Chapter 340 No Time to See Him, Let Him Go
Katniss was making coffee when she heard a ruckus outside.
She paused, debating whether to check it out, but Patrick walked in.
"Hey, Katniss, need a hand with anything?" Patrick asked.
"I've got some coffee ready. Should I take it out now?" she asked, hoping to avoid any awkward eavesdropping.
Patrick grabbed the coffee and said, "Let's go. They're just chatting, nothing major."
The Peterson family's drama wasn't a secret, so there was no need to be discreet.
They left the kitchen, and as Katniss approached, she saw Maximilian patting Chris on the shoulder. "Come to the office with me today. I'll have someone show you around."
Chris nodded. "Sure thing."
"You're joining Maximilian already?" Patrick asked Chris, a bit surprised.
Chris shrugged. "Yeah, I've been out of it for a few days. Time to get back in the game."
Maximilian noticed Katniss and took her hand. "Will you come to the office with me today?"
It was the last day of the weekend, and after last night's events, he didn't want to leave Katniss alone.
"I'll go with you. Be careful," Katniss said, avoiding any mention of Maximilian's injuries in front of Patrick and Chris.
Maximilian nodded.
Patrick left as they headed out, and Maximilian explained to Katniss in the car that Chris would be helping out at his company.
Katniss listened but didn't dwell on it.
She found it interesting that Maximilian felt the need to keep her in the loop.
When Chris arrived at the office, he went straight to meet Maximilian's team for a handover.
Katniss stayed in Maximilian's office, catching up on her research.
She had a meeting with Ethan later to discuss her project, so she needed to get her notes in order.
The office was quiet until the assistant knocked on the door.
"Mr. Hamilton, there's someone outside claiming to be your brother," the assistant said, unsure about Desmond's identity.
Maximilian glanced at Katniss before saying, "I don't have time for him. Tell him to leave."
Desmond had embarrassed himself in front of Katniss before, and Maximilian wasn't about to give him another chance.
The assistant left to relay the message.
Katniss asked, "Are you sure he doesn't have anything important to say?"
Maximilian replied, "He never does. It's better if he doesn't stir up trouble."
"True," Katniss agreed, recalling Desmond's previous antics. Some people never change.
They returned to their work in silence.
Outside, Desmond grumbled as he left.
Gabriel had sent him to apologize, but he was reluctant to face Maximilian.
As soon as he left the company, Gabriel called.
Desmond hesitated but answered the call.
"Did you apologize to Maximilian?" Gabriel's voice was firm, tinged with frustration.
Desmond paused before saying, "No, he was busy and couldn't see me."
Gabriel didn't press the issue. "Then visit the families I mentioned. If they take a liking to you, you know what to do."
Desmond wanted to refuse, but Gabriel cut him off. "No excuses. Just go!"
Desmond sighed, hung up, and hailed a cab.
The cab took him to the mall, where he spotted a familiar figure.
"Clara?" Desmond couldn't believe his eyes. Clara was holding hands with someone.
He stood frozen as they walked into a store.
Clara felt uneasy being led by Ethan, who was also stiff but didn't let go of her hand.
"What do you want to eat? I'll take you home afterward," Ethan said.
Ethan planned to take Clara straight home, but she mentioned she was hungry, so he suggested they grab a bite.
Ethan thought that since Clara had agreed to his engagement proposal, he should at least show some effort.
Though he said they were just getting food, he intended to buy her a gift.
He felt something was off until Clara almost got knocked over, and he pulled her into his arms.
After that, he held her hand firmly.
"Anything is fine," Clara said softly, looking shy and submissive.
"How about some steak?" Ethan asked.
Clara nodded, and Ethan led her to a steak restaurant.
He chose a private booth to make Clara more comfortable.
With fewer people around, Clara relaxed a bit.
Ethan sat across from her, speaking softly to avoid startling her. "Can I call you Clara?"
"Mr. Anderson, anything is fine," Clara replied.
"Just call me Ethan. Although last night was unexpected, I found you very attractive when we first met," Ethan said, choosing his words carefully.
"What?" Clara was taken aback.
Ethan repeated, "That rainy night when I took you to the hospital."
He had found Clara strikingly beautiful from the moment he first saw her, though he was too exhausted to dwell on it then.
Clara was shocked, staring at Ethan.
"Really?" she started, but her ears turned red, and she changed her words to, "Thank you for helping me, Ethan."
Ethan smiled, saying nothing more.
As the atmosphere grew more intimate, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Ethan thought it was the waiter and was about to invite them in, but the door opened before he could speak.
"Clara, who is he?" Desmond's voice came from the doorway, filled with confusion.
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