A Graduation Gift

With a grumble, Arthur came in the door in frustration.

"What happened, Arthur?

Why do you look so upset?" Cloris asked, looking confused

The phone call he was on was simply too disappointing to him. There must have been something wrong.

Shooting a glance at Cloris, he opened his mouth as if he was about to say something but nothing came out.

It was Clark whom he was on the phone with. After he was told that Cassandra had gotten the Tang Group's tender from Horace, Arthur thought about what their next steps should be. If Cassandra helped the Tang Group, he had a strong feeling that Clark would lose this competition.

It just so happened that Arthur had dealt with Cassandra often in the past. From those experiences, he knew that Cassandra had the tendency to be extremely competitive and he had been defeated by her for several times already—he was rather scared of confronting her.

When Cassandra was still with Lionel, Arthur had to rack his brain about how to deal with her, doing all he could to get her into trouble. It was a great relief when he heard the news that the couple had gotten a divorce, and after Cassandra left the Tang Group, the company's business plummeted.

It was unbelievable that Horace had persuaded Cassandra to help the Tang Group. What could he do to prevent it?

Suddenly, Arthur thought of something when he noticed Cloris's presence. She was grabbing at him, concerned.

"Cloris, I think I'd better give up this bid,"

pretending to have made up his mind, he spoke firmly to Cloris.

"What? Why? Haven't you already poured so much time and effort in it?"

With eyes wide open, Cloris asked him in disbelief. Ever since she came back, Arthur had been talking about his competition with the Tang Group for a project. He had put numerous hours into it.

With a sigh, he continued, "Cloris, Cassandra is your sister.

Now that she's involved, I don't feel comfortable competing with her. I don't want this competition to influence your relationship. I want you two to get along."

He did a good job playing the part of the worried partner because Cloris believed him wholeheartedly.

"Arthur, what do you mean?" she asked, looking anxious already. "I don't understand. Why is Cassandra involved?"

His words puzzled her—why was everything about Cassandra?

"Cloris, someone just tipped me that Cassandra was helping the Tang Group revise the tender this time. And you know that when I went against your sister before, I lost. I don't want that to happen again.

I'd rather quit," he explained bitterly, irritating Cloris to the core.

can't quit! Why couldn't Cassandra be the one to quit? You've sacrificed so much of our time to work on this project. You've invested so much in it. How could you even think about

Cassandra was a part of the bid disappointed her

of every newspaper in G City. Everyone was talking about it. Why would Cassandra

don't want this to influence your

anticipated this. The more concession he made, the more aggressive Cloris would

have to worry about it. Cassandra and I aren't

reputation,

Cassandra bad luck and hoped that her sister would fail in whatever she was doing. Therefore, Cloris couldn't let Arthur quit—it was

I'm here to support you, every

wasn't as competitive and clever as

"Cloris…

want me to compete with your sister?" he

mate. I want to spend the rest

hugged Arthur, she buried

as he stroked her hair.

have any confidence in this bid since your sister is helping the Tang Group now. I'm afraid I'll be defeated once

heart sunk when she heard Arthur's

there any way to stop Cassandra from

could she

it by now. I don't think there's much we can do about

getting frustrated. But Cloris wasn't deterred.

drive? If that was the case, she knew

she had done it before.

her eyes,

"I've got a plan!"

crept into her face.

"What have you got?"

he had pretty much thousands of plans running through his head, he could do

something, Cloris would come forward and defend

all his calculation, Arthur wanted to let Cloris take

program in the new flash drive and swap it with Cassandra's. When the time comes, I'll start the program and

she had done such a thing so she felt

"But…

switch them? You could

too risky…" Arthur asked in worry.

worry. I have

need to coordinate

wasn't as innocent as it used to be.