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.

on my body are visible. But what about the wound in my heart? You can't see it nor feel it. You know nothing about my pain, ' she thought.

However, she only lowered her

did not yield easily. But now, her

out and pressed her into his chest even

Leave with me, my

he felt. There was so much danger

leave with you now,"

but failed. Rufus was determined to keep her close. He would

"Why?" he asked.

how honest he got with her, she still felt so distant. He couldn't feel her heart the way he

making up

low yet determined voice.

the Tang family, Lionel still would have perished

business. He had no contingency plans whenever he deployed business strategies against the Dawn Star Group. Even without him, Rufus was sure that Lionel was

expand Tang Group, things would be different. At least, Lionel would not be so

back. 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 now that Cassandra

crisis but what he did

rise to several other problems. Its state would worsen until it went bankrupt.

always defend them, Cassandra?

more difficult to understand what was going

if she saw you with so much hatred in your heart,"

mother would be enough to persuade

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

replied, frustrated. The fact that Cassandra could not seem to understand his feelings

do is take 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, "I am not going anywhere with you

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

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

When will you realize that? When will you let go of your desire for vengeance and instead accept your family

in her mind. It was probably time to pay her father

in tears. Ivy had been waiting for her

so ashamed with what Rufus had done to her. She could not believe that he asked her to leave and said all those humiliating things in front of Cassandra. She felt

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

sullen. She had to leave the place because Rufus drove her out. She did not

Ivy guessed that Rufus must have driven her out too. He must have sided with Cassandra. Otherwise, Amanda would not

could not stop crying. Memories of her and Rufus started to play in her