The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Chapter 2121

Noah had many friends, and in previous years, she used to stick close to him. Whenever Noah was roped into a new group chat, Ella was inevitably there as well.

Take, for instance, the old neighborhood crew—friends from way back when, the sort who grew up on the same block and trudged to school together. As time marched on, they'd all spun off in their own orbits, some landing in different cities, others hustling through the same ol’ town, but whenever a reunion cropped up, Ella would be there, mingling and melding with the crew as if she'd never been anything but one of the gang.

This particular group was a bit looser with their banter than most.

It was a Thursday night when Ella, fresh from a shower and cozied up in bed, noticed her phone buzzing with a barrage of messages from the gang. Amidst the chaos of notifications, her name was flashing in a bold, beckoning red.

Driven by curiosity, she tapped into the thread, only to be greeted by a chorus of congratulations for Noah.

She clicked on the message that had tagged her: [@PrincessElla, spill the beans! Who's the lucky lady Noah's snagged? Pics or it didn't happen.]d2

Ella blinked in disbelief. Noah's got a girlfriend?

Instinctively, she scrolled through the chat history and discovered that someone had shared their upcoming nuptials with a celebratory digital toast. After the initial wave of well-wishes, talk turned to the dwindling number of bachelors in the group, and naturally, all fingers pointed to Noah.

Bombarded with tags and probably fed up, Noah had blurted out a bombshell: [Not single. Don’t bother sending me wedding gifts under a hundred grand.]

[Damn!]

[Holy smokes!]

[The big shot at Visionary Productions keeping his love life under wraps?]

[Which girl has he charmed?]

[@PrincessElla, come on, give us the deets on your new auntie-in-law! Pics, please.]

The chat erupted with further tagging, congratulations, and a burning curiosity that only intensified with Ella's cryptic response. Her fingers hovered over the screen for an eternity before she finally tapped out a message, forcing a smile through the digital divide, her fingertips trembling above the keys. [No comment, folks. But let's just say she is quite the looker.]

Her playful deflection only stoked the group's curiosity. In no time flat, Noah added someone new to the chat: [Any questions? Ask her yourself.]

A brief silence fell before the chat exploded again.

[Damn, the lady herself?]

[Really?]

[The Mrs.?]

[Hello everyone, I'm Rebecca.]

[Welcome to the family.]

[Pics or it didn't happen.]

Ella quietly exited the chat, her mind replaying the image of the woman she'd seen at the mansion. Noah and Rebecca truly seemed well-matched.

The next day, Noah went public with the engagement.

News outlets were all over the story, digging into Rebecca's background. The Mintons—owners of P City's largest private hospital, with their heiress Rebecca apparent holding a PhD and serving as a resident physician in their own medical facility.

In theory, she could've snagged a senior position straightaway, but she chose to start from the ground up. Her actions were beyond reproach. Even as her identity became fodder for the internet, criticism was scarce. The public was too enamored with the match.

Indeed, she was the woman Ella had encountered that fateful night. Apparently, Noah and Rebecca had known each other for ages—a fact that had entirely escaped Ella's notice.

Back at school, the engagement was all anyone could talk about. Some even approached Ella with cryptic congratulations on gaining such a stunning aunt-in-law. She found it all quite amusing.

Armed with her textbooks, Ella settled into a seat in the multimedia classroom. Paul joined her shortly after. "You okay?"

Ella glanced at him, a wry smile playing on her lips, and nodded before diving into her book. "Is it that obvious?"

"What is?"

"My crush on my uncle."

After a pause, Paul replied, "Very obvious."

Ella simply nodded, her expression serene.

Paul watched her for a moment. "What's on your mind?"

With a bitter laugh, Ella said, "I am wondering, if he is so smart, how did he never see my blatant attempts? And why did he let me stay close to him?"

Paul furrowed his brow.

*

On Friday afternoon, Noah phoned Ella to pick her up for a trip back to the family home.

Driving himself, he parked outside the school, catching sight of Ella through the car window. She was dressed in a simple blue and white striped sundress that accentuated her delicate collarbone, adorned with a red pendant necklace that set off her fair complexion. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, flowing with each step.

At the school gate, Ella waved goodbye to her classmates with a smile, then turned her gaze to his car. The smile on her face faded slightly, yet she still walked over.

Ella thought she was doing quite well, although it was somewhat deliberate. However, when she instinctively put her hand on the handle of the passenger seat, the beautiful familiar face revealed by the slowly retracting car window still made her smile stiff for a moment. She instinctively looked at the driver's seat, but all she could see was the well-defined hand resting on the steering wheel.

After a few seconds, she quickly adjusted her emotions, greeted Rebecca with a smile. "Hey, Rebecca."

Rebecca returned the smile warmly. "Hi there."

Ella moved to the backseat, and as soon as she was in, Rebecca turned around to chat. They talked about Ella's major, her life at school, and then the conversation naturally drifted to whether Ella had a boyfriend.

Ella, no longer playing games to make Noah jealous, shook her head. "Not yet."

"College is the best time for romance—such a wonderful age. With your smarts and looks, Ella, I bet you have plenty of suitors, right?"

Ella smiled modestly. "A few." That was an understatement.

Rebecca wasn't surprised. "Then you have plenty of choices."

"Right now, she's focused on her studies. Romance can wait," Noah chimed in.

Noah had been driving in silence when he suddenly cut Rebecca off with a cold voice.

"When exactly do you plan on dating if not in college?"

"Young love can't withstand the test of time. When graduation comes, everyone would go their separate ways. It is a waste of emotions and time, and it is unnecessary."

"So what if they go their separate ways? If they truly love each other, the girl will follow the boy wherever he goes, isn’t that right, Ella?"

Ironically, while the conversation revolved around her, it was Rebecca and Noah who ended up in a heated debate, but then Rebecca swiftly brought Ella back into the fold.

Caught off-guard, Ella took a moment to ponder before responding earnestly, "Sure." This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

Rebecca shot a smug look at Noah. Noah's expression, however, turned sharply grim, his lips pressed into a thin line. He remained silent for the rest of the journey. Ella, too, just passively

chatted with Rebecca.

It seemed Noah had given his family a heads-up because they showed no surprise at Rebecca's arrival.

Clutching her books, Ella stepped out of the car, trailing behind Rebecca, who had already looped her arm through Noah's, heading towards the front door.

Following at a slower pace, Ella couldn't help but admire the picture they made.

As she reached the entrance, the robust laughter of Jon filled her ears. "Have a seat. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you, Jon," Rebecca said, her ease and grace clearly winning Jon's favor.

Noah shed his coat and took a seat on the couch first. At Jon's gesture, Rebecca settled beside him.

Ella drew her gaze away and stepped through the foyer into the living room, "Grandpa, I'm home."

Jon looked up with a warm smile, gesturing her over. "Met your future aunt-in-law yet?"

"Yep, I have."

Jon’s sharp eyes stayed fixed on Ella’s face, searching for any sign of distress before pulling her to sit next to him. "I saw in the news, the engagement is set for July 17th, right?"

Noah nodded, "Yeah, during the summer break. Ella will be free then, and she can even bring her friends along for fun."

Ella forced a smile, wondering just how many times they intended to remind her of this event, even timing it with her vacation.

"Hmm, do I need to pitch in for a gift?"

The question might have sounded silly, but it earned her a burst of laughter from Jon. "You little rascal, you're the younger generation. Of course, you don't need to chip in. What's going on in that little head of yours?"

"So I'm just in charge of having fun?"

"Exactly."

Suddenly, Rebecca chimed in with a smile, "Ella could consider being my bridesmaid."

The suggestion pulled Jon's smile into a tight line. "Bridesmaid's for the wedding ceremony. We'll talk about that when the time comes."

Ella stood up, "Grandpa, I'm going upstairs to change. Just have Marina call me for dinner."

Jon responded with a face full of indulgence."Alright, my dear."

Dinner passed without incident, and Rebecca didn’t indulge in the sort of affectionate table-side exchanges seen with other women.

However, Noah wasn't staying the night at home. He was on his way, driving Rebecca back to the city. Ella wasn't sure if they were headed to the Minton family home or his apartment. Just thinking about these things pricked at her heart.

After dinner, taking advantage of Rebecca's absence in the restroom, Jon addressed Noah with a stern look in front of Ella. "Have you really decided? Marriage is no joke, especially an alliance like this. If you ever want to back out, it won't just be up to you. Noah, I'm asking you one last time, are you sure you want this marriage?"

Noah's face darkened, "I know what I'm doing. If I didn't take marriage seriously, I wouldn't have waited until now to make this decision."

Ella understood his words. He was serious. He had respected marriage, which was why he had not rushed into it. He saw marriage as significant, and his decision to marry was a considered choice.

Ella sat upright, her smile now seeming etched onto her face. "Uncle Noah," she finally couldn't hold back, turning to face him under Grandpa's and Noah's watchful eyes, "do you love her?"

Noah's eyes clouded over with a dense fog, impenetrable. "It's merely a carefully considered exchange of value."

Ella stared at him, her expression one of shock and alienation. After a while, Ella chuckled lightly, as if she had just realized something.

Jon pressed his lips together, saying nothing more.

"It seems this is the difference between men and women. I don't know what other women think, but to me, love is the food for the soul, and I must live for love at least once in my life. Although you're my uncle, I can't agree with you."

She stood up and headed upstairs.

Noah watched her retreating back, his eyes churning with tumultuous waves. Live for love, even once?

Jon sighed, "Since you've made up your mind, I won't meddle in your affairs. I've also talked to Ella about this, and her willingness to change is clear. By the way, she missed school on Monday, and that Reeves kid came to visit her. The kid is a decent fellow, with good grades and doesn't hide his fondness for Ella. We have a good relationship with the Reeves family, and I've been thinking,

there's no better match for Ella around here. I'm thinking of playing matchmaker when the time is right."

Noah's gaze lifted slowly to meet Jon's, his voice deep, "Ella should focus on her studies right now. She's not suited for a relationship."

"Ella's so bright, what's wrong with the two of them dating? They're both outstanding kids, and they can grow together. Plus, I don't have to worry about her choosing someone else and marrying far away where it's hard for me to even see her.

"I've checked; Ella gets along with him at school. This means she has a good impression of him, and with more time spent together, affection will naturally develop.

"Ella's affairs are not your concern. Your priority is your own engagement and future marriage, and then, your own children."