A Graduation Gift

Rufus frowned and looked at her, confused.

"Who are you waiting for?" he asked.

Cassandra pulled her collar up subconsciously. She didn't seem to be bothered by the wound on her neck. As the collar could not hide it completely, she tucked her neck a bit as she avoided Rufus's touch.

"There's another guy who is interested in the studio. I need to wait for him so I could show him around..." Cassandra replied.

She wanted to make sure that everything was settled for Lyndsy as soon as possible. That way, she could concentrate more on the shoot and her plastic surgery treatment abroad. Suddenly, Rufus interrupted her before she could even finish her words.

"It's me. Let's go. I'll send someone to sign the sale and purchase agreement with you,"

he said, feeling relaxed now. He initially thought that Cassandra just downright rejected him. As it turned out, she only wanted to make sure that the office sale was taken care of as soon as possible.

"What? It's you?!"

Cassandra's eyes widened as she looked at him in surprise.

"I didn't expect Amanda to get here before I did. Otherwise, you would not have been hurt," he replied ignoring her expression.

Her reaction satisfied Rufus very much. A smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"Why do you buy this place? What are you going to do with it?"

Cassandra asked with furrowed brows.

"You will know it when it's time," he replied simply.

He did not want to tell her his plan just yet. He wanted it to be a surprise.

Cassandra looked at him with suspicion. In the long time that she had known him, she still found it difficult to read him sometimes.

Rufus smiled and held her in his arms. Then, he put his chin on her head and smelled her hair.

"I didn't know that my hesitation would cause you pain until today when I saw what she did to you. I'm sorry," he apologized.

There was guilt in his voice. His heart ached seeing the scratch marks on her fair neck.

Still, Cassandra remained sorrowful despite his words.

'You hurt me a long time ago, Rufus. You just didn't know it.

about the wound in my heart? You can't see it nor feel it. You know nothing about

However, she only lowered her head. She didn't even say anything. In her eyes were sadness

now, her pained eyes and expression

her into his chest even more tightly.

Leave with me, my darling,"

more uneasy he felt. There was so much danger and he did

can't leave with

determined to keep her close. He

"Why?" he asked.

matter how honest he got with her, she still felt so distant. He couldn't feel her heart the way he did before. What had happened between them? How

up for it, my heart would never be at

with a low

if I didn't come back to the Tang family, Lionel still would have perished in the war with Arthur!"

contingency plans whenever he deployed business strategies against the Dawn Star Group. Even without him,

from the bank to expand Tang Group, things would be different. At least,

She was not a fool. When Rufus applied for loans from the bank to expand the company, everyone thought he did so to gain a bigger share of the market. It was only

crisis but what he did was fatal.

other problems. Its state would worsen until

you always defend them, Cassandra? I don't

him, it became more and more difficult to understand

peace if she saw you with so much hatred

of his mother would be enough to persuade him. Rufus, however, loosened

Tang family. And I will never ever help them get out of this. Don't ever talk to me about this again, ever,"

fact that Cassandra could not seem to

want to do is take them down, then

she forgot something. Then, she turned

finished her words, she took off, leaving Rufus alone with his fists still

the Tang Group. Why are you doing this? Why aren't you standing by me?' he thought sadly.

no real hatred among family. When will you realize that? When will you let go of your desire for vengeance and instead accept your family with

the faces of Vernon and Edith appeared in her mind. It was probably time to pay her father a

Ivy had been waiting for her inside.

Rufus had done to her. She could not believe that he

"Amanda, don't cry anymore..."

looking sullen. She had to leave the place because Rufus drove her out. She did not really know what happened next.

cry so intensely, Ivy guessed that Rufus must have driven her out too. He must have sided with Cassandra. Otherwise, Amanda would

crying. Memories of her and Rufus started to play