Chapter 68 I'sm Willing To Wait

ead_article_top

Enchanted by Rufus' voice, Cassandra found his hug irresistible.

He whispered into her ear, in a gentle, soothing manner, giving her goosebumps. She wished that she could have immersed herself in his love forever.

"You look stunning at the last banquet. This time, you're going to shine even brighter. But beauty aside, you will also have exceptional skills. They're your most valuable assets which you could capitalize on. Use them wisely."

Carefully, he wanted to elevate her in subtle, informal ways that wouldn't make his intentions too obvious. That was why he bought her a fancy dress to mark her out for attention.

After all, people were easily influenced by what they saw. If by glamour she could grab their attention, they'd be naturally curious about her. And that curiosity was the human weakness that Rufus wanted to exploit for Cassandra's advantage.

Though she was a capable woman, she was still fairly new in the architectural design industry. If she could win the admiration of some of the bigwigs in the industry, it would be much easier for her to climb up the career ladder.

Finally, Cassandra realized why Rufus had lavished the expensive dress on her.

Initially, she believed that Rufus asked the celebrity designer to make her a gown, just to shower her with his affection. Now she discovered there was more to his move. It was for her self-development.

At the thought, her eyes became teary.

It had been ages since she felt cared for like this.

The last person to have ever cared about her so genuinely was her wet nurse. When she was a little girl, the old granny was ever so caring and treated her as a grand-daughter. She would go to all lengths to satisfy Cassandra's wishes. Growing up, however, she had woken to the cruel reality of a world where even her parents wouldn't protect her. When they forced her into marriage to a heartless man, she was devastated. Four years of that marriage had left her more and more disillusioned. But now, here was a man who believed in her. A man that genuinely cared for her, often with extravagant shows of his affirmation and affection. In a short time, he had challenged her belief that she'd forever be lonely, scorned and abandoned. The gentle but firm man that Rufus was found a way into her heart. Willingly, Cassandra would drown in his love.

For a moment, memories from childhood flooded her thoughts. Although she hadn't enjoyed parental care as much as her younger sister did, she learned to get by without throwing unnecessary pity parties.

Life in the small town then, was, in fact, quiet and soothing as she found solace in nature. On some occasions, though, she hoped a day when her parents would take move the family to a better city and give her a warmer home.

Not that she was an extravagant kid who wanted fancy stuff. No way in hell did Cassandra lust after more than the simple things she needed to get by. Clothes to cover her and food to survive would do. For as long as she had those two basic needs, plus a roof above her head, she was perfectly OK. And she found great contentment in her small, down-and-out family, imperfect as it was.

But her humble prayers went unheard. One eerily cold night, fate took away the little that she asked for. A part of her life snatched away by the cruel hands of poverty, at a time when she was least prepared.

She acutely remembered the day when her nightmare began. Ironically, it started with a rare sumptuous family meal — the beginning of her indignity, marked by an occasion that should have brought joyful laughter at the family table.

During the meal, her mom and dad kept exchanging glances silently, as if waiting for someone else to start speaking. She couldn't have possibly guess

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?

tecture from different countries.

Representatives from the contract awarding side kept nodding while he spoke. As Cloris listened to Arthur's presentation, she couldn't help but marvel. With a bit of reluctance, Leon had driven her to the conference. Now, she anxiously gripped at his arm, blown away by their competitor's presentation.

"Why do I have a feeling that they are going to select his plan? Goodness, he's so convincing, he makes me fear we might lose!" she exclaimed.

"Don't worry. I came here with my best preparation!"

Declared Cassandra declared confidently, who was only one seat away from her inane talking sister.

Lightly, she pressed at her folder and felt for the USB drive. All her weapons were ready for the decisive battle.

As if the pressure for Cassandra's job was on her shoulders, Cloris rose and excused herself.

"I'm so anxious, although I'm trying to calm my nerves. I need to go to the washroom now. See you later!"

Then she left the conference hall at once.

Unimpressed, Cassandra shook her head. Why was Cloris acting so unprofessional and stressed out? Anyway, she ignored her younger sister's antics, choosing instead to focus her energy on what she came here for. She'd need lots of patience to help Cloris, and that would include bringing her to more events like this for exposure.

Finally, it was her turn. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, touched her folder to confirm if the USB drive was still in place. Everything was intact. Her game was on.

Rufus, who was sitting to her left softly clasped her hand to show his support. Though he didn't say anything, the meaning was well conveyed.

'Go girl!' he said with deep conviction in his heart.

Standing on the podium, she started with a proper introduction of herself, followed by a highlight of the key features of her design. Then, she inserted her USB drive into the port to begin her slide show. But when she clicked "open." ...

nothing showed.

Cassandra was a bit surprised, thinking she might have clicked the wrong button. Once more, she clicked on "open."

But still there was nothing. .

Then she bent down to check the state of the USB drive, only to find that the signal light for connection was off. But even after she re-inserted the USB drive in, the light didn't turn on.

Unbelievable! 'Beyond a shadow doubt, I remember checking the USB drive, as well as everything inside before I locked it in my drawer. Why would it suddenly fail?' she wondered.