A Graduation Gift

Chapter 177 Never Lost Her Again

In spite of the situation being so chaotic, Cassandra couldn't turn a blind eye to Rufus's charm. She stood spellbound as she observed the dust stick to his carved face.

Soon she realized this was not the right time or the right place to be captivated by Rufus's look. In order to peel her eyes off from his handsomeness, Cassandra turned around and began to follow the rescue team to the next disaster site. On the other hand, Rufus was swiftly unloading the boxes of water and instant noddles from the car.

This experience meant a great deal to Cassandra and Rufus. They were beyond happy to be working together for a good cause. Somehow doing it together seemed like taking their relationship to the next level. It was like they had been through thick and thin together.

Rufus squinted and looked at another building not far away from him. Cassandra was analyzing the situation along with the rescue team in front of the building. She seemed very engaged and was pointing her fingers to the building while talking to other rescue team members.

"Cassandra, don't you dare think of leaving me again!"

Rufus murmured to himself.

When he first heard that Cassandra was gone, he was beyond worried. Panic had engulfed Rufus from every corner. Victor informed him that Cassandra had packed her luggage and left the Garden Villa. He was also informed where she was headed. His first reaction was fury which was soon replaced by worry. Rufus realized he couldn't stand a second without knowing if Cassandra was safe.

Horace had been still resting in the hospital ward. It was his responsibility to care for him until Lionel would show up there. He repressed his urge to find Cassandra for the time being.

As soon as his duty was over, Rufus dashed for the A City. On his way, he noticed the road was filled with vehicles carrying the patients. It wasn't easy for him to reach his destination. On top of that, he could see the casualty rates had amplified. The radio in his car confirmed all his worries. He realized how bad the situation actually was and sped his car to get there faster. Sweating with anxiety, he prayed for the well-being of the woman he was in love with.

'Why is she so damn reckless! Before bringing the staffs to A City, why didn't she consider talking to me?' his mind uttered with frustration. Inside his mind, Rufus swore he would teach her a lesson once he found her.

But what was buried behind his anger was anguish. In truth he had no idea if she was alive. In order to get this thought out of his mind, he was covering it up with anger. He had been using anger as his defense mechanism.

When he noticed that her car was parked near the city hall, Rufus thought he had finally found her. But on further inquiry he was told that she had indeed gone to A City.

This piece of information heightened his concern. For a split second he had wished that Cassandra wouldn't be inside the city.

With a heavy heart, he made his way to the disaster area. It was done very quickly as he had no difficulty getting inside. Without wasting any time, Rufus inquired about Cassandra but nobody seemed to have the details that could enlighten him. As he was passing by a school playground, a voice reverberated from the radio and made his heart beat faster. 'She was here!' he thought with resolution. She was looking for her friend Maggie's uncle. This was a pure stroke of luck and he internally celebrated.

He expectantly stood in front of the school gate and waited for Cassandra's arrival. Once he saw her, his heart finally relaxed. Instead of addressing her right away, he decided to follow her.

As he tailed behind Cassandra, Rufus overheard her conversation with Dylon. When he heard the whole story, he was overcome with mixed emotions.

He wondered how the woman he loved so dearly could have been so brash. 'Why did she insist on accompanying the rescue team? Is she not aware how dangerous it is?

What about the people she cares about? If something happened to her, what would happen to them?' Rufus wondered. All the while he was thinking about himself. It seemed impossible to envision a life without Cassandra. This made him realize the depth of his love.

Once again he was furious at Cassandra for putting her life at risk without considering his emotions. He was prepared to scream the hell out of her, but when he opened his mouth, he only said, "I will go with her."

Perhaps this was what he truly felt. He was willing to support her no matter what she did.

At the end of the day, all that mattered to him was that they were together.

In the chaotic A City, Rufus followed Cassandra and kept an eye out for her. He was helping others not far away from Cassandra, but his eyes would look for her every 10 seconds.

He had lost her once hence he wasn't willing to take any risk again.

After hours of working, night finally came. Everyone looked exhausted and Cassandra was no exception. Her face and clothes were dusty from all the labor.

She felt quite dirty and wished for a shower but the water resource was limited in the disaster area. Wet towel was her only choice so she began washing her face and hands with it. While she was engrossed in this task, a voice spoke from behind.

"Are you tired?"

Rufus hugged Cassandra as tight as he could. Right now they were outside the tent.

Today he had witnessed her selflessly risk her life for others. If he had to be completely honest, he felt rather proud of her. Yet a part of him worried about her safety.

"Yes, I am quite tired but it's alright because I'm very happy. The rescue team succeeded in saving five people today!" Cassandra replied.

Removing Rufus's hands from her waist, she turned around and hugged him. As she leaned on his chest, she could listen to his heartbeat. In this tired state, this felt like heaven to her.

Somehow his heartbeat always filled her with a sense of security. It was like she could feel his vitality and energy. Moreover, she felt the closest to him in this position. At the moment, this place was in chaos but she was disconnected from it all. To her it seemed like they were the only two souls present here.

"Well, you need to stop caring about others all the time. Your health matters too! Look at you, you look burned-out."

Rufus patted on Cassandra's shoulder gently. In spite of her weak appearance, she was resilient and strong. After working for a whole day, even her voice had became hoarse.

"I'm fine, alright? You're the one who should be taking care of your heath. I mean, you're the president of the Tang Group. And you spent your whole day unloading water and instant noodles!" Cassandra said with a mischievous smile.

When Rufus set out today, his only intention was to find Cassandra. He wasn't prepared for this hence he was wearing his suit. While he unloaded the relief supplies, his attire caught the attention of everyone. In their eyes, he didn't look like an ordinary volunteer. In fact, to the onlookers he came across as a celebrity figure.

"Oh please! That is not a big deal. Look around, almost every worker here is a man. If anything, you are the odd one here. I, on the other hand, can handle this."

Rufus smiled, put his hand on Cassandra's back and pulled her into his arms.

"Rufus…"

Cassandra blushed and tried to escape from his grasp.

Rufus held her tightly and lowered his head. Carefully, he placed a soft kiss on Cassandra's lips, ignoring the startled look that people were giving them.

He had been watching her from afar the whole day. He did this because he didn't want to interrupt her. But now he couldn't resist himself from doing what he had been dying to do.

In Cassandra's mind, Rufus had become a hero. She was impressed with the work he had done today. Even though she knew he was strong, she never expected he would come into the disaster area to do these menial tasks. Moreover, she couldn't detect any trace of fatigue on his face. Cassandra had no knowledge about the training he received from the Dark Night Group. His first training given was physical training. Those who didn't pass this stage was immediately kicked out from the group. In short, physical training was of utmost importance there.

Rufus worked day and night during those days. His earnestness made him much better than the others. While everyone was asleep, he would still be running in the playground. This was the sort of commitment Rufus was capable of giving.

Wind blew on his face and Rufus was brought back to reality. For a moment he was lost in his past.

Cassandra's cold hand touched his face and he looked into her eyes.

"Rufus, Dylon and I…we're just friends. I want you to know there is nothing going on between us."

This had been at the back of her mind for weeks. But she finally mustered up the courage to say it out loud. Their relationship was going smoothly and she wanted to wipe out any residue of misunderstanding. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

"Amanda and I are just friends too..."

Rufus sighed and was about to explain his relationship with Amanda. However, he was interrupted.

"Cassandra, come with us and be quick. We have been informed that a woman and her child are trapped in a collapsed building!"

The leader of the rescue team exclaimed and waited for Cassandra.

Without any hesitancy, Cassandra let go of Rufus's face and ran to the leader.

"I am coming!"

She hollered back in her hoarse voice. Watching her frail condition, Rufus was tempted to hold her back. But he was well aware that she wouldn't stop at any cost. Without any choice, he followed her.

Along with the rescue team, Rufus and Cassandra arrived at the residential building. On their arrival, a man ran towards them. Tears were falling down his face and he stammered while speaking, "Plea...please save my wife and son. The...they are trapped. I just returned fro...from another ci...city!" The man broke down.

His face and hands were peppered with dust. They realized he must have attempted to dig into the ruins with his bare hands. Spots of dry blood was also visible on the tip of his fingers.

Seeing the miserable condition of this man, Cassandra's heart ached. She couldn't bear to watch his agony any longer. She turned her face and studied the structure of the building.

It was a typical residential building. The cracks in the ground caused a steep slope on the building. And she realized it could collapse any second.

The team took out their equipments and let out the rescue dogs. Without wasting another second, they began their duty.

Having ants in his pants, the man was following around the team with a grief stricken face. Every now and then he would beg them to save his family.

His helpless pleas tortured Cassandra. She bit her lips and hoped they would find his family as soon as possible.

Just when she was praying, the rescue dog barked. They began digging the ground below them. The rescue team grabbed their equipments and ran to the area where the dog stood. The light flashed and the equipments beeped, showing signs of life.

Knowing she had to be quick, Cassandra immediately gave her commands. She told the team how to dig, what direction to focus and what direction to avoid. In a matter of minutes, she carefully filled them with her plan.

This building was at great risk of collapsing so she advised them to be very careful.

The team started their work and the concrete foundation brackets were exposed in the air soon.

It was a corner in the bathroom, a safe place to cover oneself during an earthquake. The man's wife seemed to have some common sense and this knowledge relieved Cassandra.

The team moved the bricks and a figure came to their view.

"There she is! There she is!"

The man was delighted to see his wife. He wanted to step forward but he was held back by the team.

They looked at the woman, standing. She bowed and squatted on the ground. Her head was hit by a stone. As a result, the whole area was drenched in blood.

The wound on her head had turned into a scab. It looked like she had remained in that position for long. Her wound was intense and everyone knew she had very little chance to survive.

Everyone present on the scene held their breath in anticipation. They were anxious and worried. A member in the rescue team brought his equipment and walked toward the woman. He put his index finger under her nose and felt her breath. Shaking his head, he looked back at the others.

After receiving this sad news, everyone remained silent. Earlier there was hope, but now the atmosphere become mournful. Cassandra lost her balance and almost fell onto the ground, but Rufus held her.

Today she was full of hope since she watched five people survive. But this woman's death changed it all.

While he was about to move her body, the rescue man observed her hands were tightly bound over something. He squatted and tried to see what it was. As he removed her hands, he let out a scream, "I've got the baby!"

The baby was in deep sleep. His face was bereft of any wound. He was tucked safely in his mother's arms.

The sight sent shivers down Cassandra's spine. She couldn't fathom it.

After standing agape for a few minutes, she finally comprehended what had happened. 'The woman sacrificed her life to save her baby, ' her mind perceived. Cassandra felt a tenderness towards this

woman and her motherly love.