Chapter 198 You're Going to be the Death of Me
The night dragged on, and the car's hood was up, puffing out little clouds of white smoke.
With its hazard lights flashing, the car caught the eye of several passing drivers who slowed down to take a look.
No one stopped to help, though, because Katniss had already gotten out and helped Donna out too.
Donna was just scared, not hurt, which made Katniss let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, well," a snobby voice cut through the night.
Katniss looked up to see Isla strolling over with her arms crossed, having just gotten out of the car that had cut her off earlier.
"How tragic. If your student had gotten hurt, how would you explain it to her parents?" Isla kept her distance, seemingly wary of Katniss's icy stare.
Before Katniss could respond, Isla flipped her hair and continued, "So, what's the plan? Call the cops? We can throw some money at it, but you know Bella's situation; she's not legally responsible!"
Even if this mess did involve the law, Bella was mentally ill and wouldn't face any legal consequences.
The early summer night breeze was warm, and Katniss was fuming inside, but she kept her cool.
She snapped a photo of Bella's license plate with her phone and decided to call the police.
Seeing this, Isla turned and got back into the car, and Bella drove off.
The cops showed up quickly, checked the dashcam footage, and pinned the blame on Bella.
But when they contacted Bella, they found out she had severe depression, and just like Isla said, they settled it with some money.
Katniss didn't seem too bothered as long as they paid up.
She grabbed a cab to take Donna home, apologized a bunch to the Wilson family, and then stayed late to tutor Donna.
When the lesson wrapped up at 10:30 PM, she wondered how she'd get home and if Tristan's party was over.
Coming downstairs, she heard Daniel and Tristan chatting before she even reached the first floor.
She picked up the pace and saw Tristan in a white shirt with a few buttons undone, showing off his muscular chest.
He was smoking and chatting with Daniel, holding a cigarette in one hand and a half-finished glass of red wine in the other.
"Anyway, congrats, Mr. Forbes, on nailing down Mr. Edwards and Mr. Sanchez, the big shots insales. Your product's a hit even before it's out." Daniel raised his glass and clinked it lightly with Tristan's.
Tristan flicked the ash from his cigarette, switched hands to grab his wine glass, and downed it in one go. He took one last drag of his cigarette, stubbed it out, and stood up. "Sorry to bother you so late, but I'll take her home now."
Even though he didn't turn his head, Tristan had already noticed Katniss standing there, looking stunned at the staircase.
He turned and waved her over. "Come here."
She snapped out of it, smoothed her hair, and quickly walked over, smiling at Daniel. "Mr. Wilson, I'm really sorry for the late hour."
Daniel waved it off with a smile. "It's not late. My wife hasn't even come back from her card game yet. You two must be tired—one just back from a party and the other from tutoring. I won't keep you any longer."
"Goodbye." Tristan grabbed his coat from the sofa, draped it over his arm, and held Katniss's hand as they left.
The car's interior was dimly lit, with the lights from the Wilsons' apartment casting a faint glow on Tristan's tense profile.
The car windows were half-down, letting in a breeze that dispersed the faint smell of smoke and alcohol from him.
"Is the car totaled?" Tristan asked as soon as they drove out of the Wilsons' sight.
So he already knew.
Katniss replied, "I wasn't planning to hide it from you. I just hadn't had the chance to say it yet."
Tristan casually steered the wheel, his posture relaxed yet elegant, and glanced at her. "I know."
"Is your plan going well?" Katniss saw he was in a good mood and couldn't help but smile. Before she could ask more, her phone beeped.
It was a notification from the police about the car accident case. She glanced at it, her eyes widening in surprise.
The original ruling was for compensation, but now there were two additional points: Bella's driver's license was revoked, and she must be accompanied by a guardian whenever she goes out in the future.
"When did you find out about my car accident?" Katniss was extremely curious. It amazed her that he could attend a party and still be aware of what was happening to her and even handle it accordingly.
"I installed an alert system in your car as a little bonus from a new project. If anything happens to the car, it sends the details straight to my phone." He was still brooding over the last time she was kidnapped.
Despite being at the party, he immediately dispatched his lawyer to the police station to fight the arrest and seek any possible legal advantage.
However, Katniss was in a hurry to take Donna away and didn't meet the lawyer.
After a moment of silence, Katniss asked softly, "You didn't install something at home to monitor me without my knowledge, did you?"
"I'm not as perverted as you think," Tristan said with a grim expression. He had installed the alert system for her safety, not to spy on her.
Besides, it was just a product for tracking and monitoring the car's performance, not a camera!
Katniss was just joking, but seeing his grim face, she couldn't help but lower her head and laugh. The evening breeze blew her long hair onto Tristan's white shirt and then slipped through his fingers.
His eyes deepened, and his voice was hoarse, "I hope you can still laugh when you get home."
Instantly, Katniss's laughter stopped, but it was too late.
When they got home and she opened the door, Tristan's firm chest was already pressing against her.
His cool lips landed on her neck and shoulder, and the hot breath from his nostrils penetrated her hair, spreading warmth throughout her body.
Once inside, she turned and hooked her arms around his neck, tilting her head to meet his descending kiss.
Even though they were very familiar with this by now, it always made Katniss lose herself.
His well-defined forearms, the veins on the back of his hands, and his muscular chest stimulated her senses.
She never seemed to tire of it, even starting to enjoy seeing his usually composed face become uncontrollable because of her.
With just a little effort, she could make him lose control.
"Katniss, you're going to be the death of me!" His hoarse voice echoed in her ear repeatedly.
Tristan's crisis was resolved. Katniss heard that Michael had also attended the party that night.
Although he didn't do anything openly, he made a lot of moves behind the scenes.
However, the result was obvious: In terms of tactics, Michael was no match for Tristan.
It seemed that Michael and Bella could only resort to such petty tricks, and Katniss kept encountering problems.
Bella smashed the large window of the educational institution. She didn't even run after smashing it, waiting for the police to come and give her a lecture. She then produced a depression diagnosis report, and Isla said a few good words and paid some money to settle it.
Bella also smashed the new car Tristan bought for Katniss, compensating for it at full price.
She even deliberately caused a minor car accident to delay Katniss when she went to tutor Donna.
The accumulation of minor incidents finally wore down Katniss's patience.
Even the police couldn't help but advise her, "Why don't you try to resolve this privately? The other party is clearly targeting you with their money, and this will affect your life in the long run."
‘Resolve it?’ Katniss thought if she tied Tristan up and handed him over to Bella, the problem would definitely be solved.
Bella would probably be so grateful that she would thank her and, in her unstable emotional state, might even bow to her in excitement.
"I have..." Tristan knew all about Bella's antics, and his chiseled face was grim.
He parted his thin lips, ready to offer his help, but her cool fingertips suddenly pressed against his mouth. "Whatever you have to say, keep it to yourself. I need to handle this myself to get over it."
Katniss was truly angry. She had recently taken the time to resolve the lawsuit against the teacher and had successfully won.
Now, the educational institution was very famous, and the online course software was constantly receiving orders.
She had a lot to deal with and needed to find a way to stop Bella once and for all.
Thinking of something, she raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "You should go find Aaron during this time. It's a shame he's not taking lessons anymore."
"Whether he takes lessons or not is his business. Even Eudora doesn't care. You should focus on yourself first." Tristan always prioritized her matters.
Katniss pursed her lips, her fingers sliding from his chin to his throat, lightly brushing over his Adam's apple.
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and he turned his head to avoid her hand. "Stop it."
"I'm not messing around. I've already thought of a way. I'll go to my mom's tonight and come back late. So if you're tired, go to bed first." She climbed off him, straightening her rumpled shirt. This wasn't home; it was the restroom in her office.
It was a small room, far less spacious and comfortable than the one at Synergy Global Corporation, but it had become a place he frequented, pulling her in here every day during lunch breaks to 'mess around.'
She straightened her shirt and skirt, tying her long hair into a bun. Her eyes carried a seductive look, a demeanor that only appeared when she was with him.
She went out to work with workers downstairs replacing the glass. The environment was chaotic, but she remained focused.
In the evening, she and Tristan returned to Whispering Pines Estate, stopping in front of the villa. She got out of the car and waved to Tristan through the half-lowered window.
After the car drove away, she walked towards the villa, only to see Sophia standing by the floor-to-ceiling window.
With her hands on a walker, Sophia's bright eyes were fixed on her.
She smiled and quickly ran into the house, changed her shoes, and walked around the living room to Sophia's side. "Mom."
Sophia struggled to nod at her, pulling the corners of her lips into a smile, "Katniss."
Recently, Katniss had been taking time out of her busy schedule to visit, taking Sophia out for walks and meals.
She had seen Sophia's recovery, and to be honest, it wasn't as fast as the doctors had said.
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