It's not what I think. I don't care about what other people think. They mean nothing to me, as long as I
can be with you, ' she screamed in her head.
However, reality was cruel. She had to leave him. Then he wouldn't need to choose between two
women and be pulled apart from both directions.
'The pain is only temporary, ' Cassandra comforted herself silently. 'We would only hurt each other
more if we stay together. If I leave now, both of us would have more time to heal. It's for the best.'
"Cassandra, I never thought that you would be like this."
Rufus had never hated a woman so much as he did now. Even when Amanda left him, he had never
felt this much pain.
He was trying hard to rein in his anger, clenching his fists and cracking his finger joints.
"This is who I am," Cassandra lifted her chin and tried her best to appear cruel. "You treated me well
from the very beginning, so choosing you was the logical choice. I'm a realistic person, or I wouldn't
have divorced Lionel. I know he's not as good as you."
Cassandra projected an air of vanity.
The blood had all but drained from Rufus's face.
He had never felt so defeated, even before his business reached a plateau.
It seemed that he was twice the fool this time, and the pain brought by the betrayal was also two-fold.
Cassandra had never loved him. His heart broke at the thoughts that crashed over him.
"You're right," he managed to answer. "He's not as capable as I am, but I'm not as vicious as you are,"
he spat.
How to break two hearts that were in love?
Cassandra thought they were the best example. They were deeply in love, but now, they were only
hurting each other.
Although the words that she said were the complete opposite of her true feelings, she had already hurt
Rufus, and he was ready to snap back.
The tears were threatening to fall from her face, but she blinked against them, gritting her teeth and
clenching her fists to gain control.
"Well, now that you know what I've thinking, I don't think you have any more questions, and I have
nothing left to say to you either. We no longer have any reason to be together. Let's stop this before
things get even uglier."
Cassandra stared at him for the last time, committing to memory the lines of his face, even as his eyes
looked at her in disgust and anger.
His thick eyebrows, his starry eyes, his prominent and good-looking nose and his angry lips at the
moment...
She would allow herself one last glance, and leave for good. After this, they would be no different than
strangers.
She ran her eyes over his eyebrows and her gaze lingered on his before she turned away.
The night breeze was so much colder and she felt numb with the biting chill.
Like a wind-up toy, she headed mechanically for her apartment, crossing her arms over her chest.
There were no other arms to keep her warm from now on but her own.
Rufus stood where he was as numbness spread all over his body.
'She wants to leave me like this? She wants to leave after she takes what she wants?
I won't let her have her way like this!'
Cassandra was dragging her way toward the apartment, her steps trailing one over another. Suddenly,
the Phantom was beside her. Rufus got off and grabbed her arm. Without saying a word, he opened
the car door and pushed her into the front-passenger seat.
Cassandra was at a loss. She had never expected him to act this way. Rufus had revved the engine
before she could respond.
"What are you doing? Stop the car! Drop me off!" she demanded.
Rufus's face was set in harsh lines. He grabbed Cassandra's arm hard. Fear came over her as she felt
the anger from his touch.
She tried to open the car door but failed. She reached out, trying to wrestle with him to get rid of his
control, but Rufus tightened his grip on her. He was so strong that Cassandra felt as if her bones were
going to be crushed.
Still, she continued to struggle. At this, Rufus said coldly, "If you want me to have another car accident,
then go ahead and keep struggling."
They were both in the car. If an accident happened now, neither of them could escape.
Cassandra lost her strength at his words, remembering his state in the last car accident.
She never wanted him to go through that again.
When he felt Cassandra stop struggling, Rufus scoffed and shook off her wrist none too gently.
The car galloped toward Garden Villa, into the courtyard which Cassandra was all too familiar with.
Rufus stopped his car and said coldly, "Get off. Wait for me in the villa."
His face was expressionless, but the tight corners of his mouth betrayed his anger.
"Take me back to my apartment,"
Cassandra retaliated. It was his house, and she didn't want to show her weakness to him here.
However, Rufus remained deaf to her refusal. He got out of the car, opened the door, hoisted her on his
shoulder roughly and walked towards the villa.
Cassandra was being carried into the house before she could even register what was happening.
"Put me down!" she screamed.
She struggled in his grasp, kicking her legs and throwing her fists on Rufus's back.
"Stop it!" he snapped back.
"Rufus, you demon!"
"That makes two of us,"
Rufus retorted coldly, ignoring her cries. He carried her directly into the bedroom and threw her down
on the bed.
Cassandra tried to sit up, but the next moment, he was trapping her with his weight.
"Doesn't this scene seem familiar?"
Rufus whispered tauntingly in her ear. The smile on his face was cruel and vicious.
"I loved you before, but I hate you this time!" he seethed.
"What are you doing? Let go of me!" Cassandra screamed at him, trying to push him off her.
His arms only tightened even more. "Let you go? Impossible. Listen carefully, Cassandra Qin. I'll
always get what I want. And it doesn't matter how I get it."
Rufus tugged at his tie. Then, he grabbed Cassandra's hands and tied them together with it.
"Rufus! You son of a bitch! You're out of your mind. Let me go!"
Cassandra was frightened. She could not move her hands as they were tightly tied together.
"Go on and scream as much as you want. You won't be able to curse me after tonight!"
A cold smile played on Rufus's lips. His eyes were evil and cold, and Cassandra's blood froze at the
sight.
"Rufus, let me go! Do you hear me?! If you force me this way, I will never ever forgive you!" she
threatened.
Cassandra saw the glazed look in his eyes, just like the sky darkening before the storm. No one could
stop him now.
"I don't care. You have never really loved me anyway. You can hate me as much as you want.
I've said before that I won't let you leave until I die. But now, I'd like to make sure you can't leave me
unless I die, or you die!"
Rufus's words were like sharp knives stabbing right into Cassandra's heart, making deep lacerations.
Her heart thundered in fear.
She closed her eyes as he towered over her. She didn't want to see him this way. This was not the
Rufus she knew. If this was how he wanted things, she would just bear whatever happened silently.
She was so tired, and she had no more strength to fight him back. Right now, she was no different from
a common whore to him. After he was done venting his anger, she would be free.
By then, she would be a thorn in his flesh, and they wouldn't be able to be together again.
There was a smile on Rufus's lips, but his eyes glowed with hatred.
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