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.

about the wound in my heart? You

lowered her head. She didn't even say anything. In her eyes were sadness

not yield easily. But now, her pained eyes and expression made his heart ache. She

reached out and pressed her into his chest even more

with me, my darling," he whispered.

There was so much danger and he did not

leave with you

Rufus was determined to keep her close.

"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

made a mistake. If you leave without making up for it, my heart would never

a low yet determined

come back to the Tang family, Lionel still would have perished in the war with Arthur!" he argued.

came to business. He had no contingency plans whenever he deployed business strategies against the Dawn Star Group.

you didn't borrow money from the bank to expand Tang Group, things would be different. At

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 deal

but what he did was fatal.

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

defend them, Cassandra? I don't get

it became more and more

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

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

family. And I will never ever help them get out of this. Don't ever talk to me

that Cassandra could not seem to understand

you want to do is take them down, then I would rather that you stop

suddenly stopped as if she forgot something. Then, she turned to face

her words, she took off, leaving Rufus alone with his

agreement with the Tang Group. Why are you doing this?

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

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 winter would not be as cold as it was last year, ' thought

Ivy had

felt so ashamed with what Rufus had done to her. She could not believe that

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

had to leave the place because Rufus drove

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

could not stop crying. Memories of her and Rufus started