A Graduation Gift

"Cassandra, when I can finally settle all the things that I've come here to accomplish, I'm gonna take you away from here, away from this wretched city. We'll go to any country of your choosing, anywhere you fancy, and then we'll settle down there, wherever that may be, so we could live happily and forget all of the things that happened here. Will you come with me?"

Rufus wrapped his arm around her shoulders and touched the back of her head to push her against his chest.

His powerful heartbeat brought music to her ears. It was unflinching yet soothing at the same time.

Cassandra broke into tears at once and they even got into Rufus's clothes.

Those words had brought music to her ears, and the picture he was painting just felt so real and so enticing. But Cassandra had already been through a lot during their time together. She wasn't sure whether it would be right to give him a chance again or not.

"Please stop crying. I swear I'm gonna make you happy every single day."

Rufus could feel that her shoulders were trembling, so he lifted his hand, caressed her cheek, and wiped off her tears dry.

Then he sealed her lips with his and kissed her passionately, unable to hold it in. Everything bad that had happened seemed to have gotten washed away the second their lips touched, all that was left were their hearts beating like a drum.

If she was being completely honest, the kiss managed to get rid of some of her worries, and so, Cassandra basked in Rufus's warmth, feeling quite relieved. She could tell that her heart was beginning to ease up and beat steadily.

for Amanda's full recovery?" Cassandra just couldn't keep it

all, could that also mean that it was possible for Rufus to keep going along with their stupid act for

Would they have to keep hiding from everyone until hell was

a deep breath, Rufus's heart pounded hard beneath his chest. Cassandra could feel it thumping so loud as though it had been hit by a surge of

way to get out of this mess soon enough. I don't want you to be having any senseless ideas. You're the

been looking all over for him for the past few days, so Rufus deduced that Lionel wasn't able to hold on the business. Thus, Horace was eager to get him back

let this chance of a lifetime slip away—a chance to get back at his father, to lay waste to his company, to destroy everything he held dear, and most of all, to ruin

fact that she absolutely had no clue as to what was really going on inside that mind of his, she could tell

why couldn't you stop keeping any secrets from me from here on out? If you insist on keeping me in the dark, the two of us being together forever...I don't see

Rufus away from her a little, Cassandra looked straight into his eyes, furrowing her eyebrows.

doing this for your own good, Cassandra! Please

because he genuinely didn't want her to get caught up in what was about to come. He was thinking that it would be best for her to stay out of harm's way, at least just until everything was taken care of. Only then would they be able to

then I'm gonna make sure this would be the last time the two of us would meet. You won't ever see me again! If I'm completely being honest, I think Clark and I

away and shifted her gaze somewhere else after blurting out those words, trying to get a rise out of him, and

capable of doing! He's already

warning. Everything happened so fast that Cassandra had been left at a loss for