A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 178

Cassandra was startled, as were all the people around her.

The baby slept soundly, as if nothing had happened, oblivious to the act of motherhood by which he was saved. Somehow, the mother had squatted with him in her arms, protecting him against the falling boulders with her own body.

Cassandra's mouth fell open in horror, surprise, gratefulness. All at once, these emotions were so hard to process that her hands started to tremble.

Something seemed to cross her mind abruptly but only for an instant. She couldn't hold on to it no matter how hard she tried.

The mother had protected her baby, keeping all the dangers at bay. This truly, was the power of love and love alone.

Dylon snapped to his senses, still recovering from the shock of what had just happened. He sprung forward to test the blood pressure and pulse of the baby, then carried him to the ambulance which had just arrived at the scene. Standing by the ambulance, he saw the father of the baby, wailing helplessly, knelt down on his knees.

Cassandra didn't know what to look at, the destruction or the distancing of loved ones. She felt solemn, stirred and numbed by the misery around her.

Naturally, the night was disturbing. Cassandra lay in Rufus's arms, snuggling against his chest. Her eyes were stuck to the wall, as if it was a canvas on which was playing all images from the events of the day that she couldn't get out of her head. She didn't realize but she was now mumbling. Rufus arched his neck to hear her better but he couldn't make out any proper words.

Soon, thereafter, she fell asleep. Sleep was equally appalling. She dreamed of a strange woman, holding a baby in her arms, crying in horror, looking right into her eyes.

"Don't come closer!" Cassandra yelled, alarmed. "Stop!" Louder, this time.

She could not make out their faces. They might as well have been made out of sand sifting through the wind.

All Cassandra saw was the woman clutching her baby, as if she was holding the most valuable treasure that ever existed. The most disturbing thing was the hostility and hatred with which she stared at Cassandra.

Cassandra felt tremendously sad and helpless. The sadness hit her oddly, making her desperate to ask for an explanation. Why did the woman hate her so much? She wanted to ask, yell, shriek but no sound came out of her wide open mouth.

The dream tortured her the entire night, coming and going in flashes, like memory left behind by terrible things. She was grateful to have been woken up by some noises in the morning.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Rufus lying next to her, looking straight at her. There were concerns and a sweet sense of care in his eyes.

"Did you have a nightmare last night? I know you didn't sleep well."

Rufus initiated an exchange, hoping she would release some of her stress and anxiety. He brushed his hand across her cheek, then held her by her bare shoulder.

"It's nothing. It's just...because of whatever happened yesterday."

The imagery of the dream was still fresh in her mind. She didn't know what it meant or whether it was a premonition for something. She didn't want to talk about it. One, describing it would mean reliving the horror of it; and two, she didn't want Rufus to worry about her.

"Ummhmm...See, your body is really weak right now. You won't be able to make it. Just go home and rest, okay?"

Rufus constantly worried about her health. He wished she would leave as soon as possible and spend some time in peace, rejuvenating.

"What are you saying? I can't leave! You know they are short of hands. We don't know how many people are still trapped underground. How can I leave at such a crucial moment? I'll wait at least till the rescue is drawing to an end."

She rejected Rufus's suggestion without an inch of hesitation. It didn't matter how she felt. The situation at hand was much serious than her own health.

The rescue vehicles were driving in and out in large numbers. The streets that were usually boisterous with people and activities were now carpeted with rubble, dishevelled hair and dusty faces. If she left now, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself for the rest of her life.

Rufus's heart ached on seeing her so exhausted. Knowing she won't dither, he pulled her into his arms. There was something about her that touched his soul.

She was the kind of woman who was strong headed for the things she believed in and yet so kind, giving and unselfish.

In the days that followed, Cassandra kept working with the rescuers. Rufus stood by them unconditionally, too.

He transferred thousands of boxes full of emergency supplies to distribute in the disaster-struck areas, which solved many burning problems—hunger, hygiene, and shelter being the primary of them.

In just a few days, Cassandra became one of the toughest volunteer in the crew. She didn't talk much and only spent her energy in helping the rescuers with providing professional knowledge. She hoped to save as many people as possible.

Due to her professional knowledge in the field, she could bring many reliable solutions for the rescue which not only were less time-consuming but also improved the overall security. The rescuers were appreciated due to her excellent ideas.

After most of the rescue missions were completed, some rescue teams gradually withdrew. Only some special search-and-rescue teams stayed for aftermath of the earthquake. Cassandra was too exhausted to continue the job.

So set by Rufus, she quit from rescue and went back to G City with Rufus.

On the first night they spent in Garden Villa after going back, Cassandra finally slept soundly. Sleeping straight for 10 hours, she woke up fresh and content.

When she opened her eyes to the sun-lit, off-white walls, Cassandra felt like she was back to the human world from hell.

"Please let me know next time you plan to leave the villa, okay?"

Rufus seemed to beg her for her own protection. He pulled her into his arms, as she buried her head in his chest. A strange mix of feelings oozed in his heart as he recalled how hard she had worked to rescue the affected people.

The love between them in those circumstances seemed too little and insignificant, as if it held no importance as compared to the task at hand. But as soon as they got back to the villa, Rufus realized how scared he was of them falling apart.

"Hmm..."

Cassandra made an affirming sound and snuggled further into him, feeling his warm skin on her own.

She thought they finally had some time to relax after what seemed like having been in a hell-like battlefield. But she was wrong. The happy time was due to leave as abruptly as it had come.

Further away, in the Tang Villa, Jill paced right and left, comfortable and relaxed.

She felt happy to discover Rufus was on a business trip, being the man she was most disgusted by.

Horace, on the other hand, wasn't particularly in a good mood when he came back from the hospital. In fact, he seemed much more depressed than before.

Jill thought it was because he was ill. She kept trying to encourage him every now and then, but it never worked. He looked as still as a stone carved into a sculpture.

Inside his study, Horace didn't have a better way to deal with his frustrations. All he could do was heave a sigh and confront him directly when Lionel approached him, "Lionel, why didn't you take those projects? How could you let Dawn Star Group get ahead of us? I already told you it's like eating a cake. If someone eats more, you will naturally have less! The gap gets enlarged!"

Horace felt anxious. Only when Rufus left, he realized how much he relied on him for the smooth running of the business.

Lionel, like everyone had suspected, was an ordinary businessman. Dawn Star Group's tactical moves had won them several project contracts right under Tang Group's nose.

"Father, I've already done whatever was in my control. What could I do if they had bigger and better moves? Now, they have the economic strength to begin several projects in parallel. We can't surpass them."

Lionel was convinced he was innocent. Sometimes, he didn't know how to compete because of his own limitations.

"I'm trying to contact the investor. You go handle the situation, now that Rufus is not here. Don't make any troubles, understood? Please take this seriously," Horace replied, irritated and tensed.

He had already gotten nervous the day he received a call from Rufus informing him he was going on a business trip and didn't know the returning date.

He had planned to hand the Tang Group over to Lionel. That was the only measure of expediency when Rufus was not there to manage it. He thought Rufus would do his best to manage the group but eventually realized he kept himself limited.

Based on his understanding of Rufus, if he had put in 100% effort, Dawn Star Group wouldn't have had the chance to even have a finger on the cake. Rufus seemed to use only little of his power and skills, just enough to keep Tang Group floating at a high level in the market, but not enough to surpass Dawn Star Group.

This wasn't Horace's original plan. It seemed like his heart was in his throat. Dawn Star Group's recent, back-to-back moves worried him to the core and kept him at the edge all the time.

"Father, don't be so worried. You're the chairman of Tang Group. Arthur is still scared of you

and he would never drive away or exterminate us. We still have some projects of the industrial district," Lionel said, trying to comfort Horace.

His intention was good but he didn't realize the severity of the situation. He didn't think it was necessary to worry about such competition as long as Tang Group had projects to do.

Horace was done trying to make him understand with his shortsighted vision. He simply waved his hand at Lionel, signalling him to leave the room. He needed time to think of immediate countermeasures.

Horace paced up and down in his study. After a while, he finally dialed the phone number that was burnt in his memory.

The voice on the other end was as hoarse as he remembered it used to be.

"Mr. Tang, needless to say, you are in some big trouble... Do you seek help from me?"

The person seemed unsurprised, casual and calm, as if there was nothing unusual happening.

"Yes...Tang Group needs huge investments to stay afloat. I'd like to know how things are going. Have you made a decision yet?"

Horace trod with extreme care, choosing his words carefully before he spoke. It was crucial that he kept this man on his side.

"Well, Mr. Tang, I think I already told you. We will offer you anything you want the day your beloved son Rufus and Amanda get engaged. Surely, you haven't forgotten that. The illness couldn't have been that bad."

The tone didn't change. The way he talked didn't convey any chance of concession. It startled Horace.

He really seemed to be after Rufus and Amanda's marriage. Horace didn't understand why. What would it mean to him?

"Mr. Tang, don't worry. There will be no harm inflicted upon Rufus if he is engaged to Amanda. The only thing I want is for Rufus to settle down and have a happy family. After that, he can serve Tang Group as he's been doing all these years. This is the only way we can reach any conclusion and ensure a safe investment."

This man sounded so sure. He had pointed out exactly what Horace was doubtful of and already given a justification for it.

Now Horace had come to a realization. They seemed to trust Rufus too but weren't satisfied about the way he operated, which was too reserved.