Chapter 1264 Declan's Suspicion
Cassie rolled her eyes, "Whatever, ever since your fam showed up, my life's been a total dumpster fire. But now, I'm kinda hoping Everett didn't hit up Silverwood."
"What are you getting at?"
"If he went to Silverwood and vanished, he probably stumbled on something big. Maybe some folks don't want him sniffing around. It's on me; I should've sent more backup with him. I just didn't think he'd actually go. Thought he didn't buy my story."
Declan's lips tightened, "Are you saying this has something to do with Olivia?"
"Declan, can I ask you something? When your wife and Olivia did that paternity test, did they use hair?"
"What are you implying?" Declan asked, his voice icy.
"I think David gave Olivia my hair."
Declan scoffed, "Are you saying you're Isabella's kid?"
"Yeah, it sounds nuts, but Declan, you're a smart guy. Olivia's not your real daughter. As an outsider, you probably don't feel much for her. But after hanging out with her, what's your take on Olivia?"
Declan frowned at Cassie's question.
To be real, Declan didn't like Olivia.
Not that she was awful. Olivia was always on her best behavior around him. But since they hit Silverwood, his relationship with Isabella went downhill, while Isabella got all soft on Olivia.
She even dropped billions to buy the Hernandez Group for Olivia without a heads-up.
As Isabella's hubby, Declan felt the growing gap and all the drama between them.
Isabella and Declan had been tight for over twenty years. This was a first.
Seeing Declan go quiet, Cassie guessed there was trouble in paradise. She added, "Declan, I am Isabella's real daughter, but without a DNA test, you might not buy it. I was married to David. After we tied the knot, I found out he was bad news. He and Olivia were up to no good three years ago. I was clueless. Living with him, I'd blow-dry and comb my hair daily. He could easily snag a bunch of my hair. I'm sure the hair for the paternity test wasn't yanked from Olivia's head."
Declan rubbed his temples. The test was Everett's doing. Who knew how he got the hair?
Cassie knew she didn't have much proof and didn't expect to convince him right away. "Like I said, Olivia and David are in cahoots. The Foster family's roots are in Silverwood. Since Olivia came back, she quickly helped David climb up to Ralph using your and your wife's clout."
"Now, David's status in Madison is basically above Joseph's. The rich folks in Silverwood are opportunistic. It's normal for some to secretly back the Foster family. If Everett went digging about Olivia, it would've tipped off David's spies. Exposing Olivia wouldn't help him. I bet Everett's stuck because of him."
"Why should I buy what you're selling?" Declan shot back, his voice icy. This whole thing was way messier than he thought.
"Because I know David and Olivia better than anyone. Chill out. I bet Everett's still kicking because they need him as their insurance policy. They don't want you finding out the truth."
Cassie added, "Declan, sometimes what people say is just noise. To really get someone, you gotta interact and feel them out. You're smart. Can't you see through people with a clear head?"
Declan felt a twinge of doubt, "I'll look into it. I hope you're not just blowing smoke."
Cassie let out a breath. At least Declan wasn't brushing her off as crazy. "Olivia's gonna try to spin this, make it look like Joseph and I are the bad guys to you and your wife. I don't care what your wife thinks anymore, but I hope you can keep your cool and not get played."
"None of you Brooks folks are a walk in the park," Declan sneered.
"Think what you want. Oh, and one more thing. Olivia had plastic surgery to look like someone else and got close to Joseph as a caregiver. She messed with his food, made him lose it. Our relationship tanked because of that. Keep an eye out."
She hung up.
On the other end, Declan was floored by her last bombshell.
He thought he knew Isabella inside out, but lately, she was acting all kinds of irrational. He figured it was just the Brooks family drama stressing her out.
But what if it wasn't?
A shiver ran down his spine.
Outside the study, Isabella was knocking frantically and burst in.
"Declan, who were you talking to? What's the deal with Everett? Why'd he vanish?"
"I'm on it."
Declan looked at Isabella, who was practically yelling. The Isabella he knew was always his rock. She was sharp and composed, even in business. "Isabella, take a breath."
"Everett's missing. He's my son. How can I calm down?" Isabella snapped, "It has to be Cassie and Joseph. They're our only enemies in Whisperlyn City."
"I'll investigate," Declan said softly.
"What's there to investigate? It's obvious. Everett's last contact in Madison was Cassie. She's ruthless," Isabella fumed. "I'm sending people out. We need to take down Cassie and Joseph. If they don't give us Everett, they'll pay with their lives."
"Mom, don't do this." Olivia rushed in, "We have to trust Declan."
Declan's eyes darkened as he looked at her. "Olivia, what's your take on this?"
Olivia was caught off guard. She bit her lip, "I think Cassie and Joseph are freaking out because I just took over the Hernandez Group. Maybe we should talk to Cassie? It's all my fault. If it wasn't for me, Everett wouldn't be missing."
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