A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 111

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.