A Graduation Gift

Lionel couldn't believe himself. His feelings for Cassandra seemed to change with each passing day. The more he knew
Cassandra and her innate kindness, the more he got attracted to her.
As a sought after bachelor, he used to hang out with all kinds of pretty women. Everywhere he went there were always be
batches of women prepared to throw themselves onto him.
They loved the money he had more than himself and all the advantages he could provide. At the same time, Lionel was a quite
generous man, and he'd never been thrift to them financially. However, his heart was already captured by a woman. Despite
being married to Cassandra, he gave all his love to Ivy, who had been his girlfriend for many years.
Surprisingly, out of his expectation, Lionel had been gradually attracted to Cassandra ever since the moment she came back
from abroad.
Cassandra, on the contrary, turned down his olive branch, and refused to work in the Group as his wife. It was obvious that she
was trying to prove herself in her own way, without his help and influence.
Her stubbornness never failed to piss him off. The dread and annoyance, however, had turned into pity and concern when he
heard what happened to her.
Lionel couldn't pretend to ignore her existence as he did before, and he didn't have any clue why.
"I trust you, and time will bring light to the truth anyway," he comforted her.
The aura of peaceful tenderness on his face was new to Cassandra. She had never seen such an expression on his face before.
It made her felt uneasy, she was desperate to escape his tormenting presence. With one hard push, she wanted to close the
door of her bedroom right in front him.
But Lionel stopped her before she could. He pushed the door open forcibly, making Cassandra's shoulders jerk at the loud bang.
"Why are you avoiding me like that? I'm your husband!" feeling humiliated, he shouted with eyes bulging with rage.
He had been used to Cassandra keeping distance with him. But now, when he was trying to be good to her, she refused to give
him a chance.
"We're both old enough to know that fairy tales are not true. Are you happy with what was happening between us all this time?
We always break up on the verge of a fight. Thus, for your own good, please just leave me alone," Cassandra said plainly.

She tried hard to close the door, but Lionel was way far stronger than her. He wouldn't let her go.
"Just wait and see, Cassandra! You'll be mine someday. You'll beg me to join you in bed!" he hissed through his clenched teeth.
Lionel withdrew his hands from the door, and it banged close right at his face. Frustrated, he gave the door a good hard kick
before he turned around. While holding his sore face, he was surprised to see that Ivy was standing at the other end of the
corridor, her hands rested on her belly silently.
Lionel was a little discomfited as if he was caught stealing something.
On the other end, Ivy acted nothing unusual, and she walked toward him with a sweet smile on her face.
"Honey, your son kicked me several times today, and I can feel that he's such a strong baby. I believe he gets a pair of long legs
just like his father's," she mused as she looked down her belly.
Lionel also spun his gaze at her belly and his eyes turned soft. It was his son, his own blood and flesh. One of his weapons to
win over the Group from Rufus.
"Why do you bother tiring yourself coming up here? The dinner is ready, and you need to stay relaxed," he scolded her slightly.
He put his arm around her waist, escorting her to her room.
"I forgot my phone in my room and I need to get it," Ivy responded.
It seemed that she didn't hear the conversation between him and Cassandra, and Lionel took a deep breath of relief.
"Okay, go get your phone. I'll wait for you and then we'll go downstairs for dinner," he said briskly.
Ivy nodded to him and headed to her room alone.
Honestly, Ivy was annoyed when Lionel followed Cassandra upstairs. She couldn't sit there and do nothing. So, thinking of her
phone as an excuse, she followed them upstairs and heard everything. She was devastated when she heard how Lionel
comforted Cassandra, his wife only by name.
She hid in the shadows and saw the depression on Lionel's face when Cassandra's rejection shut him out of the room.
Ivy was left with no choice but to endure the hurt she was feeling inside. Jealousy and rage grew like weeds wildly in her heart,
pushing her to do something to save the situation and make Lionel return to her again.

Lionel acted so strangely these past few weeks, and he was nothing like that seven years ago. Yes, he was a playboy and used
to hang out with different girls. It was okay with Ivy because the fling would never last long and his heart was always with her. At
the end of the day Lionel would be back in her arms again. This time, however, it was different with Cassandra.
Ivy had sought all means to make Lionel happy the past years, and she couldn't afford to lose to any other women, especially to
Cassandra whom Lionel took for granted.
Rolling her eyes as she passed by Cassandra's room, Ivy tried to think of a way to get rid of Cassandra.
She needed to be quick before something passionate grew between Lionel and Cassandra. The more frequent they met each
other, the fewer chances she got, and something must be done before it was too late.
She must kick Cassandra out of the Tang House, and only by doing that, she would be able to stay and marry Lionel as she
wished.
The witch had been coveted for a long time, but the real princess never realized that she was in danger.
As she continued her work at the design department, Cassandra felt deep inside that she was a completely changed woman—
no longer the naive and innocent girl.
Although the employees in her department showed nothing unusual after the scandalous incident, she felt awful every time she
remembered that it was one of them who stole her design plan.
The new project was a government project, so the group paid special attention to it. After a brief meeting, all the employees got
their own assignments to complete. Cassandra took her framework and worked on her design plan without any delay.
A few minutes after she got on her computer, her assistant knocked on the door and told her that she had a visitor. Cassandra
nodded to her assistant and instructed her to take the visitor to the meeting room.
But to her surprise, the visitor barged in and moved to her desk before she could say anything.
"Don't bother, Miss Qin. I only have a few words and here will be fine," she said gracefully with a beaming smile like a
blossoming orchid.
Hesitant for a second, Cassandra raised her head and saw that it was Ivy standing in front of her. Her face was as glamorous as
always.

She was wearing a red oversized jumpsuit, which made her so strikingly elegant, and it was her signature style of wardrobe.
"Nobody comes to my office without a reason. What can I do for you?" she asked.
At the same time, her hand left the mouse as she looked up at Ivy's alluring face.
Even though the two women were both living in the Tang House, they deliberately ignored the existence of one another.
Under such complicated relationships, it was impossible for them to be close and become friends. Cassandra had kept a safe
distance from Lionel and her, and was reluctant to get involved with their business.
Ivy cracked a smile and her natural charm appeared most in her brows. Her eyes sparkled with a sinister glow.
No wonder Lionel loved her so much, she was a real beauty. Even a woman like Cassandra had to admit it. Her pregnancy didn't
affect her beauty and figure at all, and Cassandra believed that no man could resist her charm.
"I know that staying in the Tang House is a torture for you, Cassandra. Don't deny it and I came here to make a deal with you,"
she related plainly.
The witch put on a smile and fixed her eyes on the princess. She reached out her hands to the princess with a poisoned apple,
tempting the princess to take a bite.
"What kind of deal are you talking about?" Cassandra asked curiously.
She folded her arms across her chest, wondering what Ivy was up to and what she wanted from her.
On the other hand, Ivy didn't hurry to explain. Instead, she looked down her belly and put her hands on it with tenderness on her
face.
"Its twenty weeks already. The little hands and feet have grown, and another twenty weeks later, he will come out to this world.
But every time I think of it, my heart is shattered because he will be taken away from me after the delivery!" she said in a low
pitiful voice.
Ivy clutched her cloth tightly, trying not to cry out as she was trembling all over.
Cassandra was well aware of what the baby meant to her and to the Tang Family as well. Her compassion grew for the woman
in front of her.

"You knew from the start that this will happen, but why did you agree on such a deal? Why didn't you just keep it a secret and
bring him up outside, without Lionel knowing it?" Cassandra contradicted.
If Ivy chose to deliver the baby and not to let them know, there would be a great chance that she won't be separated from her
baby. However, Ivy had her own plans. She wanted to live in the Tang House and be Lionel's legal wife. Thus, this proposal she
had for Cassandra was the best resort she got.
"Lionel and I have been together for seven years. We know each other well enough and can't live without each other. You should
understand that it was supposed to be me who married into the Tang house, not you. But the God of Destiny makes fool of the
people. You married him four years ago and I almost lost my life that time!" she continued talking.
Bitter tears began rolling down from her eyes as she spoke and she looked rather pathetic.
"All is I want is to stay with the man I love and spend the rest of my life in peace. Because of you, we are unable to show other
people our relationship. Because of you, I can only be his mistress, not his wife!" she complained in a tearful voice.
Ivy wanted Cassandra to see her fragility and vulnerability. She was playing as a victim and asking for her sympathy.
Judging from Cassandra's reactions, Ivy thought that she wouldn't refuse her request. She assumed that her plan was working.
The last thing that Cassandra wanted to see was a woman's tears. She took a piece of tissue and passed it to Ivy.
Ivy took the tissue and wiped off her tears, and took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Cassandra, I understand that you don't love Lionel, and thus, I want to make a deal with you," she said with a convincing voice.
I would like to claim the title of Lionel's wife in exchange with anything you want. I desperately want to be his wife legitimately!"
she exclaimed determinedly.
Ivy looked both excited and sincere from the bottom of her heart. She looked into Cassandra's eyes intensely with the hope that
she would give her the answer she expected.
To her disappointment, Cassandra closed her eyes and shook her head slightly.
"It's impossible, Ivy. What you are asking me is something beyond my control. You know the reason why I married Lionel. My
father's company needs their backup. Without their help, he wouldn't have made it the past years," she said.
"If Lionel and I get divorced, my father's company will shut down in no time!

As a daughter, the last thing I've ever wanted for my parents was a safe, peaceful and secured life. It's not something you can
provide and I have nothing to exchange for that," she explained remorsefully.
Cassandra thought of the tears on her mother's face when she begged her to marry Lionel, and it hurt like a sword piercing her
heart. She understood the helplessness of her mother.
She was their eldest daughter and it was her responsibility to help them out. She cried, and she complained, but she never
regretted. It was her destiny.
"All of us needs to pay for what we did in the past. Ivy, love is love and it has nothing to do with marriage. You and Lionel have
spent so many years together happily even without marriage, and why do you have to marry him now?" Cassandra asked.
"If you give up the idea of becoming his lawful wife, you don't have to be separated from your own baby, and I can assure you
that you can see your baby anytime you want, regardless the objection of Lionel's parents. I won't say a word," she promised Ivy.
Ivy looked at Cassandra resentfully. She understood Cassandra's side as she had explained it clearly. It was her greed that
trapped her in this situation. She mocked herself that she lifted a rock only to drop it on her own feet.
"I understand Cassandra, but since you turned my deal down, I swear, I won't let you and your parents live in peace from this
day on. Just wait and see!" Ivy threated Cassandra.