When Rachel said she was gonna ground her, Scarlett lost it. "Why are you locking me up? I didn't do anything wrong! I was aiming for that witch!"
The attendant grabbed Scarlett's arm tight, and she started thrashing around.
"Looks like Miss Moore doesn't get what she did wrong," Easton said coldly to Rachel. "If Mrs. Moore can't teach Miss Moore, I can step in."
His icy stare made his point clear, and Rachel didn't dare let Easton handle Scarlett.
She walked up to Scarlett and slapped her hard in front of everyone. "Lock her up! And if she doesn't get it, don't give her any food!"
"No, Mom, you can't do this! You can't treat me like this!" Scarlett cried and struggled, spotting her brother in the crowd. She called out for him to save her, but he merely glanced at her before looking away.
No one stood up for her, and Scarlett ended up locked in a room.
After that mess, the Cooper family didn't want to stick around. Once Easton cleaned up the wine stains on his clothes, they all left.
On the way back, Cassidy didn't think twice and hopped into Easton's car. She didn't notice Owen's disappointed look, but Easton sure did.
Earlier at the venue, when Scarlett threw the wine, Owen had instinctively tried to shield Cassidy. Maybe others missed it, but Easton had a hunch Owen had feelings for Cassidy, so he kept an eye on him.
"Owen," Easton muttered, his eyes showing something unreadable.
Easton had ditched his suit jacket and was now just in a black shirt. Feeling annoyed, he unbuttoned a few buttons, showing off his muscular chest.
Cassidy glanced at him and then looked away. "Easton, how are you feeling now?"
Her concern was clear, making Easton turn to look at her.
"Thanks for shielding me from the wine earlier," she said sincerely.
Given the angle Scarlett threw the wine, if Easton hadn't stepped in, it would've hit Cassidy's face.
That would've been super embarrassing. The head of the Cooper family getting splashed by the Moore family's daughter would be a huge scandal if word got out.
"I was just protecting the family's honor," Easton said flatly.
Cassidy looked at his profile, feeling a bit miffed for some reason.
Easton patted his leg and looked at Cassidy. She got what he meant but, glancing at the driver, she moved further away from him instead of sitting on his lap.
Easton tried to pull her into his arms, but Cassidy quickly held his hand down.
"The driver! The driver is right there!" Cassidy urgently whispered.
Easton just smiled. "Don't worry, he's my guy."
Cassidy ignored him, sitting up straight and looking forward, like an elegant black swan.
But Easton wasn't having it. He reached out and stroked her back, and when Cassidy glared at him because it tickled, he slipped his hand under her dress.
His hand gently stroked her thigh, slowly moving higher.
Cassidy couldn't keep her cool anymore. She grabbed his hand, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Easton, don't."
The black swan lowered her noble head, pleading with her opponent.
Easton raised the partition, cutting them off from the driver. He pulled his hand back, fingers lightly rubbing together.
Cassidy knew there was nothing on his fingers, but watching him rub them made her blush, as if there was something invisible there.
Easton leaned back, his gaze fixed on Cassidy, waiting for her to repay him with actions rather than words.
Cassidy bit her lip and blushed as she sat in his lap, gazing at his stained black shirt. Though his suit jacket blocked most of the red wine, some had soaked through.
Easton handed her a wet wipe. "Clean it up."
Cassidy slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his firm chest, and began wiping the wine stains. Her fingers occasionally brushed against his warm skin, making him tense.
Noticing his reaction, she smiled slightly and continued, her fingers intentionally grazing his chest. After a while, feeling uncomfortable, she wriggled to find a better position.
Easton's eyes narrowed, and his hands on her waist tightened.
"Don't move, you're holding me too tight," Cassidy said, holding down his arms.
Easton looked down at her, but she just kept wiping the wine stains, acting like she hadn't done anything else.
Her breath was on his skin, and her scent filled his nose.
His breathing got heavier, and Cassidy felt something hard pressing against her. She looked up, and Easton immediately lowered his head to kiss her.