Chapter 7- The mall

THREE MONTHS LATER

Cassidy Murphy tried her very best to move on, but it was hard. The saying was out of sight, out of mind. But how could she move on when she kept seeing the faces of those who wronged her in every magazine and news station she tuned to.

It was like they were out to get get her. Her sanity was in jeopardy. Since Misty and Trent's wedding arrangement and the talk of a possible merger, their photos were everywhere.

Misty was the face of major brands as their ambassador. After studying accounting, she decided to be an influencer.

Now Cassie was suffering the consequences of her decisions.

"Cassie, casserole!" Cora yelled.

"I'm right in front of you, you don't have to yell," she rolled her eyes, "And don't call me casserole Cora," Cassie groaned.

Cora smiled at Cassie as she pulled over to drop her off. "I'm off to the office," she said.

Cassie knew what was coming next, and she held up a hand to stop Cora. "Don't say it," she warned.

But Cora just laughed. "We're best friends, Cassie," she said. "And I have the perfect solution to your current employment situation. Why don't you just come work with me at the Wentworth Group?"

Cassie shook her head. There was a hint of frustration in her voice. "I've been telling you no, Cora. Just drop it."

Cora waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing, Cassie. And it's unfair that with your credentials, you've been looking for a job for months. It's obvious the Silverwoods have something to do with it."

Cassie raised an eyebrow, but Cora continued. "I know you don't like handouts, but in reality, you'd be the one helping us. You're a literal prodigy, Cassie."

Cassie smiled, a small sigh escaping her lips. "You never give up, do you?"

Cora grinned. "Nope. So, will you think about it?"

Cassie nodded, a small smile still playing on her lips. "I'll think about it."

Cora beamed, satisfied.

Cora pushed the newspapers off the coffee table. "Good! Now, go take a shower."

"You can't stay locked up in this house forever. Don't worry about the rumors," Cora said to Cassie. "By now, everyone's probably forgotten about the whole thing."

Cora went to work. Cassie cleaned the house and took a shower. Afterward, she decided to make breakfast but realized they were out of eggs.

She went to the supermarket. It had been a while since she left the house. The whole situation with Trent and his family gave her serious anxiety.

Cassie was at the store. She felt like people were staring at her because of the recent scandal. She looked at her phone to distract herself.

She was so distracted that she bumped into someone. His drink spilled all over her. She dropped her bag in the process.

Cassie screamed.

The man stared at her blankly. "Watching where you're going!" he said brushing invisible dust off his Armani suit.

Cassie thought of all the things she could say to him but she held her tongue. He continued going his was like nothing happened.

As she struggled to gather her scattered groceries, the man reappeared with a new paper bag and a towel.

He handed her the towel with a reluctant roll of his eyes, and began to pack her items into the new bag.

She cleaned herself up with the towel, still feeling a bit stunned.

As they finished up, the man offered to drive her home. Cassie refused, but he insisted on walking her to the elevator. As they stepped inside and the doors closed, Cassie realized that they were on the ground floor.

A thought occurred to her - this man must be someone important to have access to the underground parking lot.

Before she could process this further, the man led her to a huge Mercedes with tinted windows. Cassie's eyes widened as she took in the luxurious vehicle. The key turned into the ignition and the car started.

Cassie's eyes widened as she heard a deep, familiar voice coming from the backseat. "War, we came here for business. You can't just be picking up girls," the voice said.

Cassie's heart skipped a beat as she turned to look at the speaker. Her eyes locked onto a pair of piercing blue eyes that seemed to bore into her soul.

It was the Mystery man.

He raised an eyebrow. "War, this isn't a charity mission. We have a meeting with the investors in an hour."

The man, War, smiled wryly. "But like I said, I bumped into her. Literally. It's the least I could do to give her a ride home."

Cassie's eyes flashed with anger. "Aha, so you admit it!" she exclaimed.

War rolled his eyes. "Yes, I do. I'm sorry," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Cassie interjected, her voice firm. "I'm not a charity case," she said, looking at the mystery man.

He turned to face her for a moment. Then, he smiled, his charm radiating.

"Cassidy Murphy," he said, "You're such an oddball. How do we keep meeting in these strange circumstances?"

War's eyes darted between Cassie and his friend. A hint of amusement on his face. "Oh, you two know each other?" he asked, his tone dripping with curiosity.

He turned to Cassie, a sly grin spreading across his face. "So, you know Arden?"

Cassie shook her head. "Not really," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to place the name.

War raised an eyebrow. "His name sounds familiar, doesn't it?" he asked.

Arden smiled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I'm Arden Rhett, CEO of Rhett's," he said, his voice confident and smooth.

Warren Dalton, the man who had bumped into Cassie, nodded in greeting. "And I'm Warren Dalton, COO of Rhett's," he added.

Cassie's eyes widened as she struggled to process the information. She was still in shock, trying to collect herself.

Arden Rhett was a mystery, a man who had built his business empire from scratch and remained faceless to the public.

He had topped the Forbes 30 under 30 list, and his company had taken the business world by storm, competing with giants like Silverwood Industries.

Cassie's mind was racing, trying to reconcile the man in front of her with the legend she had read about.

Cassie's eyes narrowed as she thought about the recent acquisition deal she had battled Arden for. If she had known things would turn out this way, she would have let him have it.

Before she could dwell on it further, War asked, "I think an introduction is in order, don't you? So, what's your name? " he asked said, looking at her.

Arden chuckled, "Allow me," he said, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Cassie arched a brow.

"This is Cassie Murphy, the person who's been cutting us out of every good business deal. A... formidable business opponent."

"You know who I am?"

"Cassie Silverwood, or may I say, Cassidy Murphy."

"How did you--"

"Wait... I'm not done." he continued, "She is the second daughter of the Murphy Magnolias... Graduated from--"

"She's the girl in the headlines, the Silverwood robber." Warren added. He held his lips realizing how how horrible that may have sounded.

"She didn't rob them," Arden said confidently.

Cassie folded her arms, "And how do you know that?"

"Because if you did, they wouldn't be able to tell. You're a prodigy Murphy, I know that, and you know that too. Hiding in Bel-Air isn't doing you any good, come out into the open and show us what you've got. Business isn't fun without you anymore."

Cassie was speechless.

"This is you right?" Arden asked pointing out the window as they stopped in front of Cora's condo.

Cassie picked her mouth off the floor, "Yes--" she stuttered.

"Call me Cassie, you still have my card." Arden said as she alighted.