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.

You can't see it nor feel it. You know nothing about

she would react positively to his apology. However, she only lowered her

easily. But now, her pained eyes and expression made

pressed her into

leave this city. Okay? Leave with me, my darling,"

the more uneasy he felt. There was so much danger

can't leave with you now,"

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

"Why?" he asked.

found it difficult 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

up for it, my heart would never be at peace,"

spoke with a low

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

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

bank to expand Tang Group, things would be different. At least, Lionel would not be so helpless in

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

crisis but what he did

state would worsen until it went bankrupt. That

do you always defend them, Cassandra?

at her, puzzled. To him, it became more and more difficult to understand what was going on in her

rest in peace if she

his mother would be enough to persuade him.

gone, Cassandra. And you know why? It's because of the Tang family. And I will never

frustrated. The fact that Cassandra could not

them down, then

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,

she took off, leaving Rufus alone with his fists still

with the Tang Group. Why

darling, there is no real hatred among family. When will you realize that?

about family, the faces of Vernon and Edith appeared in her mind. It was probably time to pay her father a visit. 'I hope this

to her car in tears. Ivy had been waiting for her

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..."

looking sullen. She had to leave the place because Rufus drove her out. She

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

stop crying. Memories of her and Rufus started to play in