The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride novel Chapter 1976

The midday sun was already climbing high when Cicely's eyelids fluttered open. She was greeted by a blur of light that made her instinctively turn her head away, a frown creasing her forehead. Something warm pressed against her eyes, and she stirred, rejecting the unexpected touch.

"Don't move," came a deep, slightly hoarse voice near her ear. It was different from the usual crisp tones she was accustomed to, but Cicely recognized it and lay still.

The outline of her eyes moved beneath the palm, a sensation that was all too distinct. Seth relaxed his grip slightly and instructed, "Open your eyes now."

As the sound of his voice faded, Cicely lifted her eyelids, her long lashes fluttering against his palm. Seth slowly pulled his hand away. Cicely blinked a few times, her gaze skipping past the room's decor to land on the man sitting by the bed.

Dark eyes, light, deep-set brows, sharp, thin lips, and a perfectly chiseled nose—every feature seemed tailored to captivate her heart.

She wasn't entirely amnesiac, but she couldn't quite piece together where she was or why. "Where am I? Why are you here? Aren't you busy?" she asked, her tone even and devoid of emotion.d2

"Going out on a spree and not coming home, unreachable by phone—your dad was worried sick. The entire Ellis family probably spent the whole night up," Seth responded, sidestepping her questions, yet somehow answering them all.

She was probably still in the suburbs because her phone had been out of reach, and her father, concerned, had tracked her to Seth's place. As her nominal boyfriend, finding her seemed both his duty and obligation. Her father and the Ellis family were worried, but he wasn't.

Turning her head away, she had no desire to continue the conversation. Her mind was occupied with the "breakup" Kane had mentioned the day before. If she broached the subject and Seth confirmed it in front of her, she had no idea how she would handle it.

After a moment of silence, Cicely moved slightly, noticing a fully charged phone on the nightstand. She remembered the battery had died, but now it was clearly recharged.

Just as she was about to call Creighton, Seth's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I've already spoken to your father about your condition. I downplayed it, thinking you wouldn't want him overly worried."

Cicely paused, exiting the contacts interface. She opened the social media app instead, only to find it empty. Surprisingly, there wasn't even one greeting message. Her chat box with Joel was also empty. She was hospitalized, yet Joel seemed to have no reaction at all.

After a moment, she looked up at Seth. "What's my diagnosis?"

"Acute gastritis," Seth replied, his gaze indifferent.

Cicely furrowed her brow, attempting to sit up, but a sharp pain in her stomach made her face, which had just recovered some color from a night's rest, instantly drain of its hue.

Seth's expression darkened. "What's the point of asking me if you don't heed the answer?"

Clinging to her stomach and biting her lip, Cicely looked at Seth, her eyes red and teary. "Why does it hurt so much?" she complained, her voice a mix of grievance and anger. She had never suffered from acute gastritis before, and the pain felt unbearable.

Seth scoffed. "Keep eating junk food and frequenting hospitals, and maybe then you'll understand the cause."

Cicely bit her lip harder and glared at him fiercely.

At that moment, a knock came at the door, and Seth responded in a low voice. As the door opened, Cicely recognized Seth's assistant walking in with a food container.

Seth took it from him. The container opened, releasing the fragrant aroma of chicken soup.

Cicely's frown persisted as she looked into Seth's handsome, indifferent face and spoke up. "Do you know why Joel's hospitalized?"

Seth stopped stirring, lifting his gaze to meet hers. "Do you think you're in any position to worry about someone else right now?"

"Why wouldn't I be? He kindly took me out to clear my head, and now he's the one injured and in the hospital. No one has more right to worry than I do."

A dark cloud seemed to pass over Seth's expression at her words.

Cicely continued, challenging him with her gaze, "What, in your eyes, I'm completely devoid of redeeming qualities? Have I sunk so low in your estimation that you see me as ungrateful?"

Seth glanced at the bowl in his hand. "Whether you're ungrateful or not, I'm not sure. But I'm curious, who gave you the confidence to think that your presence would be more effective than the hospital's doctors?"

Cicely was taken aback.

Seth continued to mix the soup, his voice cold and methodical. "Not talking now, eh?"

He slowly lifted his gaze, placed the bowl on the bedside table, and his cool hand gently cupped her chin. Leaning in slightly, his attractive and aloof face appeared in Cicely's eyes. His gaze swept over her pale face, finally locking onto her eyes as he whispered. "It seems you had quite a delightful time with him yesterday. In just one day, you've become the woman most entitled to worry about him."

Cicely tilted her head back and brushed his hand away, "Compared to the past few days, yesterday was indeed a joy."