Chapter 151 Take Care of His Daily Needs
Katniss couldn't help but frown. "I haven't worked in ages. I won't be much help."
"That's cool. There's just that one project in Nightfall City, and Mr. Forbes can handle it himself," Ryan said with a squint and a smile. "You just need to take care of his daily stuff."
Tristan, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window with a cigarette, barely let a smirk slip but kept his face serious. "Then I'll be counting on you, Ms. Grey."
So, Katniss, still a bit dazed, followed Tristan out of the hospital.
Once they were in his car, he asked, "So, are you moving to my place, or am I going to yours?"
That's when it hit Katniss—she was in trouble.
"No, you're Aaron's temporary guardian. He's hurt, so you should take care of him. Why should I owe Ryan a favor?"
Why should she take over Ryan's duties to look after Tristan?
Tristan raised an eyebrow and nodded seriously. "With that brain of yours, maybe coming back as an assistant isn't the best idea right now."
Basically calling her dumb, he then kindly found an excuse. "But Aaron got taken by Stanley because of you."
So she owed Aaron. If Ryan hadn't stayed to take care of Aaron, she'd have to go to the hospital every day.
So, in the end, Ryan was still taking care of Aaron for her?
Something felt off, but she couldn't quite figure it out.
"Where to?" Tristan asked again, patiently.
"My place isn't suitable. It's too small, and I live with Saskia and Matilda."
The three of them each had a room, none of which would be suitable for Tristan.
Tristan started the engine and drove toward her place, saying, "Looks like you don't like small spaces."
Katniss was puzzled.
"Go pack your things. My place is big and convenient," Tristan said, with a hint of something more.
An hour later, Katniss had packed two sets of clothes and went to Tristan's place.
She kept insisting: she would only take care of him for a few days, and once Aaron was discharged, she would leave.
But that insistence felt pointless once she stepped into Celestial Villas.
His every look and every word hinted at something.
Katniss pretended not to notice, ignoring his sullen face as she placed her luggage in the guest room on the first floor.
She made pasta for dinner for the two of them.
Tristan frowned as he finished the pasta, wondering how she managed to make it as bad as always. Compared to 'her taste,' it was worlds apart.
Katniss, for once, also realized her pasta was bad, probably because Matilda had been cooking for the past year, and she hadn't eaten her own cooking in a long time.
After dinner, Katniss washed the dishes and tidied up, getting ready to head back to her room.
"I need to go back and make some lesson plans, send them to the group for Aaron and Donna to study. If you need anything, call me, but if it's not important, don't bother me!" she said.
Not sure if he would behave tonight, she felt the need to be prepared.
"So, what counts as important?" Tristan asked, one hand in his pocket, looking at her mischievously.
"You can handle most things on your own. Just don't bother me," Katniss said, turning and walking away. She went back to her room, opened her laptop, and started working.
Making lesson plans was an excuse to avoid Tristan, but it wasn't just talk.
She really did make several lesson plans for Donna and Aaron, but she finished by a little after nine.
Still, she sat in front of her computer, not going to bed, her body on alert, instinctively guarding against Tristan.
Katniss: [You two take some time to look at these lesson plans.]
She sent a message to the group, knowing that Aaron could use his old phone since his main one was broken.
Both replied with an "OK."
About half an hour later, they finished reviewing the lesson plans and messaged back saying they understood.
Katniss: [Then I'll go over the new course with you, give you a little preview.]
Katniss didn't expect them to understand so quickly. It was just before ten, and it felt a bit early to end.
Ideally, it would drag on until late at night.
Aaron: [Ms. Grey, we're both patients, don't give us a preview.]
Aaron retorted without hesitation.
Donna immediately asked Aaron what was wrong.
They started chatting, and Katniss ignored them, already preparing materials for the new course.
Twenty minutes later, Aaron noticed she hadn't said anything and realized she was serious about teaching.
He couldn't help but send a voice message complaining, "Ms. Grey, are you really going to 'torture' us like this? It's already ten, how long will the new lesson take?"
Katniss checked the time and realized it was indeed ten. For two patients, it was quite late.
But for Tristan, it was still early.
Donna: [Ms. Grey, are you having trouble sleeping?]
Donna was also puzzled. Katniss cared about her health and always told her to rest and not stay up late.
But now, she was keeping them up for a new lesson?
Their questions left Katniss unsure how to respond. Insisting on the lesson would seem heartless.
She could only explain: [I'm worried you might forget what you've learned over the past few days of rest.]
Aaron: [The point is, you're teaching new material.]
Katniss was completely at a loss for words with that one sentence, and she could only rack her brains for another solution.
Suddenly, another message popped up: [Let them rest early, come upstairs and help me with a meeting.]
The tone and words were just like Tristan himself appearing in front of her.
She was stunned for a few minutes, not understanding what was going on.
Aaron: [Ms. Grey, we'll rest first, you go help Tristan!]
So, the Facebook account she always thought was Aaron's was actually Tristan's!
She decisively clicked on Tristan's profile picture and scrolled through the chat history, most of which were messages she had sent.
Realizing she had been mistaking Tristan for Aaron all along, she felt deeply embarrassed.
After a long while, she took a deep breath, closed her laptop, and went upstairs.
She thought she was heading to the study, but upon reaching the second floor, she found only the bedroom door slightly ajar, with some light seeping through.
Tristan's magnetic voice drifted out from the crack in the door. She gently knocked twice.
"Come in," Tristan said succinctly, glancing over.
He pointed with his chin to the seat opposite him, indicating for her to sit.
He had already started the meeting, and she could hear voices coming from the computer.
Katniss sat down, took the pen and notebook he had prepared, and began taking notes.
After listening for just a few sentences, she realized it was a shareholders' meeting.
Several voices were familiar; they were shareholders of Synergy Global Corporation.
"We believe that since Mr. Travis Forbes doesn't see potential in this project, there's no need to continue."
"Exactly, so Mr. Tristan Forbes, you shouldn't insist. Seventy million dollars is no small amount!"
"Taking a few million dollars in losses now is acceptable, but spending that much and losing it all is something we can't handle."
"Unless you bear the risk yourself!"
There were many dissenting voices, and after the leaders spoke, there was a chorus of agreement.
Katniss glanced up at Tristan in front of the computer screen.
The light from the computer reflected on his face, making his features appear even more chiseled.
His eyes were slightly narrowed, and smoke from the cigarette he held in his mouth swirled up continuously.
He showed no signs of anger, not upset by the opposition. He took the cigarette from his lips, tapped it into the ashtray, and sneered, "I bear the risk, but if it profits, you want a share? Cunning old foxes."
With that one sentence, the other end fell silent.
Although Katniss couldn't see, she could imagine how despicable the shareholders' faces must have looked.
After a while, someone spoke, their tone much softer.
"Mr. Forbes, we're not that kind of people. The key is your father doesn't want you to continue with this project; he wants you to come back!"
"We've all worked hard with your father, and we can't ignore his wishes."
They wanted to be tough, but they couldn't out-tough Tristan. So they could only ask Tristan to understand their difficulties.
Tristan's expression remained unchanged. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Stop with the nonsense. You have two choices: release the funds, or abandon the project and I'll take it on myself. I can guarantee it will be profitable, but don't expect a dime from me when it is."
With that, he ended the video call and closed the laptop.
Irritated, he tugged at his tie, anger simmering in his chest. He looked up at Katniss, who was bathed in the brilliant light.
She sat there dazed, not yet reacting, her eyes pure and untainted.
His heart suddenly sank. He reached out with a long arm, pulled her by the neck, and kissed her forcefully.
It was a rough, almost venting kiss, and Katniss whimpered in pain.
Only then did he soften his grip. After a long while, he let her go, leaning back on the sofa, his expression dark.
Katniss's notebook for the meeting had not a single word written.
There was no need to record this meeting, but she didn't dare ask why she was needed.
In the room, his bad mood spread, affecting her as well.
He got up and went to the balcony to smoke, one cigarette after another, his figure shrouded in darkness through the floor-to-ceiling window.
A pang of heartache rose in her chest. He only smoked like this when faced with very difficult situations.
In the three years she had been by his side, such instances were rare.
She took a deep breath, got up, walked over, and took the unfinished cigarette from his mouth, extinguishing it and throwing it in the trash.
"Smoking won't solve the problem. Although I don't know why you're at odds with Synergy Global Corporation's shareholders, I know that since you spoke harshly, you must have a plan," Katniss said.
She truly believed Tristan could change everything. His abilities were unmatched in the business world.
Her words were firm and straightforward.
Compared to a year ago when she was always deferential in front of him, the current her made Tristan feel more deeply moved.
His thin lips curved slightly, and the heaviness in his chest dissipated. "Then from now on, I'll have to rely on you," said Tristan.
Katniss was stunned.
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