A Graduation Gift

A shiver ran down Cassandra's spine as she gave it a thought.
She remembered the exact location where Victor had found her. It was in front of the hotel she worked at, which meant that
Rufus had always known where she worked. But since she fell ill, she had been remained at home, which meant that Rufus
couldn't find her.
If Rufus knew where she worked then it was only a matter of time before he found her address, and further, about her
relationship with Clark. It was clear that he would have come to see her privately very soon.
Due to the illness, her voice had become raspy and she had to resign from the hotel. Since her departure from the hotel, Rufus
would cease to investigate the premises.
Besides, when Cassandra first met Rufus after their last break-up, Clark had interrupted them. The second time they met was,
on the cruise ship, for Rufus and Amanda's engagement party. Clark had let his guard down and Rufus was able to meet
Cassandra in the guest room where he had said those things to her.
Now, Cassandra's perception had straightened out. Clark had tried to stop her from meeting Rufus. While at the same time, he
tried his best to shower Cassandra with affection. He wanted her to fall in love with him and marry him.
Once she had figured out the truth, Cassandra almost couldn't breathe.
If what Rufus had said was true, and her interpretation was correct, then it would appear that Clark was indeed a very
manipulative and scheming person!
In order to approach Cassandra, he appointed her to work in his hotel. And he had been taking good care of her. He even
generously arranged for her, and her mother, to live in his own mansion.
Clark knew very well that Cassandra didn't want to see Rufus. However, he made sure that the accommodation he arranged for
her was right next to Rufus's house. It was obvious that Clark wanted her to see Rufus living with Amanda. He hoped that after
seeing that, she would lose faith in Rufus and choose him instead.
And when Clark found out that Rufus had figured out where Cassandra worked, he made sure Cassandra's voice became
hoarse. After that, he complimented her talent in art and tried his best to persuade her to give up her original job and to open an
art gallery. Clark did all that because he didn't want Rufus to find her.

But Clark was human after all, and he was bound to make mistakes. He never anticipated that Rufus would discover
Cassandra's location while Clark was busy flattering Edith. So when Rufus finally arrived at the house, Clark stood in his way, not
to help Cassandra but to challenge Rufus.
He was intent on attacking Rufus from every direction. He was desperate to get Rufus in trouble. 'What had happened between
him and Rufus?'
Cassandra furrowed her brows and scratched her head in confusion, wondering what was going on and why this was happening.
Back at the office, Clark stalled Amanda from leaving. He smiled viciously and deliberately walked to her.
"Amanda, an engaged woman. You seem to appear more charming now."
The cold smile still locked on his face. Clark moved closer to Amanda. He was like the devil himself and his every movement
seemed to push Amanda over the edge.
"What... what are you doing here!"
Amanda was trembling so hard, and her voice had turned into a whimper.
"Don't be afraid of me, honey. I just came here to make a deal with you. This deal is going to be beneficial for both of us."
Clark was only three centimetres away from her, and Amanda stretched out her hand, in an attempt to stop him in his tracks.
"Stop moving! Or I will call the security!"
Even her voice shook.
"You are that scared, huh? Amanda, you're so timid. Look at Cassandra, you really should learn from her. She's not afraid of me
at all. And you know what? Cassandra is the only person that Rufus has eyes for,"
Clark stopped. But his words had struck Amanda hard.
"Nonsense! Rufus likes me! He is my fiance! We're engaged!"
Amanda didn't want to admit the cruel fact. The ease with which Clark mentioned it scared her.
"Then why doesn't your fiance live with you in his mansion? Why does he send you back to your father's house?"

Charlie had been keeping a close watch on Clark. It restricted his elaborate plans. He couldn't carry out his plans smoothly. The
thought of Charlie made Clark instinctively grind his teeth.
He found it difficult to make trades under Charlie's scrutiny.
"That's... that's because Rufus cares about me. He wants me to be well rested!"
Amanda knew her explanation sounded feeble the moment the words left her. To make matters worse, Clark burst out laughing.
"Amanda, I wish you could hear yourself. Stop lying to yourself, it's ridiculous. Time to wake up and face reality. I heard that you
feigned losing your memory to trick Rufus into getting engaged with you. There is no love between you two. If there is anything
that makes you feel that Rufus has feelings for you, I'm pretty sure that it's his acting prowess. However, I feel that he doesn't
even bother acting anymore. This drama is all about you. Don't you feel lonely? I'm so sorry for you, sweetie. What if I join you?"
A shadow flickered across Clark's eyes. Amanda instinctively knew that meant bad news.
"No!"
Amanda felt a shiver running down her spine and she rejected his offer instantly.
"Alright, take it easy. Let's get down to business."
Clark stopped teasing Amanda and stepped back to sit on the sofa, far enough to allow Amanda to feel like he was not
encroaching her space.
Amanda stared at Clark in anxious disbelief.
"Let me get straight to the point. You know that your father wants me to resign from the Dark Night Group, so that Rufus, his
golden-child, can take my place. But I enjoy my work and I don't want to give it to Rufus. Therefore, the first thing you need to do
is to persuade your father to change his mind and stop him from getting me into trouble."
He looked at Amanda with unblinking cold eyes. She felt her body go numb.
"Second, Rufus is such a pain in the ass. I was thinking about using you to get to him. However, it appears that he does not care
for you as much as he cares for Cassandra. So... I changed my mind. I decided to target Cassandra and make her fall in love
with me!"
Clark smiled diabolically, like a demon from hell.

"You can't hurt Rufus!"
Amanda's first thought was about Rufus and his safety. If Clark had decided to go against Rufus, then it could only mean real
danger for Rufus.
"You love him that much, don't you? You can be rest assured. As long as I keep my position in the Dark Night Group, nothing will
happen to Rufus. I just want to torture him emotionally and make him suffer dearly."
Clark shrugged his shoulders. His cruel intent did not bother him at all.
But Amanda was suspicious. She did not believe that Clark would keep his word. 'Would Clark let Rufus off that easily? Can I
trust him?' she thought.
Seeing Amanda's hesitation amused Clark.
"If you can help me persuade your father, then when I'm done with Cassandra, I promise that she is yours and you can have
your revenge. How about that?"
Amanda's eyes lit up as soon as she heard those words.
"Really? You promise you won't hurt Rufus?"
The idea of Cassandra being tortured by Clark excited Amanda.
Amanda could never forget the days when she had spent with Clark. It was a nightmare. She was thrilled at the idea of
Cassandra also experiencing that suffering.
Clark looked at the woman, who was obsessed with her love for Rufus. He felt only disdain for her.
No wonder Rufus didn't like Amanda. Even though Amanda was a world-famous pianist, she lost her charisma the day she lost
her self-esteem. She was neither desirable nor dignified. And a man like Rufus, wouldn't like such women.
Stupid women were always the best, easily controllable weapons.
"You have my word. If I wanted to do something to Rufus, I would have done it long ago. I wouldn't have waited all this time."
Clark burst into laughter. He found Amanda's naivete hysterically funny.

Amanda began to consider Clark's advice when she thought about how miserable Cassandra would be.
This was a deal with Satan himself and it came at the cost of falling to the pits of hell.
But her love for Rufus was incomparable to any expense in the world, even her soul. She decided to accept Clark's offer.
"Okay, I will help you. Remember to keep your word!"
Amanda nodded. She looked determined.
"I promise. Cassandra is my only target, not Rufus."
Clark stood up and walked up to Amanda, with a broad smile on his face.
"I wish that we have a successful partnership." Clark stretched out his hand.
His fingers were slender and pale, like those of a vampire.
Amanda shuddered to touch him but shook his hand, eventually.
His hands were still so beautiful and tender, just as she remembered them. But only God would know about the carnage caused
by them.
Clark held Amanda's hand firmly in a vice-like grip. The hands of the most celebrated pianist in the world were going to be
stained with blood.
Clark wondered whether Amanda would regret her decision. She condemned her loved one to hell. What a stupid woman,
indeed!
Their handshake confirmed the unholy contract.
'Rufus, I've set my traps all around you now. I wonder whether you can get out of them.
I've planned this game for so many years and finally got you where I needed you. I cannot wait to see how this game will end, '
Clark thought wickedly.