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.

fact that he trusted her brought her much comfort. Even though no one in the company was taking her side, as long as Rufus believed her, Cassandra

is very serious. Please don't think that I'm judging you or doubting your ability. It's

her reply, Horace made sure to soften the tone of his

the board. Don't worry, father. I'm tired now. Can I

aware of the gravity of the situation, Cassandra didn't want to continue the conversation any more for the meantime. Forcing a smile,

around, she heard Jill's sarcastic

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

get away from the whole situation. As soon as she stepped

the design wouldn't leave her thoughts. No matter how much she went over it

opening her eyes, she walked to the window in an attempt to breathe in some

was strange how the moon seemed so near and yet so far. The more she thought about it, the more she saw how it embodied the distance

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 sure to be the week's biggest headline.

mentally, when she arrived at the meeting place, she was amazed at how grand the

carpet, movie stars who were normally only seen on screen, wines and cakes everywhere, and these were only the tip of the iceberg. The event truly was elaborately decorated, saying a great

coat which covered to her tight, and a dark purple sweater dress. It was a neutral outfit that wouldn't

could adjust her mood, which lately, had only been upset. With her current disposition, she didn't want

room was bustling with an uproar. Someone in the crowd

Cassandra looked to the crowd as she

entrance of the venue, she saw a limo slowly rolling into the driveway, parking at the

opened the door, making all the reporters

pair

see smooth, mesmerizing

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

and sexy lips were any

as everybody started shouting her name.

"Lyndsy!"

I

Cassandra realized that the woman in front of her was no other than Lyndsy, the

as well. Having just won Best Actress in a recent Film Festival, Lyndsy

actress to protect her from the crowd. There were cameras flashing, crazy fans screaming, and reporters shoving each

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

pose to get the best angle. Just like most of the characters she

she realized that it was the best time to enter the venue without getting noticed.

on Lyndsy, so she could slip past the