Chapter 118 Then It Will Be Nightfall City
"Jessica's already been canned. What's your next move?" Katniss asked, straight to the point.
It had been a few days since Jessica got the boot, but she was still hanging around, even sent Rupert to hit up Katniss for some cash.
Then Jessica caught wind that Katniss had also quit and was planning to bounce, so she finally agreed to head back to her hometown.
"I'm heading back, Katniss. Here, take this dough. It's not much, but I hope it helps," Rupert said, pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket.
The bills caught Katniss's eye, and her long lashes fluttered as she smiled gratefully. She raised her hand to push the money back. "No need, I got cash. You'll need it more when you go back, so keep it."
"I'm going back to the old house; there's not much I need to spend money on. Just take it, unless you think it's too little." Rupert stubbornly shoved the money into her hands. "I know I've been a pain. It's my fault for not being smart, but don't blame Jessica. She got played by Bella. We're from a small place; we don't have the tricks those rich folks do."
It wasn't that they weren't as slick as Bella; it was that Rupert wasn't as slick as Jessica.
Katniss saw it clearly but didn't feel the need to tell Rupert.
"Then I'll hold onto it for you. If you need money later, come find me." She didn't refuse again and stuffed the money in her bag. "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning, taking the bus," Rupert replied.
"Alright, be safe on the road." Katniss patted his shoulder. The small boy from her childhood memories was now half a head taller than her.
"Are you heading to the airport?" Rupert asked, noticing the suitcase behind her.
Katniss nodded, smoothing her long hair and smiling as she gestured to his electric motorcycle with her chin. "Give me a lift to the bus stop."
"Sure thing!" Rupert grabbed her suitcase and placed it on the footrest in front.
He sat down first and patted the back seat. "Katniss, hop on!"
Katniss, wearing a bulky down jacket, got on Rupert's electric motorcycle.
Ten minutes later, she boarded the bus and sat by the window, looking out.
Rupert stood in the bus shelter, watching her. As the bus slowly started, she clearly saw Rupert shed a tear, which he quickly wiped away before waving vigorously at her in his heavy down jacket.
Two hours later, she arrived at the airport with her suitcase. Samuel was already there with Matilda, waiting for her.
Seeing her, Matilda burst into tears, choking with guilt and unable to speak.
"Damon suggested we take Mom to Nightfall City earlier. Isn't this just perfect?" Katniss said, fixing Matilda's messy hair. "The hospital will send Mom to Nightfall City. We'll go ahead and settle in, and then we can always be together."
Matilda knew not only that Katniss had married Tristan and was his lover, but also that she loved him deeply.
Three years of being together had deepened her love to the core. It wasn't as easy to leave as it seemed on the surface.
Katniss's eyes reddened as she glanced at Samuel.
Samuel met her gaze for just a second before looking down, then turned to Matilda. "You go check in your luggage first. I need to talk to Katniss alone."
"Okay." Matilda took her suitcase to check in.
Only Katniss and Samuel were left.
Katniss wore a black wool coat, skinny jeans, and a white undershirt.
Her face was bare of makeup, reflecting in Samuel's eyes, just like during their college days.
Samuel spoke up. "Sorry, I couldn't help you much."
Katniss smiled and shook her head, saying, "Even if you wanted to help me regardless of the consequences, it wouldn't matter. We can't withstand the pressure from the Astor Family."
"So, leaving here is a good choice." Samuel's eyes swept over the surrounding pedestrians as he casually asked, "Are you going to Nightfall City?"
"Yes." Katniss turned to the window, looking at the snowy landscape in the distance. "Since winter began, Velvet City has had a lot of snow. Nightfall City won't; it's spring all year round there, and it never snows."
Samuel stood beside her, hands in his coat pockets. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Is your husband not going with you?"
Husband? The word sounded so unfamiliar to Katniss that she didn't understand it at first.
Even though they had been married for six years, she still wasn't used to thinking of Tristan as her husband.
She looked at Samuel in surprise.
"On graduation day, I saw the marriage certificate in your bag," Samuel said, raising an eyebrow. "Is it Benjamin White?"
Benjamin was a prominent figure in their college days. Katniss had collected many of his photos for a while.
But she didn't like him. Later, Sophia found out and joked about bringing him over to meet her.
She quickly explained, but Sophia didn't believe her.
"No." Katniss didn't expect Samuel to think she liked Benjamin. "And I'm already divorced."
She lowered her head, the pain in her heart making it hard to maintain a smile.
Samuel's eyes darkened, his tone slightly different. "Really?"
"Anyway, thank you." Katniss couldn't imagine standing and talking so calmly with Samuel. And he had even help her.
Samuel said, "I told you, no need to thank me. I just gave you a couple of pointers, didn't really do much."
The airport announcement for boarding chimed in, reminding them it was time to head to the waiting area. Katniss smoothed her long hair and said, "When Jasper threatened me with Matilda, wasn't it you who helped me out? So, I should thank you."
"You mean that incident?" Samuel recalled and said, "That was Mr. Forbes who helped you. I couldn't do much, so I asked him."
Katniss's body stiffened, and her hand in her pocket clenched into a fist.
Tristan's grim face flashed through her mind, along with his furious departure.
She bit her lower lip, not feeling the pain until the taste of blood filled her mouth, and her breath trembled slightly.
"But he could only help you because it was Jasper. If it were the Astor Family, the outcome would be obvious. So, leaving is the right choice." Samuel analyzed rationally.
He successfully brought Katniss back to her senses, reminding her that his help didn't mean she could compete with Bella.
As for Tristan's words, "Let's give it a try," she buried them deep in her heart, treating them as a casual remark.
"Goodbye." Seeing Matilda return, she waved to Samuel and turned to head to the waiting area with Matilda.
Samuel's gaze followed her until she disappeared around the corner.
On the plane, Katniss stared at a photo on her phone; it was a picture of Tristan.
She had taken it on a whim during one of his meetings, capturing his long eyes, high nose, and thin lips.
Every feature was as finely chiseled as if carved by a knife, etched into her heart.
She took a deep breath, deleted the photo, and erased Tristan's contact information, even though she had memorized the number by heart.
At Synergy Global Corporation...
As soon as Ryan entered Synergy Global CEO's office, the strong smell of smoke made him cough lightly. He covered his mouth and walked behind Tristan, noticing the cigarettes that had never left his fingers these past few days.
He respectfully said, "Mr. Forbes, this is Miss Grey's resignation letter, submitted by the Grand Era Mall's manager, as he dared not approve it."
"Resignation?" Tristan sneered, extinguishing his cigarette and taking the resignation letter.
The familiar handwriting was clean and neat, just like her.
"I found out that Katniss has booked a flight to..." Ryan's words were abruptly cut off.
"Enough." Tristan's face grew colder. "Talk about work."
Ryan immediately opened another file. "Synergy Global Corporation's new project has caused significant disagreements among the executives regarding the location. Their proposed sites are scattered across the country, and they can't reach a consensus. It might require your final decision."
Through the swirling smoke, Tristan's deep eyes moved slightly. "Is Nightfall City one of the options?"
"No," Ryan hesitated. "Nightfall City is too far, and..."
"Then it will be Nightfall City," Tristan decided instantly, his thin lips barely moving.
Ryan's words of persuasion were stuck in his throat. "Yes, sir," he responded.
He noticed Tristan lighting another cigarette, one after another, smoking heavily.
Ryan sighed softly from the bottom of his heart.
A year later, in November, Nightfall City was still quite warm. Katniss wore a purple floral dress, and it took her only five minutes to walk from the educational institution to Skyline Pavilion, but her forehead was already covered in a thin layer of sweat.
She stood outside room 208 of Skyline Pavilion and knocked on the door. A waiter opened it.
"Hello, I'm looking for Daniel Wilson to deliver an invoice," Katniss said.
After moving to Nightfall City, she had established an educational institution, offering tutoring for students of all ages, both one-on-one and in classes, as well as creating online course materials.
Her life was busy and tight, but she had fully adapted to her job and life in Nightfall City.
Some memories had gradually faded, except for those unforgettable people.
Someone inside responded, and the waiter opened the door.
The dining table was filled with business people, exchanging pleasantries. Her eyes fell on the empty main seat, where a black custom-made suit jacket hung, its logo very familiar.
A tall figure stood by the window, back to her. In the dim light, she could vaguely see that the person was very tall and had a familiar aura.
"Ms. Grey, over here." Daniel stood up from the main seat and walked toward her.
She quickly looked away and smiled at Daniel. "Mr. Wilson, here's the invoice for your daughter's one-on-one tutoring. I'll start officially next week."
"Thank you for making the extra trip." Daniel took the invoice and exchanged a few pleasantries.
She smiled and agreed, setting a time for Daniel's daughter's tutoring.
Then she excused herself, her eyes sweeping over the indistinct figure in the corner. The person seemed to be on the phone. She turned and left the room.
As she stepped out of Skyline Pavilion, she felt a bit dazed, her mind occasionally flashing certain images, until her phone rang in her bag.
She snapped back to reality, slowly descended the steps, and swiped her finger across the screen to answer the call.
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