A Graduation Gift

Amanda snickered, her bright white teeth peering behind her lips. Rufus looked straight into Amanda's glossy eyes, which memorized every curve and line of his face.

He wasn't the young, dashing man that he was so many years ago, Amanda noted. The Rufus of today was now so much more handsome. Well-built, well-established, and mature. Age was kind to Rufus, a trait that only few were ever lucky to have.

Amanda had merely used the opportunity to help introduce TY Securities to some major clients. When she invited him over to Paris, expecting to feel like the time back to when they were together all those years ago. Only now, they were both much older.

Amanda and Rufus could be alone together. She didn't have to worry about Cassandra getting in between them again. No one could bother them here in Paris.

She looked at his wine glass again. The drug had long dissolved in the red liquid. As long as Rufus drank, even if it was just a sip, he would be bound to surrender to her enchanting charms.

"Come on, you know what I want,"

Amanda smirked, eyes now dark and heavy. She eagerly wanted to make him drink.

She wasn't even trying to hide her desire any longer. Both of them knew that Amanda wanted him. All Rufus had to do was reciprocate.

Feigning sickness to get him to pity and pay attention to her only worked for a short time. It also wasn't the kind of relationship she wanted. She wanted to be able to hold him, and be happy with him, and she wanted him to return her feelings.

What she needed was care and love. She needed him to tell her that he loved her!

Rufus, seeming to get the grasp of the situation, lowered his eyes. He averted her intense gaze, slowly shifting to turn around to face the skyline again, elbows leaning against the railing.

"Amanda. I can only give you this much of love and care. I can never give you what you want. Not anymore. I'm not the same man."

Rufus' voice was quiet and gentle, but to Amanda, it was deafening and harsh.

crack as she asked him, "Y-You've already broken up with Cassandra. There's no one left for you back

a long time, and Cassandra was now trying to salvage the already-shattered Qin Group. Why was Rufus still so

the same as Cassandra. I'm

away the thoughts of the little woman's face.

from him. Even when they were still together, she was always

He would

hard he tried, the image of that little woman would always creep back into

"Who's more important, then?"

was trying to hold back the pain she was feeling

see Rufus smile quietly to himself, which made her heart clench. She could never make Rufus smile like

could ever compare to

as he smiled wider, letting his own thoughts consume

even if she got really upset, she wouldn't

would never bother to ask if he loved her. She would never bother to ask if she was more important than anyone. She never had

was just...so much

her heart ached so much that

She breathed a few times to steady her heart. When she opened her eyes to look at

glass up to his lips as he

dark red fluid, like a lethal poison, went down his

at the sight of Rufus succumbing to the drug. She wiped her eyes dry and beamed.

own glass and gulped