The sound of their kiss made Cassidy's cheeks flush. She braced herself against Easton's chest with one hand to keep from falling.
Easton's Adam's apple bobbed, and he felt himself getting harder. Just as he was about to slide his hand under her skirt, the car came to a stop.
Cassidy quickly opened the car door and hopped out, seemingly oblivious to Easton's arousal.
"Easton, we're home," she said with a playful wink. "I'm heading inside. You'll have to take care of the rest yourself."
She swiftly exited the car, leaving Easton staring after her with a helpless look. "Wicked woman," he muttered.
Cassidy went to check on Hailey first. After the Cooper family left the banquet, Cassidy worried Hailey might get bullied, so she brought her along.
Once she confirmed Hailey was okay and hadn't been bothered by Scarlett, she arranged for a driver to take Hailey home.
After saying their goodbyes, Cassidy lifted her skirt and headed home, only to find her stepsons arguing in the living room.
Ryder was nearly losing it because of Owen. When Owen announced at the banquet that he wanted to break off his engagement with Scarlett, Ryder wanted to drag him outside and give him a piece of his mind.
But the timing wasn't right, so he held back his anger until they got home, and then he exploded. "Owen, do you even realize what you said? Break off the engagement? You don't have the right to make that call!"
Cassidy was just temporarily acting as the head of the family; eventually, the position would go to one of them.
Declan was disabled and couldn't inherit the role.
Owen was too young to take over.
The only real competition was Easton, who had a powerful mother backing him, giving him significant influence in the Cooper family.
To secure his position, Ryder needed to strengthen his own power, and the Moore family was the ally he chose. That was why he managed to have Ashton arrange for Owen to get engaged to Scarlett.
Owen was Ryder's full brother, so Owen gaining the Moore family's support meant Ryder did too. He wanted Owen and Scarlett to marry as soon as possible to solidify his standing.
But today, Owen publicly declared he wanted to break off the engagement with Scarlett. Ryder couldn't accept that.
Owen tried to reason with him. "Ryder, I don't like Scarlett. I don't want to marry someone I don't love!"
"Even if you don't like her, you have to marry Scarlett!" Ryder shouted.
Owen looked at Ryder in disbelief. "Why should I sacrifice my marriage? Don't I have the right to choose my own spouse?"
Ryder sneered, "Being born into the Cooper family means you don't get to choose your own spouse!"
Ryder's stubbornness made Owen furious. Even though he didn't care about becoming the head, he knew exactly what Ryder was up to—Ryder was obsessed with becoming the head of the family at any cost. Despite being brothers, Ryder didn't mind sacrificing Owen’s marriage to achieve his goal.
But Owen couldn't go along with it! He refused to be a tool for Ryder's ambition. He had the right to love and seek his own happiness. He couldn't accept marrying Scarlett.
"Ryder, my marriage isn't a tool for you to use in your power games!" Owen shouted, and Ryder, losing it, slapped him hard.
Ryder was so mad he didn't hold back, and Owen's face swelled up quickly, looking pretty bad.
Cassidy was startled by the sound of the slap.
Ryder pointed at Owen, his face red with anger. "Owen, I'm telling you, whether you like it or not, you're marrying Scarlett! You better go apologize to Mrs. Moore!"
Owen covered his face, his eyes red with anger. "No way!"
They were like two wolves ready to tear each other apart, neither willing to back down.
Cassidy couldn't take it anymore. She quickly stepped in front of Owen and frowned at Ryder. "Ryder, you can talk this out. Why did you hit him?"
Seeing Cassidy, Ryder's attention shifted to her.
Cassidy's act of protecting Owen seemed laughable to Ryder.
"If it weren't for you today, Scarlett wouldn't have gotten mad and caused trouble. And now you want to play the hero? It is all your fault, isn't it, my dear stepmother?" Ryder spat out the word "stepmother" with venom, his glare making her shiver.
"Ryder, wake up! Scarlett insulted me in public, clearly not respecting me. What's wrong with Owen standing up for me?"
Ryder snorted, "Who are you to be respected by the Moore family's daughter?"
"Ryder, I know you're angry, but you're way out of line! Even if you don't like me, I'm the head of the Cooper family! And Scarlett is just a daughter of the Moore family. She has no right to treat me like that!" Cassidy was almost losing it with Ryder's unreasonable attitude.
He only cared about himself and anything that threatened his interests made him furious. He didn't care about the family's situation at all!
The scene was getting out of control. Ryder clenched his fists, looking like he might hit Cassidy next.
Cassidy stood her ground in front of Owen, refusing to back down.
Declan, worried Ryder might actually hit Cassidy, stepped in to stop him.