Chapter 181 To Admit or Not to Admit
The constant ringing was pounding in Katniss's head by the time she threw on some clothes, rushed downstairs, and yanked open the door.
"Why'd you take so long?" Aaron grumbled as he walked in, carrying a bag.
Ryan trailed behind him, looking a bit lost. "Ms. Grey, sorry to bother you."
"Why didn't you go back to Velvet City?" Katniss asked, surprised to see Ryan.
"Mr. Forbes asked me to stay," Ryan said with a smile, thinking his luck was finally turning.
He figured it’d be easier to get on Katniss's good side while Tristan was away.
Katniss had a pretty good idea why Tristan wanted Ryan to stick around. "Well, you'll have to work hard these days."
"It's not just a few days; I'll be here until Mr. Forbes gets back from Velvet City. He promised me a short vacation afterward," Ryan corrected her, following her inside and closing the door.
So, he’d be here for New Year’s? Katniss thought for a moment and said, "There's no need for that. New Year's is all about family time."
"I grew up with the Forbes family," Ryan explained.
He had no family.
Hearing this, Katniss was quiet for a few seconds before smiling. "Then it'll be lively this year. We'll celebrate together."
"Yeah," Ryan felt a warmth in his heart. Even though Katniss was friendly, he still kept a respectful distance.
Originally, Tristan wanted him to stay at Celestial Villas with Aaron for a few days and then come to Katniss the day before New Year's.
But Aaron refused. After Eudora left, he almost 'pushed Ryan over the edge.'
"Ms. Grey, Mr. Forbes asked me to drive you to and from work. Are you heading to the educational institution now?" Ryan asked.
Katniss glanced at Aaron, who had plopped down on the sofa and started playing with his phone, and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, give me half an hour."
She went back upstairs to freshen up and change clothes, coming down with a few test papers and some eighth-grade textbooks. "I'll take you to the Wilson family for tutoring this afternoon. Before that, finish all of this."
Aaron looked at the thick stack of books and almost dropped his phone. "All of this?"
"What did you expect?" Katniss had already grabbed her bag and was changing shoes at the entrance. "Do you even realize how far behind Donna you are?"
Hearing this, Aaron looked annoyed but tossed his phone aside and started studying.
This scene stunned Ryan. Katniss really had a way of making Aaron fall in line.
As New Year’s approached, the educational institution was super busy. Katniss hadn't had a moment's rest since she walked into the office.
After four or five hectic days, work was almost wrapped up – then it was finally vacation time.
Katniss scheduled the pre-recorded lessons to update the software during New Year’s and then gathered everyone at the institution for a meal.
Saskia, one of the institution's owners, was in high spirits and got everyone to drink with her.
"Are you in a bad mood?" Katniss immediately sensed something was off with her.
"You're overthinking it," Saskia said, popping open a beer and filling Katniss's glass.
Saskia was stubborn, so Katniss didn’t push it. She quietly drank with her but didn’t have much.
"Ms. Grey, something's wrong!" The atmosphere at the table was just right when the receptionist, who had been on her phone, suddenly looked alarmed.
Katniss looked over at the receptionist, and Saskia put down her glass. Everyone in the room turned to her.
The receptionist held up her phone and said, "I posted it in our group chat. Check it out!"
The educational institution had an internal group chat where everyone pulled out their phones to watch the video the receptionist had just posted.
It was a video from a parent, accusing their online course of plagiarism.
The content was identical to a video posted by a teacher who offered free online courses on a short video platform half a month ago, with only different voices and fonts.
Instantly, everyone looked at Katniss, as she was the one who had recorded the course.
"Did you know Michael went back to Velvet City?" Saskia suddenly said.
Katniss had almost forgotten about Michael until Saskia mentioned him.
"But Bella didn’t leave," Saskia implied that Michael and Bella were involved in this mess.
Katniss turned off her phone and thought for a moment. Regardless of who did it, there was a mole in the institution.
The pre-recorded lessons were all on her office computer, which was always locked.
Suddenly thinking of something, she looked up at Delphine.
Before she could say anything, Delphine spoke up, "Ms. Grey, why are you looking at me?"
"Only you know my office computer password. I noticed a video identical to my lesson was posted after you learned it," Katniss said, already seeing the clues in Delphine's subtle expressions.
But Delphine wouldn’t admit it. "Ms. Grey, you can’t accuse me just because of that. At that time, you were too busy and asked me to send the lesson to the students. Helping out got me into trouble?"
"I'll ask you one question: do you admit it or not?" Katniss countered.
"I didn't do it, why should I admit it?" Delphine shot up from her seat, her leg hitting the chair with a loud bang. "Katniss, you're falsely accusing me for no reason. I want you to apologize!"
The room was thick with tension; this was about the survival of the educational institution.
If they couldn't clear this up, their work could be over.
Katniss leaned back in her chair, her gaze sharp and piercing, like she could see right through Delphine.
Delphine started to lose her cool, her voice shaky but still defiant. "Ms. Grey, many of us work under you. Just because you've married into wealth doesn't mean you can ignore our well-being and act this way."
"Explain your slander more clearly," Katniss frowned, not getting what she meant.
"Ever since you got together with Mr. Forbes, you've been slacking off. You're no longer the first to arrive and the last to leave like before. I think you don't care about work anymore, but you're dragging us all down!" Delphine's words made the others' faces change slightly.
If Katniss left and didn't care about anything, the institution's bad reputation would greatly affect their careers.
It could even be a permanent stain!
Coincidentally, the course material was stolen shortly after Katniss got together with Tristan, so Delphine's words had some credibility.
"Even if I took advantage of the institution's fame to sell it for a profit, it would be much smarter than the stupid method you're suggesting." Katniss was calmer than everyone expected, which made her seem more credible.
"It's too early to say anything now. Let's go through legal procedures. I will give you all an explanation and catch the culprit." This statement was directed at Delphine.
Finally, Katniss looked at the others. "You all continue; I'm going back to the institution."
The dinner was ruined, and Katniss planned to return to the institution to check the surveillance footage.
Delphine, perhaps feeling guilty or for some other reason, also found an excuse to leave.
The atmosphere at the table changed abruptly. After they left, everyone started discussing the matter.
Some people firmly believed in Katniss.
Some remained neutral.
Some thought Delphine made sense.
The delicious food on the table no longer tasted good, and the topic continued until the meal ended.
Katniss had a bit of alcohol and took a cab back to the educational institution with Saskia.
They went straight to her office to check the surveillance footage. Katniss was prepared to stay up all night, searching through the past half-month's footage.
But the memory card only showed black screens. When she looked closely at the camera, she saw that it had been covered with a piece of black clay.
"We're screwed," Saskia said, slapping her forehead and collapsing onto the sofa.
Katniss was about to say something when her phone suddenly rang.
It was a call from Tristan. Knowing she had dinner tonight, he called later than usual.
She gave Saskia a look and walked to the window to answer.
"Hello." The situation had dampened her mood, making her voice sound low as she worried he might notice something was wrong.
Tristan's deep, magnetic voice came through the phone. "Did you drink?"
"A little." She leaned on the railing, looking at the night view of Velvet City.
The bright lights of the streets reflected in her eyes, illuminating the growing softness in her gaze.
"I'll have Ryan come pick you up later." Tristan arranged her affairs, not feeling at ease.
He seemed to be outside in a noisy environment filled with traffic and wind.
Katniss glanced at the office, her eyes falling on the green plant next to the desk.
Raising an eyebrow, she smiled and said, "Okay. Why are you still out so late?"
"Nicholas is getting engaged tomorrow. He's hosting a party tonight." Nicholas's shouting faintly accompanied Tristan's voice.
Katniss's heart sank. No wonder Saskia was acting strange tonight.
She pursed her lips. "Who's he getting engaged to?"
"Isla." Tristan noticed her tone had worsened and added, "The Kennedy family values business alliances."
So, Nicholas was destined to marry a woman of equal status.
Now that Saskia had left the Stuart family, she was no longer considered by the Kennedy family.
"Nicholas is passive and easily influenced by his family. He doesn't have his own strong opinions." Tristan took a drag of his cigarette, his brows furrowed.
There were four days until the New Year and a long time until they went to Velvet City.
"Congratulations to Mr. Kennedy on his engagement." Katniss heard Nicholas's voice getting louder, seemingly urging Tristan to come over. "You should go. We'll talk when you get home."
Tristan extinguished his cigarette, exhaling the smoke, and said, "Do you miss me?"
His tone was assertive, only allowing her to answer what he wanted to hear.
"Yes." Katniss felt helpless and amused, but her words carried some sincerity.
She thought he would at least respond, but he hurriedly said, "Gotta go," and then the phone went dead.
Katniss hummed and returned to the room, directly asking Saskia, "What are your thoughts on Nicholas and Isla's engagement?"
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