A Graduation Gift

Remorse and guilt filled Cassandra. Seeing Edith worry made her even more concerned.

"Mom, it has nothing to do with Cloris. As for what she said, I will find a way to investigate it!" she promised.

By this time, what she initially came for was no longer significant. Besides, there was nothing they could do about it anymore. What happened had happened. She was the one who gave the flash drive to Lionel but she was certain that she was not the one who caused the mess.

The real culprit was Arthur. He was the one she needed to confront, not Cloris.

"Cassandra, what's wrong?"

Edith asked, wondering why her daughter looked so puzzled. She studied her expression in hopes of making something out of it.

"Mom, believe me. This has nothing to do with Cloris. I'm sure of it. I'll do what I can to fix it. As for Arthur..."

she reassured her mother. Then, she glanced at Cloris, worried.

"Please be careful around him. He is not a man that can be trusted,"

she said with conviction. The fact that he made Cloris do something so harmful to someone else spoke volumes of what kind of person he really was.

Moreover, she also remembered a time when she was still working with the Tang Group and Arthur stole a project that had already been awarded to them. Since then, she had known that he was not a man of ethics.

Cloris glared at Cassandra, irritated.

"What do you think you are saying, Cassandra? Arthur has always treated me with respect. Don't you dare stir things up between us!" she remarked.

Cloris loved Arthur and she trusted him with her whole heart. Hearing Cassandra talk about him the way she did, offended her.

Unwilling to argue, Cassandra merely stood up and looked at her sister.

"Mom, I'll go now. Please keep an eye on Cloris. I don't know what will happen to her otherwise,"

she said softly as she made her exit. Arthur had always played dirty tricks. She could not imagine what worse things he could come up with. Cloris was so naive. At least Edith had a suspicion that something was wrong. As for Cassandra, her primary concern was to make sure that her family was safe.

"Ok, I know what to do,"

Edith replied. Knowing what happened to Cloris was enough to shock her. Realizing what her daughter had been through made her more vigilant in safeguarding her family. Despite Arthur's gentleman facade, she learned to anticipate something else that he could be hiding.

Cassandra walked out in haste. Rufus, who had been waiting at the courtyard, grew concerned when he saw Cassandra's urgent demeanor.

"Cassandra, what happened?" he inquired.

a few guesses on what had happened, but since he did not see it firsthand, he could not be so

anxiety confirmed his suspicion that there really was

to talk to Arthur,"

there was conviction

reached out, grabbed her by the arm, and looked

you planning to do with him?"

that something was about

I want

deep breath and looked at Rufus.

"What is it?"

knew what she was about to say but opted to ask anyway.

wasn't able to go out for a

as

to how she expected him to react, Rufus was calm. He merely looked

he thought to himself.

was apparently planted in the flash drive where the presentation was saved. It ended up destroying all the documents right when it was

continued coldly. In her mind, she pictured Arthur as a hideous snake, sneaking around and twisting his cold and slender

confronting him now will lead him to

asked, challenging Cassandra's plan of

Cloris as a tool to harm us. I can't

clenched thinking about how manipulative and diabolical Arthur was, and the harm that

go alone. Arthur is not easy to deal

said, staring at Cassandra. His message was clear: he did not

it myself. You don't understand, Rufus. This is personal. My family is in

her. Right now, she wanted to fight Arthur.

are my girlfriend. Your business is my business,"

was more determined to

at his eyes, she saw a glimmer of strength that somehow made her feel

believe that there is one thing I need to do to convince

he took her hand and led her back to the

expect what happened when Rufus pushed the door open. He

am hoping that you could

announced, stunning

hand so tightly that

are you talking

just started to accept Rufus. She could not believe what he just said. He did not even discuss it with her in