The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Chapter 2095

Cicely's eyelashes fluttered twice.

"I opened the door for him yesterday with the intent of leading him to believe that you and Hugo would come with me. He must be scared," Lana admitted, taking a deep breath.

Cicely's slender fingers trembled slightly, her gaze fixed on the rearview mirror where Seth's car followed at a distance. So that stern face he wore last night was because of this. He lingered at the end, hesitant, probably wanting to ask if it was true.

He’s afraid she and Hugo would leave, so he stood guard at the door?

Cicely closed her eyes for a moment in thought.

The three tickets were purchased well in advance, yet Seth, tailing them, was stopped outside for lack of one. He faced a line snaking to the ticket window.d2

"Mommy, Daddy doesn't have a ticket, what do we do?" Hugo's voice was tinged with worry.

Cicely once thought she'd do everything she could to bond with Hugo, and to blend their lives seamlessly together. Cicely had spent time drawing and playing piano with him, catering to his whims, lavishing him with love, but it always felt like something was missing. Then Seth made it look easy. Hugo was a boy after all. Seth crashed at their place for dinner a few nights in a row, and Cicely couldn't fathom how a man of few words managed to connect so warmly and steadily with a two-year-old.

Cicely felt a twinge of jealousy as she glanced at Seth and said indifferently, "He'll figure it out."

"Let's wait for him here then."

Cicely pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

Seth glanced their way. Hugo waved at him, and Cicely, holding Hugo, turned to leave.

Seth caught a couple who had just bought tickets. He glanced at the woman's tickets, and with a domineering presence that radiated from him, said, "Ten times the price, sell me your tickets."

The woman, startled by Seth's deep, icy tone and handsome face, nodded dumbly, "Okay."

Her boyfriend, coming to his senses, wrapped an arm around her, "I..."

"I'll buy yours too," Seth cut him off.

The boyfriend paused, and the woman quickly handed over the tickets to Seth. "Here you go."

Seth took the tickets, transferring the money to them with his phone.

"Daddy's awesome. Here he comes!" Hugo clapped his hands joyfully, his eyes sparkling as Seth approached.

Cicely didn't run away but watched as Seth came closer with a look of urgency.

Hugo reached out to be lifted into his father's arms. Seth scooped him up, and Cicely's expression soured, but she let go. "Daddy, can we go there first?" Hugo pointed to a colorful building nearby, behind its glass walls, employees in cartoon costumes mingled with brightly dressed children, mostly girls.

"Sure," Seth nodded.

It was a themed diner where parents cooked with their kids. Hugo chose omelette from the pictures, and they were handed three aprons of different sizes.

Based on the way these people were dressed, the staff was really a little curious as to whether or not they'd be successful at cooking the food. Yet, this family easily caught everyone's eye.

"Omelette looks easy, but it's tricky. Good luck, guys."

Actually, Cicely couldn't even separate an egg yolk. Watching her struggle, Hugo grew anxious. And Cicely’s patience also waned.

Seth, having prepared the other ingredients, saw Cicely about to give up and poured some mineral water into a pot, then gently nudged her hand. Cicely looked up. He squeezed the bottle, aimed at the yolk, and released it. The yolk slipped into the bottle.

"Wow!" Hugo's eyes were wide with amazement. The stars seemed to hide in his gaze.

Cicely was surprised, too, but only for a moment.

Then Seth cracked more eggs, deftly separated the whites, and began to cook.

Cicely tried again, but her second attempt at flipping the omelette failed. Frustrated, she mixed in rice, making fried rice instead.

Hugo was silent as the nearby chuckle began. Cicely's brow furrowed as she caught the gaze of a circle of young mothers, their smiles seeming to mock her.

"The kid looks so much like his dad."

"The dad's handsome, and he can cook. I'm impressed."

"Too bad though."

Cicely raised an eyebrow. The phrase "too bad" indeed carried weight.

Seth's omelette was nearly finished, looking almost identical to the picture. Applause broke out when he completed his dish. Seth looked at Cicely, pushing the plate toward her. "Want to taste?"

Hugo, standing on a stool, clapped happily but watched the dish pass him by, straight to his mother.

Hugo pouted, his eyes on the omelette, and his little fingers stirring the air. Seeing the food passing in front of him, Hugo just felt upset.

"Daddy's only thinking of mommy, and he’s not happy."

"Poor thing, I will take you to play with the girls, okay?"

"My daughter is beautiful too."

Suddenly, several moms had little girls in their arms. Hugo looked lost. This wasn't what he intended.

Cicely glanced down at Hugo, barely peeking out, and offered a half-smile.

Hugo slid the plate of food that Cicely had whipped up across the table to Seth. "Dad, eat."

Then he tugged on Cicely's sleeve, pointing to the omelette, "Mom, try this."

Cicely paused for a second, then scooped up a bite with her fork and tasted it.

Hugo watched her with eager eyes, "How is it?"

"Mmm," Cicely nodded, "Delicious." She returned the favor, loading a forkful for Hugo.

Seth chuckled, his gaze dropping to food in front of him. He started eating. He had skipped breakfast that morning.

From the corner of her eye, Cicely caught Seth’s action and focused even more on feeding Hugo his omelette delight.

Together, Hugo and Cicely ate the whole omelette. Seth, for his part, polished off his portion solo.

When the trio stepped out, Lana was sipping coffee at the adjacent open-air café. Cicely approached her, "Is this your idea of fun? The food and coffee out here can't be better than other places, can they?"

Lana raised an eyebrow, "Isn't a day at the amusement park all about eating, drinking, and playing?"

Cicely pursed her lips, "The emphasis should be on playing."

"You sound like you've got some experience in this department."

Cicely thought for a moment, "I think I've been to an amusement park with someone before."

Lana glanced at Seth, "Him?"

Cicely shook her head, "No, not him."

Seth's expression darkened imperceptibly. Lana observed this change with a subtle arch of her brow, but said nothing.

Cicely, never one for stamina, felt tired after a short walk, even with Hugo in Seth's arms.

Hugo wanted to hit the go-karts, and naturally, Cicely and Lana weren't about to suit up – that was Seth's arena.

The go-karts, a classic boys' favorite, were Seth's responsibility by default. After all, he was the one who tagged along. But there was Seth, in his suit and dress shoes, a bit out of place for the occasion.

It didn't take long for Hugo to come running over, holding Seth's jacket in his hands and stuffing it into Cicely. "Mom, hold onto Dad's jacket for him. It's getting in the way of playing."

Cicely had no chance to refuse – not that she minded handling such trivial matters.

After burning rubber on the track, Seth took Hugo to a nearby lounge area. "Go play by yourself, buddy. I'll sit here and keep an eye on you," Seth said, his voice a gentle rumble as he settled onto a bench.

Hugo shook his head, plopped down beside him, and dangled his little legs over the edge of the bench – they barely reached. Clutching a ball he'd fished out of a nearby pond, Hugo played for a bit before turning to Seth. "Dad, Mom's really great, you know?"

Seth looked at him, pausing for a beat, his voice always tinged with a raspy warmth, "I know."

"Mom told me I'm just like any other kid – I have a mom and a dad who both love me. From the moment I came into this world, your roles were set. No one gets to say you're not my parents, and no one has that right. I belong to both of you. Mom says you both love me a lot, so I should love you both just the same."

Seth's mind, previously foggy, was now pounding as if to the beat of a drum.

"I can figure things out, you know. You and Mom aren't living together like other kids' parents, and there must be a reason for that. But since Mom already said that, if I were distant with you, she wouldn't be happy. Sometimes, I'm not sure what to do, but I think Mom feels the same way."

Seth's hand, pressed to his forehead, stilled, "Really?"

Hugo nodded, "Yeah. I think she probably still likes you, but thinks she should dislike you. I don't believe Mom's the type to let someone she dislikes be around just because they love me. Even though you're my dad, that's just a title. Not all dads stay by their kids' sides – I'm no exception."

Seth's gaze froze, his hand slowly dropping. After a moment, Seth spoke softly, "Right, she's not like that."

"Hmm." Hugo sighed as if weighed down by troubles.

Seth turned to him, studying the little head before patting it gently, causing Hugo to dip forward. "What exactly do you know?"

Hugo clutched his head, frowning up at Seth, "Believe it or not, I'm telling Mom."

Seth fell silent. Was this really his son?

Their conversation over, Seth still took Hugo to other attractions.

By dusk, Hugo, who had played to his heart's content, finally knew the meaning of tired.

Exiting the amusement park, Cicely and Lana followed, each clutching a coffee. The two women had done nothing but wander and rest all day, never missing a chance for a sit-down or a snack. Now they seemed drained of energy, sapped by the day's leisure.

Lana took a sip of her coffee, eyeing the father and son ahead, "Good thing he came. If I'd known an amusement park trip was this exhausting, I'd never have suggested it."

Cicely hummed in agreement, "I'm definitely not doing this a second time."

A day at the park was quite the feat for someone who couldn't last through a simple shopping spree.

Hugo, perched on Seth's shoulder, waved excitedly at them, and Cicely waved back with a smile. "Mom, I forgot to invite Anya to come this time. Next time, let's bring her along, okay?"

Cicely: "Sure."

Lana snickered at the side, clearly enjoying the moment.

Hugo grinned, then rested his head on Seth's shoulder, watching Cicely for a bit before burying his face in Seth's neck. "Hmm."

Hugo lifted his head again, touching his own cheek, then looked at Seth, "Dad, your neck feels really warm."

Hugo's voice was muffled against him, and Seth had to chew over the words for a second before responding with his own deep, husky voice. "It's the heat."

After a pause, he added, "You too, you're all sweaty. Let's get you home for a bath."

"Okay."

Outside the amusement park, Seth placed Hugo in their car. Then, turning to Cicely, he asked softly, "Have you notified the maids to prepare dinner?"

Cicely nodded, "Yes."

Seth nodded in agreement but remained silent, simply watching her with intent eyes. Seeing he had no intention of speaking, Cicely bent down and got into the car.

Seth followed behind in his own vehicle, the engine purring quietly in the night.

Lana glanced at him through the rearview mirror and frowned slightly. "I have a feeling something's off with him."

Cicely’s brow twitched ever so slightly as she reached into her purse and handed Hugo a sandwich. Indifferently, she remarked, "He's just too proud to admit he's hungry, that's all."

"It's not that. I mean his overall condition."

"He spent the day playing with Hugo. It's normal to be tired."

Hugo took a bite of the unwrapped cupcake and suddenly remembered something, "Dad felt really hot when I hugged him. Is he sick?"

Cicely froze for a moment. Her first thought was of Seth standing outside Cicely's Mansion all night.

A fever wasn't out of the question, but he had spent the day with Hugo. Could it be...

She glanced back through the rearview mirror. They were now on the freeway, and she couldn't see Seth through their car's frame. But just as she was about to look away, another car sped up, cutting in front of Seth's car.

Seth seemed a second too slow to react, not slowing down in time. With the high speeds on the freeway, it looked like a collision was imminent. Instinctively, Seth swerved to the left. The move resulted in a harsh scrape against the right headlight of another car traveling in parallel.

Both cars came to a stop.

The vehicles following couldn't brake in time and crashed into each other. A chain-reaction of five or six cars followed before the situation stabilized.

Cicely's mind went blank. Before she could even tell the driver to stop, he had already begun to slow down.

Due to the accident, there were no cars following them closely. Cicely's fingers trembled as she opened the car door and ran back towards the scene.

Seth's car was now diagonally sprawled across the freeway, having been pushed forward by the subsequent collisions, its left rear door caved in.

Cicely's face was ashen. Her eyes fixated on the driver's seat.

The driver's side was on the left. And Seth had veered left.

Cicely’s driver rushed to the scene to help. The driver's door was jammed shut, so they opened the passenger door. Seth's forehead was bleeding, but he was conscious. Amidst the chaos, he looked up to see Cicely standing there, her face pale, staring at him in shock.

He paused for a second, then quickly unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Mr. Diaz, this way," called Cicely's driver from nearby. Seth glanced briefly at the damaged driver's door, hesitated, then got out from the passenger side.

He took some napkins from the glove compartment to dab at the blood on his forehead before walking over to Cicely. "Don't worry, I'm fine," he assured her.

Blood was still dripping down his face, some fresh, and some smeared by his hand.

Cicely pursed her lips, her whole body trembling almost imperceptibly.

"Have you lost your mind? What were you thinking, not hitting the brakes?" she scolded through clenched teeth.

Seth stood there, his mouth taut, before finally managing to say, "Sorry."

Cicely's gaze followed the trail of blood running down his face, and she let out a bitter laugh.