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.

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

part of the bid disappointed

and Horace made the headline of every newspaper in G City. Everyone was talking about it. Why would Cassandra

really don't want

well, Arthur had already anticipated this. The more concession he made, the more aggressive Cloris would become.

worry about it. Cassandra and I aren't

Cassandra once wanted to ruin her reputation, Cloris couldn't help

that her sister would fail in whatever she

you, every step

mean that he wasn't as competitive

"Cloris…

me to compete with

spend the rest of my life

Arthur, she buried her

as

But to be honest, I don't have any confidence in this bid since your sister is helping the Tang Group

heart sunk when she heard Arthur's worry.

there any way to stop Cassandra from helping the

could she allow

the tender in a flash drive. She's probably revising it by now. I don't think there's much we can

getting frustrated. But

If that was the case,

she had

her eyes, Cloris stood up.

"I've got a plan!"

smile crept into her face.

"What have you got?"

head, he could do nothing. If

would come forward and defend him.

Arthur wanted to let Cloris take the

can install a self-destructive program in the new flash drive and swap it with Cassandra's. When the time comes, I'll start the program

had done such a thing so she felt rather

"But…

them? You

Arthur asked in

however, merely smiled. "Don't worry. I have a plan

to coordinate with

wasn't as innocent as it used