Chapter 114 My Money is All Clean
Katniss, who usually had it all together, was losing her cool. The calm in her eyes shattered when she saw Sophia coughing up blood.
She clung to Sophia, her voice shaky as she whispered, "Mom."
Sophia squeezed her hand with all the strength she had left. Her blood-stained lips moved, but no words came out.
Seeing Tristan, Bella suddenly chilled out a bit.
Those deep, unreadable eyes of his made her scalp tingle, and she froze.
A few nurses rolled up with a stretcher, and everyone helped get Sophia onto it. When Dr. Cooper showed up, they opened the emergency passage and rushed to the ER.
Tristan instinctively wanted to follow, but Bella darted over and blocked his way.
She grabbed his wrist tight. "Tristan, where are you going? Why do you care about her? She did this to herself!"
In the chaotic hallway, Bella's voice cut through the noise. She spoke with such conviction that it filled Tristan with rage.
"Let go!" he snapped.
Instead of letting go, Bella clung even tighter. "I won't. I'm not wrong. You can't treat me like this. I love you so much."
Katniss couldn't make out the rest of their argument. She followed Sophia closely, only catching bits of Bella's whiny voice.
That voice was like needles stabbing her heart, causing a pain so intense it was hard to breathe.
In the elevator, she turned and saw Tristan hurrying off with Bella.
The elevator's atmosphere was heavy. She shifted her gaze from the slowly closing doors to Sophia's face.
Sophia's eyes were filled with a mix of sadness, reluctance, and guilt, staring straight at her.
Katniss leaned down and firmly whispered in her ear, "Mom, I'm not the other woman. My money is clean. I'm married. If you don't believe me, look at this."
In the elevator, she pulled out her phone, and showed Sophia a photo of her and Tristan's marriage certificate.
"I married my boss. We're legally married," Katniss said.
Sophia stared at the photo on her phone. After a moment, she suddenly burst into tears and struggled to say, "I was right about you all along!"
Katniss put away her phone, wiped Sophia's tears, and softly said, "You have to hang in there and not die; you need to be around to see Matilda and me get married."
Sophia's response was so weak that Katniss had to lean in to hear her say, "Help me take care of Matilda."
A tear slid down Sophia's cheek, her eyes gradually closing. The tear soaked into her hair, hitting Katniss's heart hard.
"Dr. Cooper! Please, check on her!" Katniss stepped aside, her eyes a mix of helplessness and hope.
Damon moved in, checked Sophia's eyes, and frowned deeply. Before he could say anything, the elevator doors slid open.
The emergency room wasn't far, but to Katniss, it felt like a never-ending trek.
"Hurry, get a cardiologist. The patient's in bad shape," Damon barked at a nurse.
Katniss and Matilda were stopped outside the operating room, watching helplessly as Sophia was wheeled inside.
The chaotic sounds from the room seeped through the door, and Matilda finally broke down, sobbing.
"Katniss," she cried, hugging her tightly. "Mom said she wanted to see us get married and have kids. She'll be okay, right?"
Katniss gently patted her back, her voice steady. "She'll be fine. Mom will be okay."
It was hard to tell if she was reassuring Matilda or herself.
After what felt like forever, the operating room door opened, and a nurse came out with a stack of forms. "Who's the patient's family? We need these signed. This is the critical condition notice, and this is the surgery consent form."
Legally, Katniss was Sophia's daughter, but not by blood.
So she pulled Matilda over. "Matilda, you sign."
"I..." Matilda's hands shook as she looked at the forms, shaking her head. "Katniss, I can't. You do it!"
Without the signatures, the doctors wouldn't operate. Seeing Matilda's trembling hands, Katniss grabbed the pen and signed everything.
"You two wait outside. The surgery will take a few hours. Check if the patient's account has enough for the fees, and brace yourselves for the worst."
Leaving Katniss and Matilda with those gut-wrenching words, the nurse took the forms and handed Katniss a few payment slips.
Katniss had Matilda sit on a bench outside the emergency room, then took the slips to pay the fees.
In Bella's hospital room, Tristan stood by the window, the image of Katniss's panicked face stuck in his mind. His cold agitation made him radiate an intimidating aura.
Behind him, Bella kept chattering, "Tristan, you came to see me, right? Do I look too ugly like this? Is that why you're mad?"
'He can't possibly be mad because of Katniss!' Bella thought.
She sat on the hospital bed, cautiously watching Tristan. Even though she could only see his profile, she didn't dare blink, afraid of missing any subtle expression.
Suddenly, Tristan moved, one hand in his pocket, turning to look at her.
"My feelings for you ended six years ago when you left. I'm be by your side because Michael asked me to help with your depression after you came back," he said.
This was a reality Bella couldn't accept.
She stared straight at Tristan, forcing a smile as she got out of bed, not even bothering to put on shoes. She walked over and tugged at his sleeve. "Tristan, what are you saying? Are you just mad? You can't not love me. I've been thinking about you for six years. How could you not love me?"
He pushed her hand away with a cold, unfeeling touch, taking two steps back, his expression indifferent.
Bella felt like she had fallen into an ice cave, her hand frozen in mid-air. Hearing the door open, she turned and saw Michael. Instantly, she burst into tears.
"Michael, Tristan said he doesn't love me anymore. It's all because of Katniss. Go kill her, kill her!" She rushed to Michael like a madwoman, dragging him out of the room. Her ferocious and vicious appearance was unbearable to look at.
Tristan watched as Michael called in a nurse to give Bella a sedative. The nurse and doctor then suggested temporarily transferring Bella to the psychiatric department for professional care.
Michael didn't stop them, allowing them to transfer the now-sleeping Bella. In just a few minutes, the large hospital room was left with only the two of them.
Michael spoke up. "This is Bella's fault. I'll make it up to Katniss, but are you telling Bella this because you don't want a divorce anymore?"
Once Bella and Tristan parted ways, Adelaide would be even less likely to let Tristan get a divorce.
This was the only benefit Tristan had agreed to in this absurd deal—he could get a divorce.
"What? Do you think that if I get divorced, there's a chance for Bella and me?" Tristan's words were as cold as ice shards as he looked at him. "Is that why you keep ignoring what I say?"
He walked slowly up to Michael and said, "If that's the case, then Bella's current situation is because of you. Don't let me see her again, or I won't show any mercy."
The resolute words and serious demeanor made Michael's heart tremble.
He realized that Tristan was serious, but the price was a bit too high.
After a long while, he said, "Katniss can't marry into the Forbes family. Even without your wife, there's still your parents. She..."
"Her matters are none of your concern. I have my own arrangements," Tristan coldly interrupted, then decisively turned and walked away, his tall figure disappearing at the door.
Michael's face gradually darkened, his eyes narrowing as a glint of light flashed through.
At the payment counter, Katniss couldn't believe it and asked again, "What did you say? How much money is left in her account?"
"There's still six hundred thousand dollars, enough to cover the surgery costs. No need to pay more."
The several cards she handed over were returned, along with the stamped payment slip.
She numbly took them, a thought flashing through her mind. Her voice slightly unsteady, she said, "Can I get a list of her medical expenses?"
The clerk printed out a record of Sophia's medication over the past month.
Altogether, it was less than a hundred thousand dollars.
Holding the list, she walked back and met Damon, who had just come out of the operating room, at the corner of the surgery floor. She quickly approached him. "Dr. Cooper, is the surgery over? How's my mom?"
"It's not over yet." Damon's voice was soft and sympathetic. "Sophia's coma wasn't caused by cancer. It's likely a brain hemorrhage, so other doctors are working on saving her. I came to get her medical records for reference."
Seeing the list in Katniss's hand, Damon understood and added, "Before she came to the VIP ward, she privately asked me to change her medication. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. She knew someone was giving you a hard time about the medical expenses, so she begged me. I have kids too, and as a parent, I felt for you. She signed a medication agreement and was very determined. I..."
"Thank you, I don't blame you." Katniss lowered her head, not knowing what else to say.
Dr. Cooper patted her shoulder. "Stay strong. I'll go get her medical records."
Katniss's mind was in turmoil, emotions swirling with no outlet. She stood motionless in the long corridor.
Until a familiar voice suddenly came from behind, "Katniss."
Tristan's familiar presence enveloped her from behind.
His figure appeared beside her, his eyes falling on her. "Is the surgery over?"
"No." Her voice was cold, and she took two steps back to create distance.
From his angle, he could only see the top of Katniss's head and her cold eyes, which made him uneasy.
Instinctively, he reached out and said, "Bella, she..."
"Mr. Forbes, are you here to plead for Miss Astor? There's no need. She's the daughter of the Astor family. What can an ordinary person like me do to her? I..."
Seeing Tristan leave with Bella, her heart turned cold.
The warmth he had given her these past days had made her feel like she was on cloud nine. But now, he had personally pushed her into the abyss!
The overwhelming grievance and helplessness she felt were released upon seeing him. Tears that had been held back fell one by one, dripping from her chin onto her clothes.
What could she do to Bella? Even if Bella had broken the law, what could she do against the Astor family?
She finally couldn't hold back, turning to press her head against the wall, crying out in sobs.
Her cries were like a knife, cutting into his heart, causing a deep pain.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
