Chapter 46 I Am Here


    Cassandra''s heart pounded as she saw the silhouette of people waiting for her, their features bing


    more and more distinct as the car came near the entrance. Her eyes found her mother''s, and she


    almost leapt out of the car as soon as it came to a halt. She ran to Edith and wrapped her in her arms.


    "Mother," she said in an almost choked voice. Her joy was unexinable as she felt her mother''s own


    arms gather her. She took a deep breath, letting the familiar scent lull her.


    It was a very warm reunion. The other members of the Qin family had gathered together to wee


    Cassandra, their delight for her return was evident on the bright smiles on their faces. Vernon, however,


    stood silently on one side as if it was nothing special, even if he hadn''t seen his own daughter for so


    many years.


    Standing next to Vernon was a woman who had a face that was strikingly simr to Cassandra''s. They


    had the same bright eyes and high nose, but she wore her hair in a chin-length bob, giving her a doll-


    like look.


    That was Cloris, who was a spitting image of her older sister. However, her attention was pulled away


    from Cassandra to the handsome stranger who came with her.


    He was standing silently behind her, tall, and handsome. It was impossible not to notice him, despite


    his quietness. And although Cloris wasn''t familiar with her brother-inw, she knew that the man


    behind Cassandra was not him.


    Turning to her sister, she greeted her warmly and took her hand. "Cassandra, you came home. Finally!


    We have all missed you so much. Who is the handsome man behind you?"


    she asked enthusiastically.


    Cassandra nodded her head at her father and greeted him politely. Cloris and she did not grow up


    together, as they lived in different ces, but she was d for her warm wee. As if in response to


    her question, she turned around and met Rufus'' eyes. It was as if the world stopped for a split-second


    as they smiled at each other at the same time. Before she could speak, Vernon said with his heavy


    voice, "Alright, let''s go inside."


    Upon that, Edith grabbed her daughter''s hand and walked inside. Bright voices filled the air as the


    familyughed and talked on the way back to the mansion.


    Everyone settled in the living room with some hot tea and biscuits on the table. Amidst the


    conversations, Vernon stared at Rufus who was sitting across from him.


    "I have heard a lot of things about you, Mr. Luo. We are very much impressed by your achievements in


    the Tang Group… Thank you for apanying Cassandra here today."


    The courtesy Vernon showed in his words was devoid of any warmth, as if he was keeping a distance


    between them.


    "My pleasure, Mr. Qin. Besides, it was my father who asked me to do so,"


    Rufus replied, choosing his words wisely. He understood the cause of Vermon''s actions, and picked up


    on the silent question that belied his uncharacteristic civility, as everyone else in the room might be


    thinking the same thing. For it was he, not Lionel, Cassandra''s husband, who was with her today.


    "Father, Rufus takes care of me a lot, whether it is in thepany, or at home. Therefore…"


    Cassandra found herself exining, but hesitantly her words trailed off. She caught a weird feeling and


    decided against borating their connection.


    "Lionel must be very busytely,"


    Vernon said after a pause. He coughed looking meaningfully at Cassandra.


    "Well…I guess so."


    In fact, Cassandra knew nothing about Lionel''s work, not to mention whether he was busy or not.


    "I see. Now I understand why he didn''te home with you and asked Mr. Luo instead. That''s alright.


    Men should focus on their career,"


    Vernon continued, his voiceced with disappointment despite his unchanged expression.


    "Father," Cloris interjected, ncing at Rufus, "I think Mr. Luo is as good as his brother. Hello, Mr. Luo.


    I''m Cloris, Cassandra''s sister."


    Compared to Vernon, Cloris was much more weing in her treatment of the man who came with her


    sister. She put her hands around Vernon''s neck, acting like a spoiled child. Her beautiful eyes were


    fixed on Rufus the moment he stepped in the mansion.


    Vernon remained silent since his favorite daughter had made a statement. Seeing how her father


    treated Cloris brought a sting in Cassandra''s chest. He was visibly enamored by her, and Cloris knew it


    too, from the way she so easily persuaded him, as if it was something ordinary and familiar. Cassandra


    lowered her head and pulled her eyes away from the two of them as she struggled against the ache


    that grew inside her.


    As memory of childhood came to her mind, she remembered that she had never had such interactions


    with her father. The two of them were more like strangers than father and daughter. In Cassandra''s


    impression, Vernon was someone who was always serious. It was only now that she saw him disy


    such emotions, when she found herself looking at the two of them and noticed the disparity between


    the way he treated her and her sister.


    He had never looked at her so tenderly before.


    "Dinner is ready. I bet the two of you are hungry after such a long journey. Should we go to the dining


    room?"


    Edith said, pulling Cassandra away from her thoguhts. Her gentle voice wasforting and Cassandra


    felt some of the pain dissipate with her mother''s voice.


    They all headed to the dining room. Rufus stood up and looked at Cassandra, his chest tighten as he


    watched her expression.


    Her eyes had lost their usual brightness. Her lips fell in a t line when she walked slowly, as if she was


    being careful in her own home. Rufus was a stranger to the Qin family, and he knew nothing about


    Cassandra''s rtionship with them. He felt a heaviness as she walked, oblivious to his gaze.


    Cassandra, the woman who looked tough and strong outside, must be carrying her own secret


    sorrows.


    After dinner, Cloris kept pestering Rufus, smiling at him cutely and trying her best to coax him into more


    conversations. She had been stealing looks at him all throughout the time.


    Rufus replied to her questions and smiled at her politely, but he made no effort on his own to talk to her.


    He didn''t seem to be attracted by Cloris, and yet he didn''t reject her, which made Cloris even more


    interested in this elusive stranger.


    On the other side of the room, Edith made a discreet gesture at Cassandry and the two of them


    disappeared into the bedroom. Edith sat on the bed and motioned Cassandra to the spot next to her.


    She held her daughter''s hands, with an anxious expression on her face.


    "Cassandra, how can you came home with your brother-inw? This is the first time you came home


    after your marriage. Your father is happy about this," she said.


    Edith sounded anxious. She seemed almost disappointed at Cassandra.


    "Mother, I don''t understand."


    Cassandra was taken aback and confused at her mother''s words. She didn''t expect her, of all people,


    to say such things. She pulled back her hands indifferently.


    "Well, don''t be mad at me. I was just trying to tell you that you should havee back with Lionel, your


    husband. After all, it''s the your first visit after the marriage. Even if Lionel was busy, or on off the


    chance he didn''t want toe, it wasn''t proper that you brought another man here. What would others


    think about our family if they find out about this?"


    Edith had already sensed that her daughter''s disappointment, but she still decided to speak her mind.


    "Alright. I got it,"


    Cassandra said, levelling her voice to prevent it from rising. She didn''t want to argue with her mother,


    especially now that she had juste back.


    Edith softened her tone as she saw Cassandra''s clenched fists. She reached out once more and gently


    rubbed her hands with hers.


    "But, how can Lionel ask his brother to do such thing for him? He should be the one escorting his wife


    no matter how," she said.


    Cassandra couldn''t help the bitterness that rose to her throat. A part of her screamed for her to stop


    what she was about to say next, but the words flew out before she could think otherwise. "What do you


    expect? You know that Lionel and I didn''t have feelings for each other. When you decided to trade me


    to the Tang family, you should have anticipated this," she stood up from the bed abruptly and stated in


    her icy voice. "I''m sorry for being an embarrassment on the first day back."


    For a moment, she wanted to take back her words when she saw her mother''s expression, but it was


    toote. The damage had been done, and she could no longer hold back the ill feelings she tried so


    hard to bury. The past few days had been especially difficult, and she had to go through everything


    alone. Any warmth she had felt upon her return was withering, and in its ce, the resentment she had


    harbored over the years was threatening to boil over and flow like flood.


    "Cassandra..."


    Edith was left wordless by her daughter''s words. She looked at Cassandra hesitatingly, her lips


    opening, then closing again.


    "If father isn''t happy about this, then let him be. I don''t think I''m indebted to him in any way, after he had


    already decided my life. Was that not enough? What else does he want from me?"


    She had never wanted to punish or me her mother for the things she had no control over.


    Cassandra knew that it wasn''t her mother''s fault, but she couldn''t stop herself fromshing out. She did


    not know how else to stop the anger frompletely iming her.


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    If she knew that things would go like this, she would have chosen not to return.


    Unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere, she turned around and walked out of the bedroom. With


    tear-filled eyes, Edith watched her daughter flee from the room, her head bowed.


    Evening came. Moonlight washed over the Qin mansion, lending it an ethereal silvery light reflected on


    the wall. ''Would my family be able to own and live in this mansion if I didn''t marry Lionel?'' Cassandra


    thought to herself as she took in the sight. Despite the glimmer, she found none of the wonder that


    would havee over anyone else at such a grand sight.


    She was walking alone in the backyard of the mansion. It felt both foreign and familiar. After all, she did


    not live in this ce long enough to be able to call it home.


    Her childhood days were spent with her grandmother. She lived in the countryside - with verdant grass


    sprawling like an endless carpet under her feet, the smell of the fields in harvest season, and the stars


    that shone like distantmps in the sky. Those times were probably the happiest in her life. She didn''t


    move into this mansion until her grandmother passed away. Back then, the floor was made of concrete,


    the halls echoed empty, and the ring lights of the chandelier were poor substitutes for her stars.


    Then, as if to make things even worse, Vernon traded her for his business, marrying her to the Tang


    family. Any remaining happiness or hope that she had deserted her when her own family offered her


    like they would any other merchandise. And yet, not once did shein. She chose to save them


    from the suffering and imed the entirety of the burden. Hot tears flowed as she thought of all the


    things she wanted to fling at them. She thought, they would at least be understanding, but she was


    wrong.


    She ced a hand over her mouth as she sobbed, not wanting her sobs to reach the ears of the


    people inside the house. Even now, she had to contain her grief alone, in the ce that was suppossed


    to be her home. She sucked in deep breaths and her shoulders heaved as she wrapped an arm around


    herself to contain her quivers.


    "Cassandra,"


    a familiar voice called from behind her. Cassandra turned around to the silhouette of a man, her tears


    falling down from her face.


    All at once, she was enveloped in strong and steady arms. Before she could say anything, Rufus pulled


    her to his chest, murmuring softly in her ears, "It''s alright. I''m here."


    At his words, Cassandra felt the full weight of her sorrow crash upon her shoulders and she finally let


    the storm of her emotions go in Rufus'' arms.