A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 42

"Lionel, where's that pretty wife of yours?"

asked Ivy. Holding onto Lionel's arm, she searched for her competitor in the busy crowd. She was smiling proudly at him, with her lips slightly parted and her face as enchanting as always.

She hoped that she could finally meet Cassandra for the first time - the last time in Lionel's office didn't count. All she knew about Cassandra was from the photograph, plus what Lionel had told her. She wasn't worried, however. No one can be a threat to a woman like Ivy.

"Is everything ready?" Lionel asked, shaking off her smile with a serious look.

The name Cassandra ignited his anger as always. He couldn't forget how that woman had insulted him by slapping him and stepping on his pride. Tonight was his revenge. He was bringing Ivy to the celebration banquet, knowing that it would humiliate Cassandra.

"Lionel, have I ever let you down?" the woman assured him. "I am very close with the owner of the hotel. Trust me, everything will go to plan."

Ivy's alluring tone and eyes hypnotized Lionel, subduing his anger. He was delighted to hear her assurance, and in a sudden rush of jubilation, kissed her right then in front of everyone.

The other members of the Tang family stiffened in surprise and displeasure. It was such an immoral act from a married man, as if he didn't care at all about disgracing his family. Horace's face creased with anger, and he stepped toward his son.

"Horace, just leave him be. It is too elegant an occasion for us to quarrel in public. He's still young and it's natural for young man to fall for many women."

Jill stepped out in front of her husband to pacify his anger. Lionel was her precious son, and she had always wanted him to have anything his heart desired. This time was no different.

"I can't believe he brought his mistress here, to such a formal occasion! How am I supposed to explain this to the rest of the family? And what about Cassandra? She will lose face!"

Horace disdained his wife's constant coddling of their son. Because of her, Lionel was weak, incompetent, and spoiled. Horace's eyes burned with fury at the fact that his son had failed to meet expectations yet again.

Jill tried again to calm him, "So what, Horace? You can yell at him now, but do you really want to make a scene here for others to see? Will you expose our family to ridicule? In any case, nobody else knows that Cassandra is Lionel's wife. We can settle this better at home later."

Jill couldn't care less about how Cassandra would feel. She had disliked her daughter-in-law since the moment Cassandra had married to her son. As time elapsed, this dislike had only grown - Lionel had told his mother about all the not-so-secret flirtations between Cassandra and Rufus. In fact, Jill wouldn't mind seeing Cassandra get a taste of her own medicine - to see Lionel flaunting his mistress. She wanted to see where this would lead.

Despite her cruel intentions, her words did make some sense. Horace took a deep breath and sighed in frustration. They could not make a scene out here. Losing face for Horace or Lionel meant losing face for the entire Tang group.

***

"Are you Mr. Luo's secret guard? I know his assistant, Leo...You know, I even feel like I've seen you before...and now you're the person that Mr. Luo assigned to pick us up! That is very kind of you, to offer your service like that. If not for your help, Cassandra and I would certainly be late,"

Stella chattered to Victor as they approached the lift to the banquet room. She seemed in high spirits, looking around her and at Victor.

Victor, however, held a poker face throughout, hiding any emotion. With some embarrassment, Cassandra poked at the chatty Stella, hinting at her to quiet down.

Ignoring the obvious cue, Stella continued, "Why are both of you so quiet? We are so honored to have Mr. Luo's guard to lead us the way to the event. Cassandra, don't you feel excited? I think this is so exciting!"

Stella's excitement was running over. Victor, wary of being close to such a wildly exhilarated person, took a step back.

This was the first time he had seen a woman so chattering.

Before Stella could find anything else to be excited about, the lift stopped. They reached the level where the banquet room was.

Victor led the way to the room, with the women following side by side.

Everyone was watching as the door of the huge room opened to welcome another guest. Through this door stepped a vision of white, and it took them a second to recognize who it was. Cassandra appeared in a stunning white gown that clung to her curves and widened out below the knee. As she turned her head to look around, her glamorously styled hair fell across her exposed back and shoulders in waves.

She radiated youthfulness and elegance, like a mermaid stepping onto land for the first time. She had used makeup to accentuate her eyes, and as she glanced around the room everyone could see her expression sparkle.

Cassandra drew stares and glances as she glided through the crowd, smiling and greeting everyone in turn. She seemed somehow taller and prouder, despite her small stature.

Cassandra noticed that there were a number of eyes on her.

She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and then decided that she would not let the attention bother her. The melody of the piano filled the room, mingling with the buzz of the crowd.

"Oh Cassandra, everyone is looking at us! You must be the most radiant person in this room!"

Stella half-whispered, giggling, into her friend's ear.

Cassandra laughed along with her, winking slyly. She swept her gaze across the crowd, in search of one particular person.

It didn't take her long to spot who she was looking for - Rufus.

Just as she found him, their eyes locked together. He was standing still on the other side of the room, with a dark red drink in his hand. She thought she saw his eyes widen for a second, and a slight blush rise to his cheeks. But she must have imagined it. Rufus was never ruffled.

He looked at the vision across from him. His breath had caught in his throat - he didn't know what to do. No words could be used to describe her beauty; nothing he said would be worthy of her attention.

He felt a warmth rush through his blood. He was intoxicated by the sight of her. He wanted more. Seeing her out of her sensible work clothes, and robed in so much grace, Rufus felt a passion ignite within his blood.

She was as calm and composed as ever, and she must have no idea of the effect she had on him. All Rufus could think about at the moment was taking her into his arms, pressing her body tightly to his. He wanted to stake his claim on her, and show the world that she was his.

He felt a prick of annoyance at having to share her beauty with the rest of the fools in this room.

And so they stood, locked into a stalemate, unable to break their mutual gaze away.

Eventually Cassandra realized what she was doing, and a blush blossomed across her face. Luckily a pair of her work colleagues came to her and struck up a conversation. Only then was the spell broken and she was able to look away.

"It seems that I've married a very pretty woman,"

Lionel murmured to himself. Even he, who would normally never touch Cassandra, was in awe of her.

Unconsciously, he started walking towards his wife. Ivy saw the look on his face and grabbed his arm, holding him back.

This was not how Ivy had expected the night to go. She had thought it would be easy to humiliate Cassandra. The tiny woman was enchanting, and all eyes - including Lionel's - were on her. Ivy felt the envy bubble up within her. Not letting go of his hand, Ivy tilted her head to the side, batted her eyelashes, and intoned mockingly, "So you're going to her now huh? You just can't wait to tell everyone she's your wife, can you?"

Lionel could sense the jealously emanating from her, but he realized the truth in her words. It would not be wise to approach Cassandra right now.

Ivy was right.

"If you want to go, then let's go together,"

the envious woman suggested, as if she could read Lionel's thoughts.

He considered it for a second, and then agreed. The thought of how they would punish Cassandra later brought a smile to his face.

"Honey, you know me so well. How can I not love someone as smart and cunning as you?"

Lionel leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear. Assuming that he was mocking her, she just scoffed and strode toward Cassandra with him.

Past experience had taught her not to expect any better from men. She knew it would be pointless to try and stop him being attracted to other women.

If Lionel wanted to get close to Cassandra, then she would let him do it.

On the other side of the room, Cassandra was trying to stay focused on the conversation with her colleagues, but her attention kept wandering off. She found herself glancing away from time to time, trying to spot the one man that was always on her mind.

At some point she turned her head again to look, and a man was standing in front of her. It was Lionel, with his mistress, Ivy, standing behind him.

"Manager Qin, I have come to congratulate you on the excellent job that you have done on the recent case. What would Tang Group do without you?"

Cassandra bristled at Lionel's insincere tone and smile, and even more at the woman staring at her smugly from over his shoulder.

Ivy looked her rival up and down, and was surprised at the other woman's lack of envy at the sight of her presence as the mistress. Either Cassandra truly felt nothing for Lionel, or her power of deception was to rival even Ivy's own.

Either way, Ivy suspected that there was more to the tiny woman than met the eye.

"Thank you, Mr. Tang."

Cassandra matched her husband's false politeness.

"Come, a toast to Manager Qin!"

Lionel lifted his glass, indicating for Cassandra to drink. His eyes sparkled with malice.

Cassandra's smile froze. She knew that she had an unnatural intolerance to alcohol, and would be tipsy after a few sips. Last time she drank was the night in Rome, and it didn't take much to get her completely drunk.

There was no way she was letting that happen again, not here, not now.

"Thank you."

She smiled. She raised the glass to her mouth, careful not to let any of the wine actually touch her lips. But this didn't shake off Lionel, as she had hoped that it would.

Ivy, meanwhile, was growing indignant at Cassandra's lack on interest in her. The other woman had barely given her a glance, treating her as no more than a puff of smoke.

Ivy's pride could not allow her to be ignored like this, and she tightened her grip on Lionel's hand.

"Manager Qin, this is quite unfair. I have finished my glass, yet you have barely touched yours. Am I not good enough to have a drink with you?"

Lionel tried to provoke her. He was increasingly frustrated, not only at the fact that she wouldn't drink, but also at how unbothered she seemed by seeing her husband flaunting his mistress so publicly.

He once again thought of the relationshio between Cassandra and Rufus. His suspicions were driving him crazy.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tang. I don't drink,"

Cassandra refused firmly. She was determined not to give in to Lionel's pressuring.

Lionel's face soon turned bleak. Before he could say another word to intimidate her, he was cut off by a familiar voice, "I'm her boss. If Manager Qin cannot drink, then I shall drink for her stead."

Rufus slipped in softly from out of nowhere. He took the glass from Cassandra's hand and - to the surprise of everyone around him - emptied it with a swig.