The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 2010

"Feeling humiliated, huh?" Cicely shook her tingling hand dismissively. "If you're so concerned about your reputation, why do you keep doing things that would tarnish it?" "You're insane!" Danielle spat out between clenched teeth.

Cicely's phone buzzed again with Seth's call, but once more, she silenced it. When she looked up, the smile on her face visibly cooled at a glacial pace. "We've got a long list of unsettled scores, and now you've gone and stirred the pot again. If you've got the guts, confront me directly. These roundabout tactics don't show you're smart; they show you're weak, you get me?"

The director, sensing trouble, hurried over. "Ms. Cicely, this is the film set, crowded and full of onlookers. It wouldn't be good if words got out."

"It won't look bad on me; I've done nothing wrong. Your show, your choice of lousy actors-if anything leaks, it's on you, not me."

She glanced sideways at the director. "I have old beef with her, but I won't make a scene on your turf. However, it's quite shady of you to bring her here, so I'm not inclined to make this easy for you."d2 The director wasn't accustomed to such blunt criticism from a young girl, and his face struggled to hide his discomfort. Whether as the Ellis family's heiress or Seth's girlfriend, she wasn't someone he could afford to offend. It seemed like a classic case of jealousy.

"Can we take this off-set, Ms. Cicely?" he pleaded.

"It's not a personal matter," Cicely said coolly. "She doesn't deserve this role, and I want her out."

The director hesitated. "But that's..."

Danielle's shrill voice cut in, "Cicely, by what right?!"

"By the right of your lousy acting, by the fact that you're using this role to get under my skin, and by the right of being Cicely. You want to know by what right?"

Trembling with fury, Danielle lashed out, "When will it be enough for you?! How can I get you to vanish from my life?!"

Cicely's delicate features suddenly hardened. "Didn't get enough of a slap today, Danielle? Your talent for twisting the truth is shameless. Don't play the victim in front of others, making me out to be the villain. The name Cicely has many labels attached to it in P City. Do you think I fear adding another?"

The director was lost. "Ms. Cicely, it doesn't look good with so many people around. Can we discuss this in the lounge?"

"I've said my piece. She's out."

Rubbing his forehead, the director implored, "Please, Ms. Cicely, don't make it hard for me."

Cicely paused, then nodded. "Alright, I won't put you on the spot. Her cheek's swollen asymmetrically; should I even it out for you, so she can't shoot today?"

The director was speechless.

Danielle gaped at her, and Cicely turned back, rubbing her wrist. "Are you stepping down, or do I need to give you a hand?"

"Cicely. have you lost your mind? I haven't provoked you!"

Cicely laughed, turning to the director who stood nearby with a mix of emotions. "She said she didn't provoke me?"

The director, bewildered, didn't catch up before Danielle's cheek was slapped again. A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers.

Cicely's face was void of any smile now, her cold expression like a visible layer of frost.

"First time acting, just got the role, all new and exciting?" She repeated Danielle's earlier words, then continued, "You don't understand the role, yet here you are. Why did you set your sights on this one out of all the roles available?"

"If you're looking to ride Seth's coattails to the top, why not go for the lead? Before you try to play games with me, Danielle, maybe check if your brain's still attached to your neck. Or did you think I was too dumb to notice? But that's what you wanted, wasn't it? To get under my skin? So tell me, are you wronged by today's slap?"

The crowd blinked, catching on to the subtext.

The director furrowed his brow, guessing, "Ms. Cicely, do you know Emiliana?"

Cicely scoffed. "See? Even those out of the loop can put two and two together." Danielle's face shifted between shades of anger and fear.

Whispers spread among the bystanders.

"Cicely, don't push it too far."

Cicely, looking at Danielle's defiant facade, laughed bitterly. "So I've wronged you, have I?" Her tone was as nonchalant as her posture. "I've been labeled everything nasty in P City, at least eight out of ten people have gossiped about me." Her gaze lazily swept over the crowd. "Have I bullied any of you?"

A few people looked embarrassed, pressing their lips together in silence. They had indeed spoken of her behind her back.

"Everyone knows I'm no saint, but I don't go out of my way to make enemies. So why am I 'too much' for you? Is it because you've lived off the Ellis family for years and you think I begrudge the scraps? Or have you compromised my standing in the Ellis family?"

Her laugh was laced with sarcasm. "The Ellis family isn't short on cash. I wouldn't utter a word against supporting you for life. I don't covet the family shares, and I'm not interested in your petty gains or losses. So tell me, Danielle, why can't I stand the sight of you? Stop playing the innocent. You've been scheming behind my back, trying to tarnish me while keeping your own hands clean. Isn't that right?"

The people present, veterans of the cutthroat entertainment industry, were no strangers to backstage drama. Cicely's words rang clear to them all.

Danielle had bitten off more than she could chew.

After all, those with nothing to lose have no fear of those with everything at stake. Cicely had always been at the top of the social ladder, untouchable and unbothered by the whispers of ill repute that swirled around her. She was the last person you'd want to cross. Not just for Danielle, but for anyone really, it was unwise to set their sights on her.

Danielle found herself at a loss for words. Ever since she first met Cicely, she had never managed to gain the upper hand.

"Do you want me to go on? To spell out why you seem so intent on getting under my skin?"

Cicely's casual remark reignited the surrounding onlookers' curiosity just when they seemed ready to disperse. Danielle's hands were clasped so tightly together that her knuckles turned white.

"What do you think will happen if I lay it all out for you?" Seeing Danielle's pale face, the faint smirk on Cicely's face gradually faded away. "Well, you could smarten up and drop the role, or I can spill the beans right here and now. Your choice."

Some choice that was. Even if Danielle gave up the role, it meant admitting defeat, that Cicely had something on her. The paparazzi were sharp. Danielle wasn't famous yet, but if she ever made it big, her "dark past" would crash down on her even harder.

"So, you're not giving it up?" Cicely said coldly. "Fine, maybe to you, being a homewrecker doesn't count for much."

The room erupted into murmurs.

Danielle's face flushed with distress. "What are you talking about?!"

Cicely smirked, casually flicking a lock of hair over her ear. On her ring finger, a modest platinum ring caught Danielle's eye.

The closest director, who also caught a glimpse of the ring, showed a flicker of surprise, but he soon calmed down.

Ms. Cicely had just turned eighteen this year, not reaching the legal age for marriage. Maybe she only wore a couple's ring, nothing more. However, the director also understood that Danielle had set her sights on Mr. Diaz.

Danielle, who knew well how money and power could move mountains, trembled before finally uttering, "You..."

"Cicely." Her sentence was cut short by a deep, indifferent voice that suddenly filled the space.

Cicely arched an eyebrow, turning to the man who had approached - Seth. With a half-smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, she asked, "Aren't you busy?"

The director, sensing the tension, steered the lingering onlookers away with a chilly command, "Are we done here or what?" The crowd dispersed, leaving the studio emptier than before.

Seth's expression was unreadable as he looked down at Cicely. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking out this 'talented' actress you bent the rules for and praised so highly," Cicely replied with a taunt.

"You came just to watch?" Seth asked, his voice cool.

"Are you blind? Can't you see her two swollen faces?" Cicely jabbed, indicating Danielle's discomfort.

The director, a bystander to this family drama, was inwardly impressed by Cicely's boldness.

Danielle bit her lips tightly, feeling a fiery sensation on both faces.

Seth was unmoved by Cicely's words. "Are you done watching?"

"I am." Cicely tilted her head, scrutinizing him. "Someone who can't even play stoic without flubbing five or six takes - you call that talent?"

Her mocking tone sharpened. "Maybe you should reconsider your investment strategy. With your eye for talent, no amount of money will be enough to cover your losses."

For the first time, a faint ripple of emotion crossed Seth's stoic face as he glanced at the director. "Cicely," he said, fixing his gaze on her, "these matters aren't for you to worry about. Even if the money is lost, if doesn't concern you."

Half of Cicely's face was nestled in a woolly scarf, her eyes teasingly cold as they locked with his. "Seth, you'd rather throw all that money away than not use her, huh?"

Seth's lips pressed into a thin line. "If you insist on seeing things so black and white, I have nothing more to say."

"I see." Cicely's voice was light. "Sounds like I'm being unreasonable. Then give me another reason. You said this show was important, so why her? If she had an ounce of talent, I might be able to shut up, but she doesn't."

"You sure you'd let it go if she was talented?" Seth challenged.

"Not a chance," Cicely replied without hesitation. "So you know I wouldn't accept it even if she was talented. Why insist on someone with no talent?"

"Seth, I can make a scene, but only if you give me a reason. I asked for an explanation last night. Don't give me that 'talented' excuse. It's ridiculous. I'm not blind."

The director, sensing disaster, cautiously spoke up. "Ms. Cicely, it was my decision to cast Ms. Danielle."

"Are you suggesting I question your professional judgment?"

Cicely's words hit the director where it hurt. Questioning his professionalism was the absolute bottom line for the pride of an international director and something that should never be touched upon. Watching Cicely's assertive stance before Seth was the last thing Danielle wanted to see. "Cicely, I asked for Seth's help."

"And he agreed? Since he's so agreeable, why don't you ask him to marry you?" Cicely shot back.

Seth remained expressionless, though an icy anger seemed to creep into his features. Silently, he waited for Cicely to have her fill.

With her deepest shame exposed repeatedly by Cicely, Danielle felt a roaring in her head, and the growing desire to see Cicely vanish for good.

"Do you really want me to marry her?" After a tense pause, Seth finally spoke.

Cicely's frown deepened.

Seth turned his cool gaze to Danielle. "Maybe you should give it a shot."

Danielle's heart lurched, nearly choking her. It seemed to everyone present that if Danielle dared to speak up, Seth might actually agree.

Her heart pounded wildly, her breath quickened, but she knew that if Seth did agree, it would only be out of spite for Cicely.

Cicely's fists were clenched inside her down jacket, a storm brewing beneath her calm exterior.

Danielle remained silent for a long while, the tension hanging thick in the air.

Seth spoke up casually, "She's your cousin, the girl my mom doted on for two years, the one who's lived with me and saw me as a brother. That kind of bond doesn't just disappear. I won't act like I don't know her, and I won't turn a blind eye if she truly needs my help. Right now, there's nothing between us, and I'm certain there won't be anything in the future. But if you keep insisting that there's something going on, who knows? Maybe one day, there will be."

His words didn't exactly comfort either woman.

Danielle's face turned ashen.

Cicely watched him, silent for a moment, then her lips curled into a sly smile.

"Turn a blind eye? What am I supposed to do then? I just slapped her twice. Are you going to slap me back on her behalf? You're going to be quite busy in the future, my friend. I have a lot of scores to settle with her. Remember when she left me high and dry, almost a victim to Ray's aggression? I'll never let her live it down in this lifetime, and you better think hard about how you'll defend her from me."

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