A Graduation Gift

In the box under the feeble light, the smell of the alcohol mixed with the smoke, making the room seem even more suffocating. Suddenly, the curtains were torn open, and a beam of sharp light pierced the shadows.

"So, you're telling me that you failed?"

The light fell on Ivy's mouth, curled into a smirk. She snapped her head around, fixing her gaze on the man behind.

Joel stood fixed to the spot, a trace of panic frozen on his young face. He seemed wary of Ivy, reacting sharply to every move that she made. Last night's plan had started out perfect. He thought he had made it foolproof. And then Rufus had appeared...

"I...I'm sorry, sis. It was my fault...I should have been more careful." He hung his head, unable to meet her eyes. "I didn't know that Rufus would be there...That man is something else. He somehow smoothed everything out...I don't really know what happened,"

Joel mumbled his explanation, grasping for reasons as to why he had failed. He couldn't raise his head.

Joel knew that he owed everything to his older half-sister. She had provided him with everything he needed all these years. She was the one who had arranged his placement in the Tang Group, after he had graduated. He had never actually intended to get involved in her schemes, but at some point he had found himself unable to stop. The more he saw of Cassandra, the more he craved for this woman. He couldn't seem to keep his eyes from roaming greedily over her, and he thought that last night might be his chance to finally have her. That was...until Rufus showed up.

"Who do you think you are to call me sis! You careless moron! How could you even mess up such a simple task! You really disappointed me this time...and now the company is suspicious. Luckily, no one knows we are related. We want to keep it that way. If anyone finds out I'm behind this, then we will both be screwed!"

Joel jumped as a wine bottle exploded on the wall beside his head. He whipped his head to see Ivy seething at him silently, her temper as unpredictable as ever.

She had been laying the groundwork of this plan for so long. She had waited for the optimal time where she could deploy Cassandra's assistant to seduce the Tang family's daughter-in-law into adultery. Cassandra would lose not only her face, but everything that she had ever held dear.

"I am sending you abroad, to lay low for a while. Don't come back until I give the word, understood?"

Joel nodded silently. The look in Ivy's eyes made it clear that there would be consequences if he failed at this. His inability to control himself around Cassandra had nearly cost them both everything. Now she could no longer use him within the Tang Group. She had lost a valuable tool. She had to come up with a new plan.

'Rufus...'

Ivy slowly sat herself down on the sofa, rolling the man's name across her mind. She frowned, crossing one long leg over the other. She reached for the crystal goblet of wine on the table beside her, unable to get the name out of her mind. Her glossy red nails clicked on the wooden armchair.

'What was this man like?' Anyone that she knew so little about immediately roused her curiosity. 'Why was he still at Tang Group at that late hour? Besides, why brought him to that woman's office interrupting our plan?' From what she had seen, and what Lionel had told her, anytime when Cassandra had a problem, Rufus just happened to be around to save her.

and Cassandra, 'Why would he come to her rescue if they had only known each other for a short period of time?' There must

the goblet, nails scraping against the crystal. She narrowed her eyes and threw the wine down her throat all

At the Tang Group

room. "Rufus and Cassandra,

looked around accusingly for an answer. He wanted the details about the case that Cassandra had been working on, in going to her office he

previous night, but had assumed that she was there the whole time. The discovery

due to exhaustion. She was found by a patrolling

assistant was puzzled. He did not understand why would Lionel be so angry at such a small mishap

into fists. Rufus, again! It could not be a coincidence that wherever Lionel searched for Cassandra, Rufus was there!

Cassandra had returned to G City around the same time. They had entered the Tang Group the

the one went, the other followed. A thought occured to Lionel that made his expression grow dark.

hospital Cassandra is

to the furious man from before, as if the person who was so furious just now was not him. Lionel raised his head and looked into the distance,

with his wife, he would do anything to ensure

the smell of disinfectant. Her fever already abating, Cassandra had started to sort through her things. She wanted to leave the

abroad. If Rufus hadn't been taking her to the hospital, she would have simply gone

had left the hospital a few minutes ago, answering a phone

in the room. She thought about the events of last night. 'It must have been Lionel, ' she thought. She had told Rufus about her suspicions, but

couldn't believe that he was capable of this. After all, she was still his wife. They were still a couple -- or at least people thought they were. If

understand it. Would Lionel really shame himself and his family, just to humiliate her? What

and drop down as if dead...Are you really that fragile? You're useless, nothing but a piece

voice that pierced the room. She whirled around

heart. He was the last person she would expect in

to her that he hadn't even bothered to knock, simply storming into her room. Her eyebrows creased. 'How dare he.' She watched as his

stride across the room and slap him, but she