A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 97

All of a sudden, Cassandra became the backbone of the whole family. She stayed calm as much as she could. Edith and Cloris finally managed to calm themselves down. They listened to Cassandra and went to the bathroom to wash up before going to bed.

When Edith and Cloris left the living room, and she was left alone, Cassandra felt that she had been drained with all her strength. She lost her balance and fell down on the floor with a loud thud.

Cassandra was bothered however, why the heating machine inside the mansion wasn't turned on. Strangely, all the servants were gone too, the tables and the pieces of furniture were covered with dust. It seemed that it hadn't been cleaned for a long time.

Just half a year ago, the Qin family was very wealthy and decent. How come the luxurious mansion turned into such a shabby, deserted house overnight?

Although their business wasn't doing great, at least they were still earning profits. They didn't need to be this wretched.

Cassandra walked out of the house while holding her throbbing head. She found Rufus beside his parked car by the gates. He had been waiting for her, still.

As he saw her coming, Rufus lit a cigar and puffed a heave of smoke from it. He was smoking heavily and there were butts everywhere.

Cassandra thought Rufus had left after what seemed like eternity dealing with her mother and cleaning up the mansion. She didn't expect him to wait for her.

She walked towards him very quietly. He was looking at the sky so she lifted up her head too. The sky was filled with stars tonight and the moon cast a shy glow that illuminated the ether.

"It's late now. Why don't you just come inside and stay for the night? Our guest room is comfortable enough. You can leave the next morning."

Thinking about how Rufus drove several hours to bring her back, Cassandra felt grateful and moved.

"Thank you, but I'm fine. I'll be staying in my car."

To Cassandra's surprise, Rufus rejected her.

"Although the heating machine is out, I can give you an electric blanket. You won't feel cold."

Cassandra thought Rufus was afraid of being cold since the heating machine didn't work.

Cigarette smokes rose up in the air as Rufus put out his cigar. His face went serious after hearing Cassandra's words.

'Afraid of feeling cold?' he thought. Of all the things to consider, he wasn't bothered by the thought of a slight chill. Rufus was not afraid of the cold at all.

He wasn't a spoiled son from a rich family who hadn't been through any difficulties. Rufus used to sleep on bare concrete floors and all he got was a thin mat. The mat, however, didn't help him stay warm during those cold nights.

Even though he was very tired and sleepy, all he could do was take some naps. He couldn't sleep well because he kept on shivering.

Unlike Rufus, Lionel was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. When he was a child, he was surrounded by a bunch of servants. He got the best meals, the best clothes, and the best education. Besides, there awaited a large company for him to inherit.

Sadly for Rufus, it was the other way around.

He went into the training camp. Those years which he had spent there were so painful that he could never forget that experience for the rest of his life.

He shed more sweats and tears more than Lionel ever had in his life. The difficulties he had overcome was much more than those of Lionel. If he were on his place, Lionel could never have endured what Rufus had gone through.

Thus, there was no way for Rufus to be afraid of the cold. He had gone through that and been used to the sensation.

"I will just stay in the car. Why don't you go back inside? It's cold outside. I'll drive you to the detention center to visit your father in the day."

Then he opened the car door, got into the car and reclined the seat. He was ready to sleep.

Standing next to the car, Cassandra heaved a sigh and her breath could be seen in the cold air. She opened the car and sat on the passenger seat.

Rufus turned his face to stare at Cassandra. His eyes were deep and swollen.

Cassandra also turned her face to look intensely at Rufus' eyes. She said sincerely, "Thank you."

She didn't know what else to say to him except for these words of gratitude. Rufus just smiled. He stretched out his hand and touched Cassandra's hair. He was saddened to see her in such ordeals.

"Everything will be okay as long as you're fine."

Cassandra felt warm again. Everything seemed to be fine when she was with Rufus as if everything would fall into its places with just one snap of his fingers. She felt safe and secured whenever he was around. In an effort to stop her tears from falling, Cassandra bit her lips and nodded her head sternly at Rufus.

"Hopefully, everything would be okay," she muttered.

Day broke, Cassandra and Rufus went to the detention center to look for Vernon. He had been there for just one night, but he looked much withered. He seemed to grow a lot of mustaches overnight.

Cassandra knew that Vernon must have been interrogated for the whole night, that was why he looked so exhausted. She felt sorry for her father, her eyes brimmed with tears.

When Vernon caught sight of Cassandra, there was excitement in his eyes. But seconds later, he became calm.

It was Cassandra, not Cloris, his favorite daughter.