Chapter 204 The Fight Broke Out
The person on the other end of the line hesitated for a moment. "What do you mean? Spell it out!"
Katniss shivered and instinctively hugged herself. Tristan quickly turned off the car's AC.
Aaron, sitting in the back seat, noticed and grinned like a fool.
Hearing that barely-contained laughter, Katniss couldn't help but glance back.
"Tristan's really sweet to you," Aaron said, still grinning, his lips twitching like he had more to say.
But one look from Tristan in the rearview mirror shut him up. What did he say wrong?
Katniss tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her earlobes turning red.
When they got to the educational center, she got out but leaned back in through the window. "Get him a couple of outfits, shoes, and some essentials," she instructed Tristan.
Tristan frowned, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face, but he nodded and waited until she was inside before driving off.
"Moving in is fine, but there are three rules," Tristan said coldly, raising a finger. "First, you deal with your issues with Eudora yourself. We're not getting involved."
"Got it," Aaron replied.
"Second, don't piss her off," Tristan continued.
"Okay," Aaron said again.
"Third, apart from tutoring time, don't cling to her," Tristan finished.
"Understood," Aaron agreed to all the conditions.
While Tristan laid down the rules, Aaron's heart pounded, and despite Katniss's agreement, he didn't fully trust Tristan in front of her.
He knew there was more to it; two of the three rules were about Katniss.
He had to keep his distance and keep her happy; that was his survival guide.
As for Eudora, he didn't care.
"Tristan, you and Ms. Grey are such a perfect match! She's always so cold to others, and so are you, but you two are different together. When's the wedding?" Aaron tried to butter up Tristan when Katniss wasn't around.
Tristan didn't budge. "Cut the crap. Do you still have your phone? Contact Eudora yourself and sort things out. Katniss and I aren't fixing your problems."
"No," Aaron said weakly. "Just get me a cheap phone. I won't play games, just make calls. I'll pay you back later."
Tristan smirked.
In Aaron's mind, even a cheap phone would cost Tristan a few hundred bucks, given his wealth.
But Aaron didn't expect Tristan to be so "stingy."
That evening during tutoring, Katniss didn't bring Aaron along to study with Donna. But she did tell Donna that she had found Aaron, which made Donna super happy.
After tutoring, back at home, she handed Aaron some test papers she had prepped. "Do these at home tomorrow. Also, check out the course materials in the group chat tonight."
"I can't," Aaron mumbled, pulling out a phone that looked like it was from the Stone Age. "My phone can't log into Facebook."
The phone was brand new; it was clearly bought by Tristan. Katniss's mouth twitched, and she asked softly, "Did you piss him off?"
Aaron shook his head quickly. "No, I didn't."
Before he could say more, Tristan walked out of the kitchen, and Aaron jumped back like he'd seen a ghost. "Ms. Grey, can I borrow your computer? I'll review the materials on it and return it tomorrow."
Katniss turned to look at Tristan. His white shirt was rolled up to his elbows, showing off his well-defined forearms. His fingers, holding a bowl and plate, looked strong and precise.
Tristan glanced at Aaron, then at her. "Wash your hands and eat dinner. Aren't you going to your mom's place later?"
Katniss nodded, rolling up her sleeves to wash her hands, inwardly marveling at Tristan's domestic side. Why was Aaron so scared of him?
Aaron ate quickly. Once he was done, he borrowed Katniss's computer to review the course materials.
Katniss headed straight to Sophia's place wherethey were having dinner. Sophia could drink some soup, and Katniss took the bowl and spoon from Matilda's hand. "I'll feed her; you go eat."
Sitting next to Sophia, she fed her skillfully. "It smells so good, Mom. Matilda's cooking is just like yours."
Sophia, with a kind expression, smiled and looked at Matilda, clearly pleased.
"Sophia, you're so biased, spoiling Katniss too much. She can't cook at all. When you get better, you should teach her properly," Saskia teased.
Katniss rolled her eyes. "You can't cook either."
Saskia laughed. "I have Matilda, so I don't need to cook. I'll marry her in the future."
"I won't marry you!" Matilda retorted.
The group chatted and laughed, the atmosphere warm and joyful. Sophia's smile never faded.
After eating and drinking, Saskia helped take Sophia to the living room while Katniss and Matilda cleaned up the table.
"What do you think about going to Velvet City?" Katniss asked, placing the dishes in the sink and turning to Matilda, who was handling the leftovers.
Matilda paused for a moment. "I'll go, but I don't know how to tell Mom."
Both Matilda and Sophia considered Katniss family, but she was still an outsider to them. Now, with Sophia needing care, if Matilda left, it would all fall on Katniss. Matilda was worried Sophia wouldn't agree to her going to Velvet City.
"Don't worry, leave Mom to me," Katniss reassured her with a smile. "I'll talk to her in a bit. You get ready to work overtime with me at the educational institution tomorrow. I'll fill you in on the current situation there."
Katniss quickly washed the dishes and left the rest to Matilda. She carried a fruit platter and some fruit puree to the living room.
"Mom, have some fruit," she said, feeding Sophia small spoonfuls of the puree. "I have something to tell you. This is a difficult situation, but you need to let go."
Sophia moved her lips, swallowed the puree, and used pen and paper to communicate, "Go ahead."
"Didn't Matilda tell you? Since coming to Nightfall City, we started an educational institution. Now, it's expanded, and captured the the southern market. I plan to have Matilda go back to Velvet City to develop the northern market. This is a significant task that requires a trustworthy person..." She explained gently, expressing that Matilda was indispensable for this task.
She hoped Sophia could "lend" Matilda to her. "I might not take care of you as well as she does, but I can come over after work to keep you company. I promise it will only be for a short time. By August, I'll bring you back to Velvet City, and then you can see Matilda again, okay?"
Sophia's lips trembled slightly, her eyes reddening. She quickly wrote a line on the paper, "I'll follow your arrangements. If you say Matilda should go, then let her go!"
"Alright, I'll take Matilda to the educational institution tomorrow to hand over the work. She'll go to Velvet City next Monday." Katniss smiled at Sophia, seeing the tears welling up in her eyes.
She turned and grabbed a tissue, wiping away the tears. "I know you'll miss her. I'll arrange the work in Nightfall City as soon as possible. You also need to cooperate with the doctors for your rehabilitation so we can return to Velvet City soon."
She comforted her while Saskia, who was eating, seemed distracted.
It wasn't until Matilda took Sophia to bathe that Saskia muttered, "Are you ready to go back to Velvet City?"
"We have to go back sooner or later. We've lived there for over twenty years. For my mom, that's home." Katniss sat down on the couch, grabbed a piece of fruit, and asked, "Are you going back?"
Saskia shook her head without hesitation. "No way. Nightfall City is great with its mild climate all year, unlike freezing Velvet.."
"How are things with Nicholas?" Katniss raised an eyebrow, noticing Saskia dodging the main topic. "He'll have to go back to Velvet City eventually, and he'll face pressure to get married."
"He's a coward. If he's pressured to get married, will he just do it? Look at Tristan. His dad has been pressuring him to marry Eudora for years, and he hasn't budged!" Saskia got angry at the mention of this. She was determined not to get involved with Nicholas until he cleared things up with Isla.
The conversation suddenly shifted to Eudora, and Katniss didn't know how to respond.
Saskia moved closer and said, "Let me tell you, Tristan's stepmother is not someone to mess with. She..."
Before Saskia could finish, Katniss's phone rang abruptly. It was a call from Aaron.
As soon as she answered, Aaron's panicked voice came through, "Ms. Grey, come back quickly! Tristan is fighting with someone!"
His frantic voice was mixed with muffled grunts and the sound of things falling.
She hung up and immediately rushed out, still in her slippers.
Saskia, who was close by, heard Aaron's words and ran after her.
The villa was brightly lit, and besides Tristan's G-Wagon, there was also a Tesla at the entrance.
It was Michael's car. Through the villa's windows, two tall figures could be seen grappling.
By the time Katniss and Saskia ran inside, the fight had already stopped.
The floor was littered with debris and bloodstains, making Katniss worry.
"Tristan!" She didn't care about avoiding the broken pieces on the floor and ran over, her long hair in disarray.
Her eyes were filled with fear and concern. Seeing Tristan standing in the middle of the living room unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief and rushed over without thinking.
"Don't move." Tristan quickly raised his hand to stop her, then walked over to her through the mess.
He pulled her, pale and with red-rimmed eyes, into his arms.
His warm hand gently patted her back. "I'm fine."
Katniss's eyes moved slightly, and she saw Michael lying on the floor with a bloody wound on his arm.
His dark blue shirt was stained red, his face bruised, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, a far cry from his usual dignified appearance.
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