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

part of the

Everyone was talking about it. Why would Cassandra help the man who kicked her

don't want this

well, Arthur had already anticipated this. The more concession he made,

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

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

Cassandra bad luck and hoped that her sister would fail in whatever she

here to support you, every step of

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

"Cloris…

want me to compete with your sister?" he asked in

want to spend the rest of my life with you.

hugged Arthur, she buried her face in

rushed over him as he stroked her hair.

confidence in this bid since your sister

sunk when she heard Arthur's worry.

way to stop Cassandra from helping

she

a flash drive. She's probably revising it by now. I don't

Arthur was getting frustrated. But Cloris

If that was the case, she knew how to

course, she had done it before.

of her eyes, Cloris

"I've got a plan!"

into

"What have you got?"

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

if Cassandra found something, Cloris would come

let Cloris take the bullet

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

thing so

"But…

you switch them? You

Arthur asked

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

just need to coordinate with

wasn't as innocent as it used