Rufus's thoughts had wandered off to Cassandra. What would her reaction be when she learned of
how he became the man that he was now?
Would she blame him and get angry with him for not telling her the truth? Or would she forgive him and
accept him and his past?
But he had never expected such a result and would never believe it.
He shook his head at his own thoughts. 'No, impossible. She will never do that. I know her. She won't
be blinded by money.'
Shivers racked his frame at the thought that he could be wrong. It was a terrifying notion, and he
refused to believe it.
Charlie watched him coldly as he answered. He looked at Rufus in disbelief, as if he was telling the
biggest joke he had ever heard.
"You can believe what you want. I told her myself, and I saw how she turned pale when she heard that
you might not be able to inherit the Tang Group." Rufus gave no reply and Charlie scoffed, "You think
I'm lying? Listen to reason, Rufus. You are letting your emotions get the better of you. Whatever
feelings you have for her right now are turning you into a blind man. You're the smartest student I've
ever had, and it is ridiculous of you to believe in such a woman!"
Charlie's gaze was burning as he spoke. He shook his head repeatedly as he continued.
"I knew right from the start that she was no simple woman. She chose to marry Lionel for Tang Group's
power. Then she left him just as he was losing his father's favor. It was clever of her to turn her
attention to you, the next possible successor."
Charlie did not mince his words about Cassandra. He spoke without holding anything back, regardless
of whether it would hurt Rufus or not. At the same time, Rufus clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles
turning white from the force of his grip.
"You're wrong, Charlie," he said back sharply. "She had never wanted anything from me. Not once had
she asked for my help. She stood alone and did everything herself. Whatever she has right now, she
worked harder than anybody to get. You have no idea what she had to go through."
Rufus defended Cassandra without any hesitation, but was cut off by Charlie who now started to feel
disappointed.
"Listen to yourself, Rufus! Why are you defending her? Don't be naive! That woman loves nobody but
herself! She knows what my money will bring her, and that's why she drew a clear line between you
and her. Stop acting like a dog waiting for scraps from her!"
The venom in Charlie's voice as he spat out the words stung Rufus. He clenched his teeth in restraint.
There was no telling of what he could do if he was not able to hold his temper.
Seeing Rufus's expression, Charlie knew that he had better stop. Things were quickly getting more and
more heated, and it was sure to erupt once they reach the extremes. From there on, there would be no
turning back.
"You have to know. There're more to her than what you think, and I'm sure your eyes will open once
you see it for yourself. Remember what I've taught you, Rufus, and for God's sake, use your head!" He
huffed for a moment before taking a step back. "I'm done here. It's your decision to make. Amanda,
let's get out of here!"
Charlie grabbed his daughter's hand as she was still sobbing and headed quickly to the door.
Meanwhile, Amanda had not yet recovered from the shock. She let herself be led by her father to the
elevator as she looked back at the figure behind the glass window. Every step she took felt heavy as
she thought of Rufus and how he was dealing with her father's words.
She tried to pull her hand away once she had regained enough sense. "Father, I need to go back. He's
hurt, and I have to stay with him!" she cried.
She did not want to let her father drag her away from him. She wanted nothing more than to stay by
Rufus's side.
"Amanda, listen to me. He would only grow more tired of you if you keep showing up in front of him. I
am a man too, and I know how my kind thinks far better than you. Keeping your distance is much better
than being a desperate woman who smothers him every second!"
Charlie felt Amanda struggle in his grip as he lectured her. He clutched her hand more tightly, in case
she ran to Rufus again. He did not let go of her even when they had reached the ground floor and he
dragged her with him out of the Tang Group.
Rufus was left to himself when Amanda and Charlie left. Alone, he finally let out all the emotions he
had to suppress. The anguish and resentment were killing him from inside like knives cutting through
his flesh.
With one swift motion, he struck the wall with his fists, trying to relieve himself of the fury that was
boiling inside him. The image of Cassandra came to his mind and he shook at the thought of her
betraying him.
'Cassandra, did you really accept Charlie's offer when you knew that I would not be able to take over
the Tang group?' he asked silently in his heart, pleading that it was not true.
'Was Charlie right? Was I wrong about you?' he thought to himself, doubt blooming in his chest with
every second.
Outside the door, Victor stood in hesitation as he deliberated whether he should knock or leave. Before
he could make a decision, Rufus sensed his presence and glowered at him.
"Come in! What's this about now?"
Rufus composed himself and looked at Victor with his hands clasped behind his back.
Victor stepped inside, with worry evident on his face.
"Mr. Luo, we have a problem with the theatre project. Can you go and take a look at the spot?" Victor
asked in a low voice.
Rufus knew Victor would not be coming here unless it was something serious. It was very rare that
Victor could not fix things by himself. With his appearance at his door, Rufus knew that he had to attend
the matter personally.
"Alright, tell my assistant to clear my schedule this afternoon until tomorrow. I'll go there with you,"
Rufus said briskly.
Originally, he was scheduled to go abroad this afternoon to fulfill a promise to Charlie to train the newly
recruited members of Dark Night Group. The training would require him to stay for a few days.
And thus, he'd better solve this unexpected problem before leaving.
Rufus spent the whole afternoon giving instructions and coordinating with people. It was dark outside
when things finally got settled.
While he was busy with work, Cassandra was waiting for him outside the construction spot. She waited
and waited until the last traces of the sun had vanished. She watched as the people thinned out and
went their ways. Even the workers had almost all left. She shivered as a cold breeze fanned through
her, wrapping her arms around herself. As if to add to her growing frustration, the lamp on roadside
blinked and then went out completely. Cassandra could barely feel her legs from standing long and she
stamped her feet to the ground to get some of the feeling back. She craned her neck to the direction
where Rufus would come from, but there was no trace of him.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda