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.

the wound in my heart? You can't see it nor feel it. You know

lowered her

heart stung. She was very strong-willed and did not yield easily. But now, her pained eyes and expression made

and pressed her into his chest even more tightly.

city. Okay? Leave with me, my

There was so much danger

with you now,"

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

"Why?" he asked.

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

making up for it, my heart would never be at

with a low yet

to the Tang family, Lionel still would have perished in

whenever he deployed business strategies against the Dawn Star Group. Even without

borrow money from the bank to expand Tang Group, things would be different. At least, Lionel would not be so helpless in dealing with the loan,"

did so to gain a bigger share of the market. It was only now that Cassandra realized his true intention. He did that

from the crisis but

rise to several other problems. Its state would worsen until it went bankrupt. That was the domino

you always defend them, Cassandra? I don't

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

would rest in peace if she saw you with so much hatred in your

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

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

that Cassandra could not seem to understand his feelings annoyed

to do is take them down, then I

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 out of this

her words, she took off, leaving

the Tang Group. Why are you doing this?

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

about family, the faces of Vernon and Edith appeared in her mind. It was probably time to pay

in tears. Ivy

done to her. She could not believe that he asked her to leave and said all those humiliating things

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

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

intensely, Ivy guessed that Rufus must have driven her out too. He

and