The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Chapter 2088

Erik's condition was stable, and Cicely had been by his side in the hospital room for two hours.

"There are plenty of people here; go get some rest." Seth had been there with her the entire time, glancing at his watch over and over until he finally spoke up in a deep voice.

Cicely shook her head, refusing to leave.

The room fell silent once again, the sounds of the medical equipment becoming all the more pronounced.

After a while, Seth stood up from the couch and walked over to her. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

Impatience flickered across Cicely's face. "Are you done?"d2

Seth stared at the strands of her hair caught in the light above her, his expression indifferent. "Weren't you supposed to go to Alyssa's for Thanksgiving?"

Cicely's complexion stiffened instantly. Her mind exploded with the shock.

Hugo?!

Sensing her body tense up, Seth lowered his gaze, his voice growing hoarse. "Grandpa has someone here to look after him, and you can rest easy. Since you promised to spend Thanksgiving with them, don't keep them waiting. It's not right."

He paused for a moment, then slowly reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'll take you there."

"No need!"

Cicely jerked to her feet as if stung, shaking off Seth's hand. Realizing she had overreacted, her eyes flickered and she changed her tone. "I mean, I'll go back on my own."

Seth pursed his lips, his gaze locked on her tense face, and after a moment of silence, he said in a raspy voice, "I'll just drive you there. I won't come in, okay?"

Cicely's eyes trembled unexpectedly. She thought she had misheard. Ever since she first met Seth when she was younger, she had never heard such pleading and inquiry in his voice.

What's more, he had everything nowadays, with power in his hands and calling the shots, and this submissive tone didn't seem like it should come from him.

But why? Just to drive her home, he was putting on this act.

"What if I say no?"

Seth's gaze lowered, his voice sounding like it was dragged out of him, "It's Thanksgiving today, we could spend a little time."

"You said you wouldn't come in."

"Not going in." Seth stepped forward and gripped her arm, his dark eyes locking onto her glowing and radiant face. His husky voice seemed to come through a dense fog, "We'll celebrate on the road."

Cicely watched him silently for a while. After a long pause, she looked away, her voice calm and cold when she spoke again. "If I disagree, are you planning to drag this out all night?"

Seth pressed his lips together and remained silent.

Maybe that was his plan.

*

Once inside the car, Cicely leaned back in her seat, staring out the window expressionlessly. Seth got in from the other side, and the two sat at a distance from each other.

Halfway through the journey, silence reigned. Charlie, driving the car, felt the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Mr. Erik had pulled through, but were these two just planning to keep this deadlock? Both so stubborn, how would this end?

Cicely's hand, resting by her side, was clenched tight. She didn't trust Seth, or perhaps, she feared a "mishap" more.

Everything from three years ago came without warning, including her worries outside the operating room today, and even now. Even if Seth really did as he said and didn't come in, she couldn't predict what else might happen.

If he crossed that threshold, she couldn't imagine what she'd have to face.

But she had to go back. She had promised Hugo to celebrate with him. No matter how difficult, she couldn't break her word. Otherwise, her Hugo would be disappointed, sad, upset, and might even cry in secret.

The thought that there might be a chance of that made her heart cramp in pain. Those days of crying in secret were so heartbreaking. She couldn't let that happen.

With a few visible teeth marks on her lower lip, she watched the car move forward, and the tension in her head grew tighter.

Beside her, there was a rustling sound, but she was too preoccupied to notice. After a short while, Seth's hand came into view. She looked down to see a long, slender finger holding a half-eaten apple pie.

"You'll probably have more to eat later, so just have half for now."

A low, mellow voice filled the car, tinged with a hint of subdued pleasure. Cicely paused, turning to look at the man. In the dim light of the car, she could only make out half of his face. His dark eyes watched her quietly, simply wanting her to take the pie.

She looked back at the pie, her eyes flickering, and reached out to take it. He had said they would celebrate Thanksgiving on the road.

Under his unwavering gaze, she took a small bite. Seeing her eat, Seth allowed himself a small smile, glanced at the remaining half of the pie in his hand, and brought it to his lips.

Charlie in the front seat felt a pang of sadness. He had never seen Mr. Diaz eat apple pie before.

But did this count as celebrating Thanksgiving? It probably did, in a way.

After all, for the past three years, no one had celebrated Thanksgiving with Mr. Diaz, and no one had shared apple pie or a holiday meal with him. Even other holidays, it had always just been him alone.

Cicely felt a wave of sadness welling up, choking her. The pie in her mouth stuck, impossible to spit out or swallow. In the end, she took another bite of the pie, swallowing it down with the lump in her throat.

Soon, the car pulled up in front of Alyssa's cozy little villa. Seth finished his pie while Cicely still had some left.

The moment the car stopped, Cicely couldn't wait to open the door and leave. Charlie got out first.

Cicely was stopped by a gentle pull. She stiffened, turning to look at Seth. "You said..."

"Happy Thanksgiving."

Seth spoke softly, the words stopping Cicely's words in her mouth and filling her with a sense of shame, as if she had misjudged him.

"Happy Thanksgiving." She hesitated for a few seconds but still left him with those cold words before turning and opening the car door.

Seth let go of her hand, not holding her back.

Charlie brought all the gifts from the trunk into the villa, running back and forth three times to finish the task.

Anya was playing with Hugo on the side, and when she saw the toys, she dragged Hugo over excitedly.

Charlie carefully arranged all the gifts to one side, then turned to the room full of guests with a hearty, "Happy Thanksgiving, folks." But as his gaze swept across the room, it landed on two children nearby, and then fixed intently on Hugo.

It was as if a lightning bolt had struck him. His expression shifted to shock, his mouth gaping open as he turned to Cicely.

By the time Cicely realized what was happening, it was already too late to do anything but step in front of Hugo, trying to act as a shield. "What are you staring at?"

Charlie averted his gaze, slowly closing his mouth, shaking his head. "No, nothing, I was just leaving."

He couldn't remember how he had exited the door. It wasn't until he was in the car for a while that he rubbed his face vigorously.

Seth watched the brightly lit mansion fade away through the car window, a hint of longing hidden in the depths of his eyes.

"Mr. Diaz." Charlie's voice was suddenly stiff.

Seth did not respond.

"I just saw a little boy in the villa."

Seth's eyes flickered, glanced at the villa one last time, then withdrew his gaze.

"He looks a lot like you. And Ms. Cicely seemed quite guarded around me. Is it..."

"Drive."

Seth's impassive response made Charlie pause, but after a few seconds, he understood. Mr. Diaz already knew.

Throughout the drive back, Charlie kept silent, untangling the mess of thoughts in his head.

"Why don't you confront it, Mr. Diaz?"

The taste of apple pie, sweet and lingering, was still in his mouth. Seth slowly opened his eyes, silent for a moment. "She won't even let me drive her now." If he confronted her, would she take the child and go into hiding?

Charlie bit his lip. "But you can't just pretend you don't know forever."

"That depends on how long she plans to keep it from me."

He had promised Chloe not to use the child as a bargaining chip. He had made mistakes before, and used the wrong methods; he couldn't repeat making the same mistakes and cause them more pain.

Charlie felt a tightness in his chest, suffocating. Even as a bystander, he felt this way; he could hardly imagine what the man in the back seat was enduring.

*

Only when Cicely was sure Seth's car had finally left did she bend down and hug Hugo tightly.

"Hugo, I'm sorry. Mommy's late."

Hugo's lips were pressed tightly together, his eyes reddening, tears swirling but not falling. "It's okay. I knew Mommy would come."

He buried his face in Cicely's embrace, his arms wrapped tightly around her neck, unable to hold back his low sobs.

Cicely felt her heart shatter. If not for Seth's reminder, she would have let Hugo down tonight. Hugo believed in her so much.

Tears glimmered in Alyssa's eyes. "This child, he was so well-behaved, just waiting patiently for you; I've never seen a child so understanding."

Cicely nodded, standing up with Hugo in her arms. "Alyssa, thank you for today. I'm sorry for the intrusion."

"Not at all. I'm old and love the excitement, especially being around you young ones. Hugo is such a darling."

"I likes you too, Great-Grandma."

"Great-Grandma. Oh, such sweet words." NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

Hugo's voice, still quivering from crying, melted everyone's hearts.

"Weren't you waiting for Mommy to share the apple pie? Let Mommy have a bite." The child had insisted on waiting to eat his pie until Cicely returned.

Cicely sat down with Hugo on the couch, and upon hearing Alyssa's words, she looked down at Hugo.

At her mention, Hugo shifted, trying to climb off Cicely's lap, his dark eyes searching anxiously, hands reaching out into the air. "Ms. Chloe. Where is my apple pie..."

Chloe had said she would keep it for him, but he didn't know where it was.

Everyone's heart clenched at the sight. Hugo was at an age where he should be exploring the world, and curious about everything. Those beautiful yet unseeing eyes, those hands fumbling in the air, his face a mixture of urgency and helplessness, tugged at everyone's heartstrings.

Cicely's tears welled up as she took Hugo's hand and kissed it. "Hugo, Mommy also prepared a apple pie for you."

Hugo immediately calmed down, turned his head towards Cicely, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Where is it?"

Cicely looked at the half-eaten pie in her hand, a piece Seth had given her, which she had nibbled but not finished. "Right here."

Her heart ached slightly as she fought back the sourness rising in her throat and brought the pie to Hugo's lips. "Mommy's already tried it; it's delicious. Now you can taste it too."

Hugo blinked, took Cicely's hand, and bit into the pie.

"Is it good?"

Hugo nodded, smiling happily. "Delicious."

Cicely's lips twisted into a smile tinged with bitterness.

Hugo quickly finished the pie.

Chloe didn't get Hugo the pie she had saved for him earlier. "It's almost dinner time, you can have more after."

Hugo "looked" at Cicely, and she gently kissed his cheek. "Will you eat a lot at dinner, Hugo?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Damon had been sitting quietly on the couch the whole time, occasionally checking his phone with an indifferent air.

Anya leaned against Cicely's leg, reaching out to touch Hugo's handsome face. "Hugo is so pretty and so well-behaved. He had a fever yesterday and didn't even cry."

Cicely paused briefly, "A fever?"

Chloe didn't intend to hide it, "Yesterday afternoon, Hugo had a high fever, and I couldn't reach you."

Cicely remembered the missed calls on her phone.

"The director said he barely slept the night before he came out. He probably started feeling unwell then. Maybe he was afraid that if people knew he was sick, they wouldn't let him leave."

No one could understand Cicely's feelings at that moment. If she could, she would take all of Hugo's hardships and pain upon herself. Hugo was sick because of her, and he was blind because of her.

But she hadn't been there for him when he was sick yesterday.

*

Alyssa instructed the kitchen to prepare a feast of dishes, with at least seven or eight just for the kids' favorites.

Cicely was feeding Hugo throughout the meal, a tender and attentive act that seemed to come naturally to her, even though she hadn’t had much practice. It was like watching a mother's instinct in action.

Chloe remembered Cicely from the old days—a haughty and pampered little rich girl from P City, now transformed into someone almost unrecognizable. How time could change us, she mused.

After dinner, Cicely joined Hugo in devouring the pie he'd been pining for before Anya dragged him off to unwrap the toys.

Cicely's gaze remained fixed on Hugo. Anya was there, tearing into the giftwrapping, and although Hugo was curious, he sat obediently, waiting for Anya to show him how to play with the new toy before they both explored it together.

Whenever Cicely looked at him, a mix of tenderness and regret lingered in her heart, a feeling she couldn't shake.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Hugo could see?

"Did he drive you here today?" Chloe suddenly asked, sitting next to Damon.

Cicely looked away from Hugo and nodded. "Yes."

Chloe hummed thoughtfully, then said, "We should start the paperwork to get Hugo out of the orphanage."

Cicely tensed up and quickly shook her head. "No, I can't..."

"Sorry," Chloe cut her off, her gaze cool and steady. "He's already met Hugo."

Cicely’s body stiffened as the fragile peace in her mind shattered. Her face drained of color, but Chloe remained impassive. "We took Hugo to the hospital and ran into him by chance. But don't worry, he was just driving you here tonight, wasn't he?"

Cicely’s eyes flickered with emotion. Yes, he had humbled himself just to bring her here.

"You can't hide from him forever. You can't deny the fact that he is Hugo's father, and you shouldn't try to strip him of his rights and responsibilities. It would be easier for both of you."

Cicely fell silent, her demeanor slowly calming down.

"You're right, but I can't yet imagine how Hugo, he, and I would live together."

"I don't know either," said Chloe simply. She could only offer her rational advice, not empathy, as the pain wasn't hers. "But since he knows, you and Hugo shouldn't have to be apart anymore. Besides,

having Hugo with you is safer than leaving him in an orphanage. If he really wanted to harm the child, the orphanage couldn't stop him."

Cicely clasped her hands tightly.

Indeed. Chloe was right. But what should she do? If Seth wouldn't let her go, did she have to live with him and Hugo?

No. Such a life would be too morbid.

"We'll think about the future when it comes," Damon, who had been indifferent until now, suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. "The specialist just sent word. The surgery is in three days. Get ready; we leave the day after tomorrow."

Cicely's gaze was rigid. Upon hearing the news, her heart seemed to stop beating.

The world went silent. Only Damon's voice echoed in her ears.

After a long while, Cicely asked. "So Hugo will be able to see soon, right?"

Damon glanced at her indifferently. "If all goes well."

Cicely nodded. If she couldn't trust Damon, there was no one else in the world to trust.

Cicely got up, walked over to Hugo, and gently stroked his cheek, whispering softly, "Hugo, would you like to live with mommy from now on?"

Hugo paused.

Cicely held back the sorrow in her heart. "We won't go back to the orphanage. You'll stay with mommy."

Hugo's lips quivered, and Cicely could see he was holding back his emotions, but his eyes still misted over.

"Yes." He nodded vigorously. "I want to be with mommy forever."

Cicely couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

*

The next day, Cicely got up early, dressed Hugo, had breakfast at Alyssa's house, and then carried him out the door.

"Mommy, where are we going?" Hugo asked, sitting obediently in the car Chloe had arranged.

"We're going to see your great-grandfather."

"Great-grandfather? Is that mommy's grandpa?" He remembered such songs from the smart devices.

Even though she couldn't recall her own thoughts at the age of two, she marveled at Hugo's curiosity. "That's right. You're so smart, Hugo."

Hugo smiled happily, basking in his mother's praise.

*

Upon entering the old man's hospital room, they found Seth inside.

Seeing Cicely with Hugo, he was startled.

Cicely walked into the room expressionlessly, stood in front of the bed, and let Hugo touch Erik's hand. "Say hello to great-grandpa, Hugo."

Hugo's little hand touched the old man's. "Great-grandpa, my name is Hugo."

Seth's hands clenched at his sides as he watched the mother and son, his heart seemingly in a vice, afraid that its beating would shatter the scene before him.

Cicely finally sat down, placing Hugo on her lap, and quietly watched over Erik. The atmosphere in the room was tense.

Perhaps because he was blind, Hugo's senses were heightened. He clutched at Cicely's clothes and asked, "Mommy, is there someone else in the room?"

"Yes."

"Then why isn't he speaking? Is he afraid of waking great-grandpa?"

Seth's brow furrowed slightly at Hugo's words.

Cicely's voice remained calm. "Maybe."

Hugo whispered softly, "I will be quiet too, so I won't wake great-grandpa."

Cicely smiled gently. "Good boy."

After a while, Hugo looked up at Cicely, his hands exploring her face.

"What are you doing, Hugo?"

"I was wondering if great-grandpa looks like you. Mommy, what do you two have in common?"

Cicely paused, then looked at Erik. "Well, our noses are probably very similar."

Hugo's tiny hand reached out and gently touched Cicely's nose. After a long moment, he touched his own, his expression shadowed by a hint of disappointment. "Hmm. my nose doesn't seem to be like Grandpa's."

Cicely paused. No, it wasn't. The one who Hugo resembled most was another person in the room— not just the nose, but the eyes, the eyebrows, and even the contour of the face were strikingly similar to that man.

Suddenly, a faint breeze swept by. By the time she realized it, Seth was already by her side, his well-defined fingers gently lifting Hugo's chin, forcing the boy to look up.

That pair of eyes, identical to his own, were dark yet unfocused, filled with confusion and fear, like the depths of a shadowy pool.

A sharp "snap" broke the silence. Cicely's hand struck out swiftly, pushing Seth's hand away as she scooped Hugo into her arms, rising to her feet with anger flaring in her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

Hugo clung tightly to Cicely's neck, fear gripping him even though he couldn't see. He could feel the oppressive presence emanating from the man across from him.

Seth felt a burst of thunder explode in his head. His heart, which had been calm due to restraint, suddenly jolted, shock mingled with intense pain spreading throughout his body. "What's wrong with his eyes?"

Cicely hadn't expected Seth to be unaware of the boy's condition. She paused, biting her lip as she averted her gaze. "As you can see."

Seth's fists clenched, his voice strained and hoarse from the tangled breaths he was taking. "What happened?"

Although it was a completely logical question, Cicely felt as if a single feather had shattered her composure.

Over the years, everything had piled up on her shoulders. She blamed herself every day, wallowing in guilt, often jolted awake by the events of those few days three years ago. She worried about Hugo's health, and whether he was well-cared for in all aspects of life, but his eyes were her greatest source of anguish.

"What happened? If I knew everything, would I still be here waiting for answers?!"

She didn't mean to raise her voice, but the tension in her body and the growl in her voice startled Hugo, causing him to tighten his grip on her neck in fear.

Realizing her lapse, Cicely, holding Hugo close, quickly left the hospital room.

As soon as they stepped out, they were met by a group of uniformed individuals approaching.