Chapter 144 Are You Interested in Him?
"Here's my contact info. Hit me up later." Katniss handed the phone back to Stanley and asked, "Can I go now?"
Stanley glanced at the number she entered and hit the call button.
Her heart skipped a beat. She had swapped the last two digits, not thinking he'd call right away.
The call went through, but no one picked up. Stanley raised an eyebrow.
Trying to stay cool, she said, "My phone's in the booth; didn't bring it with me."
"Alright, give me a name then." Stanley hung up and started saving the number.
"Clio Webb." Katniss blurted out. When Stanley looked at her, she added, "Too bad I didn't bring my ID to prove it."
Stanley chuckled, eyes twinkling with amusement. He fiddled with his phone and then stepped aside.
Katniss walked away. Nightfall City was huge, and it was clear she and Stanley were from different worlds.
He was into places like this, while she was swamped with work. The odds of running into him again were slim.
So, getting out now was key, and she wasn't worried about seeing him later.
Back at the booth, she noticed Tristan wasn't on the couch anymore; he was by the window on the phone.
A cigarette dangled from his fingers, a smile on his lips, and he looked genuinely happy.
He was laughing a lot, a side of him she hadn't seen before.
"Eudora's back in town?" Saskia and Nicholas were chatting, not noticing her return, their eyes on Tristan.
Nicholas nodded, "Yeah, she just got back. Tristan came to Nightfall City right after, so they've been catching up by phone. They haven't seen each other in years."
Saskia shook her head. "No wonder they're so close."
Katniss sat in a corner, pressing her lips together, quietly listening.
Her heart sank a bit. This wasn't the first time she'd heard the name Eudora.
But it was the first time she'd seen Tristan so gentle while talking to another woman.
Even from a distance, she could hear his low laughter.
She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, the red light above casting a soft glow on her face.
With her head down, her expression was hidden, only her red lips visible.
Tristan leaned against the window sill, glancing at her, his throat tightening.
Maybe they had plans for the evening; he seemed eager.
On the other end, Eudora asked, "Tristan, your parents are pushing you to come back again. What are you gonna do?"
Tristan's smile vanished, his face turning icy. "If you don't want to deal with it, just stay out of it. Worst case, join them in giving me a hard time, but don't get involved."
"But you can't keep this up forever. I'm just looking out for you," Eudora sighed. "Don't worry, I won't cover for you. If they ask, I'll point them your way."
Tristan chuckled again. "Alright, let's drop it for now."
He hung up, his eyes never leaving Katniss.
He ended the call abruptly, missing Eudora's unfinished sentence, "I was going to..."
He pocketed his phone, grabbed his coat from the couch, and slung it over his arm.
"It's getting late. Let's call it a night," he said to Nicholas.
"Sounds good." Nicholas stood up and noticed Katniss sitting in the corner.
He was momentarily stunned and whispered to Saskia, "When did Katniss get back?"
Saskia shook her head, equally surprised. "I don't know."
While they whispered, Katniss had already put on her coat, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the booth with her hands in her pockets.
The city center was still buzzing late at night, with people coming and going from the club.
A breeze picked up outside, making Katniss's long hair flutter. She tucked it behind her ear, but it fell back over her chest.
Tristan followed not far behind, his steady footsteps echoing in her ears.
She suddenly remembered the phrase "continue tonight."
Looking at his shadow beside her, she felt a surge of nervousness.
"By the way, Eudora asked me to give you something," Nicholas suddenly said. "She wanted me to get it to you ASAP, but I've been swamped the past couple of days. I'll give it to you when you swing by my place later."
Tristan was silent for a few seconds before responding, "Alright."
Katniss had already reached her car. She opened the door and looked at Saskia, asking, "Are you going home?"
"She's not going," Nicholas said seriously. "She has to take care of me."
"Then I'll head home first. Goodbye, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Forbes." Katniss bent down, got into the car, fastened her seatbelt, and started the engine.
Nicholas walked over and bumped Tristan's shoulder. "Mr. Forbes? You've got some work to do!"
"Get lost!" Tristan said impatiently, turning to get into his G-Wagon.
With the window half down, the cool night breeze blew in. Katniss propped her head on one hand, waiting at a traffic light.
She checked her phone several times but found no new messages.
Soon, she arrived home. After changing out of her shoes, she looked around the empty house, feeling a sudden sense of loneliness.
Maybe it was because Saskia hadn't been home for the past few days.
After a shower, Katniss lay in bed, thinking for a bit before sending Aaron a message on Facebook: [Starting tomorrow, I'll bring Donna over tutoring daily.]
About ten minutes later, Aaron replied: [Got it.]
She pressed her lips together, staring at the brief conversation. After a while, she sent another message: [What's your relationship with Tristan?]
She remembered Daniel mentioning that Aaron's sister was friends with Tristan.
She knew many of Tristan's friends but didn't recall anyone with the last name Savoy.
Aaron: [Are you interested in him?]
Aaron's reply snapped Katniss back to reality.
Why was she asking about Tristan? Whatever relationship Aaron's sister had with Tristan had nothing to do with her!
She quickly replied: [No.]
Then she put her phone on the table and turned over to sleep.
The night dragged on. Tristan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, scrolling through the chat history.
His eyes grew darker, the cigarette at his lips glowing faintly. He took a deep drag and exhaled the smoke.
He put down his phone and picked up a high-end gift box from the table.
Tearing it open, he found a men's watch inside, with a small note attached: [Happy Birthday.]
His eyes darkened as he picked up his phone again, expressionless, and sent Eudora a "Thanks."
Then he headed to the bathroom. Just as he left, Eudora replied: [No need to be so formal. I've missed several of your birthdays. Once I sort out the work at Synergy Global Corporation, I'll come to Nightfall City and make it up to you!]
Winter had arrived, and the temperature in Nightfall City fluctuated greatly between morning and evening, but a wool coat was enough to handle it.
Katniss's black wool coat was bought two years ago in Velvet City. Tristan had once complimented her, saying she looked stunning in it.
She didn't quite understand what he meant, but the coat was expensive, so she kept wearing it and hadn't bought a new one.
But for some reason, today she suddenly didn't want to wear that coat.
She took out a shearling-lined suede jacket from her closet, paired it with knee-high boots, and wore a pure white long dress underneath.
Driving to the educational institution, she was greeted by several acquaintances who showered her with compliments.
She just smiled politely and then opened the door to start her work.
She didn't notice the car parked across the street from the educational institution.
Inside the car, a man took a photo of her and sent it to Stanley.
Stanley, who had a woman in his arms, lit up when he saw the photo.
Suddenly, the woman in Stanley's arms seemed less appealing. He pushed her away, sat up, and made a call. "That's her. Keep an eye on her. I'll come over after I finish my business tonight. Make sure she doesn't get away."
"Got it!" The man in the car responded and started watching Katniss.
Katniss's office was on the second floor by the window. Once she sat down, she got busy and barely moved except to eat and drink.
It wasn't until six in the evening that she changed clothes, grabbed her bag, and went downstairs. The man in the car quickly called Stanley. "She's leaving, probably done for the day!"
Stanley, stuck in traffic, said irritably, "I'm stuck in traffic. Follow her, find out where she lives, and send me the location. I'll go straight there. This way, I can bring flowers, have dinner, and spend the night at her place."
His tone was eager, and the man in the car understood perfectly. After all, Katniss was a stunning beauty!
When Katniss was with Tristan, she could always sense if reporters were following her.
But since coming to Nightfall City, she had lost that habit and didn't notice anyone tailing her.
From the educational institution to the Wilson Family, she picked up Donna and then headed to Celestial Villas.
When she entered the Wilson Family community, Stanley's man didn't follow, so he didn't notice she had an extra passenger.
And when she parked at Celestial Villas and went inside, the man only arrived afterward, unaware that Donna had come with her.
Seeing Katniss at Celestial Villas, Stanley knew it wasn't a place just anyone could enter.
But then he thought, Katniss was a flirtatious woman. Many men would spend money to make her smile, so buying a house wasn't surprising.
Money could solve any problem!
He messaged his subordinate: [Find out which building she lives in!]
Then he hurried to Celestial Villas.
Donna, visiting for the first time, seemed very nervous, looking around as she followed Katniss.
When she saw Tristan sitting on the couch, she immediately greeted him politely, "Hello, Mr. Forbes."
Tristan frowned and looked over. The two of them stood at the entrance, also looking at him.
His frown deepened, but he said nothing.
"I'll take you upstairs." Seeing him silent, Katniss led Donna to Aaron's study.
Apparently prepared in advance, the single desk had been replaced with a double one.
Aaron was napping at the desk. Katniss knocked on the table, and he opened his bloodshot eyes.
Stretching, he took out the textbooks.
Though they were the same age, they were at different stages in their studies, so she had Donna solidify her basic knowledge again.
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