A Graduation Gift

Cassandra was already asleep when Rufus drove her home.

As gently as he could without waking her up, Rufus scooped her into his arms and carried her out of the car. Half-awake, Cassandra got a glimpse of his face as he carried her before letting the drowsiness take over her.

In his arms, she had nothing to fear. Knowing that Rufus was with her as she fell asleep, she felt utterly secure.

As he felt her breathing turn slow and steady, Rufus gazed upon the little woman's sleeping face and smiled.

Even as he helped her out of her coat and tucked her into bed, Cassandra stayed sound asleep.

For a moment before he left, Rufus stayed to make sure she was comfortably fast asleep, a soft look in his eyes. Sure not to make a sound, he cautiously stepped out of the room before heading to his study downstairs and giving Victor a call.

"I found a few bugs in the lobby of the Qin family mansion and cleared them. They must've been from Arthur. Did you find anything?" Rufus's expression and tone were rather grim.

It seemed that his neighbor dared to monitor the Qin family for some ambitious plan.

"Recently the Dawn Star Group and Tang Group are both bidding for an important project. The Tang Group is betting everything this time. If they fail, it'll be the end of the company. No bank will bother loaning them anything because they'll have no means to pay their debts. If they're prosecuted, they'll go bankrupt,"

Victor just reported to Rufus the most recent status of Tang Group. With that, Rufus's dream of the downfall of the Tang Group was finally coming close to reality.

"Plus, Mr. Tang has been looking for you. He said that you haven't been picking up his calls so he found and asked me to arrange a meeting with you."

Upon hearing Horace's request, Rufus sneered, "He's been making phone calls to find me? Doesn't seem like anything urgent."

Of course, he wouldn't pick up Horace's calls. Since the day he left Tang Group, he had decided that he wasn't going to help Horace no matter how hard he pleaded.

Even when Charlie asked Horace to hold the fake engagement ceremony, Rufus didn't even bother to speak with him.

"It must be about the bidding event. Dawn Star is their most powerful rival, after all."

Victor's tone turned unusually strange when he said it. The change was subtle but still detectable to Rufus.

"What exactly…did he say to you?"

Rufus asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"He…

He was worried that you wouldn't be there if he came," Victor responded.

He remembered how worried and anxious Horace was when he came to him. Seeing such a pitiful look on the old man's face, Victor couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

"Mr. Luo…

about helping them this time?" Victor carefully suggested. Unsurprisingly, it took no time for Rufus to refuse, "No! Remember, you are my subordinate. Don't ever speak for

went cold as ice

Tang, he seemed terribly sick. I think… I think it

to give Horace the benefit of the doubt, Rufus cut him

you really wish to help him, you're free to go! Go ahead! Go back to the

bone. How could Victor, who had been loyal to him all the while, start sounding like his enemy at

end of the line, Victor instantly shut his

angry, it was best to stop pushing

go to you?" Rufus

Tang," Victor instantly replied, keeping his sentence short.

afraid that even a moment's hesitation would fuel

people to keep an eye

finished speaking, Rufus hung up the phone rather aggressively. Unease filled his

he knew that he wouldn't get anything out of me. Smart move,

minute? Why didn't you do it right from the start?' Rufus

of buying totally what Lionel had said, Rufus wouldn't have

to him now. Between Rufus and the

wanted Horace to taste regret. He wanted him to know, that how disastrous his absence would

his mother. All their suffering was his doing and now, it was time for him to pay the price. He

some reason, Rufus wasn't feeling as contented as he imagined he would be. He had successfully fulfilled his revenge. What was wrong with

euphoric feeling he was anticipating didn't seem to come to him. It was a long time waiting for the

enough, Rufus felt rather

eyes, he pulled out the tiny

another thought, he crushed them in his hand,

to be in the Qin family mansion and he would then

he would suspect Rufus for that.

for approaching Cloris, Rufus still couldn't decipher what exactly Arthur was trying

in the darkness, a kind of war was breaking

ringing of a bell from downstairs. Abruptly, she sprang up and realized that she was the only person

Rufus!" Cassandra shouted out his name but there

scanning the room, she noticed a

to do.

that Rufus was gone. Otherwise, he would've taken care of

briefly tidied up her messy hair, changed into decent clothes before heading

would he