A Graduation Gift

Cassandra's mind went blank. She blinked in confusion at the sudden hug. The young woman let go of her, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Don't you remember me? I'm Stella Mu. We went to high school together, remember?"

The woman's tone rose as she explained upon seeing Cassandra's bewildered expression.

Cassandra frowned and racked her brain for the name. Soon, a girl with pigtails who wore black-rimmed glasses materialized in her mind. Whenever that little girl grinned, her braces made an appearance.

"You are Stella Mu?"

Cassandra asked with hesitation. This young lady standing in front of her was so beautiful that it was hard to connect her to the girl with braces from her memory.

Stella beamed at her words, thrilled to hear that her friend remembered her. She reached out and touched Cassandra's hand ecstatically.

"Yeah, I'm Stella! Glad you remembered me! I didn't expect to meet you here at Tang Group. Gosh, we haven't seen each other for years. I haven't seen you since we graduated from high school. Where have you been?"

Stella talked on and on as if she never planned to stop. Cassandra realized that she hadn't changed a bit. Her friend was still as lively and talkative as before.

She was still surprised at meeting a childhood friend. "I went to Rome to study. Came back not so long ago. You are so beautiful, Stella."

Cassandra smiled at Stella, sighing pleasantly at the change in her friend.

"Oh," Stella blushed. "of course, you went abroad! I should have guessed. Why didn't you keep in touch? Have I ever told you that you were my idol in high school? You were so beautiful and scored so well in exams. I admired and envied you."

Stella's excitement at meeting an acquaintance from years ago still hadn't dimmed. She wanted to catch up on everything they had been up to in the past several years.

Cassandra was a bit embarrassed. She gave Stella a smile and lowered her head. Time is cruel and strange. She had gotten engaged that year when she finished high school. Then, she went to Rome after getting married, without telling anyone.

Time in Rome had seemed to slow down. Her days were not as smooth as she had hoped for. She had endured a lot of loneliness in the foreign land. But eventually, she had made friends, and now she had left her social circle in the country behind.

Stella Mu was the first friend she had met after coming back to G City.

learned that Stella was a fresh graduate and working in the marketing department of Tang Group. They might not be in the same division, but at least now they were in the

a matter of days. Stella was active and lively, while Cassandra was calm and distant. Their personalities were in stark

days passed, and Rufus still

at a cafe. The inviting smell of coffee lingered in the

troubling her friend.

worried expression surfaced on her

to G City

a boyfriend? You look

friend was so aloof. She never talked about her personal life. They had been hanging out a lot in the last few days, but they merely swapped

was just thinking about

demure shake of her head and the guilty tone in her voice were in direct contradiction to her

marriage. She had made an agreement with Lionel before she started working at

long, so it makes sense you don't have a boyfriend. Neither do I. You know what? The new president is super handsome. I heard he's been away on

of coffee in front of her. She took a sip and gossiped away obsessively.

president she was referring to

When would

as the question spilled out of her mouth. She sounded incredibly desperate to her own ears. And how would Stella even know

not his secretary. But I'm friends with his assistant.

to be

and then paused. "All right, time to go back to

her watch. Immediately, she shot up from her seat and walked out of the coffee shop without waiting to see if Stella

seat and caught up with Cassandra, wearing a guileful smile on her face.

You know you are beautiful. It would be a piece of cake for you to get the

wanting to win Rufus over was

they were informed that an emergency meeting was about to be held in the conference room.

but they still went back to

Inside the Conference Room

when she walked into the meeting room. She moved to her seat, her arms loaded with various files. The moment she