A Graduation Gift

Ivy stared at Lionel, undaunted.
Her target was not Lionel, she needn't care about offending his sensitivities.
"You'd better keep your mouth shut about this. Don't say a word about it to another soul!" hissed Lionel.
He gritted his teeth in warning. But, there was a discernable trace of panic in his eyes.
"It's not a big secret at all. Even if I am not the one to divulge it, someone else will certainly let it out. You may have had the
ability to conceal it for a year or two. But do you think you can conceal it for a lifetime?" Ivy's voice rang out cruelly.
Looking at Lionel's flurried appearance satisfied Ivy's sadism. 'Lionel, remember how ruthless you were in your hurry to kick me
out? I think it's a little too late to act coy, no?'
"I don't care about how other people will find out. All in all, don't be the one to spill it out. Remember, just keep your mouth shut."
Lionel's words were a warning. Ivy, however, was untouched. She just smiled with disdain.
"Ok, but you have to help me with one thing, Lionel."
Ivy's eyes gleamed momentarily. She might as well use Lionel since he needed her help anyway.
"What is it?"
Lionel looked nervous, he did not know what this cunning woman wanted.
"The Tang Group has imprisoned my brother Joel for plagiarism. Now I want you to help me set him free."
Ivy sedately cocked her chin at Lionel. Now that Rufus was no longer in the Tang group. It would not be difficult for Lionel to
release Joel.
Lionel was a little stunned. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind and he looked at Ivy in surprise.
"Is he your brother? What else has he done for you before?"
Ivy had never mentioned this before, so Lionel was quite shocked.
"Nothing! Didn't I just put him in Tang Group to help you? Will you help me to release him or not?" asked Ivy.

She didn't want to entertain any further questions from Lionel. After all, Joel had damaged the reputation of the Tang group.
Lionel thought for a while. His mind raced, trying to figure out if Ivy still had some ammo against him. If he refused her, she would
certainly use that against him. It seemed that all she wanted was to get Joel out and that was not difficult for him to do.
"Okay, I will help you with your brother. But you should remember to keep your mouth shut and not leak out any information to
anyone! You hear me?"
Lionel appeared to have made up his mind. He stared at Ivy.
"Okay, I won't,"
Ivy promised nonchalantly. But in her mind, she cheekily thought, 'Well, it won't be my fault if others find out...' And a smile
played on her lips.
Under the dim lights, Lionel's eyebrows squinted at the woman who sat before him. She was no longer the innocent girl who he
had loved very much. Now, she had become a sophisticated deviant.
What all could a person do in his or her manic pursuit of more power and endless money? Would he or she be called a devil or
an angel?
It was late by the time Edith returned from recording the program. The moment she entered the door, Cassandra greeted her and
removed her shoes for her. She had been quite worried.
"Mom, why do you come back so late? Nowadays you return much later than I do. Are you tired?" asked Cassandra.
Edith looked a little worn out. Cassandra couldn't stand it anymore.
"I'm okay... Ah? You seem to have recovered your voice perfectly!"
Edith looked at Cassandra with surprise. Cassandra's voice indeed sounded normal.
Cassandra covered her throat, which was completely recovered today.
"You see, credit goes to Clark. He helps you with the doctor and brings you the honey and everything you need. You should
really cherish him since he is so good to you."
Edith immediately seized the opportunity to praise Clark. Cassandra immediately felt a buzz in her head.

After she stopped eating the honey that Clark brought to her, her throat just began to recover. But Edith could find no fault with
him.
Cassandra realized that it was only because of Edith that she became close to Clark. If it were not for her and her condition, she
would never have agreed to Clark to live here in his house.
"Mom, I think we should relocate. It's not good to live here."
She really did not want Clark to manipulate her through Edith.
Edith became very sensitive at Cassandra words.
"No, I find it's very comfortable here!"
Edith refused immediately. She knew what Cassandra was thinking.
She knew that Clark was perfect for Cassandra. In order to find a comfortable life for her daughter, Edith was unwilling to leave
Clark's house.
"Mom, Lyndsy has told to me that it would be better to live closer to the office so that I can handle work more conveniently."
Cassandra looked for a variety of excuses and reasons that would prompt Edith to agree to leave the house.
"You've been in the office almost every day. You definitely need personal space away from it. Don't follow her words. Just live
here," said Edith flatly.
Edith glanced at Cassandra. She could read her daughter's thoughts, but she could not make herself agree.
"Mom! Every time I pay the rent, I get reminded that I live on his charity. I feel so ashamed that I take advantage of Clark when I
don't want to."
Cassandra tried her best to persuade Edith while Edith retorted with only simple sentences, "The man should definitely pay some
price if he wants to pursue a woman. It's just a little rent. Rest assured, Clark does not care about it!"
Edith's reply was curt and final.
Cassandra didn't know what to say anymore, she quietly helped Edith carry the bags into the house.

Edith smugly glanced at her. 'Hum, there's no way you can trick me, little girl, ' she thought.
Cassandra went back to her bedroom in a daze.
Her voice grew better every day. But her predicament was getting bigger and bigger. Clark was definitely not as simple as he
seemed. Then what was the truth that they didn't know?
Suddenly, she heard a knock on the window. Cassandra was jolted out of her daze. Then she went to the window and opened it
only to find that it was Rufus standing outside.
The corner of his lips was curved in a wicked smile.
He propped his hand on the window sill and effortlessly jumped into the room. Before she knew it, she was in his arms.
"Did you miss me?" asked Rufus.
His voice was deep and husky, with emotion.
Cassandra inhaled the familiar scent of him deeply. And her troubled heart suddenly melted down. The original panic
disappeared in a flash.
She murmured shyly and said no more while she wrapped her arms around his waist.
They held each other, enjoying their seclusion and didn't apart for a long time.
"Cassandra, I changed my mind. It's too dangerous for you to stay here. Leave this place. I can't let you stay with a fiend like
Clark anymore."
It was unwise for her to remain in such proximity with Clark. Rufus was not sure if she could handle him for long.
Cassandra was stunned, she couldn't understand why he changed his mind so suddenly.
"Don't you want me to help you, Rufus? I know there's something wrong with him. Did you notice that my voice seems to have
recovered? It's because I stopped eating the honey he gave me."
Cassandra volunteered this information to Rufus, his eyebrows knitted together at her words.
"Bring me some of the honey he gave you. I will have it tested by someone at a lab."

Rufus felt his heart contract in apprehension. He could never have anticipated that Clark would have a role to play in the illness
that had afflicted Cassandra's voice.
Cassandra still remembered what Rufus had said to her. If she had the ability to help him, she would definitely do it on the
condition that Edith would remain untouched.
"Listen, I don't want you to get hurt. I have information and reason to believe that Clark is more dangerous than I thought he was.
I cannot risk your safety,"
Rufus said as he touched Cassandra's long black hair. The feel of her soft hair brushing against him calmed his nerves and his
heart.
Cassandra was also deeply touched by his concern. But now she really was onto something that could prove him guilty. If she
left now, Clark would definitely suspect something.
"I don't mind staying here, but I want my mom to get out. I already know that Clark is up to something. If he has ideas to attack
you, I just hope I will be able to thwart it in time."
Cassandra was muffled up against the warmth of Rufus. Today she had tried to steer Edith out of this house. Her failure in
accomplishing that greatly depressed her.
"If you want your mother to leave here, I can help you. But are you sure you want to keep staying here?"
Cassandra's courage had stirred Rufus. But in his heart, he felt uneasy.
"Rufus, I am willing to do this for you. Clark has me trapped. Even if I want to escape him, I won't be able to."
Cassandra raised her head and looked directly into Rufus's eyes.
"Since I can't hide, why not go on staying here with him? I have you, I am not afraid of anything!"
Cassandra said as she felt her voice shake under the weight of her decision.
All those times that she had not been with Rufus, she had been terribly alone. Now that he was with her, how could she be
afraid?