Chapter 222 Unless I Were Dead


    "You want my position? Okay, let''s call all board members together and initiate voting. The candidate


    with the most votes wins, I''ll happily resign if I don''t win," Rufus said assertively.


    Rufus''s insolent smile and confidence humiliated Lionel. He didn''t take Lionel seriously and didn''t even


    see him as a threat.


    Rufus had good reasons to be confident. He was far more qualified than Lionel in progressive thinking


    and far more learned overall. Lionel himself was uncertain about the vote. Those senior executives on


    the board were smart and foxy. When he was the CEO, Lionel needed to respect and listen to them as


    he used their discretion to make decisions or pass a n. He needed their consent as well. Rufus,


    however, didn''t need to do that. He was so talented and experienced that they would listen to him and


    follow his instructions strictly instead. Rufus had no problem running the Tang Group.


    What if the senior executives made things difficult and thepany became unmanageable for Lionel


    when he went back?


    Every time he thought that there was no one to trust or rely on in thepany, Lionel felt frustrated and


    jealous of Rufus.


    Rufus had already taken away Lionel''s authority. He had no say on the board. He was part of the


    executive members but the members didn''t take him seriously. So his restrictive power was pretty


    much of no use.


    "Lionel, go back to your bedroom! You stay out of it!" Horacemanded


    He lifted his head up and red at Lionel.


    Lionel knew that he wasn''t able to rece Rufus. He knew he shouldn''t get involved in the


    conversation in the first ce.


    Horace, who had the final say in thepany, wanted to restrict Rufus''s authority and power. He would


    then be able to force him to break up with Cassandra. But Rufus stood assertively and showed no form


    of surrender.


    Horace''s plot failed dismally.


    "You go back too. Let''s talk about it another day," Horace said arrogantly.


    Feeling infuriated, he pretentiously waved at Rufus and asked Jill to help him upstairs. Disappointment


    showed on his face. He was at a loss for words, and this didn''t happen often. He was humiliated by his


    own son.


    Jill red at Rufus, annoyed.


    Rufus grew up as an illegitimate child. Since his return there had been no peace and serenity in the


    Tang family. Their lives were filled with quarrels and sadness. Jill felt irritated, ming all drama on


    Rufus. She didn''t like this man at all.


    Rufus just smiled rebelliously. He didn''t seem to care about his father''s feelings as the Tang family had


    never truly epted him. He had always been an outsider and could think of it never changing.


    Why then should he showpassion and care about them?


    Rufus''s eye showed conceit and hatred. He swore one day he would turn this luxurious mansion into a


    despicable hell hole.


    Cassandra''s cell phone had been vibrating in her bag. She knew it was Rufus calling again but still


    ignored him.


    Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Cassandra and Rufus had nevermunicated frequently before. Since she moved out, Rufus called


    her continuously. She had put her phone on vibrate mode as the annoying ringtone rang countless


    times in a day.


    She decided to be obstinate this time. There was no difference whether they got back together or broke


    up since she would be the one getting hurt.


    Rufus was preupied with Cassandra. His mind became saturated with her and how to hold onto her.


    He became enraged easily at times. His assistant was fearful of going into his office, for fear of being


    scolded for minor things.


    "Pardon me, Mr. Luo?"


    Rufus was absent-minded when the assistant reported her work to him, which was rare as he was


    always serious about his work. His attention was in the wrong location and not in the office. His


    assistant battled to get his attention by calling him several times.


    "Oh? Okay. Just leave the files on my desk,"


    Rufus told the assistant uninterested.


    The assistant felt great relief. Working with Rufus had be extremely stressful. His face looked cold


    and perplexed with dark gloomy rings around his eyes, and his tendentious mood was tangible.


    The assistant turned around and left the office quickly. She breathed a sigh of relief, with hands on her


    chest.


    Resting his chin on his right hand, Rufus started to think about Cassandra again. She didn''t answer his


    calls. No one ever did that and it pissed him off.


    Was she serious this time?


    The thought about Cassandra sobbing yesterday made Rufus feel upset.


    Cassandra decided to go to the Garden Vi to pick up her things and return the key to Rufus after


    work or find a way to leave it for him. She didn''t actually want to see him.


    She was packing her bags in the mansion. Looking around, she felt overwhelmed at how mixed her


    feelings were. She remembered the beautiful moments spent in every corner—the kitchen where she


    sat on the counter spooning with Rufus or trying to cook special meals together; the firece where


    theyy in each other''s arms on the rug; the bed where there was fiercely erotic lovemaking.


    Cassandra regarded this mansion as her own home. She cleaned every part of the furniture and swept


    every corner and now she was leaving. It was sad and reluctant for her to be leaving. ''Better to have


    loved and lost, than never to have loved at all, '' she thought. Her heart sank. She felt gutted, wishing


    there would be a way to make it work. But she knew the answer, and carried on collecting her


    possessions.


    She didn''t ask for much. She just wanted a steady rtionship. Her wish seemed to be too much of a


    luxury that Rufus couldn''t afford.


    When she finished, Cassandra carried her luggage and slowly walked out of the mansion, making a


    mental note of every part.


    Rufus nted the trees and flowers for her in the courtyard. But she would never be able to hear the


    trees rustle or watch the flowers bloom with the man again.


    She smiled, at the memories, but her heart was broken.


    ''Goodbye Garden Vi. Goodbye Rufus, '' Cassandra thought to herself as the tears started again.


    Her phone vibrated again. Rufus kept calling her. Cassandra stared at the screen, sighed and finally


    answered the call.


    "Where are you? Why don''t you answer my calls?"


    he sounded anxious. Cassandra ignored his call. No one dared to do that to him, ever.


    "I''m in the Garden Vi," she answered bluntly.


    Cassandra sighed and bit her lips, determined to keep the tears from running.


    "Did you change your mind?"


    Rufus couldn''t help smiling. He thought Cassandra was moving back to the mansion.


    "Rufus, I put the key in the mailbox. I''m leaving. I''m on my way out," she said quickly, implying that she


    was leaving him. She battled to show her determination to Rufus over the phone.


    "Cassandra, what do you mean?"


    Rufus immediately got nervous. ''Is Cassandra breaking up with me?'' He couldn''t believe she was


    being dead serious. He turned around at once and drove to the Garden Vi.


    "Rufus, you''re driving. Be careful. I''m hanging up."


    Cassandra could hear Rufus hit the breaks. She was concerned about his safety, so she hung up.


    "Wait! Don''t you dare hang up again!" he shouted.


    Rufus punched his fist in the steering wheel, then stepped on the gas, racing boisterously.


    Cassandra hung up on Rufus, again! How dare she!


    Rufus couldn''t believe that the little woman would return the key. It seemed that she had made up her


    mind. Thinking that she would never visit him or the Garden Vi, he felt forlorn and disappointed.


    It was the first time that Rufus cared about a woman like this. He loved her and wanted to spend the


    rest of his life with her. It was the first time he would go to these lengths to please a woman. The result


    was unexpected. He had even contemted marrying her before. This was something he had never


    considered with any woman before.


    Rufus knew Cassandra was special. She was sensitive, passionate and capable at everything sheid


    her hands on. He tried his best not to let his male chauvinism breakdown her self-esteem and hurt her.


    He tried without avail.


    When the Qin Group were looking for a new office, he asked the office owner to lease the office to her


    at an extremely low price. Then he made up the difference secretly.


    Rufus would normally let the people know that he did them a favor. In the business world he would


    never do anything that was unprofitable, but Cassandra was one of a kind. He loved her and wanted


    her to be happy. He wanted to be a part of everything with her. He was willing to do things she wanted.


    This was a serious character change for him. And it was all because of her.


    ''Cassandra doesn''t repay my kindnesses. She cares about the Qin Group more than she cares about


    me.


    Her family treats her appallingly and yet she tried her best, even sacrificed her marriage, to save her


    father''s business. But why does she reject me cruelly even though I have done so much for her?'' he


    thought sadly.


    The more Rufus thought about it, the more he got annoyed. He called Cassandra again, but she didn''t


    answer him.


    Cassandra slowly walked down to the street. There were vines on the wall, carrying pockets of


    beautiful yellow flowers, which had such a sweet happy fragrance.


    Rufus and she had known each other as lovers for about a year. However, one would think they had


    known each other for at least ten years. All couples fought, so did they. The conflicts between them


    were so intense and frequent that it had toe to a stop.


    ''Love hurts but ours tortures, '' Cassandra felt exhausted.


    Rufus kept calling her, which made Cassandra irritated. ''Does this man not take no as an answer and


    since when did he be so childish?'' she was getting annoyed.


    Cassandra answered the phone again. He asserted angrily and fast, "Cassandra, save your words until


    I arrive. I''m at the Garden Road now!"


    Rufus was anxious and angry but most of all desperate.


    "Rufus, I''ve left the vi. You don''t need toe here," Cassandra said rebelliously.


    She saw a taxi driving to her direction and waved him down.


    "Cassandra, do you think I''m ying a love game? I tell you what. I want you to be my woman. Do you


    hear me? I won''t let you go!" Rufus cried out.


    This woman meant everything to him. She was the one. He could never find anyone else like her. He


    couldn''t let her go.


    "Rufus, we can still be friends," Casandra said pitifully.


    She felt as if a knife was piercing her heart, but she still turned him down.


    She was afraid that she would cry next, then would run into his arms again. She missed him so much


    already. She feared that she would never be able to leave again, once she went back to him.


    "Cassandra, don''t ever think about leaving me, unless I am dead!" he said loudly.


    His voice was mixed up with a high-pitched braking sound and then crashing.


    Then Cassandra heard the busy tone from the other end of the phone.


    Her eyes widened. Cassandra''s pulse started racing. Her mind became erratic. She shouted into the


    bleeping phone, "Rufus, what''s going on? Rufus, no please no! Rufus, answer me,


    please..."