Chapter 182 You Are Behind All Of This


    A slight smirk of triumph hung on Horace''s mouth. Rufus knew he must have a trick up his sleeve.


    He had intended to leave Rufus and Amanda alone in the living room so that sparks might start to fly


    between them.


    But he was mistaken. While Lionel was faultlessly obedient to him, Rufus would never allow himself to


    be ordered about.


    Rufus stood quietly, his eyes never leaving Horace, watching for his next move.


    "Miss Ke, I''m so sorry to have missed yourst concert. I was feeling quite under the weather. I heard it


    was a great sess, congrattions,"


    Ivy eximed. She hoped her enthusiasm would hide her dismay that she had in fact, not been invited


    to the concert.


    "Oh, that''s fine. Thank you, Mrs. Tang." Amanda said. "I have decided to settle down in G City. Holding


    concerts is only minor; but it''s imperative when ites to running a piano school. Actually, I want to


    discuss the construction project with you, Mr. Luo, in theing days. When do you have time?"


    Amanda tilted her head in Rufus''s direction, waiting for his answer.


    "Lionel is in charge of this, not me,"


    Rufus answered indifferently, his face expressionless.


    And he wasn''t lying. It was Lionel who had signed his name on the contract and was responsible for


    this project. Rufus did not want to get involved at all.


    Amanda was stunned. She knew very well that Rufus was deliberately trying to keep her at a distance.


    "From what I''ve been told, Lionel is busy. He is already responsible for several projects in the tourism


    industrial area,"


    Amanda continued, keeping up the pressure. She felt bad as Rufus rejected her in front of others, but


    she didn''t want him to feel any animosity from her. Clearly, winning his heart back would take more


    patience.


    "Well, speaking of Lionel. Why hasn''t hee back yet? Ivy, have you called him and let him know we


    have a distinguished guest waiting and he should hurry back?"


    Jill who had been watching the group obsequiously suddenly realized that Lionel had yet to return


    although it was already dark.


    "Maybe he is still busy with his work,"


    Ivy made an excuse. She had called Lionel several times, but he hadn''t answered. She grew anxious,


    not knowing what he was doing.


    "Miss Ke, my wife is a fan of yours. She has enjoyed all the music you y,"


    Horace tried to change the subject, buttering Amanda up with his sweet talk.


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    Jill dly joined in, eager to discuss her ''newfound hobby'' with Amanda after cramming for piano music


    recently.


    Horace had told Jill that Amanda had a good rtionship with the government officials in G City, but


    stayed quiet about the investor''s expectations. He was hoping that she could put in a good word for


    them. Jill and Ivyplimented Amanda desperately; while Amanda just smiled, throwing shy nces


    over to Rufus from time to time.


    To the untrained eye, you wouldn''t be able to catch the tension that hung above the room. But looking


    around, everyone in the room had their own axe to grind, their own agenda to pursue. The facade of


    jovial harmony was just a front.


    Rufus''s phone vibrated. He took it out and answered. Muffled voices could be heard from the other end


    of the line. And suddenly, his face fell and he stormed out of the room without a word.


    "Rufus! Where are you going?"


    Horace called after him. He didn''t expect Rufus to leave in such a hurry.


    But Rufus was already nowhere to be seen.


    Meanwhile, across town in the hotel, Cloris took out her camera and began to set it up. Her n to take


    Cassandra''s nude photos was alling together.


    ''How dare you send someone to try and molest me, Cassandra, '' she sneered to herself. ''Well, just you


    wait. I''ll post these nude photos online and everyone will be able to see your true colors.''


    A vicious monster growled within Cloris as she adjusted the camera onest time.


    Lionel had been hiding in the corner of the corridor surreptitiously. He''d watched as David came out of


    the room, opened up an envelope stashed with money and walked off, nodding with satisfaction.


    Lionel''s heart sank. He knew David must have a hidden agenda. But what was Cloris doing here?


    What were the two of them up to?


    As David left, Lionel snuck up to the door he had just exited. He pressed his ear against the door,


    hoping to hear what was going on inside. But it was deadly quiet inside.


    ''What should I do?'' he thought. ''Should I break in to find out what they are doing?


    But I had already caused trouble in Qin Group this afternoon, and Cassandra was pretty upset with me.


    What if the two sisters are just having a regr date...there is just no reason for me to go in. I''m


    probably imaging it.''


    But Lionel couldn''t shake off the uneasy feeling in his stomach. He was worried about Cassandra.


    As he stood by the door, trying to figure out what to do, someone suddenly appeared before him.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Rufus bellowed, his cold face covered in a frown of displeasure.


    Lionel was taken aback. Why was Rufus here? It seemed like more and more people were getting


    wrapped up in this drama.


    "I''m here on business,"


    Lionel stammered out an excuse. Now, his curiosity was piqued even more.


    Rufus snorted with disbelief but didn''t say anything. He turned to the door instead, testing the lock


    before thumping the door loudly with his fist. The door swung open.


    Lionel looked on, speechless. How was Rufus able to break down the door of a five-star hotel room


    with so much as a punch?


    Suddenly, security guards came rushing over. Lionel tried to stop them at the door.


    Rufus walked straight into the suite, unfazed. There was no one in the living room, but the bedroom


    door remained closed.


    He walked straight over and opened the door with as much ease as he''d banged down the door of the


    room. Cloris looked up at him as he burst in, dumbfounded, the camera still in her hands.


    ''What is Rufus doing here?'' Cloris''s eyes were wide with disbelief.


    Rufus''s eyes slowly scanned the room, instinctively gulping as his eyes came to the naked body lying


    in bed.


    He rushed over, wrapping Cassandra up in a quilt.


    "Put down the camera and get out," he said to Cloris, the wordsing out like icicles piercing through


    her.


    Cloris couldn''t believe she''d been caught red-handed. She didn''t want to make the whole situation


    worse, so she dragged her feet out of the bedroom obediently.


    Rufus helped Cassandra to put her clothes back on, anger zing through his heart.


    Cloris had been nning on taking nude photos of Cassandra! How could Cloris hate Cassandra so


    much? They were sisters!


    Rufus had seen with his own eyes how kind and caring Cassandra was to Cloris. If she knew what


    Cloris had tried to do to her, she would be heartbroken.


    He couldn''t help the rage from contorting his face as he thought about how unfairly Cassandra had


    been treated by her family since she was a child.


    It was better not to tell Cassandra about this, he decided.


    With Cassandra appropriately covered up, he walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind


    him. Cloris was still in the living room; trembling with fear, her face pale. Lionel stood beside her,


    confused.


    "Get out of here. We''ll pretend this never happened," Rufus said, trying to contain the anger in his


    voice.


    The look he was giving Cloris could have turned water into ice.


    Cloris was shocked. She didn''t expect Rufus to let her go easily. She''d been ready for throwing down a


    challenge to Cassandra.


    "Go before I change my mind and call the police to arrest you. And if you ever try anything like this on


    Cassandra again, you will suffer the consequences!"


    Every muscle in Rufus''s face was tensed up. He was trying to hold back his anger for the sake of


    Cassandra who stilly unconsciously in the bedroom.


    Cassandra had once said that Cloris would help to run the Qin Group after she graduated. But


    unexpectedly, her sister was holding onto so much hostility.


    It was the greatest agony to be betrayed by your own family. Rufus knew it for himself, and he


    desperately wanted to keep Cassandra away from such pain.


    As Cloris rushed out of the room, Lionel finally found his words.


    "I sent the security guards outside away. Now tell me what happened."


    Lionel stared at Rufus, his eyebrows raised expectantly.


    "You don''t need to know."


    Rufus''s heart was breaking more as he thought about the sadness tinged with Cassandra''s childhood,


    and continued to do so now.


    "Fine. If you don''t tell me, I will ask Cassandra myself,"


    Lionel said defiantly, hoping he might see Rufus waver, but he was disappointed.


    "Lionel, mind your own business and behave yourself. Don''t poke your nose into things that do not


    concern you."


    Rufus always treated Lionel like a child. A sh of disdain came through him.


    "Rufus, Cassandra is my ex-wife. You cannot do this. This is incest!"


    Lionel pushed, with unexpected violence in his tone. He couldn''t stand Rufus''s continued arrogance.


    "As you said, she''s your ex-wife. Since you have divorced each other, it''s not an incest anymore,"


    Rufus retorted withissez-faire. The veil of charm on his handsome face hid a deep sense of contempt


    for this sad man.


    "Fine. I''ll go dig into it. I will figure out what you''re up to."


    Lionel''s finger pointed right at Rufus''s nose, his re fuelled by his anger.


    Rufus carefully pushed Lionel''s finger away from his face, a look of sympathy in his eyes.


    "Since you''ve got so much time on your hands, why don''t you think about how you''re going to tackle


    the projects in the industrial area? The marketing department has been a mess sinceing under


    your leadership."


    Rufus''s cruel words touched a nerve in Lionel.


    He knew as well as Rufus that his recent projects had been taken off him, either by the Dawn Star


    Group or by the Qin Group. Filled to the brim with frustration, Lionel stamped his foot and roared, "Shut


    up, Rufus! I know you are behind all of this!"