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.

way! You 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.

that Cassandra was a part of the

was talking about it. Why would Cassandra help the man who kicked her out of the Tang

really don't want this

The more concession he made, the more aggressive Cloris would become.

have to worry about it. Cassandra and

ruin her reputation, Cloris couldn't help but grind her

sister would fail in

win this bid! I'm here to support you, every step

only mean that he wasn't as competitive and clever as Cassandra. She couldn't put up with

"Cloris…

to compete with your

mate. I want to spend the rest of my life with

she buried her face

rushed over him as he

confidence in this bid since

she heard Arthur's

Cassandra from helping the Tang Group?"

could she allow Cassandra to win.

it by now.

Arthur was getting frustrated. But Cloris

the case, she knew how to

had

roll of her eyes, Cloris stood up.

"I've got a plan!"

into her

"What have you got?"

plans running through his head, he could do nothing. If Cloris offered to help him, things would probably shift

would

his calculation, Arthur wanted to let Cloris take the bullet for

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

time she had done such a thing so she felt rather confident about her little

"But…

how can you switch them? You could

too risky…" Arthur asked in

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

to

smile wasn't as innocent as