Revenge?
Brooke's chest tightened.
She couldn't possibly do something like that. She just wanted to get away from all of them and lead a normal life.
"I'm sorry, but I-"
Thane cut her off. "Can you give me your response a little later?"
Brooke furrowed her brows. It wasn't like her decision was going to change. But to repay him for his kindness, she nodded.
"Alright, I will." She said, but deep down wondered what more her family could do that would make her want to get back at them.
The post from Cassie became the number one trending search in the city, erupting a social media stir. The video reached well over a million views and had thousands of reposts within twenty-four hours. The incident was so large that it overshadowed the news of the Grayson heir's return.
"Cassie, what is the meaning of this?" Serena cried, marching into her daughter's dressing room. A famous broadcasting station had invited her for an interview, hence she came to the agency to get ready.
Cassie narrowed her eyes at the phone in Serena's hand, which displayed the video she had made yesterday. She shooed the stylists away, sensing her mother would definitely say something she shouldn't.
"Cassie, how could you—"
"Shut the door behind you!" She hissed, pinching her temples. "Do I have to teach you every damned thing?"
Serena apologetically closed the door. She mellowed her voice when she tried again, "Cassie, why would you do this to your sister? Look at all the hateful words people are saying about her."
Cassie scoffed. "And so?" She pushed her hair behind her shoulders and smiled into the mirror, staring at the marks. "It's more or less her fault. If she hadn't run away, Ethan wouldn't have gotten so angry." Cassie reasoned, "It's only fair she gets punished too."
Standing behind her, Serena picked up a brush and helped to brush Cassie's hair. After a few brushes, Serena calmly inserted, "I think you should take down the post—"
"Haa?" Cassie's eyes darkened. "Just what the hell do you mean?"
Serena fumbled, "Don't you think that this will make Ethan angrier? You should focus on your baby instead..."
In the middle of her sentence, Cassie turned around and smacked the hairbrush out of her mother's hand! "Idiot! Do you want everyone to hear you?!" She whispered loudly. "If you know you're going to take sides, then just get out."
Serena gasped, "Take sides? I would never. I love you both."
Cassie scoffed, "You love me? Don't be ridiculous, if you loved me, you wouldn't have let your other daughter go to that audition when we were children. Do you even know how embarrassing it was for me when she got picked instead?"
She started shedding tears. "When I told you to make her call off her engagement to Ethan, you still couldn't do that much for me." Cassie sniffled, "Is it because she's the daughter of your first husband? Is that why you love her more?"
She took to guilting her mother. "No, no Cassie my love! I told her not to, but she didn't listen. But look, Brooke's learned her lesson, you're the one in the spotlight now. So, why don't you delete that post and put everything behind us?" Serena asked, still circling back to the main topic of discussion.
Hearing that sparked an angry cord in Cassie. Even in absence, Brooke was still being a pain in her side. "Fine. I'll take the post down." Cassie suddenly announced, picking up a beauty blender.
A sigh of relief escaped Serena's lips, "Really? Thank you—" she moved closer to hug her daughter from behind, but Cassie cut her off.
"I'll take it down, but if I do, just know that I won't give you a single penny out of my earnings. Any money you need, you'll take it from your other daughter." She said, setting her condition.
Serena's expression changed. "W-What are you saying?" She chuckled nervously.
Cassie grinned from ear to ear, applying her makeup. "You've obviously picked your favorite. Any money you need, don't come asking me for it."
Hearing that decision, Serena imagined the loads of clothes and jewelry she had finally gotten to wear. The glamorous events, and all the recognition that came with it. 'I earned those. Why the hell do I have to let it go? All because of this cheeky brat?!' she cursed inwardly, hiding her anger.
Sucking up, she rubbed her palms, "Please reconsider—" her words were cut short when one of the stylists rushed into the room.
"Miss Cassie! Our agency's sponsor, Ethan Halton has just arrived!" The hair stylist announced in a loud voice.
Cassie immediately got up and started fixing her hair. "Take me to him." She walked past her mother and marched to the door.
Ethan was around? Did that mean he came to see her? To apologize for yesterday? Her heart couldn't stop racing at the image of him waiting outside with a bouquet.
Cassie sighted him coming out of the elevator, and quickly strutted over to him, erupting whisperers from the staff witnessing it.
She intercepted his path, and with her hands in front of her, she greeted, "Mr Halton, welcome to our agency-" Right in the middle of her greeting, Ethan walked past her, as though he didn't see her!
Cassie widened her eyes.
The staff murmured loudly, voicing out their opinions.
"Did Mr Halton just walk past his ambassador?"
"Isn't he our number one sponsor? How could he not recognize the agency's top talent?"
One chuckled, "How could he? He's the richest man in the city, he doesn't have time for that."
Their words forced Cassie into chasing after him!
'He must've not seen me. That's all!' she panicked inwardly, strutting toward's the president's office, her father's office.
Upon reaching the door, she reached out for the handle, but stopped herself when something came flying at the door!
From the inside, she heard Ethan yell over the sound of something smashing against the wall. "How dare you people do that to my wife?!"