23 Crimson Carnations

[ Chapter 23 ]

It's a picture of a perfect setting in an eco-conscious and contemporarily lavish designed office room.

Cassandra sat upright by the desk with flawless posture, whilst pressing her natural pouty scarlet lips into a thin line. Her round framed glasses and long platinum neat blond gave her that noble and charismatic look that every soul found appealingly graceful and sophisticated.

"It's a bouquet of flowers."

Her soft frown further deepened at the answer as her eyes narrowed into slit, she had her fingertip tapping on the desk softly.

After a good brief moment of silence, Cassandra responded, "Pardon?"

"Ms Qin, a bouquet of flowers was sent to your name," Jacqueline answered from the other line, making it hard for one to guess her expression.

"Who's it?" Cassandra inquired, crossing her leg.

"I'm sorry, Ms Qin. The receptionist wasn't able to know the sender," Jacqueline trailed off.

"Alright. Send it in." Cassandra wondered who could be the mysterious sender but she just shrugged it off and continued gluing her eyes on the screen, analysing the market trend.

Cassandra was used to it as she had received a lot of flowers in her younger days, but it had been like an age since the last time she received it so there's no harm receiving such a bouquet, she wondered who could have sent her such a bouquet of flowers?

After a few minutes, a few knocks were heard on the door. "Come in," Cassandra consented. Jacqueline opened the door and entered.

Cassandra darted her eyes from the screen to the bouquet of flowers Jacqueline was holding in her hands. She gave it a simple glance before she returned her focus on the screen.

"Ms Qin, where should I put these?"

Jacqueline asked as she stopped in front of her desk, a rare genuine smile could be seen from her usual collected and stoic good looking face. She's pleasantly surprised by this gift, not that it's hard to believe that her Chairwoman could receive such a bouquet of flowers, as for a woman like Cassandra, to have countless men lining pursuing her was something that logically and perfectly normal.

The thing was Jacqueline had been serving as secretary to her Chairwoman for about three years and she knew Cassandra quite well. Cassandra was such a drop dead gorgeous businesswoman, she's graceful and accomplished. Countless men desired Cassandra and a lot of them showed their attraction, yet none of them took their attraction to the next level by openly pursuing Cassandra.

Jacqueline heard a lot of rumours regarding Cassandra as a woman in her younger days, as Cassandra had already made a name of herself when Jacqueline was still in highschool. By then, Cassandra was already a well known businesswoman and was featured in a lot of famous cover magazines.

Cassandra was admired for her ethereal beauty and her success accomplishment in business. Though Cassandra was a very private person, she's always in the limelight. There were a lot of rumours about her but overall, Cassandra had a respectable clean name in the public and she had no scandal.

Moreover, Ms. Veronica, Cassandra's former secretary, had told her a lot of respectable information about their Chairwoman, it included a lot of pursuers Cassandra had in the past. Even as a widow and single mother, Cassandra was still an extremely desirable woman whom a lot of single gentlemen worshiped and pursued.

It's only when Cassandra matured, the long line of pursuers stopped, not because she's no longer desirable, in fact Cassandra's charm only further ravishing as she matured, it's because Cassandra showed no desire in relationship and she had always rejected every advance. Furthermore, she's now one of the most renowned figures in the business world so naturally there were few to no men worthy of such a feminine perfection.

Hence Jacqueline was quite surprised that there's a man that from what it seemed, bold enough to openly show his attraction by sending a bouquet to her Chairwoman's office. Jacqueline was no way a kind of person who nose in someone's business but to know more about her Chairwoman was quite interesting. For her, Cassandra wasn't only her employer, she's also her mentor and quite an older sister figure, that's why she deeply respected Cassandra.

"Just put in there," Cassandra pointed on the empty side of the luxurious leather table next to the blue sofa.

Smiling softly, Jacqueline placed the bouquet atop of the mentioned spot. Finished, instead of stepping out, she remained standing in her spot whilst eyeing the graceful woman who looked so immersed in her own business.

Without giving an importance to the bouquet she has just received, Cassandra resumed and immersed herself with her work.

To say that she's quite perfectionist wasn't an overstatement. As far as she remembered from when she's small, she's that type of all or nothing person, it's all either she does everything well or she does nothing at all, there's nothing in between. She has high standards in everything and she has always strived for the best achievements.

Cassandra was an extremely disciplined person, as she's quite hard on herself and very critical on self-evaluations. For her, it's far more rewarding and satisfying when she does something with the best efforts. Though of course, being an experienced businesswoman herself, Cassandra learnt a lot of things and knows how to accept the difference outcome from what she expected without being overly disappointed. She wasn't after perfection but doing something with her best is far more accomplishing as there would be no regret.

As Cassandra focused engaging in the world market trend of hospitality industries, she felt a pair of amusing eyes being directed in her direction. She rolled her eyes and found that Jacqueline remained standing looking at her with a somewhat knowing smile, a smile she hardly saw from her no-nonsense secretary.

"What?" Cassandra heaved a breath, leaning her back in her chair, looking back at her secretary.

Jacqueline teased in delight with her smile, no word escaped from her lips. It's quite amusing seeing this side of the Chairwoman she so admired.

Cassandra straightened her back and rolled her eyes, she put her left elbow on the armrest and supported her head by her hand, looking lazy. "I know what you're thinking. However, it's not like what it seems. I have nothing to satisfy your curiosity and in fact, I don't know who might this be."

Cassandra shrugged her shoulders lightly and tucked her blond hair with her finger. She pursed her lips as she eyed the beautiful bouquet of flower carnations.

"He must be extremely attractive to have the confidence in pursuing you Ms Qin. I hope it works well for you." Jacqueline cast her teasing look and smiled playfully, being completely out of her character.

Cassandra decided to ignore her secretary's teasing as she returned the smile. "Well, thank you then."

Cassandra and Jacqueline then continued to exchange small talks regarding their business before Jacqueline excused herself and got out of the room.

Switching back to her work mode, Cassandra resumed her work with a complete focus. It's only when she finished her analysis one and a half hours later did Cassandra take a small break. Cassandra flexed her tired hand and caught a fresh fragrance wafting off from her side direction.

Cassandra straightened her back and pushed back the chair, standing up, she reached closer to the source of the fresh and pleasant fragrance. Her hand touched the bouquet and held it. Her eyes glittered and softened as she held it closer to her and breathed its nice floral scent.

"It's nice." Cassandra mumbled and gave a rare compliment. From the choice of flowers and style of banquet, it's sure this man had a fine taste and she approved.

One had to know that to receive and reciprocate the gifts was an entirely different. In her younger days, she didn't always accept those gifts as she didn't like getting such gifts from someone she hadn't even known.

Cassandra was fully aware of how desirable woman she was. Even when she became a widow and single mother. She didn't lack numerous suitors swaying at her palms to win her attention. They're not men looking for excitement but attractive gentlemen from high society looking for a serious date with marriage in mind. But somehow none of them could make her heart flutter for her to think about giving them a chance.

In her younger days among the proud daughters of elites, Cassandra was Imperial's number one beauty and top debutante. She's gracefully beautiful, having high status in social hierarchy, and possessed marvelous interpersonal intelligence.

Moreover, as she careered in male dominated business field where network was something fundamental, she had to adapt with the scheming and harsh situation. Thus even when she faced a man she disliked, most of time she would be tactful in her rejection. It's only when years passed with her rejecting all of her pursuers and reaching the top where she's no longer a woman that could be pursued, did a long line of her pursuers stopped.

Cassandra held the bouquet as she marveled at its beauty. This was a bouquet of the combination of colorful crimson lilies and dark blue flowers carnation in her hand.

She pursed her lips, this man had the audacity to truly give her a bouquet of such crimson colored flowers. Who might he be? Thinking of this, she looked for the card on the flowers but there's none.

Settling herself on the sofa, Cassandra leaned back while holding the bouquet and lightly picking on the flowers. The graceful and sophisticated beauty before was now melting and glowing in radiantly.

Cassandra took another whiff of the flower's sweet fragrance when something black caught her eye. She looked at it and there, placed on top of the table, was a small black box adorned with magnificent crafting.

She leaned in and reached out her hand to take it as she placed the flowers on her side. Mumbling to herself, she opened it.

It was a black necklace with an exquisite flower pendant using black diamond as its petals, it was an extremely beautiful and exquisitely detailed crafted necklace, one could see how extravagant it's as it screamed a fine class. Her eyes squinted and pulled the black necklace out of its box. Again, she found nothing on the box for her clue.

However, as Cassandra was lost staring at the beautiful necklace, she then turned to look at the bouquet of crimson flowers before looking back at the necklace in her hand. Something dawned on her and an unreadable glint glowered in her eyes.

These black diamonds looked so oddly familiar as it reminded her of a certain man with a striking set of pitch black eyes that one could get lost in forever admiring, the eyes that were even more beautiful than the diamond itself.

"It's really you." Cassandra muttered to herself as she arched a light frown.

Honestly, the moment she saw such a scarlet bouquet the fragment memory of him flashed in her mind. As the daughter of the elite, she had her own flower class when she's young. She knew what kind of flowers they were and what the meaning behind it. It's the bouquet of crimson lilies and myosotis flowers, in the flowers language and etiquette, the crimson lilies represent desire and passion, while the blue myosotis represent yearning and remembrance.

"What are you trying to tell me." Cassandra scowled lightly at the man's ridiculous attempt. She wondered does he really wanted to pursue her? She looked at the pitch black diamond necklace in her hand.

More than a week has passed already since that night. What does he want from her? When she stated that she didn't want to get any attachment with him she really meant it. Moreover, different from before, she now truly knew who he really was. The man was absolute bad news and pretty dangerous in so many ways possible. She didn't want to get involved with him.

Cassandra closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Why out of all gentlemen out there, he had to be from Long household.

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