A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 143

Rufus looked at Cassandra affectionately. Her vulnerability and innocence, her complete submission to him as her only pillar support made his heart melt. Rufus lowered his head to kiss her but was stopped by her hand.

"From now on, you will not drink with any man without my consent. You should also tell me before going anywhere. If you break the rules, you will see the consequence." Rufus frowned as he warned Cassandra and pretended to be angry.

Cassandra became all the more petrified to hear Rufus speak in such a stern voice. After she pulled the blanket tightly out of natural reflex, she looked up at Rufus.

He glanced over her body as she pulled the blanket on herself and then fixed his gaze on her face. His eyes softened at her innocent look.

"You are my only love. Don't suspect anything else,"

Rufus said in a sultry voice. Cassandra looked into his eyes as his words echoed in her heart. There was so much of sincerity and resolve in his eyes! Cassandra suddenly felt so light that her whole body got relaxed. The tension on her face gave way to a relaxed and contented look.

That was all she needed—to be the one and only for each other for ever and ever.

Initially, she was hesitant to bring up the topic of Rufus's relationship with Amanda. But after his confession to her, she did not need any more reassurance. It was the first time that Rufus made his promise with so much of determination. Cassandra pushed her urge to dig more about Amanda to the back of her mind and relaxed in his arms.

It had been so difficult for her to come out of the troublesome marriage. But from today onwards, she was resolved to live her own life without any unwanted interference from anyone.

And Rufus… She could trust him with her eyes closed! At every step of the way, it was Rufus who gave her a helping hand and removed obstacles from her path.

Even if not for the help he had given her, she would still be indebted to him for the unicorn he gave her when she helplessly stood in front of the machine. Needless to say, it was Rufus who helped her with loads of opportunities when she first started her career as an architectural designer.

He was the one who healed her in her past and continued to support her even now. What else could she ask for?

Cassandra closed her eyes, buried her head into the warmth of his arms and indulged in his tenderness. At this very moment, she felt absolutely complete.

However, miles away, at the same time, there was a storm raging in the Tang household.

"Father, I am planning to marry Ivy. I have made up my mind this time!" Lionel affirmed.

He had mustered all his courage to confront his father. Horace had been a very strict father and Lionel could never speak or do anything against his wish throughout his life. Even this time, as he spoke to Horace, he could feel his knees tremble. Yet, he was resolute this time.

Lionel loved Ivy and both of them had been through a lot already. He had almost lost Ivy once when she met with a car accident at the time of his marriage with Cassandra. And now, again, he was the one to be blamed for Ivy's miscarriage. Had he not been so outrageous in forcing Cassandra into a physical relationship, which was accidentally spotted by Ivy, she would not get in conflict with her. Now, there was nothing he could do to pay her back, except for giving her the recognition and respect her as his wife. Getting married to her was the only way to compensate for her miseries and the long years that she had spent waiting for him.

Horace had a stern look on his face. He sounded rather disgruntled to hear Lionel's appeal. "Why are you in such a hurry? Don't forget, that you just divorced Cassandra. Aren't you bothered about what people would say about your flash marriage?"

Horace scolded his son in a displeased tone, his face turning grim and a stern frown settling on his face.

Lionel had complete freedom to do whatever he liked all the time. As a result, he fulfilled his wishes without considering the possible consequences. Though Cassandra was gone, it was still not the right time to make Ivy a part of the Tang family. And moreover, Lionel was not the one to take the call in this regard. Horace would have a lot to consider before making the decision. It was not as simple as Lionel believed it to be!

And the first thing that Horace would evaluate was the personal background. Though very few people were informed about Cassandra's marriage with Lionel, it didn't mean that Cassandra was too ordinary a girl. Just like Lionel who was the son of the Chairman of Tang Group, Cassandra was the daughter of Vernon Qin, the owner of Qin Group. Back then, Qin Group was still one of the leading real estate companies in the industry that earned much fame and recognition in G City. Plus, Cassandra herself was a befitting match for the Tang family. She was also a thriving young talent who made full use of her time in her college. Besides, she was doing very well as the Architectural Manager in the Tang Group. She was even named for the design of the amusement park project, which was a crucial case for the tourism development of G City.

And as far as Ivy...

Her parents had long passed away. She graduated from a nameless university. The only thing she was good at was to splurge money on expressive dresses for herself. What could she contribute to the Tangs?

Horace had two sons, Rufus and Lionel. Rufus was capable to handle everything on his own. Horace had complete faith in him that he would garner a lot of success in future and Rufus lived up to his expectations. However, Lionel was just the opposite. Horace was seriously worried about him all the time. He not only was short-sighted but lacked management and leadership skills as well. As much as Horace wanted Lionel to take charge of the Tang Group in the future, he couldn't be assured, unless Lionel had a capable wife to help him.

Ivy, at least for the time being, was far from Horace's expectations. So he decided to take his time to consider before making a decision.

"Father! Ivy has lost her baby and she is in a very vulnerable state. She is spending the whole day daydreaming on the hospital bed. I am so worried about her that she will not be able to recover unless I give her some reassurance!"

Lionel sprang up from the chair anxiously to persuade his father. His face was red and his eyes blazing clearly showing his desperation to convince his father to give a nod for him to marry Ivy.

"Take your divorce with Cassandra as an assurance!"

Horace stated with his voice raised and his eyes glaring at his son.

Yet Lionel wasn't ready to retreat. As he stepped forward to confront his father again, Jill intervened to stop the argument between Horace and Lionel from getting worse.