Seducing The CEO (English Version)

Chapter 1

Celina quickly shut her eyes the moment the doctor entered the room. She listened quietly as he spoke with Lucas. According to the doctor, she could be discharged anytime. When the door finally closed, signaling the doctor’s departure, she heard Lucas release a heavy sigh.

Celina struggled to keep from smiling. Her heart fluttered uncontrollably. How could she not feel thrilled? The man of her dreams was helping her. Wasn’t this destiny itself drawing them closer together? She promised herself that one day, Lucas Montenegro would love her back. And if she had to find a way to trap him into it, she would.

Though she longed to open her eyes, she stayed still, listening. A phone call interrupted the silence—Lucas was speaking to someone. Her lips puckered in disappointment. She had hoped for more time with him.

When the door opened again, she finally opened her eyes, pouted, and sat up, imagining his handsome face before her.

“Ma’am, Mr. Montenegro asked me to drive you home,” said a man in a black tuxedo, bowing politely.

“Thank you,” was all Celina could say, though disappointment sank in her chest. She had wished Lucas himself would take her home.

The man led her to the car, but instead of heading home, she asked him to stop by the hospital where her mother was confined. After thanking him, Celina rushed inside, her heart tightening at the thought of her mother suffering. But when she entered the room, it wasn’t her mother she found—it was Aling Teri, sobbing.

Her forehead furrowed. Her chest pounded violently. No… this can’t be.

“Child…” Aling Teri cried. Celina froze, her tears spilling freely. She didn’t need words to understand.

The door burst open, and Hercules appeared. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms. He wished he could tell her everything, the truth he had long hidden, but he couldn’t. His ailing mother had to be protected. If the Del Fuego family’s darkest secret ever came to light, chaos would follow.

“She’s gone, Hercules,” Celina sobbed against his chest.

“Sshhh… I’m here. I’ll always be here for you,” Hercules whispered, shutting his eyes tightly. Damn it. He held her tighter, his heart aching as she wept.

Celina’s grief was suffocating. She hadn’t even embraced her mother one last time before death took her. Now, she was all alone.

To her, Hercules was like an older brother. Yet sometimes, his closeness embarrassed her. How many times had jealous girlfriends confronted her? How many threats had she received from the women he’d dated? She had lost count. But no matter what, she never saw him as anything more than a friend. There was only one man she loved, and his name was Lucas Montenegro.

A month passed, but the pain of losing her mother still lingered. Celina often sat on the wooden staircase of their small home, tears streaking her face as she thought of her absent father. Her mother had told her he was wealthy. All she wanted now was to meet him. She considered visiting the address her mother had once given her.

Despite their struggles, her mother had raised her well. She had finished her Associate’s Degree in Office Management. Still, with all the applications she had sent, no company had called her back. Frustrated, she wiped her tears roughly and sighed.

Elsewhere, Lucas paused at his desk, Celina suddenly on his mind. Was she home now? To be sure, he called one of his men. His brows furrowed when told that Celina had been dropped off at a public hospital. Why there? Who could she be visiting? A strange unease filled him, but he quickly shook his head. Why should he care? She was nothing to him. He refocused on his work.

A knock broke the silence. “Come in,” he said curtly.

His secretary, Caren, stepped inside, hesitant, before releasing a heavy sigh.

“Sir… I’d like to inform you that I’m resigning.”

Lucas shot up, surprised. Caren had worked for him for years, and she was one of his best. He had no reason to fault her. True, he sometimes lost his temper with incompetent staff, but Caren was different.

“Just make sure your reason is valid,” he replied firmly.

“My grandfather just passed away. I need to stay with my grandmother, sir. But I know someone capable who can replace me. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

Lucas studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. Bring her here tomorrow.”

Relieved, Caren bowed. “Thank you, sir.” She left, and Lucas leaned back in his chair, massaging his temple.

Moments later, his stunning girlfriend Gabriela, a model, entered his office. She was everything—beautiful, kind, intelligent, and sexy. His heart stirred at the sight of her angelic face. But he frowned. She looked thinner.

He kissed her lips, but when he closed his eyes, another face appeared in his mind. Damn it. Celina.

“What’s wrong?” Gabriela asked, puzzled when he suddenly pulled away. She frowned but assumed he was simply tired.

“I’m sorry. I think I just need rest,” Lucas said, gesturing for her to sit. He rubbed his temple, and Gabriela immediately moved to massage his head.

He smiled faintly. This was why he loved her—she was thoughtful, caring. Yet guilt pricked his conscience as he remembered what had happened with Celina in his limo. Damn that woman.

Gabriela’s smile softened as Lucas drifted to sleep under her touch. She kissed his forehead tenderly. How lucky I am to have him. But her smile faded as her doctor’s words echoed in her mind.

Her tears fell silently. She wiped them away quickly, but fear consumed her. How could she tell Lucas the truth? How could she tell him she had only months left to live?

She caressed his face, whispering, “I love you,” as her tears dropped.

Stage four brain cancer. A tumor in her brain. That explained her weight loss, her weakness. She was dying.

Her phone rang. It was her mother. Gabriela quietly left the office.

“Mom?” she said softly.

“Did you tell him?” her mother asked.

“Mom, I can’t. I lose my courage every time. I don’t want to hurt him,” Gabriela confessed, her voice breaking.

“But you have to, Gabby,” her mother urged.

As Gabriela walked toward the garage, dizziness overwhelmed her. At that very moment, Celina arrived at the Montenegro building, ready to submit her requirements. Caren had recommended her as Lucas’s new secretary, and Celina was ecstatic. Finally, she would be close to her lover boy.

But as she approached the entrance, she saw a beautiful woman faltering. Alarmed, she glanced at her watch. Without hesitation, she rushed to help.

“Miss, are you okay?” Celina asked.

Gabriela turned weakly toward her, but before she could respond, she collapsed. Celina panicked. The woman’s pallor terrified her. She screamed for help, and a guard immediately called an ambulance.

Celina noticed, in shock, that the woman’s hair was a wig. Compassion gripped her. She hugged the unconscious stranger tightly, praying for her.

When the ambulance arrived, Celina forgot her purpose entirely. She climbed inside and held Gabriela’s hand as nurses placed her on oxygen. Tears blurred Celina’s eyes as memories of her mother’s suffering resurfaced.

At the hospital, Gabriela was rushed to the ER. A nurse handed Celina the patient’s bag, asking if they were related.

“No… I just helped her,” Celina replied sadly.

Her phone rang again—Caren. “Where are you?!” her friend scolded.

“I’m sorry, okay? I couldn’t leave her there. You’d have done the same,” Celina argued.

“Good thing Mr. Lucas is asleep,” Caren muttered.

“I’m on my way,” Celina promised, hurrying out.

Meanwhile, Lucas awoke to the sound of his phone. It was Gabriela’s mother. His heart froze—Gabriela was in the hospital.

He rushed out, panic fueling his every step. In moments, he was in his car, speeding through the streets, his hands gripping the wheel tightly. What happened to her? She looked fine earlier…

At the hospital, nurses and staff whispered in awe at his presence, but Lucas ignored them. He hurried to Gabriela’s room, stopping a doctor who had just stepped out.

“Doctor, what happened to her?” he demanded, his voice tight with fear.

The doctor lowered her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Montenegro. She has stage four brain cancer.”

The world seemed to collapse around him. No! His jaw clenched. His fists curled.

“I need to remind you,” the doctor continued gently, “the average survival time is twelve to eighteen months. Only twenty-five percent of glioblastoma patients survive more than a year. And only five percent live more than five years.”

Lucas felt his entire world shatter.

“So, Doctor, what’s the best way to at least extend my girlfriend’s life?” Lucas asked, his voice trembling with desperation.

“Chemotherapy,” the doctor replied calmly. “It’s designed to target cancer cells and destroy brain tumor cells. But Mr. Montenegro… brain tumors are particularly difficult to treat because the brain is protected by the blood-brain barrier.”

“Please, Doc,” Lucas pleaded, his eyes burning. “Do everything you can. Just give my girlfriend more time to live.”

“Lucas!” Gabriela’s mother cried out from behind. Her husband, Mr. Gomez, stood silently at her side.

Lucas turned to face Gabriela’s parents, anger flaring in his chest.

“Damn it! Why did you keep her illness from me?” he demanded, his voice raw with pain.

Tears streamed down Mrs. Gomez’s face. “Because that’s what our daughter wanted, Lucas. Do you think you’re the only one suffering? We’re hurting too—especially me. I gave birth to her…” Her voice broke as she collapsed into her husband’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

---

Meanwhile, in a different corner of the city, Celina handed a folder to her friend Caren.

“Here are the requirements you asked for. Are you sure I don’t need that much experience?”

Caren grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m your backer. You’ll be approved instantly by Sir Lucas—as long as you have patience. He’s known to be moody.”

Celina smiled faintly. For a moment, the grief over her mother’s death faded from her thoughts. She glanced around the vast office and marveled at the sheer size of the Montenegro building.

She thought about the responsibilities of a secretary—managing schedules, arranging meetings, organizing files, handling calls. If Lucas accepted her, she would finally have the chance to prove herself. Slow but steady job growth, she mused. But working for Montenegro Inc.? That would be an honor.

“What if I’m not good enough, Caren?” she whispered. “Other companies already rejected me. Why would someone like Lucas Montenegro even consider me?”

What Celina didn’t know was that Hercules—the man who claimed to care for her—had been sabotaging her applications, rejecting her forms before they even reached employers. But with the Montenegros, he couldn’t just interfere so easily.

“Relax,” Caren said, her voice filled with gossip. “You’ve got three years of experience under Mr. Lee’s company, right? And did you hear? That man’s business was bought out by Sir Lucas himself! Rumor has it he’s already fled back to China.”

Celina’s lips curved into a cold smile. “Good. He should’ve been in prison long ago. If not for his daughter, Hercules would’ve made sure of it.”

---

That evening, Lucas sat alone in his study, reviewing the email Caren had sent. The moment he opened the attachment and saw the applicant’s photo, his brows furrowed.

Celina.

Of all people, why her?

He almost deleted the file, remembering how the woman once shamelessly admired him. But when he flipped through her credentials, he froze. Her records were flawless. Every requirement he sought in an executive secretary—Celina had it.

“Damn it,” he muttered, slamming his hand against the desk. Business was business. No matter his personal feelings, he couldn’t deny her qualifications. He would have to consider her.

Yet even as he tried to focus, an unwelcome memory surged—the heated moment in the limousine with Celina. His chest tightened with guilt as Gabriela’s pale face flashed in his mind. Darkness swallowed him whole.

---

Days later, Celina entered Gabriela’s hospital room, wearing a lab gown. Gabriela greeted her with a weak smile, and Celina’s tears spilled instantly.

She grasped Gabriela’s fragile hand. “I’m so sorry it took me this long to visit. I must look so pretentious right now, but… do you still remember me?”

Gabriela’s lips curved faintly. “Of course. How could I forget the beautiful woman who once helped me?”

Celina set down a basket of fruits. “These are for you. Please eat them, okay? I hope that next time I visit, you’ll be healthier.”

Gabriela’s smile faded into something bittersweet. She squeezed Celina’s hand.

“I’m ready to die. But before I go… promise me something. I can see you have a pure heart. You know I have a boyfriend, right? Lucas Montenegro. He’s the best man I’ve ever known, but I don’t think we’ll have our forever. Please… take care of him for me.”

The words struck Celina like a bomb. She clapped her hand over her mouth as her body shivered. Lucas? Gabriela’s boyfriend?

Guilt flooded her. How could she have been so blind? How could she have crossed the line with a man who already belonged to someone else?

But Gabriela wasn’t finished. Her voice trembled as she whispered, “I want you to seduce Lucas. Redirect his love to you, so he won’t grieve when I’m gone.”

Celina shook her head violently. “No. I can’t do that.”

“Would you really deny the wish of a dying woman?” Gabriela’s tears fell freely. “This is all I can think of to protect him from heartbreak.”

Celina gathered her in her arms, her own tears falling. “Don’t give up. Fight your illness. Believe in God, Gabriela. Nothing is impossible with Him. If even the sparrow doesn’t fall without His will, then surely He can save you.”

Gabriela sobbed into her shoulder. “Thank you, Celina. Your words give me hope. May God have mercy on me.”

Celina stroked her back gently, whispering silent prayers. In her heart, she begged for Gabriela’s healing—and for forgiveness for herself.

Was she truly ready to give Lucas up? She didn’t know. But at that moment, she only wanted Gabriela to live.