A Graduation Gift

As she entered Rufus's office with her completed design, Cassandra found him sitting on the sofa, swirling a glass of wine. He
seemed lost in thought.
"Mr. Luo, this is my design of the nursing home. Please check it before I submit to our partner,"
she said as she put her work on Rufus's desk and waited for his reply.
Rufus took a sip of wine and closed his eyes, enjoying its flavor and sensation as he swallowed it down his throat.
"How is your father doing?"
asked Rufus instead of acknowledging Cassandra's request. One of his subordinates managed to locate the IP address of the
poster. It was in New York. He already sent someone to look into it.
Cassandra's thoughts on the matter interested him.
"My father... He should be punished by what he has done, but I don't think his company should go bankrupt. I am determined to
do my best to save it," she replied.
In reality, Cassandra had no idea how to help her father's company. Still, she was not about to show weakness in front of Rufus.
She did not need anyone's sympathy, especially his.
Rufus stifled a sigh. He knew everything about Cassandra and her situation. The only way to save her father's company was by
paying a fine. It would be impossible for her to come up with such a vast amount of money.
Rufus stood up and gave her an envelope.
"Open it," he said.
Cassandra hesitated. A part of her did not want to take it.
"What are you thinking about? Just take it,"
urged Rufus as he pushed the envelope closer to her.
"No, Mr. Luo, I can't accept your money!"
Cassandra stepped back stubbornly.

She knew that raising the money would be difficult, but she was determined to try.
She would not let the Qin Group go bankrupt. She would sell their villa and rent an apartment for her family if she had to.
Since the villa was bought many years ago, it had already increased in value. It would sell for a good price. Cassandra also had
some friends back in Rome who were willing to lend her money. Another option was to apply for a loan.
The last thing she wanted to do was to borrow or accept money from the Tang family. This included Rufus. It would be a huge
blow to her ego.
A smile spread across Rufus's lips when Cassandra refused him.
He knew that she would refuse his financial help, so he made sure that the envelope did not contain money.
"Calm down. It's not money, but it is something that will help you. Open it,"
he assured her gently.
After thinking for a while, Cassandra took the envelope and opened it.
In a few seconds, Cassandra's face lit up with excitement.
It was an entry notice from the International Architectural Design Competition. Held every five years, it was a stage coveted by
designers all over the world.
She was supposed to take part in this competition after she graduated, but she completely forgot about its occurrence this year
due to the many things that happened recently. It was a pleasant surprise that Rufus had already registered for her.
"I've sent your CV to the judging panel, including your previous works. They liked your designs and hoped you can take part in
the competition in the United States,"
Rufus said, happy with Cassandra's reaction. Still, he did not let his emotions show on his face.
"This competition is sponsored by a huge company, so its prize pool is quite large. Winning would definitely give you a huge
amount of money," he said.
Skimming through the invite, Cassandra found that the competition was to open in five days. A part of her felt scared that it was
too late to prepare.

"This is too sudden. I didn't prepare anything for it. I might be eliminated at the very first round,"
she said as she pressed the notice against her chest, worriedly.
"It's an improvised competition. Advance preparation will not work. The topic will be given on the spot and very few people can
guess what it is as early as now,"
Rufus reassured Cassandra again. It seemed that he knew more about the competition than her.
Looking at the prize money on the paper, Cassandra felt thrilled.
'This is more than enough to pay off the fine.
If I win this competition, my father's company will be saved, ' she thought.
"Thank you, Mr. Luo. This is the best gift I've ever received,"
Cassandra said as she started to blush.
What she needed the most was not silver or gold, but respect. Rufus didn't give her money, but what he gave her was something
far more valuable.
He managed to help her while protecting her pride and giving her space to work on it herself. He was truly a thoughtful man.
"Finish all handovers in the next two days. I have a business trip to New York so I will be going with you," Rufus said.
His ulterior motive was to meet the designer who claimed that his design was copied by Cassandra.
Cassandra nodded and felt the sorrow in her heart disappear.
Three days later, Cassandra arrived in New York with Rufus.
As soon as she got off the plane, Cassandra hurried to the office of the organizing committee. She had impressed the judges
with her previous works.
"We saw your designs in China. They are unique and innovative. We are looking forward to witnessing your talents in the
competition,"
said a judge with a full beard as he gave Cassandra an entry card with her name and number on it.

"Please keep this safe, or you will not be allowed to enter the competition site," he reminded.
"I will. Thank you!" Cassandra then left the office with the card in her hand. 'I will do my best to win. I have to save father's
company," promised Cassandra to herself.
It was already dinner time when she got out. Rufus took her to a famous western restaurant. As soon as they sat down,
Cassandra received a phone call from Cloris.
She gently excused herself and went to a silent corner.
"Sister, there is an opportunity to study abroad, and I want to sign up. Can you give me some money?" the girl from the other end
of the line asked.
Cassandra paused. She didn't expect Cloris to ask her for money in such an explicit way.
"How much do you need?" she asked.
"Not much, I just need forty thousand," she replied.
"Yeah, it's really 'not much' money," mumbled Cassandra.
If Vernon were not in prison and their company account were not suspended, the amount would definitely be readily available.
But as it stood, they just could not afford it at the moment.
"Cloris, can you go abroad next year, instead? You know that there are a lot of things happening right now, and I don't have the
money to give you,"
replied Cassandra gently. Money was a sensitive topic.
"What? So you've been married to Lionel for years and you don't have even forty thousand to spare?!"
Cloris was dissatisfied with her answer.
"Cloris, their money does not belong to me. It's not something that I can use as I wish. Do you understand that?"
Cassandra took a deep breath to calm herself down. She did not expect such words to come out of her innocent sister.

'It looks like she has been spoiled by father. She has always been given a life of privilege. It is to no surprise that she could ask
for such a huge amount of money without any consideration, ' thought Cassandra.
"I've asked mother, and she said she didn't have any money so she asked me to seek help from you. How will you help father if
you don't even have forty thousand? Do you intend to leave us with this, alone? You do know that we will lose everything if you
don't pay off the fine, right?"
Cloris shot impatiently.
'This is all mother's fault. Why did she tell Cloris to ask money from me? Do I look like an ATM machine to them?' Cassandra
thought, outraged.
"Cloris, I will raise money for the fine and do my best to earn your tuition. Trust me, I will save the company. You and mother
don't have to worry about that," she promised.
Actually, Cassandra felt sad knowing that even her family did not seem to trust her. Still, she maintained a strong facade.
"I know you are in New York to join a competition. We have to meet when you come back. It's a rare chance. Father promised to
pay my tuition before he was imprisoned. Students who graduated from that school all enjoy a great life. I need this chance!"
Cloris demanded, and without even waiting for Cassandra to respond she hung up. Hearing the dial tone, Cassandra lowered
her arm feebly.
Despite the pain she felt, she could not abandon her sister and her mother. They were her family.
'Hope I can win the competition. I need to save my father's company and pay my sister's tuition fee," Cassandra prayed.
She took one deep breath and managed to force a smile before she looked up at Rufus.
"Let's eat, shall we? This steak looks good,"
said Cassandra, beaming.