Chapter 42 Amazing Beauty


    "Lionel, where''s that pretty wife of yours?"


    asked Ivy. Holding onto Lionel''s arm, she searched for herpetitor in the busy crowd. She was


    smiling proudly at him, with her lips slightly parted and her face as enchanting as always.


    She hoped that she could finally meet Cassandra for the first time - thest time in Lionel''s office didn''t


    count. All she knew about Cassandra was from the photograph, plus what Lionel had told her. She


    wasn''t worried, however. No one can be a threat to a woman like Ivy.


    "Is everything ready?" Lionel asked, shaking off her smile with a serious look.


    The name Cassandra ignited his anger as always. He couldn''t forget how that woman had insulted him


    by pping him and stepping on his pride. Tonight was his revenge. He was bringing Ivy to the


    celebration banquet, knowing that it would humiliate Cassandra.


    "Lionel, have I ever let you down?" the woman assured him. "I am very close with the owner of the


    hotel. Trust me, everything will go to n."


    Ivy''s alluring tone and eyes hypnotized Lionel, subduing his anger. He was delighted to hear her


    assurance, and in a sudden rush of jubtion, kissed her right then in front of everyone.


    The other members of the Tang family stiffened in surprise and displeasure. It was such an immoral act


    from a married man, as if he didn''t care at all about disgracing his family. Horace''s face creased with


    anger, and he stepped toward his son.


    "Horace, just leave him be. It is too elegant an asion for us to quarrel in public. He''s still young and


    it''s natural for young man to fall for many women."


    Jill stepped out in front of her husband to pacify his anger. Lionel was her precious son, and she had


    always wanted him to have anything his heart desired. This time was no different.


    "I can''t believe he brought his mistress here, to such a formal asion! How am I supposed to exin


    this to the rest of the family? And what about Cassandra? She will lose face!"


    Horace disdained his wife''s constant coddling of their son. Because of her, Lionel was weak,


    ipetent, and spoiled. Horace''s eyes burned with fury at the fact that his son had failed to meet


    expectations yet again.


    Jill tried again to calm him, "So what, Horace? You can yell at him now, but do you really want to make


    a scene here for others to see? Will you expose our family to ridicule? In any case, nobody else knows


    that Cassandra is Lionel''s wife. We can settle this better at hometer."


    Jill couldn''t care less about how Cassandra would feel. She had disliked her daughter-inw since the


    moment Cassandra had married to her son. As time psed, this dislike had only grown - Lionel had


    told his mother about all the not-so-secret flirtations between Cassandra and Rufus. In fact, Jill wouldn''t


    mind seeing Cassandra get a taste of her own medicine - to see Lionel unting his mistress. She


    wanted to see where this would lead.


    Despite her cruel intentions, her words did make some sense. Horace took a deep breath and sighed in


    frustration. They could not make a scene out here. Losing face for Horace or Lionel meant losing face


    for the entire Tang group.


    ***


    "Are you Mr. Luo''s secret guard? I know his assistant, Leo...You know, I even feel like I''ve seen you


    before...and now you''re the person that Mr. Luo assigned to pick us up! That is very kind of you, to offer


    your service like that. If not for your help, Cassandra and I would certainly bete,"


    Ste chattered to Victor as they approached the lift to the banquet room. She seemed in high spirits,


    looking around her and at Victor.


    Victor, however, held a poker face throughout, hiding any emotion. With some embarrassment,


    Cassandra poked at the chatty Ste, hinting at her to quiet down.


    Ignoring the obvious cue, Ste continued, "Why are both of you so quiet? We are so honored to have


    Mr. Luo''s guard to lead us the way to the event. Cassandra, don''t you feel excited? I think this is so


    exciting!"


    Ste''s excitement was running over. Victor, wary of being close to such a wildly exhrated person,


    took a step back.


    This was the first time he had seen a woman so chattering.


    Before Ste could find anything else to be excited about, the lift stopped. They reached the level


    where the banquet room was.


    Victor led the way to the room, with the women following side by side.


    Everyone was watching as the door of the huge room opened to wee another guest. Through this


    door stepped a vision of white, and it took them a second to recognize who it was. Cassandra


    appeared in a stunning white gown that clung to her curves and widened out below the knee. As she


    turned her head to look around, her morously styled hair fell across her exposed back and shoulders


    in waves.


    She radiated youthfulness and elegance, like a mermaid stepping ontond for the first time. She had


    used makeup to entuate her eyes, and as she nced around the room everyone could see her


    expression sparkle.


    Cassandra drew stares and nces as she glided through the crowd, smiling and greeting everyone in


    turn. She seemed somehow taller and prouder, despite her small stature.


    Cassandra noticed that there were a number of eyes on her.


    She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and then decided that she would not let the


    attention bother her. The melody of the piano filled the room, mingling with the buzz of the crowd.


    "Oh Cassandra, everyone is looking at us! You must be the most radiant person in this room!"


    Ste half-whispered, giggling, into her friend''s ear.


    Cassandraughed along with her, winking slyly. She swept her gaze across the crowd, in search of


    one particr person.


    It didn''t take her long to spot who she was looking for - Rufus.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Just as she found him, their eyes locked together. He was standing still on the other side of the room,


    with a dark red drink in his hand. She thought she saw his eyes widen for a second, and a slight blush


    rise to his cheeks. But she must have imagined it. Rufus was never ruffled.


    He looked at the vision across from him. His breath had caught in his throat - he didn''t know what to


    do. No words could be used to describe her beauty; nothing he said would be worthy of her attention.


    He felt a warmth rush through his blood. He was intoxicated by the sight of her. He wanted more.


    Seeing her out of her sensible work clothes, and robed in so much grace, Rufus felt a passion ignite


    within his blood.


    She was as calm andposed as ever, and she must have no idea of the effect she had on him. All


    Rufus could think about at the moment was taking her into his arms, pressing her body tightly to his. He


    wanted to stake his im on her, and show the world that she was his.


    He felt a prick of annoyance at having to share her beauty with the rest of the fools in this room.


    And so they stood, locked into a stalemate, unable to break their mutual gaze away.


    Eventually Cassandra realized what she was doing, and a blush blossomed across her face. Luckily a


    pair of her work colleagues came to her and struck up a conversation. Only then was the spell broken


    and she was able to look away.


    "It seems that I''ve married a very pretty woman,"


    Lionel murmured to himself. Even he, who would normally never touch Cassandra, was in awe of her.


    Unconsciously, he started walking towards his wife. Ivy saw the look on his face and grabbed his arm,


    holding him back.


    This was not how Ivy had expected the night to go. She had thought it would be easy to humiliate


    Cassandra. The tiny woman was enchanting, and all eyes - including Lionel''s - were on her. Ivy felt the


    envy bubble up within her. Not letting go of his hand, Ivy tilted her head to the side, batted her


    eyshes, and intoned mockingly, "So you''re going to her now huh? You just can''t wait to tell everyone


    she''s your wife, can you?"


    Lionel could sense the jealously emanating from her, but he realized the truth in her words. It would not


    be wise to approach Cassandra right now.


    Ivy was right.


    "If you want to go, then let''s go together,"


    the envious woman suggested, as if she could read Lionel''s thoughts.


    He considered it for a second, and then agreed. The thought of how they would punish Cassandrater


    brought a smile to his face.


    "Honey, you know me so well. How can I not love someone as smart and cunning as you?"


    Lionel leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear. Assuming that he was mocking her, she just


    scoffed and strode toward Cassandra with him.


    Past experience had taught her not to expect any better from men. She knew it would be pointless to


    try and stop him being attracted to other women.


    If Lionel wanted to get close to Cassandra, then she would let him do it.


    On the other side of the room, Cassandra was trying to stay focused on the conversation with her


    colleagues, but her attention kept wandering off. She found herself ncing away from time to time,


    trying to spot the one man that was always on her mind.


    At some point she turned her head again to look, and a man was standing in front of her. It was Lionel,


    with his mistress, Ivy, standing behind him.


    "Manager Qin, I havee to congratte you on the excellent job that you have done on the recent


    case. What would Tang Group do without you?"


    Cassandra bristled at Lionel''s insincere tone and smile, and even more at the woman staring at her


    smugly from over his shoulder.


    Ivy looked her rival up and down, and was surprised at the other woman''sck of envy at the sight of


    her presence as the mistress. Either Cassandra truly felt nothing for Lionel, or her power of deception


    was to rival even Ivy''s own.


    Either way, Ivy suspected that there was more to the tiny woman than met the eye.


    "Thank you, Mr. Tang."


    Cassandra matched her husband''s false politeness.


    "Come, a toast to Manager Qin!"


    Lionel lifted his ss, indicating for Cassandra to drink. His eyes sparkled with malice.


    Cassandra''s smile froze. She knew that she had an unnatural intolerance to alcohol, and would be


    tipsy after a few sips. Last time she drank was the night in Rome, and it didn''t take much to get her


    completely drunk.


    There was no way she was letting that happen again, not here, not now.


    "Thank you."


    She smiled. She raised the ss to her mouth, careful not to let any of the wine actually touch her lips.


    But this didn''t shake off Lionel, as she had hoped that it would.


    Ivy, meanwhile, was growing indignant at Cassandra''sck on interest in her. The other woman had


    barely given her a nce, treating her as no more than a puff of smoke.


    Ivy''s pride could not allow her to be ignored like this, and she tightened her grip on Lionel''s hand.


    "Manager Qin, this is quite unfair. I have finished my ss, yet you have barely touched yours. Am I


    not good enough to have a drink with you?"


    Lionel tried to provoke her. He was increasingly frustrated, not only at the fact that she wouldn''t drink,


    but also at how unbothered she seemed by seeing her husband unting his mistress so publicly.


    He once again thought of the rtionshio between Cassandra and Rufus. His suspicions were driving


    him crazy.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Tang. I don''t drink,"


    Cassandra refused firmly. She was determined not to give in to Lionel''s pressuring.


    Lionel''s face soon turned bleak. Before he could say another word to intimidate her, he was cut off by a


    familiar voice, "I''m her boss. If Manager Qin cannot drink, then I shall drink for her stead."


    Rufus slipped in softly from out of nowhere. He took the ss from Cassandra''s hand and - to the


    surprise of everyone around him - emptied it with a swig.