Chapter 325 What Is Your Relationship with Her
Katniss sat across from Ethan, her mind racing with the latest gossip from Cecilia.
Ethan had left school early because of some family stuff.
After meeting with his folks, he called Katniss and found out she wasn't at the library anymore. So, they decided to meet at a café near the school.
Katniss was glad to catch up and discuss their project.
But before she got there, she got a call from Cecilia.
On the way, she heard about Clara and Desmond's drama.
Their mess had made quite a scene in Luminous City, even landing on the front page of the Luminous City Daily.
Cecilia was excited while saying that, but Katniss didn't care about Clara's business.
Just before she got off the bus, Cecilia mentioned that Oliver had been hurt by Laura again and was sent to the hospital.
That news did surprise Katniss.
After the last incident, she thought Oliver would steer clear of the now unpredictable Laura.
But it seemed Oliver was devoted. Despite Laura's issues, he couldn't let her go.
After sharing the news, Cecilia said she was going to tell Juniper and quickly hung up.
Katniss pushed aside her mixed feelings and headed to the café.
She was thinking about the project her mentor had assigned and the research she had done at the library, hoping to quickly organize the details with Ethan.
She didn't notice the two people watching her from a distance.
"You're here," Ethan said as he saw her approaching.
He glanced behind her and asked, "Is Mr. Hamilton busy?"
Katniss replied, "He's at the branch office. I didn't want to bother him, so I didn't ask him to pick me up."
Maximilian had offered to pick her up when she left school, but she didn't want to delay him.
She planned to meet with Ethan first and then find Maximilian.
"Alright," Ethan said, not pressing further. "Sorry, I had some family stuff to handle this afternoon, so I could only meet now."
Ethan had been called away by his family during lunch, and Katniss understood.
"No problem, it's not too late."
Neither of them was big on small talk.
They pulled out their project topics, analyzed and compared them, and quickly settled on one.
Just as they finalized their topic and were about to dive deeper, a voice suddenly interrupted them.
"Katniss! How shameless can you be, meeting someone in secret and sitting so close!"
Desmond's voice was loud and clear, making sure everyone in the café heard him.
There weren't many customers, but all eyes turned to them.
Katniss and Ethan looked up at Desmond.
Before Katniss could speak, Ethan coldly asked, "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" Desmond, feeling a surge of anger, slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "I'm the one catching you in the act!"
Clara, standing next to Desmond, was taken aback by his outburst.
The other customers were drawn in, intrigued by the unfolding drama.
All eyes were glued to the scene, with some even moving closer to hear better.
"Catching in the act? Did we do anything? Or do you have some relationship with her?" Ethan looked at Desmond with disdain, as if he were a clown.
Katniss remained silent, observing Desmond and Clara.
Cecilia had told her that Clara and Desmond's reputation in Luminous City was ruined, and their days wouldn't be easy.
Katniss hadn't expected them to show up in Starhaven so soon.
She had seen Desmond at the Starhaven Medical University cafeteria before, but Clara's presence was a surprise.
"Don't you know she's married? She's from Luminous City and loves to hook up with people from Starhaven!" Desmond, almost stumped by Ethan's question, quickly retorted, pointing at Katniss.
He assumed Ethan, with his polished appearance and demeanor, was from Starhaven and unaware of Katniss's reputation in Luminous City.
So, he started making up stories about Katniss.
Remembering how Katniss was defended by two Starhaven Medical University students in the cafeteria, Desmond felt a lingering frustration.
Ethan sneered coldly, not even bothering to move his lips, "If you had any sense, you'd see we haven't crossed any lines."
Katniss stood up and asked Desmond, "What do you gain from spreading lies about me?"
She couldn't understand Desmond's motives.
Did he think seeing her with someone meant she was unfaithful?
Clara interjected, "We're not lying. You know what you've done."
Clara's attempt to muddy the matter only piqued the onlookers' interest further.
Some began whispering about Katniss.
Desmond, hearing the murmurs, looked smugly at Katniss.
Katniss surveyed the room and then said, "A married woman can't have coffee with a friend? Besides, we're just discussing a project."
With that, Katniss coldly glanced at Desmond and Clara, grabbed her books, and said to Ethan, "Let's go. There are unsavory people here."
Ethan packed up and left without sparing Desmond a glance.
The onlookers, realizing Desmond's accusations were baseless, looked at him and Clara with a mix of curiosity and disdain.
Desmond's face turned a deep shade of red, feeling humiliated under their gazes.
He pulled Clara out of the café, finally able to breathe freely outside.
Clara, also uncomfortable under the scrutiny, seethed at the memory of Katniss's defiant stance.
She wanted to confront Katniss but held back, knowing Desmond was there.
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