Chapter 56 A Caged Bird That Wanted To Break Free

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The Tang family was like a cage, despite all the opulence around. To Cassandra, it was a coop from which she longed for an escape.

For four years, since she got married to Lionel, her dreams had began to die a slow, painful death. Patiently, she prayed and hoped for a turn-around in her marriage. But all the time, Lionel gave her the cold shoulder, moving away from her with each passing day, until there was an irreconcilable rift between them. How she now wished for an escape from this unfulfilling, oppressive marriage! But what were her chances of ever falling in love with a man again?

Right now, only under the soft moonlight and the gentle night wind could Cassandra tell the strange old man what she had buried deep in her heart all this time. She just needed someone to talk to, and this man was the perfect chance to let out the struggles bottled up in her heart. She couldn't talk to her parents or her sister about her problems, let alone they too were in a hard place at the moment, and were emotionally and financially drained.

"Adding to them yet another burden would break them down completely. That's not something I'd do to my parents. For all the sacrifices they've made for me. They deserve better. Right now, I should be the one supporting them,"

Cassandra said with a blank look on her face. She gazed into the distance, eyes unreadable. It seemed that her mind had flown back to the summer of the year when she just graduated from high school. The argument between her parents, the tears of her mother, and her disappointment. They all came rushing back to her in an instant.

For the sake of the Qin family, she accepted the arranged marriage with Lionel. It was forced on her by the family. Putting up resistance, she had cried, cursed and even tried to escape this horrible fate. But in the end, she just couldn't see her mother suffer. She had compromised and agreed to this nightmare of a marriage.

"I also realize that there are things in life that I just can't change. So I think that I should be content with what I have right now and focus on the good side of my life. But..."

Cassandra trailed off. She had agreed to this marriage for the sake of her family, that was true. But it didn't mean that she would give up on her dreams. That was why she was determined to finish her studies in Rome, and graduated with first class honors.

"But fate again played a cruel joke on me, letting me meet a person that I shouldn't have met. And one thing led to another..."

she said, thinking back to the cruise before she returned home. When she lifted up her head, she locked eyes with Rufus, and felt something in her heart stir.

Under the influence of alcohol, in the heat of the moment, the two of them got tangled with each other, and shared a passionate night together. The night was unforgettable. Whenever Cassandra thought of the fateful night, she had a bittersweet feeling in her heart. On one hand, she was happy that she could spend a night with the man she liked; but on the other hand, knowing that Rufus and Lionel were brothers, she felt bad that they could never be together for real.

That fling would end in Rome, so she had thought. Little had she expected that she'd see Rufus again. What was more, she even found out that he was her brother-in-law. Now, their relationship was complicated. She had no idea where the two of them stood. She liked Rufus, and this was something she couldn't lie to herself about. But she also knew that they would never have a future together, as long as she was married to his half brother.

The Qin family put their hope on her. They really depended on her. Besides, Horace was also fond of her, and believed in her potentials. All these expectations put so much pressure on her. Cassandra just wanted to leave all this behind and fly away from here.

When she woke up in the hospital and saw Rufus, she almost couldn't tell whether it was the reality or just a dream. Was she losing her mind? Her head was in a spin!

Ever since she came back from abroad, she had come to the hospital a few times. Accidents just kept happening to her. And every time it happened, Rufus was always there to save her.

No, Rufus was everywhere. The more she wanted to keep her distance from this man, the more she seemed to be attached to him. It looked like their lives were tangled together in some mysterious, inseparable ways, that she could never escape.

An inner hunch told her to get away from that man if she didn't want get into trouble, but she just couldn't fool herself. Her heart, body and soul always betrayed her. Every part of her wanted that man. A strong, irresistible desire for him, his love and all that he was.

Whenever he came clos

Falling from nobility, Zen Luo became a humble slave and served as a human punchbag for his former cousins. Inadvertently, he found a way to refine himself into a weapon and a legend started because of that. With a strong belief in never surrender, he strove for revenges and pursued big dreams. Warriors from various clans contended for hegemony and the world was stirred. Relying on the body that was comparable to a powerful weapon, Zen beat his numerous enemies on his way to the immortality. Would he succeed eventually?

y a pawn in their game. Sleeping with Cassandra could be Rufus's best form of revenge on Lionel.

However peace was all that Cassandra wanted at the moment. As much as it depends on her, she'd do everything to avoid getting herself into trouble, with anyone. But Rufus was quite the opposite. He didn't just attract trouble, all the time. Like the eye of a storm, he was trouble itself.

To allow Rufus into her life, it was like to play with fire - she could have ended up burning and harming herself. Was that something for which she was prepared?

Maybe because she was still sick, Cassandra quickly became drowsy. Not long after, she went out like a light.

Right at that moment, the door of her hospital room opened, and a tall man walked in with light steps. Stealthily he walked, careful not wake the woman up.

He walked towards her, and stopped by the other bed beside hers. He lay down on the bed and turned to face Cassandra, studying her face.

She was still asleep, but it seemed that her sleep wasn't very peaceful. She tossed and turned in her bed while moaning in a small voice. There was a frown on her face. She seemed to be having a bad dream.

Thinking of the other night when she had been rushed to the hospital feeling weak, Rufus couldn't help but worry about her. She was immediately admitted into the hospital and he was by her side all this while. She had been dizzy and sleepy because she had a high fever.

Moreover, when she was also crying and kicking because she didn't feel well. The doctors and the nurses couldn't make her calm down. He held her hand and tried to comfort her.

And miraculously, she immediately stopped crying as soon as he held her hand in his. While he was holding her hand, the nurse gave her an injection that began to lower her fever almost immediately.

As she fell asleep, Cassandra was like a cute, little girl who wouldn't let go of her parent's hand.

Surprisingly, she had a strong grip despite her small hands. She grabbed his hand so tightly that it almost hurt.

Tears kept streaming down her cheeks from her tightly closed eyes, making Rufus' heart ache for her.

Using his free hand, he wiped away the tears on her face gently. Then he leaned forward and whispered into her ear,"Don't be afraid. I am here. I will never let you go."

Never had he been this gentle towards a woman in his life. Slowly, she calmed down and loosened her grip. Finally, she fell sound asleep. But he still didn't let go of her hand.

He simply just wasn't willing to let go.

Watching her small, delicate frame, he had an instinct to protect her. The way she trusted him, her love and honesty made him long to see her back to perfect health. He badly needed her.

Keeping a watchful eye, he spent the whole night on the bed next to her. In the morning, Victor called, informing him of some members of the Tang family were coming to visit her. It was only then that he let go of her hand, and walked out grudgingly.

As he left, he gave her one more admiring look, wishing her a quick recovery. She was still sound asleep, like a Sleeping Beauty waiting to be kissed by her Prince Charming.