A Graduation Gift

Dylon gaped at the two, his gaze flickering confusedly back and forth from Cassandra then to Rufus. He was struck speechless
and had no idea what to say.
Rufus's face remained calm, his expression unwavering, and Dylon had the feeling that he should not remain here anymore. The
man caught just now had something to do with Cassandra and the Tang Group. He was just an outsider. It would be best for him
not to involve himself any longer. 'I should probably go now, ' he thought to himself.
He cleared his throat and spoke, "Then, Cassandra, since you'll be going back with Mr. Luo, I'll be on my way as well."
Cassandra opened her mouth to speak, but Dylon had already turned on his heel and left.
She could feel Rufus's presence behind her. There was an awkwardness between them that seemed to grow with every passing
second.
Rufus stayed silent. Without speaking a word, he took her hand and led her into his car. A car which he had already sent for was
waiting for them.
He shut the door forcefully, and Cassandra flinched from the sudden motion.
"You requested for a divorce?" he asked. Cassandra didn't reply to his question and avoided his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me
before your announcement?" he pressed, his voice dropping and the words trailing off coldly.
His eyes were steely and his face was set in harsh lines.
"It's my business. Why would I need to tell you?"
Cassandra sensed his coldness and replied in an equally distant tone.
Rufus's eyes darkened with shadows at her reply. Her business? This was very far from being just her business at all!
Horace was strongly opposed to her decision. From here on, it would be difficult to disentangle her from the complicated
relationships in that household. Had she discussed it with him before her sudden announcement, things could have gone
differently.
Rufus let out a sigh and said simply, "You're too impulsive."
Then he proceeded to start the car.

Cassandra settled herself in a long silence before speaking again.
"I felt that it was the only chance," she confessed. "If I hadn't said that then, I wasn't sure if I could have said it later, or ever."
Her voice trembled as she spoke the words, and Rufus felt a small pang of pain in his chest, interfering with his breath. She
looked defeated with her shoulders slumped and her head hanging lowly.
Yes, Cassandra knew that it was not carefully thought through, but she did not regret what she did.
She was pulled from her thoughts when Rufus asked, "Then, why don't you be even more impulsive and be my woman?"
He pushed hard on the brakes and Cassandra's breath was caught in her throat, more with his words than with the sudden halt
of the car. He turned around and looked at Cassandra, his eyes holding hers warmly.
If Cassandra got divorced, there would be nothing standing in the way of him being her husband. She would no longer be tied
down with the excuse that he was her brother-in-law.
But she shook her head, and Rufus felt his heart drop. "No, Rufus." She looked down and broke from his gaze. "It would just
complicate things even more."
Cassandra thought of the roundness that was forming on Ivy's stomach, then of Lionel, and their strained relationship as
husband and wife on paper. Despite the knowledge of the reality of their marriage, the betrayal stung her, pricking mercilessly on
her dignity. Her nights were filled with the haunting sleeplessness and the walls echoed isolation: No one from the Tang family
offered her comfort, and she felt so small and alone in the glaring expanse of that large mansion.
But no, that was not the entire truth. There was that one person who had always helped her, time and again. And now, he was
still doing the same thing onver again. How many times had this man saved her?
It was as if all her pain was melting in that warm gaze and she was no longer aware of anything but his eyes on her in that dark
car parked in some unknown alley. She raised her head and met with Rufus's eyes. The affection flowing from his eyes almost
drowned her. She wanted to refuse him. She had decided to refuse him. However, it was as if she had forgotten all words when
he spoke to her with his loving eyes.
"I want you to be mine, Cassandra," Rufus continued. "I will make you happy and I won't let anything hurt you. You don't need to
care about the others. I will always stand by your side,"

he promised. The sincerity of his words showed on his face, silhouetted by the pale street lights. Cassandra traced the elegant
contours of his brow, down to his jaw and chin. His eyes glowed, and he was looking at her as if she was the only woman in the
world.
Cassandra could feel her resolve steadily crumble. She said slowly, "All I want for my whole life is to be loved by someone fully. I
have been alone and lost all my life, and all I want is a home." Cassandra fixed her eyes on him, and Rufus steadily returned her
gaze.
"I will love you fully. I will protect and cherish you. You will never be alone, as long as I'm here. I will give you a home."
Rufus vowed solemnly. They were simple words, bare of flowery declarations, yet they were the most precious promises in
Cassandra's eyes.
It was as if the words alone were soothing her wounds, replacing the cuts with warmth, little by little.
Slowly, the distance between them closed, and their lips got closer and closer until they finally touched.
"Be my woman, Cassandra. Say yes," Rufus whispered as he touched his forehead to hers.
His eyes were sparkling just like the stars overhead.
At that moment, Cassandra knew that her heart was completely his.
She leaned up and kissed him. Rufus's lips curved into a smile when they parted.
It was the first time he had smiled so happily these years. He could not remember the last time he felt this much joy.
"I'll take this kiss as a yes." He swooped down for another chaste kiss before he settled back in his seat. "Let's go back now. We
need to make plans about your divorce."
Horace was stubborn. Rufus knew he would never allow the divorce so easily. Cassandra would probably have to talk to Lionel
before they could move forward with their plans.
"I'll find a time to talk to Lionel. If he agrees and then we can divorce."
Cassandra also thought of Lionel at that moment. She had indeed realized she acted rashly earlier.
However, it seemed not to be a completely wrong decision.

The two of them knew clearly about their feelings for each other now. Cassandra felt braver as she buried the image of Rufus
and his gaze into her memory. They would figure things out together.
The car drove to the Tang house. Cassandra suggested that she get off first at a corner near the house.
"I don't want our relationship known to others before the divorce is final. That would be unfair to you. Father will dislike it."
Keeping their relationship hidden was a sensible decision. Rufus would be on the receiving end of criticism if people knew.
"It seems that we haven't started any relationship yet. But if you want, I can think of something to make it happen."
Rufus teased, his eyes twinkling mischievously and a sly smile forming on his lips. Cassandra's cheeks flared at his insinuation
and she was unable to give a reply.
She got off the car and was thankful for the cool breeze that fanned her burning cheeks. She walked to the direction of the Tang
house, while Rufus parked the car in another place. Then, he climbed over the wall and went back to his room.
He could not help but laugh silently. For Cassandra, he was more than ready to face anything, but who would have thought that
he would be literally climbing the actual walls of his house. He chuckled as he shook his head at the thought that he was
climbing over walls for love. 'The things people do for love...'
Cassandra slept comfortably without any terrible dreams that night.
Time flew by fast in the following days, and Cassandra's schedule seemed not to fit into the 24 hours in one day. She was
constantly working.
The government representative was very satisfied with her draft for the nursing home project and had already reported it to the
higher authority for approval. As for Joel? He was prosecuted for plagiarism officially and was going to jail for sure.
Vernon's case came to trial next.
On the day of the hearing, Edith, Cassandra and Cloris were all present. Vernon entered the room with armed policemen holding
his arms. At the sight of her father, Cassandra felt a lump in her throat.
Her father was given a crew cut after his gray hair was shaved, just like any other prisoners. The man before her was almost
unrecognizable from the image of the illustrious president of the Qin Group in the past. Vernon seemed withered and aged, as if
he no longer had any spirit left in him.

He had lost so much weight, and his eyes were absent. Such was the image of a man who had been to hell once. He had
changed and there was a different man in his body.
He was not enraged, nor did he revolt anymore. He changed so much, and it was all because of Cassandra's words to him when
she visited him once.
"Father, I know how much you struggled all your life to keep our family's honor. I know you wanted to give us the best, but we
have no need for prestige or glory. All we want is a family, a complete family with healthy parents, Cloris and I."
Cassandra fought against her tears as her lips trembled. She reached out a hand and held his father's callused hand.
"Father, I will wait for you to come back. We need you."
The old man could not help but weep. His elder daughter who he least favored was very different from him. But all these years, it
was Cassandra who had been trying the most to save their family from the crisis.
Four years ago, she sacrificed the rest of her life and married into the Tang family to save the Qin family.
And now, here she was again, saving his family. She ran around, talking from one person to another, to save him from jail and
protect his company from being sold.
She did not talk much since she was a little girl. She was introverted and didn't talk with him a lot, nor did she ask for attention.
She was so strong and independent that she hardly needed her parents' care. In truth, her self-reliance left him feeling unfulfilled
as her father. That was one of the reasons why he was much closer to her younger sister, who was the opposite of her.
However, he knew that although she might not be forward with affection, she loved her family from the bottom of her heart.
With tears in his eyes, Vernon let himself drift to a time in the distant past—white curtains and walls, and a small baby girl born
with thick, dark hair whose eyes looked up to him brightly.
His heart had stopped at the sight. At that moment, he had become a father. 'Cassandra, ' he named her, hoping that she would
grow to be a strong and honorable person.