Chapter 228 That's Called being Cheap
"I got this," Tristan said, barely lifting his eyes to look at her. "No need to stress about it."
Hearing that, Katniss put down her phone and started on her breakfast. Once they were done eating, they headed back to their room to change.
Katniss and Matilda met downstairs and drove off to visit a few wealthy families Matilda knew.
Thanks to Matilda's solid prep work, the morning meetings with the three families went off without a hitch.
After some evaluations, Katniss managed to convince two families on the spot to hire her as their kids' new tutor. The third family said they needed some time to think it over.
But from their vibe, it seemed like they'd probably agree too.
Matilda was thrilled. "Katniss, you were incredible! The way you explained everything was just mesmerizing."
They had a meeting with the Miller family at two in the afternoon. On their way there, Katniss and Matilda stopped to grab a quick bite.
As soon as they sat down, Matilda couldn't stop gushing about Katniss, who just grinned and told her to chill out.
But she was pretty happy too, so she pulled out her phone to share the morning's success with Tristan on Facebook.
Tristan called her back right away. She got up and went to the window to answer, asking sweetly, "Calling to give me some props?"
"Don't want you getting too cocky, so I'll save the praise for tonight's reward." Tristan's deep, husky voice was magnetic, and it was clear he was in a good mood. He then asked, "You heading out to someone's place later?"
"First, the Miller family. If that goes well, then the Brown family. If it takes too long at the Millers', we'll hit up the Browns tomorrow." Katniss looked at the bustling crowd outside in the scorching sun, feeling oddly content.
'The Miller family?' Tristan frowned, thinking. "What time's your meeting with the Millers?"
"Two o'clock." Katniss checked her watch; it was already 1:10 PM. It would take at least half an hour to get to the Millers' from here. "Matilda and I just finished eating, so we're heading over now. We'll talk later if anything comes up."
Tristan responded in a deep voice and, hearing the busy tone from the other end, put his phone back on the table.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk for a moment before calling Ryan in. "Cancel this afternoon's schedule."
"What?" Ryan was shocked and quickly said, "There's an international meeting at two that's already been postponed a bunch of times. We can't push it back again!"
Tristan frowned, checked the time, and said decisively, "Move the international meeting to ten minutes from now. Tell the overseas execs to keep it short."
With just a few words, he had Ryan scrambling.
The Miller family lived halfway up a hill, and there wasn't much traffic on the way. Katniss and Matilda arrived ten minutes before two.
The Millers' servant led them into the fancy villa, indicating they should wait in the living room. "Mrs. Miller is still napping. Please wait a moment."
"Alright, thank you," Katniss nodded and then sat on the sofa with Matilda.
Unexpectedly, they waited for an hour.
Matilda, losing patience, whispered, "Katniss, are the Millers doing this on purpose?"
"Do you think making money from wealthy families is that easy? The smooth progress this morning was likely due to the other party's willingness to cooperate. Either the Millers don't want to cooperate, or Mrs. Miller is really still napping. We just have to wait." Katniss reassured Matilda.
Matilda, somewhat understanding, saw Katniss's calm demeanor and tried to settle down as well.
Within a few minutes, they heard laughter coming from the garden.
Katniss raised her eyes slightly and saw a few people chatting and laughing under a sunshade in the garden. She immediately recognized Ivy in her black dress. Even from a distance, Ivy's curves were impossible to miss.
Before she could see who else was there, the servant came over. "Mrs. Miller has guests right now. It's fine to go see her now if you want, but if you'd prefer to come back another time, that's also okay. Sorry for the wait."
Matilda looked at Katniss, seeking her opinion.
Katniss stood up and smiled, "We've come all this way, so let's just chat now. Please lead the way."
The servant turned and led them through the back door to the garden.
On either side of the stone path, the green grass was dotted with water droplets, likely from a recent watering, making the grass look particularly fresh. Large, colorful flowers were in full bloom, and the air was filled with their fragrance.
As they got closer, Katniss recognized not only Ivy but also Lila and Olivia Parker under the sunshade.
Olivia, not yet forty, was well-maintained and looked about thirty, making her appear much younger than Ivy. As they approached, Katniss overheard their conversation.
Olivia said, "My sister has only one daughter, Lila. As her aunt, I feel it's my duty to find her a good husband. I've always thought Mr. Forbes would be a good match."
Olivia laughed and patted Ivy's hand. "I didn't expect you to come over today to discuss this. Isn't this a perfect match?"
Ivy glanced at Katniss, who was approaching, and said loudly, "Yes. I heard recently that Tristan's project is collaborating with the White family, and Lila is handling it. That's what gave me the idea."
She looked at Lila sitting beside her, nodding with increasing satisfaction. "Indeed, only the offspring of wealthy families have the grace of a lady, unlike some people who are just vulgar."
Matilda instantly understood the situation and couldn't help but step forward to retort.
Katniss quickly stopped her. "Don't be impulsive."
Their actions caught Olivia's attention. She turned her head and said, "I'm looking for a tutor for my daughter. Sorry, Mrs. Forbes, for taking a few minutes of your time."
Ivy acted as if she didn't recognize Katniss and turned back to chat with Lila after responding.
"Mrs. Miller," Katniss greeted only Olivia.
Olivia scrutinized her, and it was clear from her gaze that she knew about Katniss's relationship with Tristan. "Ms. Grey, right? And this is the head of your educational institution?"
Matilda quickly nodded. "Mrs. Miller. I'm Matilda, the head of the educational institution in Velvet City."
As she spoke, she placed a business card on the table in front of Olivia.
Olivia had no intention of picking it up. A gust of wind blew the card to the ground, and Matilda was about to pick it up.
However, Olivia said, "You people are always eager to take on new opportunities, longing for a success that might be beyond your grasp. That's called being cheap."
Matilda paused, saying, "Mrs. Miller, opportunities are earned. When you agreed to the interview, you were very clear about it. I don't understand how it's become an insult today."
"No manners," Ivy sneered. "Who do you think you are? Mrs. Miller is already giving you respect. Only poor people talk about earning opportunities because you want to become rich by any means."
Though Ivy was speaking to Matilda, her words were aimed at Katniss.
Matilda felt extremely uneasy, realizing that the Miller family was connected to Ivy. Wasn't she causing trouble for Katniss?
"Mrs. Miller, if you just wanted to call me here to humiliate me, you've achieved your goal. If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving now." Katniss stood tall, her gaze sweeping over Ivy and the others without a hint of subservience.
She then turned to pick up the business card and prepared to leave with Matilda. Yet, two well-dressed bodyguards quickly stepped forward to block their way.
Olivia stood up, her high heels clicking crisply on the stone path, and stopped behind them. "Who do you think you are? Do I need to humiliate you? I just wanted to show you how overconfident you are. Lila is my niece, and today Mr. Forbes's mother is also here."
It was clear she wasn't going to let them leave. Since it had come to this, Katniss saw no need to be polite.
She interrupted Olivia, "Mrs. Miller, the Forbes family's matters are none of your business. I'm with Tristan, not your son. Sorry, I forgot that you don't have a son."
Her words hit Olivia's sore spot. For years, she had been a laughingstock in the Miller family for not having a son.
Instantly, Olivia's face showed anger. "You..."
"Aunt Olivia!" Lila quickly stood up and supported Olivia's shaky body.
After calming Olivia down, she glared at Katniss. "Katniss, are you not ashamed of yourself? Does the Forbes family acknowledge you? You're just spouting nonsense here!"
Ivy immediately chimed in, "We don't acknowledge her."
"I don't care if you do or not. You aren't fully part of the Forbes family, so don't show off in front of me." Katniss remained unfazed, watching as their faces turned livid with anger. She instinctively shielded Matilda.
"If she's not part of the Forbes family, then what about me?" Tristan's voice came from behind.
The bodyguards behind Katniss stepped aside, and Tristan walked over with Mark Miller. His gaze was icy, enough to freeze someone to death. As he approached Katniss and Matilda, he rudely pushed Katniss aside.
The grass under the stone path had just been watered and was wet. Katniss's high heels sank into the ground, and she almost fell.
Matilda quickly caught her, but both of them looked quite disheveled.
Ivy had already started complaining. "Travis, I was put down by that bitch."
Travis comforted her with a few words, his harsh tone directed at Katniss. "The Forbes family doesn't accept just anyone. Only a lady like Lila is worthy of the Forbes family."
"Stop being so hypocritical. Each of you came here to trouble Katniss because you have no say in the Forbes family and came here to show off!" Matilda finally couldn't hold back any longer and pulled Katniss out of the mud onto the stone path.
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