A Graduation Gift

Cassandra was frozen inside and out, as though a bucket of icy water had been poured right over her head and chilled her to the bone.

Cloris's cutting words were like daggers to her heart, the pain spreading all through her body.

Rufus had been standing aside trying not to interfere in the sisterly fight. But as he saw Cloris get more and more defensive, he decided to step in.

"What do you mean, Cloris? What did Cassandra do to make you hate her so badly?" he asked, astonished at how quickly their argument had escalated.

Rufus had sensed that Cloris had been skirting around the real issue and he was curious to know what she was hiding.

But this was neither the time nor the place for Cloris to dive into it. After all, she wasn't about to destroy her reputation in front of so many strangers.

"You have no right to know!"

Cloris rolled her eyes, dismissing Rufus's incredulous questions.

"Then, who does have the right to know?"

Rufus persisted, his eyes fixed upon Cloris's stone-cold face.

"It doesn't matter. Not you, anyways," Cloris retorted.

She pushed him aside, dashing towards the door to the restaurant. Arthur hurried to pay the bill and rushed out after her.

were clenched into

stood in the wake of her sister's

were only getting started, Joel tried to slowly remove himself from the situation but Rufus reached out his arm to

who got

never trusted Joel, and the guy always seemed to find

speak as he tried to dodge around Rufus to get to the door. Tiny beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and

answer my question before

and he stepped in front of Joel, blocking

front of him had planned to rape Cassandra before, and besides, he stole her design and sold it to someone else later. Thus, he needed to get things straightened before Joel would do something to hurt

Luo, I don't know what I might have done to offend you but would you please let me go. I

gone from the Tang Group, Joel thought he would never see him again. And yet, by some horrible luck that was plaguing him tonight, he'd run into Rufus.

sure that you've never done anything to offend

at Joel, his face otherwise expressionless. It amused him that this man stood before him pretending to be innocent, one eye constantly

didn't offend Rufus directly, the

his forehead. His chest was constricted as he held

the restaurant had already left. She didn't want any

you out in public ever again, I'll send you right back to prison without

with Ivy seeing Clark recently, these siblings

finally let go of his breath and, seeing his opening, shot past Rufus with a