A Graduation Gift

The loud noise hushed down the argument, and the sudden silence in the living room was deafening. Cassandra rolled down the stairs, soon to hit bottom. The sight was so chilling that the people in the room stared, not knowing how to react.

The frightful scene had robbed them of speech.

It all happened too fast. One moment she had been hidden upstairs, eavesdropping on their conversation, and in the blink of an eye, she was rolling down towards them. The stairs creaked as she hit the floor, and everyone stared at her with their mouths agape. Cassandra landed with a thump. Only when she stopped rolling and lay still on the floor did the pain hit her hard. She grimaced at the sharp sting that settled in her muscle and bones. How could she have been so careless? Right, she had been distracted by a pair of eyes. If she hadn't been in agony, she would have laughed at herself. The Tang family fixed their eyes on her, all too shocked to move.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the giant room as someone walked in her direction. Cassandra curled up in a ball and moaned in a small voice. Her entire body hurt. She cursed inwardly at the humiliation of it all, feeling everybody's stares on her. Sensing that someone was near her, she slowly opened her eyes and looked up, her eyes focusing on the familiar face of the man she had slept with.

"Are you okay?"

Rufus, who was the first to react to Cassandra's fall, stood over her. He looked down at the silly woman who lay on the floor, groaning in pain. The corners of his mouth twitched in amusement, but he held back and didn't laugh at her misery. This woman was rather interesting. But right now, she was clearly hurt, and she needed help.

The room was still quiet except for Rufus' words. No one made a sound. Even Lionel, who had been so angry before, stopped arguing and stepped aside, watching the scene in front of him with attentive eyes. He stared at Cassandra, an unreadable look coming over his face.

up to again?' he wondered

everyone present in the room.

floor easily, as if helping out a stray cat stuck in a tree. He pulled her closer into his arms and all of a sudden the clean, fresh

would she have imagined Rufus would do something like this in front of the Tang family.

unabashed interest. Rufus had actually picked her up from the floor in front of these many people. Everybody looked scandalized. Mortified, Cassandra hoped the ground would swallow her. Or at the very least, she wished that it was all a dream. When

each other in.

intoxicated by Rufus' scent, but she was suddenly struck dumb. Her mouth parted in vain, and her brain seemed to have stopped functioning altogether. The pain in her body pulled her out of the trance. She closed her eyes tightly and settled into the arms that held

needs to get

in his arms. His voice was low but sharp -- the kind that made everybody want to obey him. He scanned the shocked faces around him with lazy but

senses. He walked over to Rufus while simultaneously waving one hand to the butler, gesturing him to go outside and prepare the car

are you all

at Cassandra with concern in his eyes. He didn't understand how she could have