Chapter 155 Two Hundred Dollars Hard Earned
If they went out like this, they'd totally get busted for DUI.
Without a second thought, Nicholas blurted out, "Then let's crash here tonight. He's got plenty of houses."
"No way," Tristan said firmly, stubbing out his cigarette.
Everyone's eyes snapped to Tristan, who just frowned and didn't say a word.
"Come on," Nicholas whispered, "Tristan, your place has killer soundproofing. What's the big deal? If it’s really an issue, we can crash on the third floor."
Tristan's face darkened, and he snapped, "Get lost." Then he added, "Take a cab home yourself."
Nicholas immediately turned his pockets inside out. "My dad won't give me money for a cab."
"I'll cover it," Tristan said without hesitation, as if he suddenly remembered something, and pulled out two hundred bucks from his pocket.
Before he could split the bills, Nicholas snatched them away and said, "Alright then."
But before Nicholas could even enjoy the money, Tristan snatched it back.
He stood up, pulled out one bill, and was about to hand it over but paused. He turned to Katniss and asked, "Do you have fifty bucks?"
"No," Katniss only had the two hundred dollars in her bag, which she had already given him.
"Then take a hundred for now, and give me the rest tomorrow," Tristan said, handing Nicholas a hundred bucks and pocketing the rest. His tense expression made it clear he wasn't joking.
Those two hundred bucks were hard-earned, after all.
Giving half to Nicholas so easily made his kidneys ache.
Katniss lowered her head, her long hair covering half her face, but not her muffled laughter.
Until Tristan went to the living room, Nicholas had been cursing and ran over to call him stingy.
Katniss stood up smiling and started cleaning the table with Saskia.
Saskia had just heard from Katniss about the significance of the two hundred bucks and was laughing so hard her stomach hurt. Only Nicholas was clueless.
"Can you wear a gown tomorrow?" Saskia glanced at her neck.
Her smooth neck had some marks, but they weren't very noticeable.
But she definitely couldn't wear an off-shoulder gown.
Without looking up, Katniss said, "I'll just wear business attire. After all, it's a business meeting, not a gala."
She didn't wear gowns often. When she was with Tristan, she mostly wore business attire to keep things professional.
"But you're not his assistant now," Saskia said after a moment's thought. "And Nightfall City is different from Velvet City. I've heard that women dress up for business meetings here to socialize, so it's not as formal as you think."
In other words, these business meetings were more about networking.
Katniss leaned against the cabinet, thinking for a bit, and said, "I'll figure it out then."
She thought, no way she was buying a gown, right? High-end gowns cost a fortune. She had the money but wasn't keen on spending it.
After cleaning up the table, Nicholas left with Saskia, looking pretty annoyed.
He even muttered a few times that Katniss was smart for not sticking with Tristan; the guy was too stingy!
Katniss just smiled and kept quiet. Nicholas could complain, but she couldn't, since she still had to stay the night.
Turned out, Tristan was in a good mood.
Even though he crashed in her room without asking, he didn't try anything.
Katniss, who had caught up on sleep all day, worked late into the night handling some stuff for the educational institution. It was almost dawn when they finally slept.
They fell asleep in each other's arms. She shifted uncomfortably, and he mumbled, "No forcing," then stubbornly held her close.
The Gibson Family banquet kicked off at 3 PM, held at the swankiest hotel in Nightfall City.
It took about an hour to get there from Celestial Villas.
Katniss and Tristan got up around ten. When they left the room, they saw a vintage-style gown in the living room.
The high-neck design covered the faint marks on her neck, and the light green gown made her look even more elegant.
The slit up to her thigh made her legs look longer, and her golden hair was pinned up, giving her a refined look.
It wasn't her first time wearing a gown, but every time she did, it made Tristan's heart race.
He wore a black suit with a white shirt and a dark green tie.
The color matched her gown perfectly.
From a distance, they looked like a match made in heaven. The reporters' faces showed it the moment they stepped out of the car.
Her arm rested on Tristan's, and her 15-inch heels brought her just to his ear level.
They walked slowly on the red carpet and were led to the banquet hall by a waiter.
Her figure was graceful, his was tall and strong. Their silhouettes disappeared from view, and the photographers realized too late that they hadn't taken any pictures.
The banquet hall was already packed. The double doors were intricately carved. Long rows of tables were filled with drinks and snacks.
Men and women in gowns and suits mingled in the hall, and the crowd was instantly drawn to the two figures standing at the door.
There were gasps and whispers among the crowd.
"That's Tristan!"
"So that's Tristan? He's so handsome!"
The excited chatter of a few girls reached Katniss's ears.
'Is this really a business cocktail party?' Katniss wondered. She glanced at the elaborately dressed ladies and socialites, a stark contrast to those in Velvet City.
It felt more like a beauty pageant.
She wasn't a fan of this kind of scene. If she had known it was more about showing off than work, she wouldn't have bothered coming.
"Katniss!" Saskia and Nicholas emerged from the crowd, making their way over quickly.
Saskia was rocking a bright red cocktail dress, her short hair adding a lively touch.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow at Katniss, then whispered to Tristan, "Tony hasn't shown up yet. I'm worried he might chicken out."
After all, in this setting, if Tristan brought up the collaboration and Tony refused, it would cause a public scene!
"Let's find a place to sit first, no rush," Tristan said, his displeased gaze sweeping over the men eyeing Katniss.
It was the first time he realized just how much attention Katniss attracted.
Nicholas had arrived early and secured a spot, so they all headed over and sat down.
Holding colorful drinks, they engaged in light conversation.
"Mr. Forbes, Ms. Grey." As soon as they sat down, Daniel approached them. "I knew Mr. Forbes would be here today, but I didn't expect..." He looked at Katniss and Tristan with some confusion.
'Could it really be as Wren said, that Katniss and Tristan were...' Daniel thought. He believed it, but it was still unbelievable to see it with his own eyes.
"Mr. Wilson." Katniss stood up and politely nodded at him. "How is Donna doing?"
She didn't bring up that topic, and Daniel naturally didn't press further. "She's almost recovered. She can return to class on Monday," he replied.
"That's good." Katniss smiled, suddenly remembering it was Friday and she needed to go to the hospital.
Daniel chatted briefly with Katniss about school matters, then greeted Tristan before leaving.
The banquet was in full swing when a commotion erupted at the staircase.
Tristan's eyes swept over, watching the newcomers.
Although Katniss had never met Tony, she immediately recognized the man leading the group as Tony.
Stanley and Tony looked about 60-70% alike, especially in their facial features.
The two elegant women beside him were likely Yasmin and his wife, Bronte Langley.
As soon as they arrived, they were surrounded by others, making it hard to approach them.
Tristan wasn't in a hurry, his long, clean fingers holding a wine glass, swirling the brown liquid inside.
He occasionally took a small sip, leaning over to speak softly with Katniss. "Stanley may look like Tony, but his reckless nature comes from his father. Tony is known as a good man."
Katniss could tell. Tony had been holding Bronte's hand since they entered. It was rare to see such affection at their age.
"At this rate, we won't get a chance to talk to Tony for at least an hour," Nicholas said, craning his neck to look at the crowd surrounding Tony.
Tony was a top figure in Nightfall City, admired by many.
Tristan sat calmly and said, "He'll come over."
Since Tony showed up today, he must have thought about how to handle him.
So why rush?
Katniss glanced at Tristan, who exuded an air of nobility with every gesture. With that confident expression, his side profile was mesmerizing.
Tony occasionally glanced through the crowd, but seeing no sign of Tristan, realized he was a patient man. It made sense that someone who led Synergy Global Corporation to such a prominent position in the business world at such a young age would be patient.
After a while, Tony smiled and interrupted the people who were making small talk with him. "Excuse me, everyone, Mr. Forbes is over there. I need to say hello."
The crowd quickly made way.
Some people whispered about Tristan putting Stanley in the hospital, with one or two insiders revealing it was over a woman.
Someone said, "Isn't it the woman next to Tristan? She's so beautiful! Even as a woman, I'm moved. No wonder Mr. Ortiz was interested in her."
Someone else added, "But Stanley had his eyes on Tristan's woman and got beaten up. Isn't that deserved?"
Another one chimed in, "That's not the point. The Gibson Family and the Ortiz Family are close. The Gibson Family can't just ignore it."
"So, will Mr. Gibson agree to the collaboration?" Someone quietly raised a question that everyone was curious about.
Instantly, the crowd fell silent, all eyes focused in one direction.
Tony approached, and Tristan finally put down his glass, standing up unhurriedly.
He raised an eyebrow slightly and extended his hand. "Hello, Mr. Gibson, it's an honor."
"Hello, Mr. Forbes." Tony, enveloped by Tristan's undeniable presence, instinctively extended his hand.
After a brief handshake, Tristan withdrew his hand.
Katniss, who had stood up to give Tony a seat next to Tristan, was pulled back by Tristan, who pointed to the seat opposite and said, "Mr. Gibson, let's sit and talk."
Even though it was Tony's territory, his aura was inexplicably overshadowed by the young Tristan.
Yasmin, looking at Katniss who was pulled to sit by Tristan, couldn't help but scoff, "We don't sit with inappropriate women!"
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