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.

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

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

yield easily. But now, her pained eyes and

out and pressed her into his

this city. Okay? Leave with me,

more uneasy he felt. There was so

with

push him away but failed. Rufus was determined to keep her

"Why?" he asked.

to understand Cassandra. No 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

leave without making up for it,

with a low yet determined

Even if I didn't come back to the Tang family, Lionel still would have perished in the

a fool when it came to business. He had no contingency plans whenever he deployed business strategies against the

be different.

expand the company, everyone thought he did so to gain a bigger share of the market. It was only now that Cassandra realized his true intention. He did that to bury the company in debt and leave Lionel to

distanced himself from the crisis but what he did was

state would worsen until it went bankrupt. That

you always defend them, Cassandra?

her, puzzled. To him, it became more and more difficult to

in peace if she saw you with so

that the mention of his mother would be enough to persuade him. Rufus, however, loosened his grip on

And you know why? It's because of the Tang family. And I will never ever help them get out of this. Don't ever talk to me

The fact that Cassandra could not seem to understand his

take them down, then I would rather that you

the sentence, she turned around to leave. Cassandra, too, was disappointed. But before she stepped out, she suddenly stopped as if she forgot something. Then, she turned to face Rufus and said, "I am not going anywhere with you unless you help the Tang Group get

leaving Rufus alone with his

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

no real hatred among family. When will you realize that? When will you let go of your desire for

in her mind. It was probably time to pay her father a visit. 'I hope this winter would not be as cold as it

Ivy had been

had done to her. She could not believe that he asked her to leave and said all those humiliating things in front of Cassandra.

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

place because Rufus drove her out. She did not really know what happened next.

out too.

not stop crying. Memories of her and