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.

my heart? You can't see it nor feel it. You know nothing about my pain, '

positively to his apology. However, she only lowered her head. She didn't even say

But now, her

reached out and pressed her into his

with me, my darling," he whispered.

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

with

tried to push him away but failed. Rufus was determined to keep her close. He would not let her go

"Why?" he asked.

she still felt so distant. He couldn't feel her heart the way he did before. What

leave without making up for

spoke with a low yet determined

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

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

the bank to expand Tang Group, things would be

applied for loans from the bank to expand the company, everyone thought he did so to gain a bigger share

himself from the crisis but what he did

cash flow would give rise to several other problems. Its state would worsen until it went bankrupt. That was the domino effect that Rufus instigated.

them,

became more and more difficult to

just don't think your mother would rest in peace if she saw you with so much

would be enough to persuade him. Rufus, however,

And you know why? It's because of the Tang family. And I will never ever help

The fact that Cassandra could not seem to

is take them down, then I

forgot something. Then, she turned to face Rufus and said, "I am not going anywhere with you unless you help the Tang Group get out of this

words, she took off, leaving Rufus alone with

to terminate the agreement with the Tang Group. Why are you

among family. When will you realize that?

of Vernon and Edith appeared in her mind. It was probably time to pay her father a visit. 'I hope this winter would not be as cold as it was last year, ' thought

in tears. Ivy had been waiting for her

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

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

the place because Rufus drove her out. She did not really know

driven her out too. He must have sided with Cassandra. Otherwise, Amanda

not stop crying. Memories of her and Rufus started to