Chapter 367 Should Apologize in Person
The evening at Starhaven was nothing short of spectacular, with the night sky outside the window painting a vibrant picture.
In a refined private room, the elegant restaurant, soothing music, and the soft, hazy lighting all contributed to a relaxing atmosphere.
Katniss sat across from Maximilian, her lips curling into a gentle smile as she admired his handsome face.
The ambiance was filled with a subtle romantic tension, but in the same restaurant, Desmond wore a troubled expression.
"Ms. Saunders, I messed up before," Desmond said, holding a bouquet of red roses.
Though he was apologizing, his face seemed preoccupied with other thoughts.
Sitting across from Desmond was none other than Dione.
He had turned down Gabriel's suggestion to pursue Brynn again, only to find out that Clara had been taken to the police station.
He wanted to help, but had no means to do so.
In all of Starhaven, he didn't have a single person he could trust.
So, he thought of Dione.
Dione knew Katniss was a friend of Sophia's, and perhaps, because of this connection, she might be willing to help him!
Dione glanced at the flowers in Desmond's hands but made no move to take them. "It's fine, you don't need to apologize."
Although Desmond was a complete fool in Dione's eyes, and she had no respect for such an idiot, she remembered that Katniss was friends with Sophia.
She wanted to use this connection to get to know Sophia, so she couldn't afford to fall out with Desmond just yet.
Desmond awkwardly held the flowers, feeling uncomfortable with Dione's response, but he didn't show much on his face.
He didn't put the flowers away but instead praised, "Ms. Saunders is very magnanimous. In that case, please accept these flowers."
He didn't like women like Dione, but he was bound by Gabriel's orders and had to play along.
Dione smiled nonchalantly and took the roses from Desmond's hands. "These flowers are beautiful. Thank you, Mr. Boleyn."
Seeing the flowers accepted, Desmond finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn't plan to overly flatter Dione, but he needed Gabriel to see his attitude.
That way, whether he needed Gabriel's help to save Clara or leverage Dione's influence, he would have options.
During the meal, their conversation was relatively pleasant.
Desmond was preoccupied with thoughts of Clara, so he was somewhat distracted.
Dione, on the other hand, was interested in Katniss and occasionally asked about her.
Both had their agendas, but the atmosphere remained calm.
As they were leaving the private room, Desmond couldn't help but frequently check his watch.
He planned to deal with Dione and then go see Clara, but Dione insisted on dragging out the meal.
Although he was annoyed by Dione's constant questions about Katniss, he didn't show it until they left the room and ran into two familiar faces.
"Maximilian?" Desmond looked at Maximilian across from him, catching a glimpse of Katniss beside him. Reluctantly, he greeted her softly, "Katniss."
Katniss was surprised to see Desmond here and even more surprised that he greeted her first.
Maximilian responded with a simple nod and was about to leave with Katniss.
Desmond didn't dare to stop them. He was already overwhelmed and just wanted to get rid of Dione and go see Clara.
But while Desmond wanted to avoid further interaction with Maximilian, Dione had other plans.
She had repeatedly asked about Katniss during the meal, but Desmond knew very little.
After probing him, she realized he genuinely didn't know much and was already considering not dealing with him again.
But then, they ran into Katniss.
"Ms. Manners, hey there. I was a bit forward when we met before, and have been wanting to apologize in person. It's great to see you again," Dione said, smiling as she held Desmond back and addressed Katniss.
She also noticed Maximilian beside Katniss.
Maximilian had an impressive presence, and he and Katniss made a striking couple.
Seeing that Katniss didn't respond, Dione was about to continue when Maximilian's phone rang.
Maximilian took out his phone and glanced at Katniss. "It might be about work."
"Go ahead, I'll wait here," Katniss said.
Dione took the opportunity to engage Katniss while Maximilian stepped away to take the call.
Katniss didn't want too much interaction with Desmond, but didn't mind talking to others.
Someone like Dione, a local of Starhaven, could be a useful connection if she had no ill intentions.
"Alright, wait for me," Maximilian said before walking down the hallway to take the call in a more private area.
With Maximilian gone, Dione quickly said, "Is that your husband, Ms. Manners? He's quite impressive and handsome."
Everyone likes to hear compliments, and Dione, with her keen eye, saw that Katniss and Maximilian had a strong relationship. She seized the chance to praise Maximilian.
Katniss, not one to ignore a friendly gesture, replied, "Ms. Saunders, you have a way with words. As for yesterday, there's no need to worry. It had nothing to do with you."
This response both acknowledged the compliment and addressed Dione's initial apology, showing that Katniss wasn't holding a grudge.
Katniss's words were sincere.
Yesterday at the mall, Dione hadn't offended her; it was Desmond who had given her a hard time.
However, with Dione's reminder, both seemed wary of Sophia's status and didn't cause Katniss any trouble.
Dione was relieved to hear Katniss's response.
When they met at the mall, Dione had been focused on currying favor with Sophia and hadn't paid much attention to Katniss.
Her impression of Katniss was mainly due to Desmond's connection.
Now, with this test, she concluded that Katniss was a kind person.
Kind people were the easiest to get along with.
Dione continued with a smile, "Ms. Manners, you're very understanding. Regardless, we were in the wrong before. Desmond was too impulsive, and I've already spoken to him about it. Since we've run into each other, Desmond should apologize to you in person!"
Her words were smooth, but they made Desmond glance at her.
Desmond was unhappy but didn't show it.
Dione was using him to connect with Katniss.
Although he knew Dione's ultimate goal was Sophia, it still bothered him.
But thinking about Clara being detained at the police station for some unknown reason, he reminded himself to stay calm.
However, he had no intention of apologizing.
Moreover, Maximilian didn't know about his confrontation with Katniss yesterday.
If Dione brought it up and Katniss took it seriously, what then?
Even though Maximilian was on the phone, what if Katniss insisted on an apology and Maximilian found out?
Dione, unaware of Desmond's concerns, was quick-witted.
Her suggestion for Desmond to apologize was a way to gauge Katniss's temperament and, hopefully, win her favor.
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