Chapter 139 Found Cassidy
Despite Roy's anxiety eating at him, he still handled his job professionally.
First, he contacted the police department. Then he had someone call Gloria's father with a pointed warning. The result? Even though Gloria got released without charges that same day, the Reeves family picked her up immediately with strict orders to stay away from Arabella.
Gloria couldn't swallow this humiliation. She snapped back at her father. "That bitch is full of tricks! I was just trying to scare her a little, and she actually called the cops! Next time I'll really make her regret it!"
Her father's hand cracked across her face. "Haven't you caused enough trouble? The family's already been humiliated because of you. What more chaos do you want to create?" His voice dropped to something dangerous. "I'm telling you—stay away from that Arabella woman. She's got powerful people backing her. It's not that simple! If you don't want to drag the entire Reeves family down with you, behave yourself. Otherwise, I'll lock you up myself!"
Gloria clutched her stinging cheek, staring at her father in disbelief. Was this really the same man who'd always doted on her?
Arabella had serious backing? Her biggest connection was the Watson family, wasn't it? Anthony was her ex-husband—emphasis on ex! He wouldn't keep protecting her after the divorce!
Her father knew his daughter inside and out. She was his only child, spoiled rotten since birth. Her usual arrogance was one thing, and even after that scandal, he'd still been actively hunting for suitable matches. If the Reed family didn't work out, they'd find another family. But the Reeves family absolutely could not afford to provoke the wrong people.
"Bottom line—stop making trouble for that Arabella woman. Philip won't show his face, the Reed family won't give us straight answers, and they're treating you with complete disrespect." He looked at her sternly. "My daughter doesn't need to settle for that kind of son-in-law anyway. I'll find you another suitable match. With the Reeves family backing you, worst case scenario, you'll still hold your head up in Majestic City. Understand?"
Gloria covered her face and nodded silently.
But she didn't understand. She was the Reeves family heiress. Even with a scandal, was it really necessary to rush her into marriage like damaged goods?
Deep down, the family felt she'd disgraced them and wanted to sacrifice her to save face. Otherwise, her father should be aiming higher for her, not trying to shove her into a slightly lesser elite family. She bit her lip, tasting humiliation. Only after her father left did she violently sweep everything off her desk in a crash of expensive objects.
The maid jumped in terror, trembling nearby. "Miss..."
Gloria shot her a vicious glare. "What are you standing around for? Clean this up! Now!"
The maid scurried forward. When Gloria noticed she was wearing gloves, her expression turned cruel. "Who told you to wear gloves? Take them off!"
The maid's eyes widened at the shattered glass and porcelain everywhere, but she gritted her teeth and removed the gloves. Her bare hands started picking up the sharp fragments.
One careless move and a shard sliced her palm open.
Gloria's mood lifted watching this. As the maid got cut repeatedly, her hands becoming a bloody mess, Gloria finally felt satisfied. She snorted and headed upstairs.
Half an hour later, she emerged transformed—soft yellow sundress, nude flats, long hair flowing, makeup flawless and demure.
She usually hit bars and clubs dressed like the party girl she was, even though she hadn't graduated college yet. She rarely looked this... innocent.
And she wasn't bad-looking. Dressed like this, she actually resembled a proper college student for once. Her eye makeup was deliberately drawn to droop at the corners—innocent doe eyes that bore more than a passing resemblance to Cassidy.
Very pleased with her reflection, she swept past the stunned maid and left the house.
Her father claimed he'd find her a good marriage, but after the Philip disaster, she was done putting her fate in anyone else's hands. She refused to marry down. If she was getting married, it would be to the highest family in Majestic City.
She was going to see Sawyer. One last shot.
Being assaulted by those thugs wasn't her fault. Sawyer was an upstanding gentleman—maybe if she approached him properly, he could still accept her. Gloria knew Sawyer had feelings for Cassidy. Those photos circulating through high society had made that obvious enough. But she didn't take Cassidy seriously. A married woman whose heart belonged to Anthony—what good would Sawyer's crush do him?
Would Cassidy really leave Anthony for Sawyer? Even if she wanted to, would the Tucker family accept a nobody divorcée? Dream on.
She'd deliberately copied Cassidy's makeup, hoping to trigger some protective instinct in Sawyer.
Gloria drove to Sawyer's private apartment with growing confidence. She'd worked hard to track down this address—his personal sanctuary that he visited on his off days. Even his parents probably didn't know about it.
Her plan was simple. It was three in the afternoon. She'd wait at his door for hours looking pathetic and helpless. With luck, she'd catch him today. Without luck, she'd camp out for days until he showed up.
What she didn't expect was to hear a woman's voice inside when she reached his door.
Her face went rigid. Did Sawyer have a girlfriend? Impossible—she would've heard rumors. Gloria pressed her ear to the door, but the voices had gone quiet. She couldn't hear Sawyer either.
Her eyes darkened. Whoever that woman was, she wouldn't be an obstacle. Gloria wanted to see which little homewrecker dared go after her target.
She knocked on the door. No response. She kept knocking, insistent and loud.
Finally, a delicate female voice drifted out. "Sawyer, are you done with your shower? I think someone's at the door."
A man's voice, barely audible. "Probably building maintenance. Almost done."
Gloria's jaw clenched. She pounded harder. "Bang bang bang!"
After ten solid minutes, footsteps approached. The door swung open to reveal Sawyer in casual loungewear, towel in hand, still drying his damp hair. Seeing Gloria, he clearly froze before shifting sideways to block whoever was behind him.
Too late. Gloria had already glimpsed her.
Cassidy. Anthony's wife.
Rage exploded behind Gloria's eyes. "You... why are you two together? Sawyer, you and her... what the hell is this?"
She couldn't process it. This was Sawyer—the upright, principled heir to the Tucker family! One was a straight-arrow political golden boy, the other was the Watson family's young mistress who'd slept her way to the top. How could they possibly—
Sawyer's brow furrowed as he rushed to explain. "You've misunderstood. Cassie's just staying here temporarily for a few days. There's nothing between us."
He didn't catch the flash of humiliation that crossed Cassidy's face behind him.
They'd been living together for nearly two weeks. During that time, she'd tried more than once to seduce him, but Sawyer kept refusing. He claimed he didn't want to take advantage of her vulnerability—even after she'd confessed her feelings! And now he was so eager to explain to an outsider that nothing was happening...
Did he really have zero feelings for her? But if that was true, why had he looked so devastated when he learned she'd been assaulted? Why had he been willing to antagonize the Watson family to protect her from Anthony's abuse?
Cassidy couldn't make sense of it, which only intensified her resentment toward Gloria. Both were women who'd been assaulted—nobody understood Gloria's scheming better than she did. But Cassidy could only play invisible, not even daring to confront her directly.
Gloria's eyes flashed with mockery after Sawyer's explanation. A man and woman living alone together, him fresh from the shower, both dressed casually, and he expected her to believe nothing was happening? Yeah, right.
She stared hard at the space behind Sawyer. Had Cassidy come crawling to Sawyer because Anthony dumped her? She'd heard Anthony was particular about his women's purity. Guess the rumors were true.
Did Anthony even know his wife was shacking up with another man? For families like the Watsons, marriage and divorce were major public events. She hadn't heard anything about a divorce announcement recently.
Would Anthony really tolerate his wife cheating?
Gloria's mind raced through calculations before she forced a bitter smile. "Actually, I came here today because I had something to say to you. But now it seems... there's no point."
She gave him a small wave. "I won't disturb you two. Goodbye."
She turned and walked away.
Cassidy watched Gloria disappear into the elevator, teeth worrying her lower lip. "Sawyer, will she tell anyone I'm here?"
Sawyer shook his head. "Probably not. She's had feelings for me for years. We were about to get engaged, but then that incident happened..." His words died abruptly as he realized Cassidy had also been a victim. He quickly backpedaled. "Cassie, I didn't mean it that way. I just meant she's probably upset about the broken engagement and came to try changing my mind."
Cassidy didn't think Gloria would run to the Watson family either. After all, Gloria's situation was Rachel's fault. She probably never wanted to speak to Rachel again. Still, she kept her voice soft and uncertain. "Then... would you change your mind about her?"
"Cassie, you know my whole heart belongs to you. I could never—" Sawyer's eyes went wide with emphasis as he shook his head vigorously.
Besides, his family would never accept a woman who'd been assaulted. But saying that out loud would destroy Cassidy's self-esteem, so he swallowed it.
Cassidy's lashes fluttered like wounded butterfly wings. She bit her lip as if gathering courage, then looked up at Sawyer with tears threatening to spill. "Sawyer, if... if you wanted, I could... Anthony treated me so badly. I don't love him anymore. You saved me. Your place in my heart is different from everyone else..."
She thought this confession sounded heartbreakingly romantic, especially with her carefully practiced vulnerable expression. Surely Sawyer would feel protective now.
Instead, he draped the damp towel over her shoulders with a gentle smile. "Don't talk like that. In my heart, you'll always be pure and untouchable. How could I dare—" He placed both hands on her shoulders like a solemn vow. "Cassie, don't worry. Once things settle down, I'll definitely help you divorce Anthony. Then you'll be completely free to choose someone you love to spend your life with."
What about you?
The question burned on Cassidy's tongue, but she couldn't force it out. She was terrified the answer wouldn't be what she desperately wanted to hear. Why was he being like this? He was so protective of her. He clearly loved her.
So why was he pulling away?
She couldn't understand it. But there was still time—she'd only been here two weeks. If two weeks wasn't enough, what about two months? Two years? Sawyer couldn't hold out forever.
Both lost in conflicted thoughts, they closed the door with forced casualness.
Gloria stood outside the apartment building collecting herself before pulling out her phone to call Rachel.
Rachel's voice came through flattered and hopeful. "Gloria... Gloria! You finally contacted me."
Gloria's expression stayed ice cold, fingers digging into her palm. She ignored the greeting entirely. "Cassidy and Sawyer are living together. Does your brother know?"
"What?" Rachel's voice went shrill. "She's at the Tucker place? No wonder my brother tore apart all of Majestic City looking for her! She's actually hiding with the Tucker family? Have they no shame? She's my brother's wife!"
Gloria's eyebrow arched. "Guess you didn't know then. Consider this free intel. Sunrise Road, Apartment Glory, seventeenth floor, unit three. Sawyer's private place. They've been playing house there this whole time."
"Gloria, thank you so much for telling me! Otherwise that woman would still be playing us all." Rachel's gratitude gushed through the phone. "Do you have time? We should get afternoon tea together! I know this amazing new place—"
"I'm busy." Gloria hung up.
Rachel stared at her disconnected phone, grinding her teeth as resentment flashed in her eyes. What a bitch. Just because she had the Reeves family bankroll, she kept acting superior. Rachel had tried making peace, and Gloria threw it back in her face. Ungrateful cow.
She forced the anger down and headed upstairs, knocking on the study door.
Anthony's voice drifted out. "What is it?"
"I have good news for you."
A pause. "Come in."
Rachel pushed the door open eagerly. The room was dim despite the overcast afternoon, lit only by a single weak lamp. Anthony sat behind his desk with his back to the window, a shadowy figure in the gloom. He looked up. "What good news?"