Chapter 1804 Investigation

Nick was at his wits' end.

After Cassie had stormed off, Nick racked his brains, trying to recall what had happened tonight, but to no avail. No matter how hard he tried, he could not remember what had gone on in his house. He only had a vague recollection of drinking with his clients, but that was it. How could he have ended up hugging that woman?

He decided to shift his focus for a moment. Trying to recall the events of tonight was a waste of time because no matter how hard he tried, it was plain impossible at the moment. Right now, the most important thing to do was to find Cassie and clear things up. He took out his phone and dialed her number. It rang and rang. No one picked up. He tried again and again but to no avail.

Nick didn't want to stay home and do nothing. His hands trembling, he thought about what might be going on in Cassie's head right now. The jingle of his keys, followed by the sound of his car's engine starting, sounded painfully loud in the quiet night. But disturbing his neighbors was the least of his concerns. He drove around the neighborhood looking for Cassie. Once he had covered enough ground and still hadn't seen any sign of her, he stopped right where he was and broke down. He rested his head against the steering wheel and contemplated.

He was growing increasingly worried by the second. Once more, he took out his phone and typed in a message to Cassie.

"Cassie, it was not what you thought it was. I can explain everything. Can we please talk in person? Please, answer my calls. I'm so worried about you. Text me back, okay?" the message read.

With shaking hands, he pressed send. Afterward, he kept his bloodshot eyes glued to his phone's screen. If his girlfriend replied, he was not going to miss it.

Three minutes went by. It remained eerily quiet in the car, and the screen display of Nick's phone had turned off automatically due to inactivity.

Nick was losing hope, but giving up now wouldn't benefit him or his relationship in any way. A barrage of text messages made their way to Cassie's phone—messages of love and apologies. For now, this was the only way for Nick to convince her to listen to him. In most of the texts, he begged for her not to be mad at him, to hear him out.

He didn't receive a single response.

It was clear as day that Cassie was determined to ignore his messages.

Nick sat there, helpless and frustrated.

Meanwhile, in her hotel room, Cassie was tossing and turning in bed.

She had closed her eyes, willing herself to fall asleep. The constant humming and vibration of her phone, however, was making the task impossible.

Cassie knew it was Nick texting her, which annoyed her more. Those messages were like a constant reminder to Cassie of how intimate Nick had been with that woman.

do anything.

"Well, if what you're saying is true, then it's easy. Just go back to the hotel and ask to review their CCTV footage. And call the people who were out with you tonight. I'm sure you can find out something that way," Isla was very calm when she offered Nick the suggestion.

Nick, who had been confused since he drove out on the streets tonight, became clear. He nodded vigorously and said, "You're right, Isla. That's brilliant! Thank you. You may just have saved my life and our relationship. I should call the hotel now, while it's not too late. Bye!"

In his excitement, Nick was almost screaming into the phone. His thumb hovered over the end call button when Isla's muted voice stopped him. "Wait, Nick! Remember to call Sheryl and tell her what happened. She's worried about you."

"Sure. Don't worry, Isla." When Sheryl's name came up, Nick got the picture. Cassie must have called Sheryl after she ran into him and that strange woman.

He didn't waste any time. After hanging up on Isla, he immediately called the hotel.

Isla held the phone to her chest. Nick and Cassie's situation still troubled her deeply. Aron, seeing his wife upset, pulled her into his arms. He kissed her on the forehead and said, "Stop worrying, babe. I'm sure that Nick can handle this."

"I know. He and Cassie have been through a lot together, but it'll take more than this to break them up. Obviously, someone's trying to frame Nick, but I'm pretty confident about what he's capable of, and I'm sure he'll figure out the truth in no time. However, it's not really him that I'm worried about. I'm terrified of whoever is behind this and what they're up to. Whatever their endgame is, it can't be good. And it's pretty scary that they're out there, watching us from the shadows like predators, while we're all out here in the open like prey. Isn't it?"