Chapter 176 He Still Doesn't Know?
Up on the high platform, Eudora and Aaron were smack dab in the middle of the long table.
Tristan and a bunch of folks from the educational institutions were flanking them.
When Imogen started talking, Tristan leaned back in his chair, looking all lazy, his eyes narrowing.
He was fiddling with a carbon pen, his clean, slender fingers making the veins on the back of his hand pop.
Imogen shot a glance at Katniss, then rummaged through her bag and pulled something out.
She stepped up to the front of the stage and laid out some printed photos on the table.
They were shots of Tristan and Katniss together, including one from that morning at the hospital, holding hands and hitting the supermarket.
"Mr. Forbes, if I may ask, what's your relationship with Katniss?" she asked.
Tristan's face turned icy, his eyes snapping up to glare at Imogen.
"You're well-prepared," he said, his voice dripping with intimidation, making Imogen feel like she had a ton of bricks on her shoulders.
Tristan stood up, tossed the pen on the table, and picked up the photos, flipping through them.
He raised an eyebrow and said, "Nice shots, but is there a problem?"
"Of course, there's a problem," Imogen said, mustering up some courage. "You're a married man, and Katniss, as a teacher, is wrecking someone else's family. That shows a lack of character!"
Tristan's marriage was pretty much an open secret.
Lately, there were rumors about Tristan being cozy with a tutor, and a lot of people knew about it.
But they only remembered it was a tutor and had forgotten the name.
Today, thanks to Imogen, everyone remembered—wasn't it Katniss?
Eudora sat there, steady as a rock. Her slightly furrowed brows showed she was affected, but not much.
Aaron was about to lose it, wanting to curse everyone for talking nonsense!
But he didn't know the details of Tristan's marriage, so he just looked anxiously at Katniss.
The crowd was buzzing, andgiving Katniss weird looks.
But Katniss stayed calm, giving Aaron a small smile.
What was there to fear? She was the one who had been married to Tristan for years.
Where was the lack of character?
She shifted a bit, ready to stand up and explain.
Then she saw Tristan coming down from the stage, the black buttons on his white shirt catching a bit of gold from the room's lights.
His tall figure screamed nobility, and he extended his hand as he walked over to her.
Palm up, his fingers were clean and slender.
Katniss's lips curved into a slight smile as she placed her hand in his warm, dry palm, and he led her onto the stage. "I got divorced a year ago, but it wasn't publicized. I recently confirmed I'm dating Katniss. Is there a problem with that?"
Divorced?
This news was kept under wraps, known only to a few close to Tristan.
Today, when it suddenly came out, several journalists responsible for educational publicity immediately called their colleagues in commercial entertainment news, telling them to come quickly for an interview!
Katniss, with her fingers interlocked with his, suddenly felt something was off.
Why did he need to explain his divorce?
Couldn't he just say his wife was her?
Turning to meet his deep eyes, Tristan tightened his grip on her fingers, raising an eyebrow slightly.
What was he trying to convey?
He didn't say, so Katniss didn't say more either. She retracted her gaze and gave the crowd a slight smile. "I haven't been a tutor for long, but I put all my effort into my students."
Finally, her gaze fell on Imogen. "I want to ask Miss Fairfax, why do you carry our photos with you? You have violated our image rights, and I can hold you accountable."
"I..." Imogen's eyes darted around, seemingly looking for someone.
Everyone in the room was watching her, but the person she was looking for wasn't there.
Although it was unclear why she had taken the photos.
She must have had a plan, but doing something like that is really disappointing for a teacher.
Tristan had no patience to tangle with Imogen, giving Ryan a look.
Beside him, Katniss's long hair fell over her shoulders, her features elegant and refined, making his heart race.
Not wanting to stay any longer, he glanced at Eudora. "Then it's settled. She will continue tutoring Aaron, and the rest is up to you. I'm leaving."
He pulled Katniss in front of him protectively, as the moment he finished speaking, some reporters tried to rush over to stop them.
However, his tall figure blocked them, and Ryan and a few bodyguards protected them.
He easily led Katniss out through the back door.
Katniss, pulled into the elevator by him, realized she hadn't taken her bag.
"Ryan will handle it," Tristan said, leaning against the elevator wall, his eyes sweeping over the slowly descending floor numbers.
He encircled her with his long arm, his distinct knuckles resting on her waist, her faint fragrance spreading.
His breathing deepened, and he asked, "You don't seem surprised at all."
"Surprised about what?" Katniss was puzzled.
The elevator doors opened, and she grabbed his hand from her waist and walked out together.
Then she heard him say casually, "I got divorced. Aren't you surprised?"
She wasn't the other woman; he had come prepared this time to find her.
Katniss stopped in her tracks, looking at his chiseled face, which was full of seriousness.
She was stunned.
She was the one who divorced him. What was the surprise?
Her expression was beyond Tristan's expectations. He looked somber as he opened the car door for her to get in.
Then he returned to the driver's seat but didn't intend to drive.
He propped his elbow on the steering wheel, turned to Katniss, and his thin lips parted.
Before he could speak, Katniss interrupted, "Wait, I have a question for you."
He raised an eyebrow.
"When you signed the divorce papers, didn't you see your wife's name?" Other than that, Katniss couldn't figure out where Tristan's so-called 'surprise' came from!
When he signed, he didn't even look at her name!
Even though their signatures were right next to each other?! There was just no way she could believe that.
He wasn't blind, was he? He should have recognized her signature at a glance!
Tristan frowned, "I didn't see it."
In his memory, when Adelaide had him sign, he was emotionally down due to Katniss leaving.
He just signed it directly, not remembering seeing that woman's signature. "I wasn't interested in who she was."
Katniss felt a bit awkward.
She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say!
No wonder after their reunion, he didn't mention her hiding the fact that she was married.
It turned out he still didn't know!
A year ago, the phrase 'womanizer' had left Tristan brooding. If he found out about this, would she be in trouble?
She pressed her lips together, frowning, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.
She couldn't hide it forever, but for now, she had to.
At least until she made Tristan happy enough and then found the right opportunity to explain everything.
"Katniss," Tristan's voice was low, "What do you think?"
Knowing he was divorced, she was this unhappy?
Could it be she just wanted to play with him and didn't want to marry him?
His face darkened, the veins on the back of his distinct knuckles clearly visible.
If she had even a hint of that intention, he would have sex with her right here!
Katniss quickly shook her head, her red lips curling up to reveal eight teeth. "I'm happy; I just didn't know you were divorced!"
"Put away your professional smile," Tristan said angrily.
He could tell something was off with her, but he didn't mention it.
"Are we going back to the hospital?" He turned and fastened his seatbelt.
Katniss shook her head, "No, we're not."
As long as Ryan didn't forget to grab her bag left at the scene, her work tomorrow wouldn't be affected.
The car merged into traffic but wasn't heading home.
Katniss gripped the seatbelt with both hands and turned to ask him, "Aren't we going home?"
"Didn't I say I had a surprise for you?" Tristan raised an eyebrow slightly, looking in a good mood.
"Wasn't that just now a surprise?" She thought his divorce was the 'surprise' he had prepared.
Bringing it up again, Tristan asked, "Do you think your reaction looked like a surprise?"
Why did it feel more like a shock?
Seeing Katniss's guilty expression, he added, "That was unexpected."
Now was the surprise he had prepared in advance.
Dense woods lined the smooth road as he drove from the city's heart towards the western suburbs.
Dappled light fell into the car, blocking the midday sun, and a gentle breeze blew in through the half-open window.
It was a rare moment of leisure, and Katniss relaxed against the seat.
But her heart was still anxious, as she considered when it would be the right time to bring up the marriage issue.
The longer she hid it, the worse it would be for her.
While pondering, the car stopped in front of an apartment building.
The walls were covered with greenery, dotted with small yellow flowers.
The white window frames and transparent glass hinted at the modern decor inside the apartment.
She got out of the car, and before she could react, her wrist tightened as Tristan pulled her up the steps. "It's inconvenient for you to stay over there. I bought this house when I first arrived in Nightfall City."
He stood at the door, using his phone to control the password and fingerprint lock, then pinched her fingers to record her fingerprint.
"The password is your birthday." After recording the fingerprint, he directly used her finger to unlock the door.
The wooden door opened in response, and he pulled her inside.
Katniss then realized he had bought a house. "I've been looking at houses; I can buy one myself."
If he bought a house, she would have to buy one.
Since Matilda and Sophia would need a place to stay in the future.
Tristan asked seriously, "Why buy so many houses? This place is enough. We take the left stairs, and when your mom is discharged, she can use the right ramp with her wheelchair."
Outside the apartment, there were two paths, so Sophia staying here wouldn't be an issue.
"This isn't appropriate." Katniss still planned to buy another set for Sophia and Matilda.
After all, she and Tristan hadn't remarried yet.
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