Chapter 219 Aren't Even as Smart as Ordinary Folks
His kiss was a mix of hot breath and the fresh scent of his body wash, waking Katniss from her sleep. She responded almost on autopilot, which only made him want her more.
Just as the atmosphere began to sizzle, the doorbell rang, its sharp sound slicing through the heated air of the room.
She pushed him away, got up, buttoned her pajamas, and fixed her hair to hide the blush on her ears. Once she was sure she looked okay, she went to open the door.
"Mom?" She was surprised to see Sophia standing there.
Sophia had come over by herself, and the door across the hall was still open. She pointed to the opposite door, "Katniss, eat..."
Aaron had already gone over to eat, and they both knew Katniss wouldn't be up early this morning, probably guessing Tristan had come over.
But Sophia didn't know, and taking advantage of Matilda's distraction, she had come over to knock on the door.
Just as she finished speaking, Sophia noticed a fresh hickey on Katniss's neck, faint but obvious. After a few seconds of hesitation, Sophia seemed to get it. Her face turned awkward as she shook her head, "No, I'm leaving."
"No, Mom." Katniss felt like a teenager caught sneaking around. Seeing Sophia hurry back, she didn't dare chase her, worried Sophia might fall.
Watching Sophia go back and close the door, she was about to head back when the elevator doors opened.
Ryan walked out, meeting her eyes before coming over. "Ms. Grey, I'm here to deliver clothes for Mr. Forbes."
"Please come in." Katniss stepped aside to let him in, her ears still burning, though she tried to stay cool.
Ryan stopped at the doorway, handing over Tristan's clothes. "I won't come in. Mrs. Forbes asked you to come back early for lunch. Please remind Mr. Forbes."
She took the clothes, thanked him, and watched him leave before going back to the room. It was still early, and she wanted to talk about some serious stuff, but Tristan was all about having sex.
After dealing with that, he changed into the clothes Ryan had brought.
Tristan, who had been pretty sleepy earlier, now looked pleased and a bit sexually unsatisfied.
They had breakfast outside, and Katniss bought some gifts that Adelaide would like.
This was her first official visit, after all.
Even though she'd been to the Forbes Mansion many times, it felt different now.
As the speeding Range Rover approached, the gates of the Forbes Mansion slowly opened. Tristan slowed down a bit and drove straight in. On the green lawn, the servants were busy trimming and taking care of the yard. The big villa's floor-to-ceiling windows on each floor showed more servants bustling around inside.
Tristan parked the car right at the villa's entrance, where Royce was already waiting with a warm smile.
"Miss Grey." Since their last meeting, he had started calling her that, and Katniss didn't mind, nodding politely, "Royce."
Tristan held her hand, handed the gifts to the servants, and they walked into the villa together.
"Katniss is here?" Adelaide was coming down the stairs.
With a servant's help, she walked over and grabbed Katniss's wrist, leading her to sit in the living room. Tristan was completely ignored, his expression unreadable as he followed behind.
"Mrs. Forbes misses you so much. You haven't come home since you was back in Velvet City. She's mentioned it several times," Royce said to Tristan.
Adelaide completely blanked Tristan once she saw Katniss; it was so obvious she was faking it.
After sitting down, Adelaide looked at Royce. "I don't care about him. He's been back for several days and hasn't come home to see me. He doesn't care about me."
"He's busy," Katniss spoke up for Tristan.
But Adelaide immediately retorted, "Who's not busy? Busy enough to forget about me? Am I not his real grandmother?"
She was clearly upset, holding a grudge against Tristan for not coming home first.
"The light bulb in my greenhouse is broken. Go change it for me." Adelaide urged Tristan to leave.
Tristan gave Katniss a look before heading upstairs.
Only Katniss and Adelaide were left in the living room, with some servants bustling around.
"Before you came along, he still cared about me. No matter how busy he was, he would come home to see me. Now that he has you, my status has plummeted." Adelaide huffed, pretending to be displeased.
Katniss never expected the woman to be jealous of her would be Adelaide. "He's very good to me, but he also respects you. He's been really busy these past few days and hasn't even replied to my messages."
Hearing this, Adelaide immediately said, "I'm happiest when you two are getting along. I was just saying and I'm not mad at him."
After a moment of silence, Katniss lowered her voice, "So I think it's not right to keep the marriage a secret from him. I plan to tell him."
"That's not the point!" Adelaide quickly waved her hand, "He loves you to death. He won't be mad at you, but he'll be mad at me! You have to understand that I've been pushing you towards him all these years. I'm the 'mastermind' behind it all. He'll definitely hold a grudge against me."
Katniss couldn't help but laugh, "Mrs. Forbes, as long as he's not mad at me, he won't be mad at you."
"He will. He might even dig up my grave after I'm dead," Adelaide said with certainty.
Six or seven years of scheming had led to this; she had never been so dedicated to anything before.
"Since you didn't say anything when you first got together, don't stir up trouble now. Keep it simple," Adelaide said.
That made sense, but Katniss still felt uneasy. She added, "I didn't say anything at first because I didn't know he didn't see my name when he signed the divorce papers."
She was still puzzled by it. How could Tristan miss such a big name? Did he sign with his eyes closed?
Adelaide's body stiffened slightly but quickly recovered. "He signed quickly. So he didn't see it. The key is that the situation was urgent, and I couldn't afford any issues in your relationship. I'm just hoping you two get married and have a child, and the Forbes family will be stable!"
Tristan would definitely be angry, and Katniss was prepared to face his wrath.
"Let's compromise a bit. We'll talk about this after you get married. For now, let's present a united front," Adelaide said after a long pause.
A united front—those words made Katniss waver instantly.
Oblivious to the figure lurking nearby, clutching a cloth, the two whispered in the living room for quite a while.
Their conversation shifted from confessing to discussing having children, and Katniss was successfully led off-topic by Adelaide.
Fortunately, Tristan came down and interrupted their conversation.
Lunch was ready, and the two of them helped Adelaide to the dining room.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the yard. They looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows to see a Rolls-Royce pulling up at the entrance.
Eudora was the first to get out, her usual haughty demeanor replaced with a somewhat subservient attitude as she opened the other car door. A slightly plump woman in her forties, with long hair and sharp, proud eyes, stepped out.
A servant opened the front passenger door, allowing a dignified middle-aged man in his fifties to emerge. His striking resemblance to Tristan was evident, yet their temperaments could not have been more different. Tristan was cold and noble, while Travis appeared sharp and petty, lacking the grandeur of a man.
Under their watchful gaze, the group disappeared into the villa.
Eudora came in holding Ivy's hand, their posture intimate, but a palpable chill hung between them.
Despite their practiced airs of nobility, it was clear to the discerning eye that theirs was a nobility acquired rather than innate.
"What a bother, can't even have a peaceful meal," Adelaide huffed, patting Katniss's wrist.
The group entered the room, facing Katniss and the others who were halfway to the dining room. Travis's eyes locked onto Katniss, as if he was trying to see right through her.
"Adelaide, Tristan is here too. It's been a while since our family had a meal together," Ivy said with a smile, her teeth flashing white.
She was well-maintained, still charming, but quite different from what Katniss had imagined.
She had thought that someone who could make Travis sever ties with Tristan would be a young beauty.
Tristan's expression remained indifferent. Apart from making brief eye contact with Eudora when they entered, he didn't even greet them.
The father and son were more like strangers, with an invisible tension hanging in the air.
"Since you're here, join us for lunch," Adelaide said coldly. 'Not welcome' was practically tattooed on her forehead.
She pulled Katniss to sit in the second seat on her right, with Tristan beside herself.
Travis and Ivy sat opposite them, with Eudora at the farthest corner, next to Ivy.
"Look at this table. It's full of Sam's favorite dishes. Too bad he's not here," Ivy said, breaking the silence first after sitting down.
"Ivy, don't mention him," Adelaide responded.
Katniss listened quietly. The Sam Forbe Ivy mentioned should be Travis and her son.
She had heard years ago that Tristan had a half-brother who grew up abroad.
Ivy laughed, covering her mouth, "Adelaide, Sam is also a Forbes. Why can't we mention him?"
"Shut up!" Adelaide snapped, her face full of disgust.
Ivy wasn't angry, her gaze falling lightly on Katniss. For the first time since entering, she seriously scrutinized Katniss.
Katniss was quiet yet noticeable, with an elegant demeanor but exuding a sense of grandeur. With such a pure yet alluring appearance, it was no wonder Tristan liked her.
"An outsider can enter the Forbes family, why can't my son's name even be mentioned?" Ivy said.
"Because she's my girlfriend," Tristan's words, sharp and devoid of warmth, hung in the air between them. His indifferent gaze swept over Ivy, tightening her throat.
After a moment, she smiled and said, "Tristan, it's been years, and your temper has grown. You used to chase after Eudora, saying you wanted to marry her. Now you're being seduced by a nobody."
Tristan's aura grew tense, his body slightly moving, the veins on his hand bulging, but Katniss pressed his hand down.
She subtly shook her head at him. They had to consider Adelaide. What did it matter if someone insulted her?
The key was that it would be undignified for a man to argue with a woman.
Wasn't she still here? She suddenly smiled, looking up at Ivy with an innocent tone, "Taking a child's words seriously, you might not even be as smart as the Border Collie."
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