A Graduation Gift

Lionel's words echoed through the large bedroom, ringing in Cassandra's ears. Cassandra looked around, irritated. 'Doesn't Lionel dislike me? Why would he come to my bedroom at such a time?' she wondered.

'Unless…Unless he saw me in Rufus' bedroom just now!' The thought made Cassandra nervous.

"Cassandra, you haven't answered my question! Where were you just now? It's late." Lionel's question broke through Cassandra's thoughts and snapped her back to attention.

Lionel gripped Cassandra's chin harder, forcing her to look into his eyes and answer him. Cassandra shifted uncomfortably, trying not to whimper from the pain. She returned Lionel's gaze, raising her chin in angry defiance, then took a deep breath.

"I had a meeting with my friend tonight,"

she spoke slowly, trying to calm herself down.

Cassandra knew that she couldn't tell Lionel the truth right now. After all, she knew that what she had done was wrong.

"Your friend? Funny...After all those years you spent in Rome, I'm surprised that you still have friends in G City."

Lionel raised his eyebrows and snorted sarcastically. Clearly, he didn't believe Cassandra. The calmer she stood before him, never breaking his gaze, the more she could see his anger rising.

Cassandra had always been good at hiding her feelings. And cunning women angered him the most.

"Can you please let go of me? You're hurting me!"

to distract him with her weakness so that she could change the topic. The truth was that she was actually overwhelmed by the pain in her chin. This infuriated her. How dare he treated her, or any woman, in this aggressive manner! She was determined to show him that she wasn't just

her face. Breaking free from his grip, Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief. She turned immediately and headed for

Tang still going

asked cooly as she walked inside to the bedroom. Once again she could tell that her indifference made his

he

fear into Cassandra. She turned to look at him,

she could say a word, Lionel had lifted her roughly into the air

are you

being touched by this man

never been any physical contact between them. This

crept across Lionel's

married me? Huh? Why pretend to

instinctively bit her lips. Then she gathered all her strength

to the family? Could it be something to do with the

and angrier. Lionel had been asking around, and it turned out that his brother had been to Rome just before

reaction that Rufus and Cassandra had

Why would that man care about you so much? Could it be...because you

question made Cassandra jump up from the bed. Pale and silent, she regarded her