Chapter 201 Feeling Embarrassed
He'd told Katniss before to figure out a way to handle this mess. Was she really about to take matters into her own hands?
Katniss gathered her long hair and, with everyone watching, said, "Everything she said is true, except for the part about me wanting to kill Bella. I did hit her, though."
The cop opened his mouth like he was gonna say something but then just wrote it down instead.
Tristan stood next to her, frowning, watching her calm face and tight lips.
"I want to press charges and put her behind bars," Michael said, seizing the moment, his intense gaze locking onto Tristan.
Seeing Tristan's tense face, Michael felt a bit smug. The evidence was clear.
Katniss had admitted it herself. He wanted to see how Tristan could possibly help her now!
Saskia walked up behind Katniss and gently tugged her sleeve, "What are you doing?"
Nicholas looked just as confused. Was this whole ruining-the-birthday-party thing about getting herself arrested?
"Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Astor, but I can't go to jail." She pulled a diagnosis report from her pocket and handed it to the cop. "Can I leave now?"
The cop glanced at the report, twitched his mouth, and nodded, "You can go."
Everyone strained to see what was on that paper, but she quickly put it away.
She turned, grabbed one of Tristan's fingers, and whispered, "Let's go," then walked through the crowd and left.
Behind them, Isla, who had finally snapped out of it, yelled, "Why are you letting her go?"
Saskia and Nicholas chased after Katniss and Tristan. Eudora, who had been watching from the sidelines, stared at their retreating backs, her gaze intense.
At the club entrance, Katniss was stopped by Saskia and Nicholas. Tristan had one arm around her, shielding her from the two who looked ready to pounce. "Wait, don't stop me. Let me see what she showed the cop!"
"What was on that paper?" They craned their necks, desperate to know.
Katniss kept her head down, saying nothing. She felt a bit embarrassed; it was her first time pulling a stunt like this.
Tristan's smile crept up, but he kept his tone serious, "Stop making a scene. We'll talk about it later."
"It's still early. Let's go to your place," Nicholas said, pulling Saskia towards the car. Without waiting for them, he headed to Katniss and Tristan's place first.
Katniss pursed her lips as she watched their car drive off. She looked up at Tristan and seriously said, "How about we don't go back tonight?"
Tristan pulled the car keys from his pocket, opened the door for her, and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "What are you worried about? If it fixes the problem, it's a good idea."
She wasn't sure if Tristan had seen the diagnosis report, but it felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket now.
He started the engine, and the car slowly pulled away. In the rearview mirror, Eudora's figure at the club entrance looked tiny and went unnoticed by the two.
After a while, Katniss softly said, "You saw it, didn't you?"
Seeing the faint smile on his lips, she figured he knew something.
Tristan nodded slightly, his eyes on her, "A fake report?"
"The report's real," Katniss said quietly.
She pulled out the diagnosis report from her pocket and pointed to the neurologist's signature and the hospital's stamp.
With a sudden brake, the car stopped in the middle of the empty road. Tristan looked at her in shock.
"But I'm not mentally ill," she explained. "It's tough for someone with mental illness to prove they're not sick, but it's easy for a healthy person to get diagnosed with one."
The doctor had asked her a few questions, and she deliberately gave weird answers, acting all erratic. It didn't even take her half an hour to get the report.
Before she left, the doctor had even urged her to get hospitalized for treatment ASAP.
Cars behind them kept honking.
Tristan snapped out of it, chuckled, and restarted the engine. The orange light shone on him, clearly showing his almost uncontrollable expression.
"Katniss, what were you thinking?" His low laughter filled the car, catching Katniss off guard.
She thought that once she showed the diagnosis report, he would doubt if she really had a mental illness.
She never expected him to laugh like this, making her feel even more embarrassed.
"Stop laughing. What else could I do? She's mentally ill and hell-bent on going after me. My work's almost impossible to carry on. I gotta figure something out, otherwise, how will I make money to support you?" She was serious.
This method might not be proper, but it could keep Bella and Isla at bay.
After all, hitting someone wasn't illegal for her anymore. If they weren't afraid of getting beaten up, they could keep coming.
Tristan nodded seriously, showing he thought she did well.
But he thought to himself, Bella still had plenty of time to pester her. Without committing any crimes, they could still entangle each other, affecting Katniss.
The car stopped at the villa entrance. Nicholas and Saskia were already eagerly waiting at the door.
They quickly came over to open the passenger door, welcoming Katniss out of the car. As they walked into the villa, they bombarded her with questions.
Katniss glanced back at Tristan. After getting out of the car, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and slowly followed behind.
He didn't go inside; instead, he seemed to be making a phone call.
Katniss grabbed some drinks from the fridge for Saskia and Nicholas, who were sitting on the couch with gossiping expressions, staring at her.
Under their gaze, she pulled out the diagnosis report.
Saskia and Nicholas leaned in, their eyes falling on the final diagnosis: [neurological disorder].
They exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter.
Feeling uneasy, Katniss gathered her hair and looked away, not understanding why their first reaction was to laugh instead of doubting she had a mental illness.
Tristan had reacted the same way earlier, and now they were doing the same.
Her gaze fell on the floor-to-ceiling window outside. Tristan was leaning against a tree in the yard, his white shirt particularly noticeable in the night.
A cigarette dangled from his left hand, ash accumulating at the tip, while his right hand held a phone to his ear. His expression was serious.
The sound of the two laughing still filled her ears. She frowned and turned her head, saying, "If you keep laughing, I'll hit you. It's not illegal for me to hit people."
Instantly, Nicholas and Saskia stifled their laughter, but the smiles on their faces remained.
"Katniss, this move of yours is really impressive, but you have to understand. We really can't help but laugh," Saskia said, her mouth almost stretching to her ears.
Nicholas patted his thigh and said, "This birthday is turning out to be spectacular, so meaningful. If we could have some late-night snacks and drinks now, it would be perfect."
He said this while taking out his phone, intending to order takeout.
"Go home to drink," Tristan said as he walked in, changing his shoes at the entrance and taking a first aid kit from the cabinet by the door.
He walked over to Katniss, sat down, and opened the first aid kit, taking out iodine and a cotton swab. "Give me your hand."
Katniss hesitated for a moment before extending her hand. There was a shallow cut on the back of her hand, the blood already coagulated.
It was a cut from Bella's knife. It didn't hurt, and she thought no one had noticed.
He gently cleaned the dried blood from the wound and then took out a uniquely shaped band-aid and applied it.
"You're hurt?" Saskia finally noticed, looking worried.
Nicholas glanced over and said, "You really should have treated it sooner. If you waited any longer, the wound will start to heal on its own. Look how worried you are."
Before he could finish, Tristan threw the cotton swab at him, hitting him squarely on the forehead. "Now that the excitement is over, hurry up and go home. You can make a fuss tomorrow night. Katniss has work tomorrow."
Nicholas picked up the cotton swab and tossed it in the trash. Even though it was a new swab that hit him, he couldn't help but curse Tristan in his mind for always putting Katniss first.
"Who were you calling?" He gave up on ordering takeout and stood up, looking at Saskia.
Saskia winked at Katniss and whispered, "With your hand injured, you really shouldn't do any strenuous activities!"
Katniss rolled her eyes at her impatiently and looked at Tristan.
While packing the first aid kit, he said, without looking up, "Just handling some work."
He then stood up and walked to the entrance. "Let's go. I'll see you out."
With that eager attitude, Nicholas and Saskia wisely followed. As soon as they stepped out, the door behind them closed.
"How ungrateful," Nicholas muttered, walking to the car and opening the door. He noticed Saskia hadn't gotten in and was walking in another direction. "Get in the car. I'll take you there."
Without turning her head, Saskia said, "I can walk. Mr. Kennedy, your legs aren't that strong. Save some energy for the gas pedal."
Her words angered Nicholas. He hurriedly walked around the car, caught up with her, and bent down to carry her over his shoulder before heading back to the car.
"Nicholas, can't you do anything other than carry me?" Saskia felt dizzy, her legs tightly held by Nicholas's arms.
"I can 'do' you!" Nicholas opened the car door, threw her in, quickly locked the door, and got into the driver's seat, starting the engine.
He drove away from Whispering Pines Estate, clearly not intending to take Saskia home.
"Where are you taking me?" Saskia patted the car door. "I want to get out!"
"It's my birthday today. You have to do what I say," Nicholas said, tugging at his collar and raising an eyebrow at Saskia. "We're going to a hotel."
Saskia was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Nicholas, you have a fiancée now. When you sort things out with Isla, then come find me."
"Then, if you get rid of my fiancée, will you be with me?" Nicholas paused. His tone was both righteous and slightly guilty.
As soon as he finished speaking, Saskia got angry. "You want me to be the other woman? I am with you, and then you go break up with Isla! If people find out I broke you and Isla up, what does that make me?"
Nicholas swallowed hard and blurted out, "But Katniss and Tristan are doing just fine!"
Saskia was taken aback and cursed, "Tristan is different. He doesn't love his wife!"
"You make it sound like I love Isla! If you hadn't run away, I wouldn't have been forced to get engaged to her! You owe me, and tonight you have to pay up!" He floored the gas pedal and stopped in front of a five-star hotel.
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