Chapter 215 Don't Come Here If You Have Nothing to Do
Aaron was the first to come downstairs, looking like an angry wolf cub on a mission.
He stormed up to Katniss and blurted out, "Did Eudora give you money to deal with those blackmailers?"
Katniss was caught off guard. She frowned, "What?"
Eudora, right on his heels, snapped, "Of course, it was I who gave the five hundred thousand dollars to handle it. Look at the mess you've made, and watch your tone with me!"
Katniss finally got what they were arguing about. "Miss Savoy, weren't you the one who insisted we keep this under wraps?"
She remembered getting a Facebook message from Eudora, stressing that the whole thing should be kept secret.
So she hadn't told Aaron.
Eudora took a deep breath, looking a bit guilty. "I'm sorry. I mentioned it to him, and he got mad. I couldn't hold back."
"So, Eudora paid the money?" Aaron asked again.
"Yes, she did. Legally, she's your guardian. Even if you wanted to take those people to court, she'd have to do it," Katniss said, looking Aaron in the eye. "But I didn't expect her to just pay them off."
Aaron turned and glared at Eudora. "So you acted like an idiot and now want to brag? Do you think five hundred thousand dollars will earn you any points with me? If you have the guts, take my life to pay off that money. Otherwise, stop bossing me around!"
"She's your sister, and Katniss is your teacher," Tristan said in a calm but firm voice. "Is that how you talk to them?"
Aaron immediately shut up. His attitude hit both Eudora and Katniss hard.
Katniss had agreed to keep the debt issue from Aaron at Eudora's request, and Aaron had thought she had resolved it, feeling grateful towards her, which seemed like she was taking credit for something she didn't do.
"No matter who solved it, the important thing is that it's resolved. Eudora is your sister, and she has a right to know about your issues. Her way of handling things might be foolish, but she did solve the problem for you." Tristan walked over to Katniss, finished lecturing Aaron, and led her to the dining table. "Let's eat."
Aaron didn't dare argue with Tristan. He found a seat farthest from Eudora at the table, buried his head, and ate in silence.
In less than five minutes, he finished eating, put down his utensils, and hurried upstairs. Aaron's anger was still simmering as he left, his shoulders stiff with resentment.
The argument between Aaron and Eudora had cast a heavy cloud over the dining table.
Sensing the awkwardness, Eudora softly said, "I'm sorry for ruining everyone's good mood."
It was meant to be polite, but Tristan suddenly snapped, "Don't come around here anymore."
If she didn't come, Aaron wouldn't 'act up,' and now her presence was distracting Katniss.
Eudora was at a loss for words.
"Let's not dwell on it. We agreed to be happy tonight," Daniel tried to lighten the mood.
Nicholas quickly chimed in, helping to ease the tension.
Late at night, after the dinner party ended, Tristan went to see them off.
Katniss couldn't wait any longer and went upstairs to knock on Aaron's door. She brought a glass of milk and entered just as Aaron turned his head.
Seeing it was her, he snorted and went back to reading.
"You didn't eat much tonight. Have some milk," Katniss said.
"I don't want it. I'm just a burden. Let me starve," Aaron was still angry.
But he seemed gentler towards her than towards Eudora.
Katniss placed the milk on his bedside table and sat down on a chair. "You may be a burden, but you don't have to starve yourself. Besides, you haven't given me the promised reward yet."
Aaron sat up and stared at Katniss. "I want to cut ties with Eudora."
"That's not something to joke about," Katniss said seriously. "You're still young. Eudora's love for you is a heavy burden you can't bear. You'll understand when you grow up."
Aaron, kneeling on the bed, was silent for a while before suddenly saying, "What she feels for me isn't love; it's hate. She can't wait to get rid of me."
His serious tone and stern expression left Katniss momentarily speechless.
Aaron suddenly lay back down, wrapping himself tightly in his blanket. "I am not an adult yet, so I can't get rid of her as my guardian. Then the first thing I'll do when I turn eighteen is to get rid of her guardianship!"
"So you're not angry anymore?" Katniss thought he was still throwing a tantrum. "About the debt, I didn't tell you in advance because your sister asked me not to. Maybe she thought..."
"Don't you think she's hypocritical?" Aaron said. "She told you not to tell me but then came and told me everything herself. Such pretense!"
Katniss frowned, thinking that Aaron's assessment was spot on.
To be honest, she didn't really like Eudora, but Eudora had never done anything explicitly rude or provocative. Occasionally, Eudora's behavior grated on her nerves, but Katniss understood that it was always in Tristan's best interest. Because of this, she couldn't justifiably label Eudora as a bad person.
After thinking it over, she said softly, "No matter what you think, don't say it out loud. She's still your sister, and saying it to others will only make them laugh at you."
"Even if you laugh, it's not because you're mocking me; it's because you think I'm right," Aaron said, his eyes wide open. He could see the genuine emotion in Katniss's eyes earlier.
Katniss immediately stood up. "Don't talk nonsense. It's late; stop reading and go to sleep."
With that, she turned and walked out. As soon as she returned to her room, she saw Tristan coming out of the bathroom.
He had a towel wrapped around his waist, and water droplets from his muscular chest fell and disappeared into the towel.
Seeing her, Tristan raised an eyebrow and said in a calm voice, "How is he?"
"He's still annoyed but can listen to reason. I just don't understand why he always has issues with Eudora," Katniss said, standing at the door, unsure if she should go in.
Tristan stood at the bathroom door, not moving, and casually dried his short hair with a towel, making it half-dry.
He draped the towel over his shoulder and leaned back against the wall. "Not coming in?"
"Coming," she replied, walking in slowly. As she passed by him, he grabbed her wrist, as she had expected.
He wrapped his long arm around her waist, pulling her body tightly against his. The dampness from his body seeped through her clothes and onto her skin, making her shiver.
"You've helped me so much. How should I thank you?" he said.
His clean, slender fingers slid down her cheek, tucking her messy hair behind her ear, and he bent down to kiss her on the lips.
She knew exactly what he wanted. But was this gratitude? They hadn't stopped being intimate these past few days.
"Isn't the contract not signed yet? You can thank me after it's signed," she replied.
Tristan's thin lips pressed together slightly, and he nodded. "Got it. You mean to pay some interest first and then repay the principal and interest together after the contract is signed?"
"I didn't... " Before she could finish her sentence, Tristan sealed her lips with his.
Their bodies pressed against the wall, turning until she fell onto the large bed, the soft mattress enveloping her.
The sudden weight on her made her frown, and her hands, bound above her head, tightly gripped his two fingers.
Her fingertips turned white, her eyes became misty, and her ears turned red. Her voice in the quiet room seemed to catalyze the wildness within Tristan.
On the bedside table, Tristan's phone buzzed with a message from Ryan: [Mr. Forbes, will you still meet with the alternative investors you asked me to contact for tomorrow?]
As expected, the contract signing went smoothly.
Knowing Sean's and Anna's natures, Tristan included several clauses in the contract to prevent Sean from causing trouble for any reason after the signing.
Sean, being a sensible person, knew he couldn't avoid the contract, so he signed it with a smile, and they even had a meal together.
After that, Tristan became even busier, and Katniss was also swamped.
From Monday to Friday, she dedicated herself to tutoring Donna and Aaron, while weekends were reserved for Zaid.
In the last month of middle school, Aaron returned to campus life, and his grades improved dramatically, consistently meeting the criteria for a good high school in Velvet City. Donna's progress, however, reached a plateau, leaving her on the precipice of securing a spot in a good high school in Velvet City, her future teetering uncertainly. Eventually, Katniss and Aaron joined forces to boost Donna's grades.
With Katniss's relentless efforts, Zaid's grades also saw a noteworthy improvement, positioning him just within reach of admission to a good high school in Nightfall City. Daisy, elated by the positive changes, expressed her gratitude to Katniss profusely at every encounter.
Under Daisy's pressure, Anna didn't dare to trouble Katniss, as Daisy later realized that Sean and Anna had their eyes on Katniss's boyfriend.
Daisy was furious and scolded them harshly.
Everything proceeded as usual, and Katniss and Tristan found love and success together, their partnership making their work go smoothly.
Eudora had several sleepless nights, haunted by the image of Katniss and Tristan together whenever she closed her eyes.
Because of the project, she couldn't avoid interacting with Tristan and the others, and she often heard Daniel and Nicholas teasing Tristan and Katniss, which made her feel even worse.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and arranged to have dinner with Katniss and Tristan before Aaron's middle school graduation.
"The reason I asked you out is that I don't want to interact with Aaron. I'm afraid he'll get annoyed with me again," Eudora said, her tone revealing her disappointment.
Katniss was busy with her lesson plans and didn't have time to come, but since it was Eudora's first time inviting her, she handled her work on her phone.
Seeing how visibly haggard Katniss had become in recent days, Tristan felt a pang of heartache. He didn't bother with pleasantries and asked Eudora directly, "Do you need something?"
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