Chapter 200 Killing Her Was Self-Defense
Katniss found herself sandwiched between Eudora and Saskia, while Nicholas dragged Tristan to the other end of the booth.
The vibe was weird—neither awkward nor tense, just... off.
Nicholas tried to keep things lively, and everyone played along, making it seem like a fun hangout. But Bella and Isla kept throwing shady looks.
Michael, though, was super chill, just sitting there. He'd occasionally respond to Nicholas like their past beef never happened.
"Miss Savoy, I need to talk to you about Aaron," Katniss said to Eudora, ignoring the weird atmosphere.
Eudora paused, set her glass down, and leaned in. "Sure, it's not often you bring up Aaron."
In the dim light, a soft glow surrounded Katniss.
She gathered her long blonde hair and leaned closer. "Has Aaron come back?"
Eudora shook her head. "No, I've tried reaching out, but no luck."
"He's stubborn but smart. He can be a pain, but he's got a good heart. You should be more patient with him. He won't let you down." Katniss was worried; Aaron had been gone for days.
Tristan, chatting with Nicholas, kept glancing over, trying to figure out what she was talking about with Eudora.
He lounged on the sofa, legs crossed, a cigarette burning slowly between his fingers. Suddenly, Michael suggested, "How about a game of pool? It's been a while."
Nicholas jumped up and pulled Tristan along. "Let's play a few games. We haven't played since you got to Nightfall City."
Tristan couldn't refuse and was dragged away, giving Katniss a look through the smoke before following Nicholas.
As Katniss looked away from Tristan, she noticed Isla and Bella's sly smiles.
Ignoring them, she turned to Eudora. "You're Aaron's sister. Whether he gets tutoring is up to you. I'm just saying we should find him. It's not safe out there."
"I get it, but he might have some issues with me. We didn't grow up together, so we're not that close. Can you help me out?" Eudora patted Katniss's hand, sounding helpless. "I don't know where he is. Even if I did, he might not come back with me."
Katniss was taken aback. After a moment, she asked, "How can I help?"
"Help me find him or try to contact him. If you reach him, convince him to come back. I promise I won't meddle in his business anymore," Eudora vowed.
Katniss thought for a bit. "I'll try."
After the Aaron issue, her view of Eudora shifted.
Was it because they didn't grow up together that there was no sibling bond?
She had no blood relation to Aaron and had only known him for a few months, yet she couldn't stand the thought of him being alone for days. Eudora, though, didn't seem worried.
She had messaged Aaron on Facebook, but no reply.
Calls didn't go through, making contact unlikely. She'd have to find time to look for him.
Lost in thought, Saskia nudged her. "Let's hit the restroom."
Snapping back to reality, she realized Eudora had left for the restroom, and she followed Saskia out.
The hallway was quiet. Both Katniss and Saskia wore flat shoes, making no sound on the carpet.
"Nicholas said he's coming over tomorrow night. Make sure to treat him well and throw him a birthday party," Saskia grumbled, linking arms with her.
Katniss nodded. "Sure, let me know what he wants to eat, and I'll get it ready."
"What will you prepare? Your cooking isn't great, and Mr. Forbes only cooks for you. In the end, won't you just have Ryan bring food from a restaurant?" Saskia teased.
Laughing, they reached the restroom. Katniss let go of her hand. "You go ahead. I'll wait outside."
The early summer night in Nightfall City was warm. Even the breeze through the window was hot.
Katniss turned on the faucet and washed her hands, feeling a bit better.
Looking up, she suddenly saw a figure rushing towards her. She didn't even have time to see who it was.
Her instincts kicked in, and she dodged. The figure crashed into the sink.
Water soaked Bella's clothes, making them cling to her body.
Ignoring this, Bella steadied herself and lunged at Katniss again. Katniss, quick to react, grabbed her flailing wrists.
Isla suddenly popped up, egging Bella on. "Bella, scratch her face! You won't get in trouble, just hit her."
Bella, like a rabid dog, went nuts at Isla's words, gripping Katniss's hands tighter, her eyes wild and bloodshot.
"Katniss, you actually showed up today? Think Tristan can protect you? Let's see him try!" Bella's sinister voice echoed in the empty restroom, sending a chill down Katniss's spine.
'Is Bella really this unhinged? She looks like she's lost her mind and can't tell right from wrong!' Katniss wondered.
"I don't need his protection. Bella, I'm warning you. If you try anything today, you'll regret it," Katniss said, her voice steady.
They were locked in a standoff. The cold look in Katniss's eyes made Bella hesitate.
"Bella, don't let her scare you! Beat her up; she can't do anything to you! Otherwise, she'll go to jail!" Isla's words seemed to fuel Bella's rage, and she lunged again.
But Katniss moved first, kneeing Bella in the stomach, making her double over with a groan.
Isla's eyes went wide with shock. "Bella, she hit you! If you kill her now, it's self-defense!"
Bella's dazed eyes focused, glaring at Katniss.
In a flash, Katniss saw Bella pull out a fruit knife from somewhere.
The blade glinted in the restroom light as Bella lunged, swinging wildly.
Katniss had no combat skills, but she could handle Bella barehanded.
But now, with Bella wielding a knife, things got serious. Katniss's hand got slashed.
Hissing in pain, she grabbed Bella's wrist and drove the knife into a paper towel holder on the wall.
The knife got stuck, and Bella had to let go. Katniss regained control, kicking Bella's leg.
Bella cried out, collapsing to her knees, trembling.
The whole thing happened in a blur. Isla took a moment to react, then screamed and tried to run.
Katniss quickly grabbed her hair, yanking her back, and kicked her, sending her sprawling.
Isla crawled over to Bella, seeing the slap marks on Bella's face. "You hit her! We're calling the cops! You're dead for hitting Bella!"
"Hitting you is already lenient," Saskia, who had seen everything from the restroom, walked out, glaring at Isla. "Think about all the crap you've pulled. Anyone with a conscience wouldn't do such things!"
She then walked over to Katniss, whispering, "Why'd you get physical?"
With surveillance cameras in place, Michael wouldn't let it slide, and the cops would get involved, putting Katniss at a disadvantage.
For Michael, there was no self-defense, only who hit and who got hit.
"I couldn't hold back." The slaps had vented a lot of Katniss's frustration.
Bella's murderous look made it clear that two slaps were hardly enough.
Regardless, Bella was patient, and the warning was enough.
"Bella!" Michael approached, his voice filled with shock and pain. Seeing Bella trembling in the corner, his face turned ashen.
He stopped, turned, and swung his hand towards Katniss's face.
But Tristan caught his wrist. Up close, Katniss saw the veins on Tristan's hand.
"She dared to hit Bella!" Michael tried to pull back his hand, but Tristan held it tight.
Tristan's eyes were cold as he stood in front of Katniss. "You know what Bella's done, using her mental issues as an excuse. Don't act like she's the victim here."
He released Michael's hand and turned to straighten Katniss's clothes.
His gaze swept over her delicate features, frowning slightly as if not understanding why her solution was to hit Bella. Didn't she consider the consequences?
"Fine, I'll call the cops," Michael said decisively. The police arrived within ten minutes.
Isla exaggerated the story, adding, "Bella is sick. She might've mistaken her for someone else and lost it. Katniss knew and still went after her. If I hadn't stopped her, she would've killed Bella!"
The police took notes while glancing at Katniss.
The three had called the cops quite a few times recently, and the officers at the station were familiar with them.
So, the officer just noted Isla's words without fully believing her.
"Miss Grey, do you have anything to add?" the officer reminded, "Assaulting a mentally ill person is a crime."
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