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.

restaurant, Cassandra was still standing in the same spot. Her hands were clenched into tight balls, her lips trembling slightly as she tried to hold

her sister's insults. She felt like she might

to slowly remove himself

got you

asked coldly. He'd never trusted Joel, and the guy always seemed to

dared not speak as he tried to dodge around Rufus to get to the door. Tiny beads of sweat were forming on his forehead

my question before

go so easily and he stepped in front of Joel,

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 her

I don't know what I might have done to offend you but would you please

to hide the fear in his eyes. It was Rufus who had caught him for stealing Cassandra's design. But since he was long 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

sure that you've never done anything

his face otherwise expressionless. It amused him that this man stood before him pretending to be innocent, one eye constantly darting to the door, trying

talking about. While he didn't offend Rufus directly, the same could not be said about

forehead. His chest

didn't want any part of whatever situation that was

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

all too well that Joel was Ivy's younger brother and with

his breath and, seeing his opening, shot past Rufus with a speed as quick as lightening