A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 133

Rufus looked at Cassandra, eyebrows furrowed.

Her hair was damp. Water dripped slowly down to the tips of her long, black hair. Wet and feverish, she looked as if she had just come out of a hot shower and hadn't gotten the time to dry herself up properly.

Even though Jasper was standing behind Rufus, he could still smell the slight fragrance coming from her. Unconsciously, Jasper uttered something and Rufus turned around immediately, asking, "What did you say?"

Rufus was completely unaware of what Jasper had said. All of his attention was concentrated on Cassandra's beautiful face and the water that dripped down her neck. He stared at Jasper, confused.

"This scent is very unique. I think it's the famous luxury brand specializeds in shampoos for men. The one she has used is a globally exclusive edition, if I remember correctly."

Jasper's voice was low but his words were shocking. He turned back to look at Cassandra with a profound look, shocked.

Rufus's handsome face turned darker. His shoulders stiffened as he stared at her, tight-lipped.

Men's shampoo? Just what was going on? Had Cassandra just come out of a man's room?

Without thinking it through, Rufus rushed to the door she had come out of. It was half-closed. He pushed it open reluctantly at first but then stepped in without hesitation.

The apartment wasn't too big but the decor of the rooms was certainly stylish and of great taste. The color scheme was a classy black and white. Judging from the layout and the ambience, it seemed like the owner was well inspired and had a great aesthetic and interior sense.

Small but compact, it was located right in the heart of G city. A location like that would cost a fortune.

As he cast a casual glance at the walls, his attention was caught by the pictures hanging on it. There were several pictures of wild animals and natural landscapes. Among them, a portrait of a handsome young man stood out.

For a second, Rufus's heart skipped a beat. His face turned pale in shock while his eyes narrowed and breath escalated. He remembered that face. The man and Cassandra went out eating on the street together once. Rufus remembered spotting them chatting and laughing, fully enjoying themselves.

Rage seized his heart. He didn't know how to deal with the mixed feelings that arose from the bottom of his heart. He clenched his fists and swirled around, leaving the apartment, stomping his feet. Without looking at Cassandra, he strode out.

"Rufus, stop!"

Cassandra called out to him nervously as he passed by her. It felt like he had misunderstood something. However, he didn't stop even upon hearing her call him. He barely paused before he headed towards the elevator.

Before the elevator could come and Rufus could go away, she ran to his side, reaching for his arm, trying to explain, "I had a small incident just now, which is why Dylon let me take a shower in his bathroom. Please don't read too much into it! He was just being helpful!"

The blank look on his face worried her even more. She kept gazing at him anxiously while her heart sank at his suspicious, accusing face.

"You don't need to explain anything to me."

Rufus's mood was at its worst. He reached for the elevator panel directly without even casting a glance in her direction. He didn't want to listen to anything she had to say at all.

"Nothing happened between us, Rufus. Please don't be like this. It's saddening to see you behave so coldly."

Cassandra was now at her wit's end, almost at the edge of breaking down. Rufus and his aloof attitude scared her. It was obvious he had mistaken things. She was innocent and didn't deserve to be treated like that.

Just then, the elevator door slid open. A glamorous woman stepped out, almost bumping into Rufus's arms.

"Cassandra! How come you're here?"

Michelle gasped in disbelief. She was utterly shocked to see Cassandra and Rufus there. She stared at them, mouth wide open, curious to see what was happening between the two. Judging from Rufus's tightly pressed mouth, she figured he was pretty mad about something.

Rufus didn't answer at all, shockingly. His strange behaviour shocked both Cassandra and Michelle, especially when he pushed Michelle aside and walked straight into the elevator. The door closed silently behind him as he pressed the button for the lobby.

"Damn you! How dare you treat me like this? I am your aunt!"

Michelle's face turned red with anger. She slammed her hand at the closed door such that Rufus would hear her protest. However, the elevator had already gone by then, leaving her stomping her feet in fury.

Jasper saw the entire episode from a distance and walked towards Michelle to calm her down. He patted her shoulders, trying to soothe her while he gave an awkward smile to Cassandra, saying, "Well, we shall take off as well."

He had no intentions of staying there any longer. Hastily, he turned around, almost dragging Michelle into the apartment.

"What the hell? What are you guys doing? What is going on? Why are you dragging me, Jasper? Where are we going?"

Michelle pushed him hard but it was all in vain. She simply couldn't break off his grip. Jasper was so much bigger and stronger that in no time he pulled her into the apartment and closed the door behind them.

"What the hell, Jasper! Are you out of your mind?"

Muttering angrily at Jasper, she bent down to change her shoes by the closed door. She was about to greet Cassandra when he interrupted her and dragged her inside. She had no idea why he would do something like that.

"Well, let's not poke our noses into other people's business, shall we? How about we mind our own business? Could you please leave them alone, now that I have come back home? Try to focus on me."

Jasper walked closer to her, his handsome face glimmering with joy. He took her in his arms, hugging her tightly. He pulled himself back, about to kiss her ruby lips.

"Stop it. What are you doing? I was working all day long. Let me rest for a while."

Michelle turned her face and pouted, annoyed. She was really upset with how he had treated her before.

Jasper was a mature and cool CEO in front of his employees but only she knew how flirtatious and childish he was in private. Always, he would approach her without warning and steal a quick kiss, anywhere and anytime. Most times, she'd be taken aback by his spontaneity.

"Why not? Just a small kiss, please sweetie!"

Now he sounded like a kid craving for a candy bar. Jasper looked at Michelle lovingly, eyes sparkling with lust. He looked like such a naughty child with that pouting mouth.

"Stop it. You really creep me out, sometimes!"

Michelle grumbled and pushed his face aside.

"You hurt my feelings, sweetie. Why do you have to be so mean?"

Jasper sighed dramatically and followed her as she walked into the living room. Michelle turned the TV on as soon as she sat on the sofa, and bleated, "A woman must not treat her man too well, or he starts taking her for granted, forgetting to cherish her!"

She wasn't joking or teasing him. Her words were serious. She didn't even look at him as she said those words.

"Hey, I have been cherishing you all these years. You should already know the kind of man I am. Your nephew dumped his company in my hands and now I'm working like a donkey for its profits. I even put my own business aside so I can attend to his company wholeheartedly. Everyday, I work my ass off just to keep the business afloat which is why I barely get to see you. Honestly, it feels like we are in a long distance relationship with a whole galaxy keeping us apart."

Michelle continued to look at the screen, expressionless. "I am literally crying my heart out here!" Jasper shouted.

There was no effect, still. Then he slid closer to her and leaned against her warm body. Just gazing at her beautiful face made his heart full. They'd been together for years and the love he felt for her hadn't diminished at all. This was how he felt when they first met, and it was how he felt now.

"Cut it out, please. Anyways, what's the deal with Cassandra and Rufus? It seemed like they just had a fight."

Michelle talked coldly, thinking of Rufus's rude behavior. How could he push her aside like that in front of everyone? She wasn't particularly okay with such absurd manners.

All things said and done, she was his aunt. As an elder relative, she should've been treated with much more respect. Even though, she was an easy-going person, her temper was short. Rufus owed her an apology.

"Well, to be honest with you, I feel like I kind of messed things up by saying unnecessary things..."

Jasper murmured with a low voice, guilty. He couldn't dare to look her in the eye.

"You know what, Jasper, now that we are talking about it, let me tell you something. I really think you are great at handling the business. It's daily life where you're a complete jerk."

Michelle gave him a stern look, shaking her head disapprovingly. She was so mad at how he behaved at times. His interpersonal skills were so damn poor, it wasn't even funny. He had to be more careful of what he said to others.

"I know! You're right, babe. I was quite a jerk when I first decided to pursue you. It took such a long time to win your heart! Maybe if I were smarter, you'd have become mine much sooner."

A big smile spread across his handsome lips. With that charm he had, Jasper looked so innocent, talking with all honesty to the love of his life.

"Anyway, how come you're investing in Dawn Star group now? I just read about it a while ago. I thought you were planning to invest in the domestic entertainment industries? Isn't that right?"

The two hadn't seen each other for a while. Michelle had her own studio and its operations to attend to; while Jasper had been concentrating on the business development of the firms. That was why she hadn't gotten any updates on his business plans. Occasionally, they would call each other and talk briefly. But that wasn't enough to have a clear and deeper understanding of how their businesses were going on.

"Rufus once hinted to me, if Dawn Star Group boomed, Tang Group would be deeply threatened. And then, Horace would have to keep Rufus in charge of everything. He appointed him to be the CEO because he trusts his outstanding capacities. Back then, Rufus was entrusted with a mission that was very critical and difficult at the moment. But you know, once the company is back on track, Horace will definitely get rid of him and appoint Lionel."

Jasper straightened his face, explaining things to Michelle patiently. The look on his face became sincere and serious the moment he started to talk about work.

"Gosh, what do you think will happen if Dawn Star Group actually rises to power? Is he planning to upset the entirety of real estate industry in G City?"

Michelle was intrigued. Her eyebrows furrowed, wondering if Rufus was serious about this or not. Sometimes, even after being a close relative to him, Rufus felt like a complete stranger to her, someone she couldn't understand at all.

She knew he was smart and confident. Ever since he was a child, Rufus had been truly intelligent. Compared to his peers, he processed things much quicker and was able to memorise things easily. He picked up on new things with curiosity and eagerness.

For years, he only had his mother to rely on. He trusted her wholeheartedly. It was only when she fell ill, that he discovered things about his past. The stories he had heard from his mother overwhelmed him, almost broke him. After that, for a very long time, he became very sensitive and eventually, rebellious. It was a hard time for both of them.

However, things changed when Rufus's mother, Michelle's sister got bed-ridden. It was like he matured overnight. This sudden change in him shocked everyone.

Rufus showed his extraordinary skills at such a young age. Ten years ago, he got admitted into an elite group to receive advanced training with the organisation. He turned out to be one of the smartest members. Intelligent and focused, he founded TY group and just within a short period of 2 years, it saw huge success. TY group made a big fortune and continued to remain lucrative till date. People couldn't believe such a young man had already achieved so much. His sharp brain and immense maturity impressed everyone in the business world.

Rufus was always polite to Michelle, showing full respect to his aunt. Yet, she felt like there was something that kept things cold between them.

To her, it seemed like Cassandra's arrival had changed Rufus drastically. She still remembered the day Rufus came to her, asking for a dress for Cassandra. Michelle could tell his eyes were lit up. It was then when it first struck her what had been missing in Rufus's life all this time.

His success alone wasn't enough. He ached for love and affection but needed to build up the courage to trust someone.

Before Cassandra walked into his life, he was a lone wolf who lived with pride, independent in his own kingdom. He tended to do things in a straightforward manner. Cassandra changed so many things in his life. He craved for her. Before, he had never cared for anyone's well being.

Just the way he talked about her bespoken dress revealed how much he cared for her happiness. He'd asked Michelle to present the best dress for Cassandra, putting in so much effort to help her design it. Michelle was shocked to see him talking so much that day. He'd barely talked to her since his mother passed away.

He told her Cassandra's favourite colour was blue and that navy-blue suited her smooth ivory skin the best.

A one-piece dress would be ideal for her slim yet curvy figure. She'd completely dazzle everyone with a dress that highlighted her tiny waist.

She was a girl of unique taste and liked her attires to be eccentric and very individual to herself. Even when she wore the most simple outfits to work, she'd have altered some details such that it spoke of taste.

Rufus's behaviour shocked Michelle. She never thought a person like him would go to the lengths of discussing details for a dress! Her jaw dropped when he came to her with that request so seriously.

She had to admit that Cassandra had influenced him greatly. He went beyond himself just to make her happy.

"Gosh, Rufus is such a complicated man. It's so hard to read him! Even though I am a family member, sometimes, I find it overwhelming just to face him. He is not that easy going. I wonder how Cassandra feels confronting him. It must surely be difficult."