A Graduation Gift

Cassandra returned to the patient ward and sat at Edith's bedside. Her mother was still unconscious. Yet, discomfort was visible
in her face. While her body was relaxed, her eyebrows remained creased. Looking at her made Cassandra pain.
How could Clark do such a thing? It all dawned on her now: the kindness he showed them was nothing but a mask to hide his
true intentions.
Gazing at Edith in silence, Cassandra fell into deep thought.
Suddenly, the door opened. Clark entered the room bringing with him bags of food. Its aroma immediately filled the room.
"Hey, Cassandra. Are you hungry? Here, you should eat something,"
he said as he handed her a pack of sushi. With the way Cassandra stared into space, Clark could tell that she was very
preoccupied with the situation. It was likely that taking care of herself was her last priority.
The salmon wrapped with rice and seaweed looked very appetizing. Still, Cassandra did not have an appetite.
"Just put it there. I'm not hungry. I'll eat later,"
she replied indifferently, without even giving him so much as a glance.
He stood awkwardly, at a loss on how to respond. For a few seconds, he just looked at her. Frowning, he finally managed to find
an answer.
"If you don't eat, you'll drain your energy. You still need to take care of your mother. But you won't be able to do that if you don't
eat anything."
Without looking too much into Cassandra's coldness, he decided to believe that her indifference was because of her growing
concern for Edith's condition.
"I really don't feel like eating. I'm not hungry," she said with finality.
Turning to look at her mother, she did her best to keep her anger hidden. In her mind, Cassandra still struggled to grasp the
reality that Clark's invisible hand was above all this. Suddenly, she found it difficult to breathe. It felt as if the air was trapped in
her lungs, unable to go out.
Who else could she blame but herself? It was her fault. She trusted the wrong person and fell into his trap.

He had drugged her to damage her throat. He managed to get Edith ill and be hospitalized. What other forms of evil could he
possibly be capable of? She couldn't even imagine!
However, she also knew that getting rid of him would not be that easy. If he had the audacity to carry out his sinister plan right
under her nose, he must know what he was doing. He had no fear of getting caught.
"Cassandra, please take care of yourself. I understand that you're worried, but you need to lighten up. I've asked the doctor for
advice. Auntie needs to take a good rest. Just allow her to stay here while she recovers. As for her show, maybe it's best if she
takes a break for now so she can be free from any disturbance,"
he said, feigning sincerity. His suggestion seemed to make sense.
Cassandra was silent but her thoughts were quite the opposite.
Despite his obvious involvement in Edith's situation, he still managed to put up such a good, concerned front. He was so caring
and patient that one would not even suspect him to be evil. Had it not been for Rufus's advice, she would have fallen into his trap
even deeper.
As for Clark, he took Cassandra's silence as sorrow. He put a hand on her shoulder and said to reassure her, "Please don't tire
yourself too much. I'm here for you. You don't have to worry."
His tone was as soft as the spring breeze, but to Cassandra, the hand on her shoulder felt no different than a magical evil claw
that could easily tear all the happiness in her life away if it wanted to.
Both of them were lost in their own thoughts. The edges of Clark's lips curl ever so slightly, revealing a smug smile. This was the
biggest hint of genuine emotion he showed behind his feigned empathy.
He stood behind Cassandra so he was sure that she would not notice his expression. His smile was as cold and brutal as it
could be.
He was like a demon making his way towards his victim in slow steady steps. Along the way, little by little, he sucked out the light
in such a way that they would barely notice. Until, in the end, only darkness remained.
Finally, Horace arrived at the Garden Villa. Looking at Rufus's mansion gave his several mixed emotions that he found difficult to
distinguish.

He always believed that his son Rufus would help him in business. With his talent and capability, Horace knew without a doubt
that he would be able to lead the Tang Group towards another pinnacle. Never in his wildest imagination could he have thought
that Rufus had a hidden identity: the founder of the TY Group.
Remembering the time when he was goaded by Lionel and Jill to strip him off of his CEO position in the Tang Group made
Horace feel very remorseful. This drove Rufus so far away from the company and the Tangs.
It took a huge amount of effort to find the mansion. Now, he was finally there.
A few seconds after he pressed the bell, the gates opened.
Looking at the camera in front, Horace was quite surprised that he was granted access so easily. He was actually prepared for
the possibility that Rufus would be making it difficult for him to get in.
After straightening his clothes, he slowly walked in, holding a walking stick to support his old frail body.
Recently, his health had been deteriorating at an increasing pace. The bones on his legs were in constant pain. This was why he
now had to carry with him a walking stick.
The usual vigor on his face had given way to visible signs of aging, which he had no intention to hide. With his pitiful look, he
hoped that Rufus would sympathize with him, an old dying man, and accept his request.
However, he had no idea how badly he miscalculated. Rufus watched him from the monitor, wearing a cool smile.
'Oh, Horace. Finally, you're here. I will make you pay for everything you've done!' Rufus exclaimed in his heart.
Bit by bit, the old man approached the mansion. With every step he took, the smile on Rufus's face became colder.
By the time he finally reached the front door and pushed it open, he saw Rufus standing in the lobby, waiting for him.
He was standing straight, clearly a man at his prime. This was a huge contrast to Horace's slightly hunched posture.
"Rufus, I've finally found you!"
Horace seemed delighted. It was as if he found the only beacon of hope. The expectant smile on his face only caused Rufus's
lips to curl into a chilling smile.
"What brings you here? It was you who asked us to leave," he said sarcastically.

Rufus used the pronoun 'us, ' instead of 'me.' Obviously, he was referring to someone else as well, but Horace, being occupied
with his thoughts on how to convince Rufus to come back, barely paid notice to the detail.
"I had no intention of making you leave. I was just afraid that the Board of Directors would find out, so I thought it would be best if
you temporarily removed yourself from the situation to hide until the tension eased,"
he explained, shaking his head and sighing. He looked really disappointed with how things had turned out.
"But now, everything is clear to me. It was all because of Lionel. All of it was his fault and he was the one who shifted the blame
to you. Rest assured! I've already taught him a harsh lesson and he now has realized his mistake. Apparently, the pressure was
from Ivy. She asked him for so much money and he felt like he had no choice but to steal from the company,"
Horace narrated. There was disappointment on his face. He looked very stressed recalling the turn of events.
"Rufus, son, please come back. You're part of the Tang family. You belong with us,"
Horace said as he raised his head to look into Rufus's eyes with hope and yearning.
"My surname is 'Luo, ' and it will always be. I'm not part of the Tang family. Why would you trust him instead of me if you really
saw me as a member of the Tang family?"
Rufus shot back, indifferent to the pitiful look on Horace's face.
"I was also a victim of your brother's deception. Had I known that you were the chairperson of TY Group, I would not have
trusted him!" Horace explained.
His desperation amused Rufus.
"What does my identity as Chairman of TY Group have anything to do with pinning the corruption on me? Even if I were
penniless, I wouldn't even think about taking a cent from the Tang family!"
With gritted teeth, Rufus recalled the toil he had gone through when he first started his business. If not for his perseverance then,
how could he enjoy his success today?
"Don't say that. You will never be penniless because the entire Tang Group will be yours!"

Right now, Horace was determined to say anything he could to please Rufus, even though deep inside, he knew that Rufus did
not care much about the Tang Group. If he did, he would not have resigned. Still, Horace knew that he was at a vulnerable
position. Humility and sincerity were his best weapons to convince his son to come back.
"The Tang Group is yours and Lionel's, so is the Tang family. They will never become mine. I've never wanted it anyway,"
Rufus said as he waved his hand dismissively.
Tang Group had been in a dire situation, mainly because of Lionel's stupidity. Now, it was on the brink of collapse, but Horace,
despite being capable of managing the company, could not take over for Lionel because of his health conditions.
'How could Rufus not understand that?' the poor old man thought.
Rufus, though, had already seen through Horace. He found his acting ridiculously amusing.
'What a hypocrite! Disgusting!' Rufus thought.
"Rufus, the Dawn Star Group is about to eat us alive. How about this, will you please come back to help your brother?" Horace
asked.
Realizing that his efforts geared towards asking Rufus to return to be part of the family were futile, he decided that it was best to
tell him what he wanted upfront. After all, he was desperate. The Tang Group was about to meet its end should they fail to
survive this. At this rate, it was highly likely that they would die off in the competition against the Dawn Star Group.
"Why would I care about that?"
Rufus simply replied, unbothered by Horace's efforts to put on a show.
Having read the indifference in Rufus's response, Horace realized that the conversation wasn't going anywhere. In his
frustration, he struck the ground heavily with his walking stick.
"Rufus! You... You are so disobedient! I am your father! I am here to ask a favor from you! How can you reject me? Have you got
any morality? Do you even see my as your father?"
When Horace raised his voice in the Tang family residence, everyone listened intently. There, he was the highest authority,
almost like a dictator. His requests and opinions were taken with high regard. This, however, did not work with Rufus.
"Morality? When you've abandoned your wife and your son, did you consider morality?" Rufus sneered.

Then, the smile on his face vanished and his face turned ice cold as if signaling an impending storm.