Chapter 417 There Is a First Time, Then There Is a Second Time
"Ms. Manners wants to know? Some things are best said to Mr. Hamilton alone," Emma said, looking regretful.
Katniss frowned slightly, studying Emma's face without giving anything away.
"If you can't say it all, then let's hear what you can," Katniss replied calmly, her gaze shifting briefly to Desmond sitting next to Emma. "And once you're done, you should let him go."
Desmond tried to make himself as small as possible, not daring to move or show any expression, even when mentioned.
Emma's face twisted in anger. She hadn't expected Katniss to be so sharp-tongued, almost leaving her speechless.
Seeing Emma's lack of response, Katniss pressed on, "You wouldn't go back on your word, would you?"
"Of course not!" Emma snapped, her mood souring further. She even dropped the smile she usually wore.
Katniss stared at Emma, her eyes probing, her expression indifferent.
Emma felt a mix of fear and anger under Katniss's gaze. "What are you looking at? Don't you believe me?" she demanded, trying to intimidate Katniss with a glare.
Her words sounded forceful, but her eyes betrayed her insecurity, making her attempt at regaining control seem weak.
"I'm just checking if you were telling the truth earlier," Katniss said slowly, analyzing the situation. "I suspect you never intended to release him."
At this moment, Katniss's presence was overwhelming. Emma even felt a hint of Maximilian's aura in her.
Emma's eyelid twitched, trying to dismiss the feeling as an illusion while recalling Katniss's words. She indeed had no intention of truly releasing Desmond.
Her promise to Maximilian was just to soften his hostility towards her.
Even if she eventually let Desmond go, it would only be a superficial release, with someone keeping an eye on him for future use.
After all, if it worked once, it could work again.
This time, using Desmond to meet Maximilian had been successful.
If Maximilian refused to see her in the future, she could use the same tactic.
Even though Maximilian warned her that such threats wouldn't work a second time, Emma didn't believe him.
"I keep my promises," Emma huffed, turning to Desmond. "Mr. Boleyn, don't you agree?"
Desmond, startled by being addressed, nodded quickly, "Yes, Ms. Kate."
Maximilian's glance silenced him immediately.
Emma, whose attention never fully left Maximilian, seized the opportunity to speak:
"Mr. Hamilton, I will personally hand him over to you. But today, I want to talk to you, not anyone else."
By "anyone else," Emma meant Katniss.
She seemed to have figured out Maximilian's limits, speaking about Katniss without overtly insulting her.
Though her words were less sharp, her determination remained unchanged.
For Maximilian, she was determined to win him over.
The more obstacles in her way, the more she wanted to have him!
"Go ahead," Maximilian responded coldly, unaffected.
Only Katniss knew that despite his calm exterior, he was holding her hand tightly under the table.
Katniss smiled and squeezed his hand back.
Emma gritted her teeth, about to speak, when the door to the private room swung open.
It was the restaurant staff bringing in the food.
The restaurant manager led the way, sweating profusely, much more nervous than before.
His anxiety stemmed from learning Emma's identity from her subordinates.
He had suspected the guests were important, but not this important.
Following Emma's orders had made him even more nervous.
Offending anyone was bad, but offending the Kate family, especially Emma, who would inherit it, was worse.
The manager, suppressing his nerves, directed the staff to set the table.
The dishes were quickly arranged, and he respectfully excused himself.
Katniss glanced at the manager before the door closed.
She felt he seemed more nervous than when he first greeted them.
Normally, people wouldn't get more nervous with each encounter with strangers or guests.
And she couldn't shake the feeling that the manager's deference had shifted from Maximilian to Emma.
"What are you thinking about?" Maximilian asked softly, leaning close.
Katniss shook her head gently, momentarily distracted by his proximity.
Maximilian was handsome, with clean skin, beautiful eyebrows, and a straight nose.
She always knew this, but being so close made it hard to look away.
Especially when she met his deep eyes, her heart pounded loudly.
She averted her gaze slightly to calm herself.
Maximilian, however, leaned closer to her ear, asking again, "What are you thinking about? You seem lost in thought."
His voice was melodious, almost like music.
The warmth of his breath made Katniss blink and snap back to reality.
"Nothing, I guess I was overthinking," she said, though she found the manager's behavior odd, she couldn't pinpoint why, and didn't want to worry unnecessarily.
Maximilian, seeing her frown, gently urged, "Maybe you're not overthinking. Tell me."
His voice was still soft, like a whisper, almost like a lover's words.
Katniss felt her ears burning.
"Mr. Hamilton and Ms. Manners, what are you whispering about now?" Emma, unable to hear their conversation and seeing their closeness, spoke up in annoyance.
The interruption made Katniss tense.
She looked up, her gaze bypassing the exquisite dishes on the table, directly at Emma.
"Yes, we are whispering. Ms. Kate shouldn't mind a married couple having a private conversation, right?"
Her words were more a declaration of her claim than a simple response.
Emma was speechless.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from her subordinate, listing the tampered dishes.
She glanced at the table, hiding her inner turmoil.
"Married couple..." Emma muttered to herself, a mocking smile on her lips. "Not for long."
The two across the table didn't hear her, but Desmond, sitting closer, caught a hint of her muttering without understanding it.
Emma, done muttering, generously said, "You two go ahead. Finish your talk, then we can eat."
"Thank you, Ms. Kate," Katniss smiled, pulling Maximilian closer to continue their so-called whispering.
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