A Graduation Gift

Rufus held Cassandra's hand and strode toward the stage, taking her along.

Looking at the two of them approaching, the crowd automatically cleared a path for them.

Amanda's face dulled, her lips pressed together. 'Why would Rufus bring Cassandra up here? What is he up to?' she wondered bitterly.

A hint of nervousness flashed through Lionel's eyes. Rufus's actions had perplexed him.

Cassandra, on the other hand, was in a daze. Even when they reached the stage, she still hadn't recollected her senses.

"Let Cassandra, Amanda and I perform together for this show!"

Rufus announced, taking the microphone. Then, he turned the speaker off and whispered to Cassandra, "Sing something. Anything is fine. I'll play the accompaniment music for you."

He turned the mic back on, fixing it on the stand and adjusting its height for Cassandra. He gave her an encouraging smile and a pat on her shoulder before he walked to the piano and took a seat.

Everyone in the room was shocked! The love triangle in the rumour was now on the stage, ready to perform together. What was this supposed to mean?

Some wondered if this was one of Rufus's business strategy to gain fame by becoming the hot topic all over the news.

Most of the crowd was curiously drawn to Cassandra, who, on the other hand, had no idea about what she was supposed to do. She had simply been dragged onto the stage, mindlessly, and then, asked to sing!

Even though part of her was pretty confident about her singing skills; truth was, she had never sung in front of so many people. The most she did was sometimes to hum and sing to herself in solitude.

Once, Rufus had joked saying she sang so well that she could even release an album of her own. Of course, she rejected the idea right away. She didn't want to become a publicly scrutinised singer. All she wanted was to work at her desk, drawing her sketches.

She found herself most relaxed working with the pen and the paper in silence, or making use of the design applications on the computer. It was almost meditative for her.

But in the moment, Cassandra had no chance to retreat. The mic was right in front of her, and hundreds of people were waiting for her to give them a performance. If she flinched, wouldn't she be viewed as a coward by the others in the industry?

What would they think of her—the head of the Qin Group wasn't even willing to sing a song at the charity dinner?

She couldn't let this happen!

'Never mind, just give it all!' she said to herself.

She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, preparing herself.

The crowd went quiet, all their eyes fixed on Cassandra.

"In that misty morning when I saw your smiling face.

You only looked at me and I was yours.

But when I turned around, you were nowhere to be seen.

away and

I

will the sky start

stars

I know

Tale.' Her voice was smooth and clear, like a nightingale. Every note, every tune, every syllable came out perfectly.

voice, no impure sounds. One could

a gentle stream of piano music filled the

you in the sunshine, and when we were

ever hold you in the moonlight...Did we make

my heart to you. And by the summer you

the days grow older and

I have are memories and this

I see you

the sky start to

will the stars

know that you're

mic out from the stand and walked toward the piano. Rufus couldn't play the piano as spectacularly as Amanda, but his adept way of playing was enough to accomplish a successful duet, and satisfy the crowd. After all, most of them weren't particularly music maestros and didn't have picky ears.

he raised his head and

from their eyes met in the air midways and played with each other, twisting and curling around, exerting glitter.

them,

misty morning, I saw your smiling

voice reverberated in the hall before it

voice, the music gradually dissolved in the air too.

each other's gaze. They

scooped her into his arms, kissing her

dripped of jealousy looking at them so close to

the audacity to bring Cassandra on the stage, let alone kiss her in front of everyone. He had completely ignored Amanda, who

Rufus and Cassandra owned the stage. Amanda was terribly humiliated. She

allowed in the name of love—they were awed by

fists in anger, standing in the shade of the piano. Her

such that hers was the last. She thought she would perform with Rufus in front of all the attendants. She wanted everyone to know how compatible she was with Rufus, so that Cassandra would retreat from this

so impulsively and sabotage her plan by inviting Cassandra, or rather, grabbing her hand and bringing her to the stage. The duet they were supposed to perform together simply

Amanda at all. All

could she accept

She murmured to Rufus, her tone both shy and angry, at the

you make me sing without any prior information! What if I had messed up! It would've been so

glow on her was alluring.

wouldn't have messed up.

was relaxed. He kept his love-filled eyes

made. She couldn't stand to see them being all