Chapter 111 You Will Never Be Alone Again


    Dylon gaped at the two, his gaze flickering confusedly back and forth from Cassandra then to Rufus.


    He was struck speechless and had no idea what to say.


    Rufus''s face remained calm, his expression unwavering, and Dylon had the feeling that he should not


    remain here anymore. The man caught just now had something to do with Cassandra and the Tang


    Group. He was just an outsider. It would be best for him not to involve himself any longer. ''I should


    probably go now, '' he thought to himself.


    He cleared his throat and spoke, "Then, Cassandra, since you''ll be going back with Mr. Luo, I''ll be on


    my way as well."


    Cassandra opened her mouth to speak, but Dylon had already turned on his heel and left.


    She could feel Rufus''s presence behind her. There was an awkwardness between them that seemed to


    grow with every passing second.


    Rufus stayed silent. Without speaking a word, he took her hand and led her into his car. A car which he


    had already sent for was waiting for them.


    He shut the door forcefully, and Cassandra flinched from the sudden motion.


    "You requested for a divorce?" he asked. Cassandra didn''t reply to his question and avoided his eyes.


    "Why didn''t you tell me before your announcement?" he pressed, his voice dropping and the words


    trailing off coldly.


    His eyes were steely and his face was set in harsh lines.


    "It''s my business. Why would I need to tell you?"


    Cassandra sensed his coldness and replied in an equally distant tone.


    Rufus''s eyes darkened with shadows at her reply. Her business? This was very far from being just her


    business at all!


    Horace was strongly opposed to her decision. From here on, it would be difficult to disentangle her


    from theplicated rtionships in that household. Had she discussed it with him before her sudden


    announcement, things could have gone differently.


    Rufus let out a sigh and said simply, "You''re too impulsive."


    Then he proceeded to start the car.


    Cassandra settled herself in a long silence before speaking again.


    "I felt that it was the only chance," she confessed. "If I hadn''t said that then, I wasn''t sure if I could have


    said itter, or ever."


    Her voice trembled as she spoke the words, and Rufus felt a small pang of pain in his chest, interfering


    with his breath. She looked defeated with her shoulders slumped and her head hanging lowly.


    Yes, Cassandra knew that it was not carefully thought through, but she did not regret what she did.


    She was pulled from her thoughts when Rufus asked, "Then, why don''t you be even more impulsive


    and be my woman?"


    He pushed hard on the brakes and Cassandra''s breath was caught in her throat, more with his words


    than with the sudden halt of the car. He turned around and looked at Cassandra, his eyes holding hers


    warmly.


    If Cassandra got divorced, there would be nothing standing in the way of him being her husband. She


    would no longer be tied down with the excuse that he was her brother-inw.


    But she shook her head, and Rufus felt his heart drop. "No, Rufus." She looked down and broke from


    his gaze. "It would justplicate things even more."


    Cassandra thought of the roundness that was forming on Ivy''s stomach, then of Lionel, and their


    strained rtionship as husband and wife on paper. Despite the knowledge of the reality of their


    marriage, the betrayal stung her, pricking mercilessly on her dignity. Her nights were filled with the


    haunting sleeplessness and the walls echoed istion: No one from the Tang family offered her


    comfort, and she felt so small and alone in the ring expanse of thatrge mansion.


    But no, that was not the entire truth. There was that one person who had always helped her, time and


    again. And now, he was still doing the same thing onver again. How many times had this man saved


    her?


    It was as if all her pain was melting in that warm gaze and she was no longer aware of anything but his


    eyes on her in that dark car parked in some unknown alley. She raised her head and met with Rufus''s


    eyes. The affection flowing from his eyes almost drowned her. She wanted to refuse him. She had


    decided to refuse him. However, it was as if she had forgotten all words when he spoke to her with his


    loving eyes.


    "I want you to be mine, Cassandra," Rufus continued. "I will make you happy and I won''t let anything


    hurt you. You don''t need to care about the others. I will always stand by your side,"


    he promised. The sincerity of his words showed on his face, silhouetted by the pale street lights.


    Cassandra traced the elegant contours of his brow, down to his jaw and chin. His eyes glowed, and he


    was looking at her as if she was the only woman in the world.


    Cassandra could feel her resolve steadily crumble. She said slowly, "All I want for my whole life is to be


    loved by someone fully. I have been alone and lost all my life, and all I want is a home." Cassandra


    fixed her eyes on him, and Rufus steadily returned her gaze.


    "I will love you fully. I will protect and cherish you. You will never be alone, as long as I''m here. I will


    give you a home."


    Rufus vowed solemnly. They were simple words, bare of flowery derations, yet they were the most


    precious promises in Cassandra''s eyes.


    It was as if the words alone were soothing her wounds, recing the cuts with warmth, little by little.


    Slowly, the distance between them closed, and their lips got closer and closer until they finally touched.


    "Be my woman, Cassandra. Say yes," Rufus whispered as he touched his forehead to hers.


    His eyes were sparkling just like the stars overhead.


    At that moment, Cassandra knew that her heart waspletely his.


    She leaned up and kissed him. Rufus''s lips curved into a smile when they parted.


    It was the first time he had smiled so happily these years. He could not remember thest time he felt


    this much joy.


    "I''ll take this kiss as a yes." He swooped down for another chaste kiss before he settled back in his


    seat. "Let''s go back now. We need to make ns about your divorce."


    Horace was stubborn. Rufus knew he would never allow the divorce so easily. Cassandra would


    probably have to talk to Lionel before they could move forward with their ns.


    "I''ll find a time to talk to Lionel. If he agrees and then we can divorce."


    Cassandra also thought of Lionel at that moment. She had indeed realized she acted rashly earlier.


    However, it seemed not to be apletely wrong decision.


    The two of them knew clearly about their feelings for each other now. Cassandra felt braver as she


    buried the image of Rufus and his gaze into her memory. They would figure things out together.


    The car drove to the Tang house. Cassandra suggested that she get off first at a corner near the


    house.


    "I don''t want our rtionship known to others before the divorce is final. That would be unfair to you.


    Father will dislike it."


    Keeping their rtionship hidden was a sensible decision. Rufus would be on the receiving end of


    criticism if people knew.


    "It seems that we haven''t started any rtionship yet. But if you want, I can think of something to make


    it happen."


    Rufus teased, his eyes twinkling mischievously and a sly smile forming on his lips. Cassandra''s cheeks


    red at his insinuation and she was unable to give a reply.


    She got off the car and was thankful for the cool breeze that fanned her burning cheeks. She walked to


    the direction of the Tang house, while Rufus parked the car in another ce. Then, he climbed over the


    wall and went back to his room.


    He could not help butugh silently. For Cassandra, he was more than ready to face anything, but who


    would have thought that he would be literally climbing the actual walls of his house. He chuckled as he


    shook his head at the thought that he was climbing over walls for love. ''The things people do for love...''


    Cassandra sleptfortably without any terrible dreams that night.


    Time flew by fast in the following days, and Cassandra''s schedule seemed not to fit into the 24 hours in


    one day. She was constantly working.


    The government representative was very satisfied with her draft for the nursing home project and had


    already reported it to the higher authority for approval. As for Joel? He was prosecuted for giarism


    officially and was going to jail for sure.


    Vernon''s case came to trial next.


    On the day of the hearing, Edith, Cassandra and Cloris were all present. Vernon entered the room with


    armed policemen holding his arms. At the sight of her father, Cassandra felt a lump in her throat.


    Her father was given a crew cut after his gray hair was shaved, just like any other prisoners. The man


    before her was almost unrecognizable from the image of the illustrious president of the Qin Group in


    the past. Vernon seemed withered and aged, as if he no longer had any spirit left in him.


    He had lost so much weight, and his eyes were absent. Such was the image of a man who had been to


    hell once. He had changed and there was a different man in his body.


    He was not enraged, nor did he revolt anymore. He changed so much, and it was all because of


    Cassandra''s words to him when she visited him once.


    "Father, I know how much you struggled all your life to keep our family''s honor. I know you wanted to


    give us the best, but we have no need for prestige or glory. All we want is a family, aplete family


    with healthy parents, Cloris and I."


    Cassandra fought against her tears as her lips trembled. She reached out a hand and held his father''s


    callused hand.


    "Father, I will wait for you toe back. We need you."


    The old man could not help but weep. His elder daughter who he least favored was very different from


    him. But all these years, it was Cassandra who had been trying the most to save their family from the


    crisis.


    Four years ago, she sacrificed the rest of her life and married into the Tang family to save the Qin


    family.


    And now, here she was again, saving his family. She ran around, talking from one person to another, to


    save him from jail and protect hispany from being sold.


    She did not talk much since she was a little girl. She was introverted and didn''t talk with him a lot, nor


    did she ask for attention.


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    She was so strong and independent that she hardly needed her parents'' care. In truth, her self-reliance


    left him feeling unfulfilled as her father. That was one of the reasons why he was much closer to her


    younger sister, who was the opposite of her.


    However, he knew that although she might not be forward with affection, she loved her family from the


    bottom of her heart.


    With tears in his eyes, Vernon let himself drift to a time in the distant past—white curtains and walls,


    and a small baby girl born with thick, dark hair whose eyes looked up to him brightly.


    His heart had stopped at the sight. At that moment, he had be a father. ''Cassandra, '' he named


    her, hoping that she would grow to be a strong and honorable person.