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.

hands were clenched into tight balls, her lips trembling slightly as she tried to hold back the

she stood in the wake of her sister's insults. She felt like she might die

things were only getting started, Joel tried to slowly remove himself from the

got you out of

and the guy always seemed

dared not speak as he tried to dodge around Rufus to get to the door. Tiny beads of

question before you

he stepped in front of Joel, blocking

rape Cassandra before, and besides, he stole her design and sold it

to offend you but would you

from the Tang Group, Joel thought he would never see him again. And yet, by some horrible

sure that you've never done

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

didn't offend Rufus directly, the same could not be said about his woman.

from his forehead. His chest was constricted as he held his breath in

left. She didn't want any part of whatever situation that was unfolding. Joel was left alone,

back to prison without so much as blinking my eyes. Look into my eyes and know that I'm serious. You don't

well that Joel was Ivy's younger brother and with Ivy seeing Clark recently, these siblings were causing trouble

his breath and, seeing his opening, shot past Rufus with a