Chapter 225 It Undermines My Status as the Eldest Daughter of the White Family
Lila White's eyes flicked over Katniss before her hand slid down Michael's chest, lingering a bit too long on his lower abdomen.
She didn't give a damn about the crowd or how red Michael's face was. "Mr. Astor, you promised me that after this, we'd have some fun."
Michael spotted Eudora heading their way and quickly grabbed Lila's wandering hand, whispering, "Cut it out. Let's finish this first."
Lila shrugged off his coldness, pulling her hand back to fix her hair. She shot a glance at Eudora and sneered, "Leech."
Then she strutted off into the crowd.
Wren popped out from the throng, her eyes lighting up when she saw Katniss. She hurried over, "Ms. Grey, finally!"
"Mrs. Wilson." Katniss gave a slight nod, but before she could say more, Wren grasped her arm and began pulling her through the sea of people, "Your Mr. Forbes is about to get swarmed!"
"You're being dramatic." Katniss raised an eyebrow and whispered, "Why are there so many women here?"
Thanks to tutoring Donna, Wren and Katniss had gotten pretty close and spoke freely. "It's all because of your Mr. Forbes. This isn't a business seminar anymore; they're all here for him."
Katniss knew that Tristan had always been the subject of admiration, even drawing the admiration of many female staff members back at Synergy Global Corporation. However, the crowd of women vying for his attention tonight was beyond even what she had expected.
His deep eyes, framed by a sharp jawline, held a quiet intensity. A black suit clung to his lean frame, and his short, neatly combed hair highlighted the chiseled features that screamed both discipline and danger.
He held a cigarette between his fingers, slowly burning, adding a touch of mystery to his already striking face, and an air of cold desire.
Before Katniss could reach Tristan, someone else beat her to it. Lila, with a cigarette dangling from her lips, gave Tristan a flirty look and bent down to light her cigarette from his.
The crowd was stunned, both jealous and surprised. Lila's move was beyond bold—it was downright seductive!
Not exactly high-society behavior.
Only Lila would dare!
Tristan had been chatting and laughing with someone, but this scene wiped the smile off his face.
His deep eyes locked onto Lila, and he tossed his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out hard.
"Isn't it a waste to toss a cigarette before it's done?" Lila said, clearly enjoying Tristan's anger, finding him even more attractive.
"Disgusting." Tristan's voice was as cold as a winter night, "Stay away from me."
His blatant disgust was obvious, and everyone around heard it loud and clear.
The crowd erupted in laughter, but Lila didn't seem to care, "I can't stay away from you. Your project is in collaboration with the White family, and I'm the one handling it."
Daniel had set up the project collaboration but hadn't had the chance to fill Tristan in.
"Miss White." Daniel quickly stepped in, trying to keep Lila from pushing Tristan's buttons, "You represent White Corporation, and I'm the project manager. How about we discuss this over there?"
"You're a forty-something old man with nothing better to do. Find a place to retire and stop hovering around me." Lila's words were sharp and unkind, with a hint of flirtation.
Wren, however, didn't like how Lila spoke to Daniel. She stepped forward, linking her arm with his, "Men in their forties are at their prime."
The tension in the air was thick, and Lila seemed to be getting the cold shoulder from everyone, but she didn't seem to mind.
Katniss, who had been watching the whole thing, finally remembered who Lila was.
Twenty years ago, the White family was at the top of the business world in Velvet City, but after Lila's grandfather passed away, the family's successors couldn't keep up, which led to the White family's decline.Yet, despite their faltering business presence, the Whites held strong connections with influencial people who had once been mentored or helped by Lila's grandfather.
Lila was the only girl in three generations of the White family and was very spoiled.
"I don't like talking to unattractive, older people." Lila snorted, glancing at Tristan again.
Wren was fuming and turned to Katniss, "Ms. Grey, what are you waiting for? Get over here!"
Didn't she see Lila eyeing Tristan like a hungry wolf?
With Wren's shout, the crowd finally noticed Katniss standing among them, tall and elegant.
Her dress highlighted her slender yet curvy figure, its high neckline gracefully elongating her neck. Her arms were slim, and her long legs peeked through the high slit of her dress.
At that moment, Tristan stood amidst the swirling smoke, his narrow eyes cutting through the haze to lock onto her. His black shirt had a few buttons undone, and maybe because of his earlier anger, he had this rugged vibe going on. He looked every bit like a tempest barely restrained, a stark contrast to Katniss's serene and composed presence.
But they fit together perfectly!
His hand rested on her slender waist, and when he looked at her, his gaze was as soft as water.
"I was a bit late," she said softly, ignoring Lila's provocative stare. Her voice, soft as a whisper, sent a shiver of delight down his spine.
Even though Tristan heard it every day, it still made his heart flutter. He curved his thin lips slightly, "It's okay."
"Alright, I've made my rounds. See you at work later." Lila extinguished her cigarette and tossed it into the trash can.
As she turned, the strong scent of her perfume, dispersed by her long hair, masked some of the smoke around.
It had to be said that Katniss's arrival drew away many of the eyes that had been on Tristan.
The men were amazed by her. The women wanted to see who could make Tristan so fond.
Countless eyes filled with jealousy looked at Katniss.
Tristan keenly noticed this, especially when he spoke softly to Katniss; the unfriendly gazes from others around them became more apparent.
He wrapped his hand around Katniss's wrist, temporarily handing over his conversation partner to Daniel. "Are you hungry? I prepared a lounge on the second floor with a private room for you. You can ask the waiter for anything you want."
Katniss's fingers clasped his well-defined forearm, and she slowly shook her head, "I'm not hungry yet. When we get home tonight, you can make me some pasta."
Looking at Katniss's fresh, natural beauty, he felt a pang of regret for bringing her to the party.
"Then stay by my side." He clasped her fingers, and as he turned, his eyes narrowed, emitting a warning.
Seeing this, the more timid ones didn't dare to make any more moves. But, there were always those with persistent desires.
Lila wasn't one of those who was timid; she was bold and fearless, always getting what she wanted.
"Miss White, are you interested in Mr. Forbes?" Isla took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention and approached Lila.
Lila openly admitted, "You could say that."
After all, if she could deal with Tristan and Katniss, she could sleep with Michael. To be honest, she had desired Michael for a long time. He was more attractive than most women, sparking her desire to conquer him!
"Then why did you just leave like that?" Isla asked, a bit anxiously.
Lila was the eldest daughter of the White family. She should have easily put Katniss in an embarrassing situation, and with her status, Tristan couldn't do much about it!
Lila glanced disdainfully at Isla. She was well-acquainted with Bella's downfall and had heard that Isla had joined forces with Bella in tormenting Katniss.
Isla was too useless; Tristan didn't even bother with her.
And now, Isla was trying to involve her?
"Katniss is just a tutor. If I made a move in front of so many people, it would be beneath my status as the eldest daughter of the White family," Lila said.
Hearing this, Isla choked up, recalling how she and Bella had personally troubled Katniss before. According to Lila, it was quite degrading.
Feeling guilty, Isla touched her nose and said nothing more.
"If I want to teach her a lesson, I have plenty of ways. It's just that I don't have many people to use right now. Maybe next time." Lila sighed, pretending to regret missing a chance to teach Katniss a lesson.
Isla was stunned for a few seconds. Seeing Lila about to leave, she quickly caught up, "Miss White, if you have any good ideas, just let me know. I might be able to help you!"
As long as it was a way to deal with Katniss, she wanted to be involved.
She wasn't doing it to avenge Bella; she wasn't that stupid. She wanted to vent her own frustrations!
Nicholas, that bastard, was still in Nightfall City and hadn't returned. Her engagement to Nicholas had become a laughingstock, with people mocking her.
It must have been Katniss who taught Saskia how to bewitch men. Otherwise, why would Nicholas be so infatuated with Saskia?
"No problem. If you want to help, then come with me." Lila smirked, crossing her arms as she led Isla to the second floor.
Not far away, Eudora stood beside Michael, leaning closer to him and whispering, "If I remember correctly, Lila likes you. Why is she suddenly interested in Tristan?"
Lila also had another identity; she was a classmate of both Michael and Tristan. During their school days, she had pursued Michael intensely, but Michael only liked Eudora.
This time, Michael had strategically chosen Lila for the task, intending for her to drive a wedge between Katniss and Tristan. No one else but her had the capability or could withstand Tristan's repeated suppression.
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