The next morning at breakfast, Easton casually brought up the art exhibit.
"Hey, there's an art exhibit today. You guys wanna check it out?"
Cassidy knew he was doing this on purpose. If they went to the exhibit secretly, it would definitely raise suspicions and possibly jeopardize their plan.
By bringing it up openly, Easton avoided drawing any unwanted attention.
Still, when Easton mentioned it, Cassidy felt a moment of panic. Her first thought was that Easton had discovered her and Owen's plan.
Thankfully, she managed to keep her expression neutral, not glancing at Owen or doing anything to arouse Easton's suspicion.
Owen, pretending to be curious, asked, "What kind of exhibit?"
"Just a regular art show, probably featuring some paintings."
Owen nodded. "Sounds cool. Can I come?"
Easton paused at Owen's question, as if something had crossed his mind. He glanced at Cassidy out of the corner of his eye, but she continued eating calmly, showing no signs of distress.
"Sure," Easton replied.
Owen sneaked a quick look at Cassidy, but no one noticed.
Ryder, overhearing their conversation, chimed in, "How come I haven't heard about this exhibit?"
His gaze shifted among the others at the table, as if trying to uncover any hidden secrets.
Cassidy responded coolly, "You never pay attention to these small exhibits. It's not surprising you didn't know."
Her tone was calm, but Ryder sensed a hint of mockery.
"Is it really just a small exhibit?" he questioned, frowning. To him, attending such events was pointless—they didn't help make powerful connections or strengthen their position.
He couldn't believe Easton would suddenly decide to attend a minor exhibit.
"If you're interested, you can come too. Easton found this exhibit because I wanted to go," Cassidy explained.
Ryder's eyes darted between Cassidy and Easton before he finally accepted her explanation.
Easton had always been protective of Cassidy. If she wanted to see the exhibit, it wasn't unusual for him to find one for her.
Since it was for Cassidy, Ryder concluded the exhibit wasn't significant and decided not to waste his time.
"I have other things to do. You guys go ahead."
Cassidy nodded and said nothing more.
Declan, due to his health, also wouldn't be attending, so it ended up being just Easton, Cassidy, and Owen going to the exhibit.
Although having Owen along made Easton a bit uneasy, he didn't think the boy would cause any trouble for his plan, so he didn't object.
They traveled separately to the exhibit. Cassidy left first, followed by Owen.
Before Easton could leave, Declan called him over.
"Easton, I saw your cufflink outside Cassidy's room."
Declan looked at Easton calmly, even smiling. "I couldn't pick it up myself. I thought it best if you did, to avoid any rumors."
Easton stared at Declan, trying to read his intentions. He felt there was more to Declan's words, but Declan's expression remained neutral, giving nothing away.
"Probably just fell off by accident," Easton said dismissively. "It's just a cufflink. What rumors could it start?"
Declan nodded apologetically. "You're right. I was overthinking."
After Declan left, Easton hesitated before going back to pick up his cufflink outside Cassidy's room.
Today, Cassidy would officially shed her identity as Ashton's wife and reappear as Easton's wife. Maybe he could help her pack a few things.
Entering Cassidy's room, Easton mentally noted what items to have his trusted aides take.
He frowned, feeling like something was missing from the room. Maybe Cassidy had already packed some things. Accepting this, he continued his task.
After a few minutes, Easton decided what to take and headed for the door, accidentally knocking over the trash can.
Not concerned, as the maids would clean up, he righted the can and was about to leave when something caught his eye.
Why was there a medication package in Cassidy's trash?
He picked it up and read the label, shocked to find it was birth control.
Birth control?
Why would Cassidy have birth control?
Easton stared at the package in disbelief.
Had Cassidy been taking birth control all along?
But she had promised to have his child.
Had she been lying to him?
Easton's mind went blank, and he clenched the package tightly.
Cassidy was tense after getting in the car. Easton was too perceptive, and she feared he might discover their plan.
She also worried about Owen's safety. If anything happened to him because of her, she wouldn't forgive herself.
Sensing her anxiety, Owen texted her.
"Cassidy, don't worry. My car is right behind yours."
Seeing Owen's message, Cassidy's tension eased.
"Don't be afraid. Our plan won't fail. Easton isn't here yet. We'll succeed!"
This was a plan she and Owen had worked on for days. Nothing could go wrong.
Cassidy felt more confident, clutching her phone and mentally cheering herself on.
Looking out the window, she thought about her impending new identity, feeling both nervous and excited.
The driver, noticing Owen's car behind them, used his skills to lose it and then stopped midway.
He opened the door for Cassidy. "Mrs. Cooper, please step out."
Cassidy knew this was Easton's arranged car switch, so she didn't waste time. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her things and got out.
The driver directed her. "Someone will meet you shortly. Good luck."
Cassidy nodded. Everything would go smoothly.
She walked in the indicated direction, glancing back to see a girl resembling her getting into the car.
Easton's plan was halfway successful, and now hers and Owen's was about to begin.