Cassidy was the first to tidy up and leave the study. She hadn't gone far when she unexpectedly bumped into Owen.
The intense lovemaking had left Cassidy's hair a mess. She had only given it a quick fix before leaving the study, so it was still a bit wild.
But the slight messiness didn't take away from her beauty; if anything, it added a touch of sexy charm.
Beneath the tousled hair, her cheeks were flushed, her skin delicate, and her eyes sparkled with a unique allure.
She looked at Owen with a gentle smile. "Hello, Owen."
Owen stared at Cassidy's face, dazed, only snapping back when he heard her voice. "Hi, Cassidy."
Owen was Ashton's youngest son, cheerful and lively. Cassidy didn't interact with him much, but she was grateful for his help in securing her position as the head of the family.
Running into Owen now, Cassidy was relieved they hadn't met at the study door. If she had left a bit later and Owen had seen her with Easton in the study, she might have wished to die on the spot.
Cassidy was only a few years older than Owen, but her status as his stepmother added a layer of awkwardness to their interactions.
After a brief greeting, Cassidy wanted to leave.
But Owen noticed the marks on her neck. "Cassidy, your neck seems red."
Cassidy immediately raised her hand to cover her neck, hiding the spot where Easton had sucked, cursing him inwardly, 'He knew Ryder had already seen the hickeys on my body, yet he still left a more obvious mark on my neck!'
Afraid Owen might suspect something, she quickly explained, "Oh, it's nothing. I just scratched it because it was itchy."
"Okay." Owen nodded, but his mind was racing as he thought to himself, 'Did she really scratch herself? It looks more like a hickey. But my father is already gone, so how could Cassidy do such a thing? Did she just masturbate and use a tool to make that hickey?'
He bit his lip, feeling a surge of suspicion. Cassidy was a normal woman, and having sexual needs was normal. Yet, for some reason, just imagining Cassidy possibly masturbating made him feel extremely shy. If he had come over earlier, would he have seen something?
Cassidy didn't know if Owen believed her. He kept his head down, seeming shy, making it impossible for her to read his expression. But just thinking about Owen seeing the hickey on her neck made her not want to stay there any longer. "Owen, I have something to do, so I'll go now," she said.
There was no mirror in the study, so Cassidy couldn't check for other hickeys left by Easton. She lifted her hair to cover any possible hickeys, and Owen's gaze instinctively followed her hand.
Her slender fingers playing with her hair subtly stirred Owen's heart. He didn't even hear what Cassidy said, but instinctively nodded. As she exposed her neck, Owen saw the slightly red skin and looked down in a panic.
Cassidy didn't notice his embarrassment as she walked past him, and Owen caught a whiff of her fragrance. His heart raced, and he he pressed his hand to his chest, hoping to calm down.
Cassidy left, but Owen's gaze followed her, unwilling to look away until she was completely out of sight. She was his stepmom, and though he knew she was beautiful, today he truly felt her charm. His heart raced uncontrollably.
Unbeknownst to them, Easton had been standing at the study door, observing the entire scene. Cassidy hadn't noticed Owen's reaction, but Easton saw it all. Anger surged through him.
"Owen," he suddenly spoke, making Owen jump. "If you can't tell what you should and shouldn't see, then you should gouge your eyes out."
Owen looked at Easton, confused, then realized Easton had seen everything that just happened.
At that moment, he felt exposed and embarrassed, wanting to explain. "Easton, you might have misunderstood."
"Whether I misunderstood or not doesn't matter," Easton cut him off. He didn't want to hear Owen's excuses; he trusted his own eyes and instincts.
He looked at Owen and sneered, "Don't forget, the Moore family's youngest daughter has always liked you. If it weren't for Father's sudden death, you two would be getting engaged soon. You should know what you need to do."
Owen wanted to say he didn't like the Moore family's youngest daughter and never had any intention of getting engaged to her, but under Easton's gaze, he finally nodded.
Being born into the Cooper family meant he had no choice in his marriage partner. "I understand, Easton. I know what I should do," he conceded.
Easton withdrew his gaze and walked past Owen.
Cassidy didn't know Easton had warned Owen. After leaving, she went straight to her room.
The first thing she did upon returning was to remove her makeup, then strip off her clothes and stand in front of the mirror, trying to see every hickey on her body.
The hickeys from last night had faded a lot, and now they didn't look as bad as they had in the morning.
During their lovemaking in the study earlier, she had instructed him not to leave many hickeys on her body, so the most obvious mark was still the one on her neck.
Cassidy touched the skin on her neck, recalling the moment when Ryder had suddenly grabbed her, his fingers pressing hard on that spot. Given Ryder's strength, it must have turned red.
So, Easton had sucked on that spot to cover the mark? But there were many ways to conceal it! Why did he have to create a new hickey there and let Owen see it?
She wasn't sure if Owen believed her lie. Today, she had let two people see the hickeys on her body! It was all Easton's fault!
After silently cursing Easton, Cassidy began to wash her body.
When she came out of the bathroom, she noticed an invitation on the table. Cassidy picked up the beautifully designed card, her fingers tracing the name on it.
As the head of the Cooper family, her name appearing on invitations from other families was supposed to be a happy occasion. But thinking about everything that had happened today, Cassidy couldn't bring herself to smile.
She knew the maids at home would take care of the dress and other small matters, but there had been too many things happening recently, and she needed something to distract herself.
So she contacted her friend Hailey Blake. "Hailey, are you free now? Want to go shopping with me?"