A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 216

Cassandra held her breath against the invisible hands that gripped at her heart.

Love was a trap. At one second, warmth would fill her and send her feet floating off the ground; the next moment, it would send her crumbling as if knives were cutting through her heartstrings. Rufus enveloped her with joy such as that she had never known before, and he came in her life at a time when she least expected it. Despite this, she was not allowed that. Just as he came, he was free to come and go whenever he pleased, and certainty was something that did not exist between them. At times, she felt like a ship without an anchor, forever drifting in the waves of her emotions.

At this moment, the waters of Cassandra's mind were filled with nothing but turbulence. Rufus said, time and again, that he loved her and that she occupied his heart. Why were his eyes following another woman then? Cassandra thought long and hard, but the silence of her thoughts offered no answers.

The red roses that Rufus brought were blossoming, their petals moist with water. To Cassandra, the trembling dewdrops looked like tears under the faint lamplight.

Rufus slammed on the gas and drove as fast as he could to the hospital, heading straight to Amanda's ward.

Her lone figure appeared to him as he opened the door. She was sitting immobile at the edge of her bed, her face emotionless.

The sound of the door pulled her attention and she turned her head to him.

"Thank you for coming, Rufus!" she said, forcing a smile on her lips.

It was a strange expression to see in her face. Gone was the light of the proud pianist he had always known her to be. Despite the curve of her lips, she looked so sad.

"What did the doctor say?" Rufus asked immediately.

He heard earlier that she was sent to the hospital from loss of oxygen, but something nagged at him. He wanted to be sure.

Amanda looked down at her hands as they lay folded across her lap. "The doctor suspected that I might get the Becket's disease," she murmured, speaking in a hushed voice.

He almost failed to hear the slight tremble in her words.

Rufus had never heard of such a disease, but the gloom that enveloped Amanda was something so real that he could see her panicking.

"Are they sure about it?" Rufus followed.

He reached out for the medical record on the headboard. There was nothing there.

"No, they aren't," Amanda answered in response to his question. "They will do some tests later and the results will come out in two weeks," she told him in a pained voice, as if speaking physically exhausted her.

She had never once thought that something like this could happen to her. A rush of anxiety poured through her and she grabbed Rufus's shirt in desperation, cold shivers racking all over her body.

"I'm scared," she said, and lifted her pleading eyes to meet his. "Can you stay here with me, Rufus?"

Rufus hesitated for a long moment, staring at the white, trembling hand that clutched at his shirt. Cassandra was still waiting for him, and he had thought that he could go back to her after making sure of Amanda's condition. But now, he was at a loss on what to do about what he had just learned and Amanda's pleas.

"My father had gone back to deal with some emergency. Please, Rufus! Don't leave me here alone," she pleaded again, tears forming in her eyes.

After those words, she began to sob. Tears were running down endlessly along her cheeks.

Rufus could feel his heart soften at the sight of her. There was nothing else he could do. He did not have it in him to leave Amanda at such a trying time. He owed that much to her father. Charlie was the one person who believed in him when he had little more than nothing to his name. He would do him this favor.

Then, he sat on the edge of the bed as Amanda lay down. She reached out for his hand and held it tightly, afraid that he would leave.

"I'll be here with you. Go to sleep and rest," he said, reassuring her with his words.

How could he possibly leave her in this cold and dark hospital alone, at a time when she was sick? He was left with no other choice but to stay beside her.

Amanda nodded to him, her eyes brimming with gratitude and relief, and closed her eyes. Fear and exhaustion had taken a toll on her, and her eyelids were weighed down with sleep shortly.

Rufus heaved a sigh of relief. Disentangling their hands, he turned around and went outside to the balcony. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag. Spirals of smoke rose from the stick and disappeared with his breath in the spring air.

Meanwhile, in the headquarters of Dark Night Group, Charlie saw red as he thrust the documents on his hand to the floor.

"What the hell is Clark doing now? Didn't he know that our members are being attacked one after another? Why isn't he doing anything?"

Charlie shouted at his henchmen, who stood quietly with their heads lowered. Everyone knew better than to dare utter a single word.

Charlie trained his men with an iron fist, but he could deal with them gently when he deemed it necessary. Not once had he lost composure in front of his men, until today.

This middle-aged man had always kept his cool. He knew that restraint was also a show of power.

If Charlie lost control like this, it could only mean one thing: things were going to be very, very serious.

He had been staying in G City to take care of Amanda for the past days and planned to see Cassandra to have a talk with her, but he had to return immediately because of these unexpected circumstances.

In the past, the companies established by members of the Dark Night Group had been attacked or framed by competitors. Issues and scandals were nothing new to them, but this time was different. It was a full-scale invasion, and the enemy had been constantly on the offensive.

They were quickly taking over the market, and most moderate-sized companies took the brunt of the blow. Charlie had to watch them fall one after another, like perfectly arranged dominoes.

The strangest thing was that they had no idea who they were up against. He had already sent his men to investigate and gather intel, but nothing came of it. At surface level, it seemed like it was nothing but a horizontal competition, but Charlie knew better. The truth was much more complicated, and this was only the tip of the iceberg.

The Dark Night Group had been standing strong for many years and had cultivated countless talents. With the support of the powerful group, all members shot up to success rapidly. The group gave them a solid starting point, and the members gave a considerably firm foothold to the group. Day after day, and year after year, the Dark Night Group grew in success and influence, and almost dominated the whole financial market as of today.

With this success came competition. The higher they went, the fiercer it got. It was inevitable that outsiders stopped at nothing to try to destroy them, but with their strength and resources, the group remained firmly standing its ground.