A Graduation Gift

The salty sea breeze blew in people's face. Cassandra and Dylon were sitting face-to-face in a restaurant near the sea.

As usual, Dylon was a humorous and optimistic character, with an easy-going personality. Their meeting by chance and deciding to have dinner together was a delightful surprise to both of them.

When they finished eating, Dylon used the shells to playfully make a smiley face on the table and told Cassandra, "Cassandra, you look so beautiful when you smile. You should smile more."

Hearing his praise, Cassandra lifted up her head and met his eyes. His gaze at her was loving and gentle, putting her at ease and making her heart feel warm.

Having bumped into such a nice friend when she was extremely upset had her feeling fortunate.

After dinner, Dylon called her a taxi before bidding her goodbye and heading back to his hotel.

With Cassandra on his mind, Dylon couldn't help smiling as he walked. The smile on his face only grew brighter when he thought of Cassandra's beaming face. 'What a nice day!'

Meanwhile, back in the Tang mansion, Horace sat in the living room next to Jill while they watched television, which was quite a rare sight as Horace was normally always busy with his work.

When Cassandra returned, he waved his hand in a greeting.

"Cassandra, come here!"

His words were like pebbles being dropped into a lake, disturbing the calm, which Cassandra silently dreaded. Lowering her head, she carefully walked towards Horace and greeted him softly.

As she got closer to the couch, she noticed a pile of files beside him.

"Cassandra, I heard about today's meeting. It's a serious issue and might do harm to the Tang Group. I want to hear your explanation."

The way he spoke to her was different, much more serious than usual, making Cassandra nervous.

Before the scandal came out, Cassandra was invisible in the Tang family—Lionel took pleasure in torturing her, Jill didn't like her, and Ivy moved in. Horace was the only person in the family who would care about her and yet she betrayed his trust. The whole ordeal only made Cassandra ashamed of herself.

While she didn't plagiarize other's design, it was true that she didn't take measures to protect her own work and prevent such a huge dispute on intellectual property rights. It was indeed her fault.

In some ways, Horace was even more of a father to her than her actual dad. Never did he fail to treat her well or appreciate her work and contribution to the company. His interrogation, however, made Cassandra feel sad.

"I'm terribly sorry to have put the company in such big trouble. But the design is mine, I can assure you. I've already involved the authorities and it's currently in the process of investigation. The results should come out very soon."

As she explained it, Cassandra kept her expression flat and her tone calm.

Trust was a luxury and she was well aware of it. It would be unreasonable to expect people to believe her right away. The upsetting feeling almost took over Cassandra then she thought about Rufus' words.

though no one in the company was taking her side, as long as Rufus believed her, Cassandra

that what happened is very serious. Please don't think that I'm judging you or doubting your ability. It's just…the members of the board are

Horace made sure to

take responsibility and explain to the board. Don't worry, father. I'm tired now. Can

was aware of the gravity of the situation, Cassandra didn't want to continue the conversation

as she turned around, she heard Jill's sarcastic

why do you have to damage the Tang family's name too? I

pace to get away from the whole situation. As soon as she stepped into her bedroom, she swung the door shut, as if it could block out all the gossips and rumors that brought

as her eyelids felt heavy. When she closed her eyes, the design wouldn't leave her thoughts.

eyes, she walked to the window in an attempt to breathe in some fresh air.

near and yet so far. The more she thought about it, the more she saw how it embodied the distance between

few days later, the charity auction began. Michelle Ling invited not only all the senior officials in G City to the event, but also many celebrities in the entertainment industry. The auction was

mentally, when she arrived at the meeting place,

these were

to her tight, and a dark purple sweater dress. It was

could adjust her mood, which lately, had only been upset.

room was bustling with an uproar. Someone in

looked

rolling into

door,

that emerged from the limo was a pair of feet wearing diamond high

see smooth, mesmerizing shanks as white as milk.

of the car, showcasing her striking green dress, reminiscent of Dorothy from The Wonderful Wizard of

eyes and sexy lips were any man's

as everybody started

"Lyndsy!"

I

in front of her

had even managed to invite her as well. Having just won Best Actress in a recent Film Festival, Lyndsy was a

wearing black suits were walking around the famous actress to protect her from the crowd. There were cameras

as she was admired so chaotically by the crowd, Lyndsy walked on the red carpet with

lights flashing, knowing exactly how to pose to get the best angle.

Cassandra. With a roll of her eyes, she realized that it was the best time to

was on Lyndsy, so she could