A Graduation Gift

Women by nature were ambitious, but there were some that to a rough extent would take advantage of their good looks to attract
men. At most, they would even trade their young and beautiful faces for good lives.
Different women, different choices, different lives. Cassandra didn't want to make a comment on this.
But for herself, she would never become that kind of ambitious woman.
"Ivy, I'm not rich, but I'm living a dignified life. You'd better save your tricks and think about how to establish yourself in the Tang
family. Whatever will happen, I won't make a deal with you!"
Cassandra threw the words coldly and was eager to escape Ivy's presence. Then she walked back to her room and left
everything behind.
Ivy's face was distorted because of anger. The way she clenched her teeth made her look less beautiful as before.
'Cassandra, you were brave enough to reject me. Go to hell!
Let me remind you that you're on fire at both ends now. Moreover, the plagiarist label on you hasn't been lifted off yet.' Ivy
thought.
Cassandra, however, closed the door, her face being as pale as a ghost.
Then with her hands still on the doorknob, she slid down from the door to the floor, tucked up both of her legs and buried her
head in them.
'Cassandra, you must be strong. You need to work things out yourself, ' she encouraged herself.
Her mind was racing as to what were the possible things she should do.
The deadline of the nursing home's design plan was looming and she began to work overtime—even up to early morning.
She hadn't been back to the Tang family for days. Whenever she felt tired, she just slept on the couch in her office with a thin
cover to keep herself warm.
Moreover, the burden of the Qin family was all over her shoulder. It made her feel more exhausted than ever.

Even worse, Edith and Cloris kept on calling her from time to time, overflowing her already filled cup of pressure. Her mind
seemed to explode about thinking on ways how to deal with her problems.
"Cassandra! Have you told your father-in-law about the penalty? The amount is just a drop in the bucket for him! What's the
matter with you? Aren't you going to do something? Your father's trial is going to start next month!"
Edith said furiously over the phone. Her voice was full of impatience.
"Mom. I know. I will seek Horace's help when I get a chance,"
Cassandra lied to console Edith, knowing that if she said that Horace didn't want to be involved in the issue at all might break
Edith down.
"Cassandra! We can't wait any longer! You're our only hope for your dad!"
Edith whimpered anxiously. Her persistence annoyed Cassandra very much.
"I'll figure this out, mom. Don't worry."
Cassandra felt more disconcerted when hanging up the phone. She opened the office windows and the cold wind blew on her
pale face. The chill made her shivered but helped her feel more rational.
At that moment, Victor walked in and was surprised at the sight of Cassandra by the window. He thought, 'What's this... Doesn't
Manager Qin feel cold by keeping the window open in a winter day?'
"Victor, what's the matter?"
Cassandra asked. She knew it would be something about Rufus. She assumed he wanted to see her.
"Mr. Luo wanted to see you in his office when you're available. He said he wanted to talk to you about your father."
Rufus would send Victor to her office every time he wanted to see her. He never called, and Cassandra had been used to it.
"Okay. I'll be right there in a minute. I just finished the design draft and I need to recheck it now. I will show it to him later."
Cassandra replied, noticing that Victor was still standing by the door.
He was looking out of the window. It seemed that he had found something there.

The Design Department was on the third floor of the Tang Group Building, from there everything outside could be seen.
Victor's eyes narrowed as he saw Stella in front of the building gate. She was messing with a strange man.
Stella was trying to shake that man's hand off her, but that he grabbed her hand again. It seemed that she was arguing with him
about something and she looked very upset.
Seeing this, Cassandra sighed, "I guess he's the man who has been chasing after Stella. She is very annoyed but she can't get
rid of him. I bet he must take advantage of the time when Stella was out for lunch to approach her."
Cassandra walked to the desk, picked up the phone and dialed Stella's number.
She had used this trick with Stella before. She would call to say they needed her to come back to the office immediately because
of a business emergency. Then Stella would escape from him because the security guard at the gate would not allow him to get
in.
With her ear on the phone, she was startled when she suddenly saw a black shadow from the corner of her eye. As she raised
her head, she found that she was alone in her office. Victor was nowhere to be found.
'Huh? Wasn't Victor here just now? When did he go out? Why didn't I hear him close the door?' She asked herself.
Cassandra was confused and had no idea what had happened. Out of her instincts, she looked out of the window. Shivers crept
down her spine as the cold wind blew inside.
While holding the phone on her ear and waiting for Stella to answer. She scanned the vicinity and froze at what she was seeing
outside.
Victor, who was in her office half a minute ago, was outside the building now.
Without saying a word, he rushed to the man who was messing with Stella, shook his hands off her and then pulled her behind
him.
'This... This is a story about a knight in shining armor saving a damsel in distress!' Cassandra thought.
She hung up the phone, took a deep breath and closed the window.
'All right, so I don't need to worry about Stella since she has been saved by a hero. I guess I need one to save me from all these.
I wonder where he is, ' she fancied the idea.

It wasn't a lucky day for Stella. She had no idea why she was trailed by this man again.
He used to show up on her way to work or on her way home. Most of the time, he would stand by outside the office building with
a bunch of roses in his hands.
Honestly, he was a good looking man and born in a rich family. But he was too silly and odd to be accepted by Stella.
"My dear goddess. Please have dinner with me. I'll wait for you downstairs. I will take you for dinner after work,"
The man pleaded while gripping Stella's hands. She couldn't help feeling gross by his touch even when she had thick clothes on.
"What goddess are you talking about? For the last time, I'll say it again! I will not have dinner with you! Never!"
Stella was about to explode. 'Goddess? Oh! Gross! How could this man had the guts to call me by that?' Her shoulders shrugged
at the thought.
"God... Stella. You know what? I miss you so much every day that my heart aches every time I can't see you. I will die of
heartbreak if you don't say yes to me!"
The man said while frowning. His face resembled a bitter gourd. He was serious when he said that he couldn't live without her.
Stella, on the other hand, being on the verge of fury thrashed him around.
"Can you stop talking mawkish guff? Do you know? I couldn't catch my fucking breath every time you talked! My head hurts! My
mind is troubled! Can you stop doing this? Stop torturing me!"
Stella was now complaining. She was born a tough critic and put all the blame on him. She was having a hard time because of
this man.
"Don't be so unreasonable, Stella. Just let me know if you feel hard to breathe or you're having a headache. I would take you to
the hospital. I know a physician with superb medical capability. I'm sure he would cure you!"
"Damn it!" She cursed angrily. Stella was now extremely upset. She found it hard to breathe and a choking sensation crept on
her chest. She really couldn't catch her breath.
'I really don't understand. This man must be crazy. He is totally pointless. Hearing one more of his word, I would die of anoxia.'
Stella was struggling.

Being tired of messing with him, Stella wriggled to get rid of him and wanted to go back to the office immediately.
She had tried every method she can to get rid of him over the days. She even avoided the nearest route to work just to avoid
meeting him along the way. Today, however, she was craving for some sushi so she went to the sushi restaurant nearby. On her
way back to the office, she was stopped by him again.
"Let me go. I need to go back to work!"
Stella was exasperated, her face full of restlessness.
"No. Stella. I won't let you go unless you say yes to me!"
The man wouldn't compromise. He was so clingy.
"Let go of her."
Simple but colder-than-ice words caught both their attention.
Stella was thrilled to hear this, a feeling of bliss flooded her heart. 'It was Victor. What's Victor doing here?' The question lingered
on her mind.
The strange man pulled a long face and looked at Victor, who wore a suit that matched his cold eyes.
"Let go of whom? It's none of your business. She's my girlfriend!"
The man was spoiled and behaved disrespectfully. He didn't take Victor's warning seriously.
Victor hated the idea of being shunned. He clenched his fists with his knuckles cracking.
The next second, the strange man was lying on the floor. It happened so fast that even Stella didn't see how Victor's fist landed
on him.
Stella opened her mouth in disbelief. She was taken aback at what had just happened in front of her. Her shoulders were
trembling with shock.
The strange man placed his hands on his stomach. He was limping in pain and was struggling to get up.
"Don't worry. You will not die. The pain would subside in a couple of minutes."

Victor threw him a few words. Without looking back, he held Stella's hands and then walked back to the Tang Group Building.
Stella didn't say a word on the way back. Victor took her back to the building and then let go of her the moment they reached the
entrance.
"Go back to work,"
Victor said and then turned to walk away. He was always that short-spoken.
Following Victor's back with her eyes, Stella felt the biting cold under her feet.
'Victor is such a man of powerful physique. I should be grateful to him. Luckily he didn't flare up at me when I treated him in a
bad way!' Stella mused while walking to her office.