella, why overthink it? Life is full of choices. If Noah is willing to do this, then he's not concerned about what he'll lose. It’s just a temporary impact. As for the Minton family, I doubt they'd let Noah drag out an engagement for four years without good reason. Maybe there's more between him and the Minton family, or him and Rebecca."

Ella shook her head, "Paul, you don't have to comfort me. What if I hadn't come back?"

Paul pressed his lips together, frowning, and stayed silent.

"They would get married anyway."

His brows furrowed, Paul handed her a tissue and said, "It doesn't necessarily mean they will. What I said wasn't just to comfort you. You may not believe it, but you can't completely dismiss it either. It's best to clarify things. Even if all the issues are as you suspect, why not be selfish just once? The world has plenty of villains; one more won't make a difference."

Ella bit her lip and said nothing. How could she take seriously the words of someone who cared for her when she knew she was in the wrong?

The distinction between right and wrong was clear to her. It was precisely because she saw things so clearly...

Shortly afterward, Ella's phone rang. She glanced at it but didn't answer, choosing to send a text instead. After putting her phone away, she took a deep breath to compose herself and said to Paul, "I'm sorry, I have other things to attend to. Let's meet another time."

She stood up to leave, but Paul caught her wrist. He stared at something besides them, then released her, standing in front of her with a rare look of icy resolve. "So Ella, what exactly do you want to do? If you think it's wrong, why parade around with Noah like this?"

"To make a wrong turn is human. This pleasure is sinful, and I'm prepared to face the consequences."

Paul still didn't understand her intentions, but Ella had already walked past him. He turned and watched her retreating figure, but he didn't follow.

When she was out of sight, Paul closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and then walked over to a nearby seat. He looked at the girl sitting there, her gaze drifting, and asked, "Did you just record something?"

The girl's face turned a shade of crimson as she handed Paul her phone, whispering: "I... I didn't think it was a big deal."

Paul took the phone and saw it was indeed a video—Ella's spoken words and her struggle to hold back tears were all there. Despite having just witnessed it all, the screen only made her pain and sorrow hit home harder.

Reading the room, the girl spoke up again in a hushed tone, "Actually, I think what you said earlier wasn't wrong. There are plenty of bad guys out there. She just overthinks things, always ready to swallow her own grievances rather than see others slighted."

Paul cracked a thin smile at her, "So, she's worth being liked, is that it?"

Blushing, the girl nodded, "She was a victim in this. It wasn't her fault."

Paul nodded back, "Send me that video, will you?"

*

Ella emerged from the bathroom, tidied up, and headed to the coffee shop for her meeting with Rebecca.

The café was quiet and elegant, a prime location. The afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow over couples seated face-to-face, their conversations soft and tender—a serene, lazy romance in the air.

Rebecca was already there, seated by a window that offered a splendid view.

The waitress guided Ella to the table, to which she merely nodded. Ella sat down confidently, neither servile nor overbearing, and faced Rebecca with a cool smile.

"Miss, what would you like to drink?"

"Lemonade, please."

Once the waitress left, Ella cut to the chase. "Just cut to the chase."

Rebecca lifted her coffee cup, took a sip, and eyed Ella's indifferent expression, a mocking curve forming on her lips. "I thought I'd find you guilt-ridden, perhaps endlessly apologizing to me, begging for my forgiveness, willing to let you and him be."

Ella let out a scoff, "Don't you get it? He'd rather be labeled as unfaithful and criticized by everyone, disregarding any consequences, just to be with me. What good is your blessing?"

Rebecca's contrived smile slowly faded. "So, you're here to gloat?"

"You're the one who wanted to meet, Ms. Rebecca."

Ella's voice was icy, "I don't know why you called me here, but if it's to convince me to step aside, you might as well save your breath. Or maybe you should talk to my uncle, ask him to pity you more, and to not cast you aside. If you can convince him to honor the engagement, I'll accept that outcome."

Rebecca's eyes narrowed as she stared at Ella, her grip on the coffee cup handle turning white. After a long silence following Ella's words, Rebecca suddenly laughed. "Your defiance now makes me curious. Was that avoidance and feigned ignorance just an act? Or is this the real you? If it's the latter, even if Noah truly doesn't love me, I'd never concede him to someone like you."

Ella smirked, "No need for you to concede anything. Honestly, if you keep clinging on, it'll just make you look more ridiculous. If he could hurt you once for me, he'd do it again. Why demean yourself like this? Rebecca, four years by his side and you couldn't get him to marry you. Don't blame him for wasting your youth; that's on you..."

Her words were abruptly cut off. The waitress who had just brought the lemonade stood frozen, watching as the liquid cascaded down Ella's face, unsure of what to do.

Rebecca slammed her now empty cup on the table, her expression a mixture of anger and indignation. "I've realized that your leaving wasn't about letting go. This return of yours was premeditated. I might not marry him, but don't fool yourself into thinking you can have him. You covet your own uncle from a young age, and now that you've had a taste of victory, you come here gloating.”

“As a niece seducing her own uncle, playing the third wheel, what dignity do you have to take pride in front of me? Who could truly accept you two? The Tretton family is nearly being chewed up in whispers. Noah is now a walking target of scorn, and is this your so-called love?"

A glint of sorrow flashed through Ella's eyes, but it was fleeting, gone in the moment Rebecca's bemusement stirred. Ella stood abruptly, her hand striking Rebecca's face with a resounding slap.

Everyone in the café turned their attention to the pair.

Ella brushed her damp hair behind her ears, chin lifted, a smile playing on her lips, "You're right, I am not content to let the man I love marry another woman. What I want, I'll scheme for it if necessary. So what if I seduced him? He fell for it, didn't he? I got what I wanted, and why should I care about anything else? Will the Tretton family have me killed? Will their fortunes crumble because of this?"

"Rebecca, life is about results. You're upright, sensible, and educated, but the victor here is me."

With those final words, Ella grabbed her purse and strode out of the café.

Rebecca looked on, her brows furrowed, as Ella departed.

The waitress snapped out of her daze, cautiously asking, "Miss, are you alright?"

Rebecca came back to herself, murmured a faint "I'm fine," picked up her bag, and left with a grave face.

In a corner of the café, someone was excitedly tapping on their phone, composing a message.

[Today's scoop is huge, thanks a ton. How much do you want?]

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