When Easton got back to Cooper Manor, the first person he ran into was Declan.
The news of the car accident hadn't reached them yet, so Declan had no clue what had happened. He was just surprised to see Easton back so soon, and Easton looked off.
"Easton, what happened?"
Declan glanced behind Easton, not seeing Cassidy anywhere.
"Didn't Cassidy come back with you? Did something go wrong at the exhibition?"
Easton let out a cold laugh. "Don't you know?"
Declan was puzzled. "What should I know?"
He had been at home the whole time and hadn't gone to the exhibition, so how could he know what had happened?
Easton didn't say anything more, just stared at Declan, making him uncomfortable. At that moment, Owen walked in.
Owen was also surprised to see Easton and Declan together. The moment he saw Easton, he instinctively tensed up.
Thinking about how he had secretly helped Cassidy escape, Owen felt a pang of guilt.
But he tried his best to control his expression, not letting them see his unease.
"Owen, why are you back so early too?"
Declan looked at the two of them, finding it odd. "Since you're both back, why haven't I seen Cassidy? Is she still at the exhibition?"
To avoid suspicion, Owen put on a surprised look. "Cassidy hasn't come back yet?"
"I didn't tour the exhibition with Cassidy. I just took a quick look around and came back because it wasn't that interesting."
This wasn't entirely a lie. Owen had indeed gone to the exhibition to avoid suspicion, making sure to check out the basics before returning, so Easton wouldn't suspect he had done something else.
Easton stared intently at Owen. If Cassidy's escape was premeditated, she might have sought Owen's help.
Feeling Easton's gaze, Owen knew he was still under suspicion. He asked, puzzled, "Easton, why are you looking at me like that? Did something happen?"
He lowered his head, mumbling in a confused tone, "I didn't do anything today."
He acted so well that Easton couldn't detect anything unusual and had to look away.
He didn't answer Declan's earlier question, just angrily called his men, ordering them to find Cassidy.
"Whether Cassidy is dead or alive, she must be brought to me!"
If Cassidy was alive, he wanted to see her in person. If she was dead, he wanted to see her body.
Easton didn't hide this call from Owen and Declan. Hearing it, they both looked panicked.
Declan urgently asked, "Is Cassidy missing?"
Easton ignored Declan and went straight to Cassidy's room, hoping to find some clues.
Owen and Declan were left in the living room, staring at each other, not knowing what to say.
"I'll have someone find out what happened."
Owen nodded, staying silent.
Soon, Declan got the news, and his face turned grim.
Owen tensed up immediately. "Declan, what's wrong? What did you find out?"
Declan, in disbelief, asked again to confirm, then looked at Owen, his body stiffening.
"Cassidy was in a serious car accident and died on the spot."
Owen's face changed instantly.
Easton didn't know they had already received the news of Cassidy's death. He was busy searching Cassidy's room.
He found only everyday items; all the valuables were gone.
When Easton first entered Cassidy's room, he felt something was off. It hit him that Cassidy had been planning to leave the Cooper family and him for a while, so she had already packed up her valuables.
She had hidden it so well that he hadn't noticed anything amiss!
So, her obedient and gentle demeanor was all an act?
Her goal was to make him lower his guard so she could find a chance to escape!
Easton was furious. He ordered his men to check all the surveillance footage from the area. He had to find out where Cassidy went.
He had to bring Cassidy back and ask her why she did this.
He had given her so much, yet she left so resolutely, without any hesitation!
But his men found nothing.
"There’s no useful information on the surveillance."
Easton then remembered that to ensure the plan went smoothly, he had arranged for the surveillance to be tampered with. From the moment Cassidy got in the car to when she left, all the footage had been altered, making it impossible to retrieve any information!
"Damn it!"
Easton cursed angrily, kicking over the table in front of him.
He suddenly realized he had no way to track Cassidy's whereabouts!
He had made such meticulous preparations to ensure the plan had no flaws, but now it had given Cassidy the perfect opportunity to escape!
Easton was extremely angry, but there was nothing he could do. No one could offer him a solution, so he had no choice but to seek out Chase.
Chase had already heard the news of Cassidy's death. When he received the news, he couldn't believe it and wanted to call Easton immediately to confirm.
Seeing Easton now, he quickly voiced his doubts.
"Easton, did Cassidy really die in a car accident?"
Such a vibrant girl, did she really die in an accident?
"That’s a lie!" Easton shouted without hesitation. "Cassidy is still alive!"
"She can't be dead. How could she be dead?"
That body wasn't hers. She had just escaped, and he would find a way to bring her back!
Chase was startled by Easton's attitude, thinking he was in shock from the news of Cassidy's death. He was about to speak when Easton continued.
"The person who died wasn't Cassidy. She just ran away."
"What?"
Easton took a swig from a bottle of liquor, then explained the situation to Chase.
"You mean, you wanted Cassidy to fake her death, give her a new identity to marry her, but she used the plan to escape?"
Chase found it hard to believe. Knowing Easton's personality, he could indeed do something like that.
But he couldn't believe Cassidy had thought to use Easton's plan to escape, and even more unbelievable was that her escape plan had succeeded!
She had actually used her wit and courage to successfully escape from the Cooper family!
"I've tried everything to find Cassidy, but no matter what I do, I can't find any trace of her."
Easton laughed bitterly, never expecting to be outsmarted by the woman he loved.
Chase felt uncomfortable seeing Easton liked this. Although he didn't support Easton and Cassidy being together, it was clear Easton loved her deeply, given the plan he had devised.
So Cassidy's departure was a huge blow to him.
Chase patted Easton's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll help you find Cassidy too. She's just one woman; she can't have gone far. We'll find her eventually."