The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Chapter 2099

The silence in the room was palpable, punctuated only by the soft dance of dust motes in the slanting sunlight that filtered through the curtains.

After what felt like an eternity, Seth’s chuckle broke the stillness, low and unexpected.

Cicely’s frown creased her smooth forehead.

Sitting up, Seth wrapped an arm around her, his lean, dark eyes heavy upon her. His lips curved in a gentle smile and his fingers caressed her cheek with such tenderness, his voice was disarmingly soft. “You said you still love me.”

Cicely’s lips, pink and full, pressed tightly together, and she remained silent.

Seth smiled, his long fingers hooking her jaw. Cicely's delicate face and those scarlet lips always had an allure that one couldn't help but kiss.d2

He didn’t resist; he leaned in and kissed her lightly.

Cicely’s gaze dropped, her eyelashes fluttering uncontrollably.

“You’re right. There’s a debt between us, lives taken that makes being together without remorse impossible. But I want to be with you.”

Cicely closed her eyes. They circled back to where they started.

Seth’s hand, previously caressing her cheek, retracted, and he looked at her with a faint smile. “What if I said I was willing to pay it back?”

Cicely blinked, confused. “Pay back what?”

“Life.”

The single word sent Cicely’s mind reeling.

What life? How could it be repaid? “What are you talking about?” she asked, her voice trembling despite herself.

“Our barrier is two lives. If I could repay them, would you agree to be with me?”

Cicely stood frozen, her complexion paling.

Seth watched her, a smile playing on his lips as he couldn’t help but touch her cheek again. “Speak up, Cicely. Is that it? If I could repay those lives, would you agree to be with me?”

She shook her head, taking a long moment before swatting his hand away. “Are you threatening me? Are you so sure I would never agree to such absurdity that you dare to propose it? Fine, yes. If you could pay it back, I would agree to be with you. So, what now? How will you pay? What will you pay with?”

Cicely was furious. He exploited her feelings for him time and again, certain of any outcome. Did he think as long as she loved him, he could always make her compromise?

Seth’s lips twitched, with a light smile in his dark eyes. “No backing out.” With that, he kissed her again, this time with a relaxed ease that pressed her back into the mattress in a barrage of kisses.

Cicely furrowed her brow. So, what now? His words were just talk.

After showering her in kisses until she was flushed, Seth finally released her, satisfied, and swung his legs off the bed to head into the bathroom.

When he returned, Cicely had already changed into her home clothes. He reached for her hand. “Let’s go have breakfast.”

Cicely glanced at him. “This is my house.”

Seth just smiled and said nothing.

They had just stepped out of the bedroom when Cicely halted. “Hugo should be up by now.”

A sneer echoed from downstairs. “The kid would starve if we waited for you.”

Looking down, they saw Lana cradling Hugo, who clutched a bottle in his arms.

Upon seeing them, Hugo’s dark eyes lit up. “Mommy, Daddy, are you all getting up together?”

Cicely was speechless.

Seth seemed unfazed, leading her downstairs. He walked over to Lana and reached out to touch Hugo's head. “Do you want to have more for breakfast?”

Hugo shook his head. “Nope, I already ate a hot dog and some eggs. I’ll be full after this bottle.”

“Then let grand-aunt take you out to play later.”

Lana frowned. “What’s the rush? You’re trying to get rid of us for some alone time?”

“You want him to witness our private moments?”

Lana’s face darkened.

Cicely pulled away from Seth. “What are you talking about!”

Seth chuckled and drew her back into his embrace. “Time for breakfast.”

After Hugo finished his bottle, Lana did take him out. Seth’s words from earlier suggested he had more to say to Cicely, something Hugo shouldn’t hear, presumably filled with conflicts.

Seth prepared breakfast himself. The dining room atmosphere lightened considerably, even as Cicely ate with an expressionless and somewhat distant demeanor.

Breakfast was two boiled eggs accompanied by a dash of salt and pepper, and a sandwich, fresh and neatly made with vibrant green lettuce and red tomatoes—a simple preference of hers.

After the meal, Cicely set down her utensils and looked at the man opposite her, who had finished eating and was now watching her.

“Full?”

Instead, she asked, “Do you have something else to say to me?”

Seth’s gaze softened, and without a word, he stood up, collected the dishes, and headed to the kitchen.

Cicely squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then followed him into the kitchen. Watching Seth’s bent form as he washed the dishes, she pressed her lips together and said, “Seth.”

"You're so anxious for an answer, it seems like you are more impatient for us to be together than I am." He placed the last dish on the rack, turned, and smiled at her.

Cicely’s brows knitted. “I don’t want to keep lingering in this unclear state with you.”

“Hmm.”

Seth wiped his hands on a clean towel, leaned back against the counter, and looked down at her. “I might owe you an apology.”

Cicely had no patience left. “If you have nothing else to say, get out.”

Seth paused. “I do.”

As the words fell, he moved aside, pulling a paring knife from the knife block on the counter. Cicely’s face blanched as she stumbled backward.

His words from the bedroom echoed in her mind, the initial confusion turning into a cold drench as she saw the knife. “What are you doing?”

“Would you dare to do it?”

Seth looked at her seriously and calmly. “If you’re afraid, then I’ll do it. It’s the same, right?”

Cicely, pale as a ghost, shook her head, her voice quivering. “No... Seth... don’t you dare!”

“I’m not very brave.” Seth smiled faintly. “But I don’t want to drag this out any longer. Sorry to scare you, but this is something I must do. It seems to be the only way I can think of.”

The moment his words faded, he twisted the knife handle with a smirk, and, as casually as pinning a boutonniere to his chest, he plunged the knife into his heart.

Cicely's trembling hands froze midair, her eyes widening to their utmost as the blade, inch by inch, disappeared into his chest. She stood there, stunned, as if her breath had been stolen, and her heart ceased to beat. Her blood had instantly halted its flow, leaving her body rigid and cold, devoid of any sensation.

Blood soaked through his white shirt in an instant, his lips gradually losing their hue, as he leaned heavily against the kitchen counter. With his remaining strength, he pulled Cicely into his embrace.

“You are not to blame.”

His forehead pressed against hers, his voice tender and his eyelashes fluttering with emotion. “It's all my fault. I'm the one who messed with Ray. I couldn't shake off Danielle, and I decided to turn

you in to the authorities. I was the one who put you behind bars. I dragged you to court, and I fell for you despite my mother's warnings. I failed to handle everything properly. It's all on me, not you.”

Cicely finally blinked, her breathing returning, short and ragged.

“Don’t be scared, I probably won’t die. I just wanted to be with you. If I die, I lose everything. I owe you a life, I’ll pay it back once I’m better.”

Seth finally succumbed to the pain, his knees buckling as he knelt on the floor, his hand braced against his knee, his breathing growing labored. Blood dripped onto the floor, and Cicely, unsure what to do, caught the drops with her trembling hands.

Suddenly, Seth grasped her wrist, his voice deliberately steady but with a quiver. “You promised me. Don’t back out now.”

Cicely, completely numb and unresponsive, stared at him for seconds before scrambling up and running to the living room to make a frantic call. Her fingers shook as she dialed. “Hello, this is Cicely's Mansion, someone’s been stabbed. Please, help. We need help.”

No sooner had Cicely's voice faded than the sound of sirens filled the air outside. The front door burst open as paramedics charged in, their gaze fixed on Cicely. “Where’s the patient?”

Cicely dropped the phone, "Kitchen... he's in the kitchen!"

They dashed in the direction she pointed, with her close on their heels. But as she ran, Damon strode through the doorway, his face grim and forbidding. His icy gaze met hers, chilling her to the bone, but he said nothing, heading straight for the kitchen.

Seth was unconscious.

Damon asked coldly, "How bad is it?"

"Very bad."

Cicely's face went deathly pale again.

Damon pressed on, "Can you save him?"

"We'll do our best."

The doctor seemed to have an understanding with Damon, answering his direct questions with straightforward answers.

"If he dies, you might as well stop breathing too."

They lifted Seth into the ambulance.

Cicely, pale and bewildered, followed.

Lana, alerted by the commotion, arrived clutching Hugo, only to see someone being loaded into an ambulance.

Cicely, looking as if her soul had been half ripped away, staggered out after them. Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

"Cicely..."

"Mom..."

The calls from Lana and Hugo didn’t reach her. Her gaze was fixed solely on Seth, her whole being in a haze.

The ambulance siren wailed as it departed.

Damon emerged from the house.

Hugo, ever perceptive, spoke up, "Mr. Damon."

Lana, holding Hugo close, approached quickly. "What happened? Was that Seth?"

"Yes, let the boy go too. After all, Seth's his father. Who knows, the kid might just make it in time to say goodbye."

Lana sighed.