Chapter 223 Which One Do You Like? You Choose
As time went on, academics became a big deal in raising kids.
"My rep is big, but not that big," Katniss said, looking over the profiles and realizing these kids had regular tutors before.
In just over a year, she'd made some serious strides in the education game, but not enough for folks to ditch their steady tutors for her.
Matilda bit her lip and mumbled, "Okay, fine. Actually, these opportunities were secured by me for you."
These folks were either loaded or had serious clout, and meeting them was nearly impossible for Matilda.
Katniss raised an eyebrow at her.
Matilda sighed, "Alright, don't get mad. I just thought the Forbes family mess wasn't sorted, I'd try to find some connections to help you out. So, I tried to get close to these people, and then..."
And then she almost got into a car accident chasing them to the suburbs. But she didn't expect to run into Samuel.
Samuel was shocked to see her there. After hearing the whole story, he had an idea for her.
Velvet City's swanky D.V club.
He explained that the influential people frequented D.V for business and leisure. The people she tried to find were among them.
She worked as a waitress at D.V for a month, finding chances to meet the parents of the five kids one by one. She didn't know if it was her persistence or something else, but they all agreed to give Katniss an interview.
"Actually, I aimed for eight people. The other three wouldn't budge, so I only convinced five." Matilda frowned, "Even five might not be a sure thing. I figured having a few is better than none."
Katniss looked at her with a mix of emotions—pity, relief, sadness.
Her look made Matilda scratch her head awkwardly and say, "Katniss, don't look at me like that. You've done so much for me and my mom, so of course, I gotta have your back now. And I didn't lose anything, just a bit of pride."
Matilda tried to act like it was no big deal.
"Have you seen George?" Katniss asked.
Matilda nodded, "Yeah, he came to pick me up, and he helped me find the spot for our educational center and the place I live in."
"And then?" Katniss thought out loud, "After renting the place, you had to gather materials and hire staff. How many times did you meet him?"
She worked at D.V for a month and juggled the educational institution's stuff, which meant she was so swamped she barely had time to sleep. So, when did she find time to meet George?
Matilda was quiet for a few seconds before admitting, "He came by a few times later, even fell asleep waiting for me at the door. I told him I was super busy, and eventually, he stopped coming."
"When the educational institution gets rolling, the work will be more stable, and my schedule will be more regular. He said he'd take me on a date when I'm not so busy." Her voice softened, a hint of shyness and excitement creeping in.
Hearing this, Katniss finally relaxed, "Alright, I'll help you with the educational institution stuff as much as I can."
They then talked about the unique traits of the five students Matilda had picked, and before they knew it, it was almost eleven.
"Try to finish the courseware by tomorrow afternoon. I have to go with Tristan to a business banquet in the evening," Katniss said.
Matilda nodded without hesitation, "You go ahead. I'll handle the courseware and sort out the software backend."
In the big living room, they chatted quietly while Sophia was already asleep. Looking at the pile of materials on the table, Katniss started organizing them, "It's getting late. Let's call it a night and get some rest."
Gathering her bag and phone, she made her way to the door. As she stepped into the dimly lit hallway, the voice-activated lights flicked on, illuminating the door across the hall. Matilda watched silently as Katniss opened the door and slipped inside. A soft, welcoming glow met her eyes, a dim light left on by Aaron.
She hung her bag in the hallway, and her stomach growled as she changed her shoes. The hunger pangs gnawed at her, but the late hour and empty kitchen shelves meant she had no choice but to tough it out.
She put on slippers, grabbed a towel, and headed to the bathroom for a shower. Even though the footsteps upstairs were light, Tristan still heard them.
He put down the unfinished data, got up, and went to the bathroom to wash his hands. Hearing the water running upstairs, he knew she was back and taking a shower.
He casually picked up his phone and sent a message, asking her to come down after her shower.
Ten minutes had passed by the time Katniss saw the message. She was drying her hair and debating whether to go. Another message from Tristan came through, this time pushing her decision: [The pasta's getting mushy.]
Her eyes lit up, and without bothering to dry her hair, she turned and ran out the door, heading straight down the stairs. Maybe he knew she'd come down, so the door was left ajar.
She pushed it open and was hit with the delicious smell of pasta.
"Come wash your hands," Tristan said, sensing her presence without even looking up.
The air carried a faint cherry blossom scent from her recent shower.
When he looked up and saw her with wet hair and a bare, delicate face, he was struck by the elegant and alluring look in her eyes.
"How'd you know I was hungry?" she asked, already digging in.
Tristan walked behind her and gently started drying her hair with a towel. "You didn't eat much at lunch, and I figured you probably didn't eat anything upstairs tonight either. Even if you did, you'd be hungry after working half the night."
Despite her slender frame, she had a big appetite. Missing even one of her three daily meals meant a necessary nighttime snack.
Seeing she came down in a hurry without a hair tie, he took a strand of her hair, twisted it twice, and tied it in a knot to keep it in place.
Katniss only noticed this after finishing her pasta. She touched her hair and was surprised by his handiwork. "Did you learn to tie the hair for some girls?"
"I saw a tutorial online and remembered it, thinking it might come in handy someday," he said, his words carrying a deeper meaning.
"Thinking it might come in handy someday" implied it wasn't specifically for tying Katniss's hair.
A thought crossed her mind, and Katniss leaned closer to him, whispering, "Do you want a daughter?"
"Compared to a son, I do prefer a daughter," Tristan said, his expression softening.
Katniss raised an eyebrow and quickly asked, "Then let's have a daughter, okay? Starting today, we won't use any birth control."
As soon as she finished speaking, Tristan looked at her quietly for a few seconds, then suddenly got up and fetched a newly opened box from the hallway. Inside were several boxes of condoms in various types he had just prepared.
Her mouth twitched, and she instinctively said, "It's not too late to return them now."
But she watched as Tristan quickly dumped out the boxes, opening one after another. Colorful packets were scattered on the table, and he pushed them towards her with his distinctively jointed hand, asking, "Which one do you like? You choose."
He clearly showed through his actions that having a child was not an option.
Was he so against it because he simply didn't want a child, or did he know that getting pregnant now would be dangerous?
"What did Grandma say to you?" Tristan asked, noticing her bright eyes darting around. He knew she wasn't just whimsically suggesting having a child.
Katniss pulled her gaze away, sat up straight, and said, "She didn't say much. I was just mentioning having a child on a whim. However, we're not even married yet, I know that."
He believed her.
Even if Katniss knew the rules and connections between the Forbes family heir and children, she wouldn't risk having a child at this time. After all, she was rational and knew not to put a child in a dangerous situation.
He pushed the condoms toward her again, "What? Hard to choose? Then let's use one of each."
There were ten or so types, and using one of each wouldn't just exhaust her; it would break her back.
He packed everything back into the big box, took it to the bedroom, and put it in the nightstand for easy access.
Katniss regretted it. She should have just stayed hungry instead of eating the pasta. "I came here to fill my stomach, not to digest it all before going back."
Seeing Tristan seriously picking out different colored condom packets, she felt her legs went weak.
Without looking up, Tristan said, "You don't think those two quickies this morning would make up for my five days of missing you, do you?"
Was that missing her? That was being in heat!
He was righteous, and after picking out the condoms, he closed the drawer and caught her as she tried to run.
Her back pressed against his firm chest, and she could feel the rising heat of his body.
As he held her and laid her down on the bed, she directly accused, "Do you like me, or do you like sleeping with me?"
He lay on his side, propping his head with one hand, and seriously explained, "There are only two possibilities for a man to remain unmoved, either he doesn't love the woman, or he has a sexual dysfunction."
His earnest explanation made Katniss unsure whether to laugh or cry.
But she was still on the edge of resistance, "I can accompany you to the banquet tomorrow night, but if you leave too many marks, I won't be able to wear a dress."
"I'll try," he said, though he couldn't guarantee it. When emotions ran deep, how could he control himself?
Seeing she wanted to say more, he leaned down and kissed her lips, releasing all his pent-up heat and passion.
He rarely joked, and when he said he'd use one of each, he meant it, leaving none behind.
But when Katniss got up later, she saw several same-colored wrappers in the trash can.
Not only did he not leave any behind, but he also secretly took more from the drawer when she wasn't looking!
Despite his promise to try, he didn't really try. Her neck was covered in obvious kiss marks.
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