Chapter 132 You Will be in Deep Trouble
The second Aaron trotted upstairs like a good little soldier, Katniss figured she could run the show today.
But nope, as soon as they hit the study, Aaron flipped the script.
He yanked out the chair by the desk and motioned for her to park it. "We need to talk," he said.
"Alright," Katniss plopped down.
She glanced up at Aaron, who was still standing. "If you're here to talk me out of this, save your breath."
"I'm the type who gives a heads-up before I act. Last chance, you sure you won't back down? 'Cause if I hit back, you'll regret it."
A straight-up threat, and a heavy one.
Katniss just shrugged, "You won't kill me, right? So, no regrets here."
"You..." Aaron's laugh was icy, "Just wait and see!"
He grabbed another chair and sat. Business as usual, except they swapped spots.
During a quick ten-minute break, Katniss remembered something but got yanked back into her seat by her pants.
She was stunned and felt her pants, which were stuck tight to the chair.
"Stay put!" Aaron snorted, "I knew you'd be stubborn, so I came prepared."
He stood up, killed the lights, peeked out the door, and slipped back to his room once he was sure no one was around.
Katniss had seen pranks like this in school, but never thought she'd be the target!
Her pants were thin, and she did feel a chill when she first sat down, thinking it was just a cold chair!
Guess not.
Gritting her teeth, she yanked hard on her pants, hearing the fabric rip.
A small hole appeared.
Clearly, if she wanted off the chair, she'd have to ditch her pants, but no way was that happening.
Gritting her teeth, she pulled out her phone and shot Aaron a message on Facebook: [Aaron, you think if I die in your study, you won't be in deep trouble?]
Aaron replied fast: [?]
Katniss: [Don't play dumb. This won't make me quit. Just wait!]
She gritted her teeth, wriggled out of her pants, and quickly pulled down her T-shirt.
Then she tied her jacket sleeves around her waist, buttoned a couple of buttons, barely covering herself.
She grabbed her bag and was about to bolt, but the study door swung open. In the dim hallway light, she could make out a tall figure.
It was Tristan.
He stood backlit, his features sharp and defined. He flicked on the room light and gave her a once-over.
His eyes roamed over her long, slender legs.
She paused for a couple of seconds and said, "I've got stuff to do today, so I can only give him one lesson. I gotta bounce."
Not having pants on made her super uncomfortable, the chill creeping up her bare legs, making her tense.
He stood at the door, not budging, and she didn't dare to walk over, scared that moving would give her away.
Suddenly, Tristan shifted, stepping aside and leaning against the door frame.
The gap he left was just enough for her to squeeze through.
She hesitated for a few seconds, made sure the jacket tied around her waist wouldn't slip, and walked out.
The jacket was short, barely covering the private parts.
As she walked, the edge of her safety shorts peeked out, her long legs bare.
This sight was particularly striking in Tristan's deep eyes.
When she reached the second-floor staircase, her wrist was suddenly grabbed, and she stumbled as he pulled her into a room.
Then, without a word, he untied the jacket from her waist.
By the time she realized, her waist was bare!
Luckily, her T-shirt was big enough to barely cover her underwear, and she yanked it down hard.
"What are you doing?" Her voice shook with shame and anger.
But he was already unbuttoning his shirt, and she shakily tried to button it back up.
Her wrist was grabbed and pinned above her head, making her tilt her head up slightly.
Her mixed emotions and the heart that seemed ready to leap out of her chest made her throat tight, unable to speak.
Watching him take off his shirt and lean toward her lips, she suddenly turned her head.
"What are you scared of?" His husky voice whispered in her ear, and the hand pinning her wrist loosened.
She felt a tightness around her waist and looked down to see him tying his shirt around her waist.
His large shirt reached her knees, way better than the jacket.
She could vaguely feel the leftover warmth from his shirt.
Katniss was stunned for a few seconds, her ears suddenly turning red.
Thinking of how she had just dodged his lips, his eyes grew colder.
"What? You don't think I've got that much money anymore, do you?" His thin lips parted, his words dripping with sarcasm.
Katniss bit her lower lip, then let it go, forcing a smile. "Mr. Forbes, let's not joke about this in the future."
She gently pushed his chest, creating a small gap between them, and moved a few steps along the wall.
Out of his shadow, she hurriedly fled his room.
Her retreating figure was just like that night, desperate to escape. Tristan turned back to the window, watching her run out of the villa, her figure disappearing into the darkness.
After a long while, he pulled out a cigarette and smoked in the dimly lit room.
For ages, he couldn't shake Katniss's image from his mind, and he let out a cold laugh.
Flicking away the cigarette butt, he turned and headed to the bathroom for a cold shower.
Over and over, barely keeping his restless emotions in check.
When she got home, Saskia saw her in that state and immediately dragged her to the couch.
Lifting a corner of the shirt and seeing only underwear underneath, Saskia was so shocked she nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Were you going for a tutoring session or a hookup? This is way too intense. Did he rip your pants?" Saskia asked.
"No." Katniss pushed her hand away, super embarrassed.
Saskia wasn't buying it. "I've seen skirts and stockings get torn, but never pants. Those pants cost you a few hundred bucks, are they that flimsy? Was it like a drought getting a downpour, and things just went wild?"
The more she talked, the more ridiculous it got, making Katniss frown. She grabbed an apple from the table and stuffed it into Saskia's mouth, then said, "You're overthinking it. My pants just got ruined, and he lent me his shirt."
Saskia took a bite of the apple and said, "Forget about that. I just want to know what you and Tristan are planning."
"What planning?" The question seemed absurd to Katniss.
She suddenly thought of the divorce agreement. Tristan must have realized she was his wife when he signed it.
But he never mentioned it, maybe because he didn't care, or maybe he was pissed she kept it from him.
After all, when he said to give it a try, it might have just been a joke, so her refusal didn't really matter.
So, what plans could they possibly have?
"He came all this way to start a new project, isn't it for you?" Saskia guessed.
Half a year ago, the media reported that Synergy Global Corporation had a new project in Nightfall City. At that time, she suspected Tristan was coming for Katniss.
Sure enough, after Tristan arrived, they got tangled up again, confirming her suspicion.
"You're overthinking it." Katniss denied it firmly and quickly, "Synergy Global Corporation's project was already in the works before I left. The higher-ups had mixed opinions, and cities around Velvet City were all in the running. So, each city tried to win over the higher-ups, and the project would definitely involve a lot of under-the-table dealings. That's why Tristan chose a place far from Velvet City."
Even though there were other places far from Velvet City, Katniss still didn't believe it was as Saskia said.
She spoke convincingly, and Saskia, not really getting all the details, had no comeback.
"I'm gonna change and crash. Gotta hit the hospital early tomorrow. If you're bored, start looking for some gigs at the agency next week, so you don't overthink stuff all day," Katniss said.
She got up, headed to the bathroom, took off Tristan's shirt, and tossed it straight into the washing machine.
Back in her room, Saskia, still not giving up, pulled out her phone and unblocked Nicholas from her blacklist.
Saskia: [Did Tristan come to Nightfall City for Katniss?]
Nicholas hit her back with a voice call almost instantly. She swiped to answer and tossed the phone on the bed.
Nicholas's angry voice filled the room, "Saskia, you got the nerve to message me? Everyone in Velvet City thinks you dumped me and bailed. I've been the butt of jokes for a year!"
Even though Saskia and Nicholas hadn't made it official, both families were pushing for them to tie the knot.
Everyone who knew them was watching to see how it'd play out, but then Saskia bolted.
This made people think Saskia wasn't into Nicholas, turning him into a laughingstock.
He angrily messaged her every day, but she had blocked him.
"What are you mad about? You don't like me anyway. If I didn't run, our lives would be ruined." Saskia said matter-of-factly, then got back to the point. "Answer my question first."
On the other end, Nicholas paused for a few seconds before asking, "Katniss is in Nightfall City?"
Saskia said, "You didn't know?"
"How would I know!" Nicholas had only found out Saskia went to Nightfall City, not that she was following Katniss.
"Useless, hanging up." Saskia hung up and blocked Nicholas again.
Nicholas, realizing what happened, tried to call back but found he was blocked again. He jumped up from the couch.
Pacing in circles, he made a call. "Dad, didn't you want to send me to Nightfall City for training? I'll go! Set it up!"
Katniss brought two breakfasts to the hospital, and she and Matilda each grabbed a sandwich, standing by Sophia's hospital bed.
"It's been a week, and there's still no sign of her waking up." Matilda took a bite of her sandwich but had no appetite, though she forced herself to eat.
"Don't worry, just hang in there a bit longer." Katniss felt hollow inside, hoping every day for a call from Matilda with good news.
But nothing came.
She finished her sandwich, tossed the bag in the trash, and suddenly saw Sophia's finger move.
Her eyes widened, and she quickly rushed to the bedside, calling out, "Mom?"
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