Chapter 24 There Was No Hiding It Now
Tristan downed another cup of coffee, tilted his head, and finally noticed Katniss had dozed off on the table.
Her long hair was all over the place, covering her small frame. Her eyebrows were scrunched up a bit, and she had the pen in her hand backward, the tip just barely touching her nose, leaving a tiny black mark.
"Hey, let's take five." He cut off the other person, got up, walked around the coffee table, and scooped Katniss up to lay her on the bed. He pulled up a thin blanket to cover her and gently wiped the ink off her nose with his fingertip. There was a softness in his eyes he didn't even realize.
Katniss had no clue how late Tristan's meeting went. She only woke up when the first rays of morning sunlight hit her face through the window.
By then, the laptop on the coffee table was closed, and Tristan, who had been sitting on the sofa, was nowhere to be seen. She could faintly hear laughter and chatter from outside the window. She checked the time and realized they had just an hour left before they had to head back to Velvet City.
After a quick rise, wash, and packing of her things, she went to the hotel to check out.
The staff had already packed up and were hanging out in the small park in front of the hotel, but she still hadn't seen Tristan.
Just as she was about to make a call, she heard Nicholas's voice from behind. "Katniss, you better go check on Tristan in his suite. Something big's gone down, and I can't help him."
Nicholas's expression was kinda disdainful.
Katniss had no choice but to hand her luggage to someone else and head back to the top-floor luxury suite. As soon as she got out of the elevator, she heard soft sobbing coming from Tristan's room.
The door to his room was wide open, and she could see inside at a glance. Tristan's tall figure was facing away from her, with Bella's arms tightly wrapped around his waist. His hands hung at his sides, and her sobs came from his embrace.
She cried, "Tristan, do you not love me anymore? I've been so forward, why are you doing this? Do you think I don't know? You're deliberately avoiding me. It makes me feel like a failure. You'd rather work all night with Katniss in the same room than come back to face me."
Tristan's tone was calm as he said, "Bella, chill. I had work last night."
She went on, "Don't give me that crap. If you wanted to cancel it, no one could stop you. You're doing this on purpose! Are you still pissed at me for leaving you six years ago? I know I messed up. I'm ready to give up everything for you. I'm begging you, let me be with you. Otherwise, I don't know how to make it up to you!"
Bella's grip on Tristan tightened.
But Katniss felt like Bella's hand wasn't just holding onto Tristan's waist, but squeezing her heart, making her chest feel tight and suffocating.
And that suffocation was just the start. Tristan's next words were like a knife, chopping her heart into pieces.
"I don't need your atonement," Tristan replied.
"Don't think I don't know you have another woman. Who is she? Have you fallen for her?" Bella let go of him, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.
Tristan's eyes narrowed a bit. After a moment, he gently said, "How could anyone compare to you? I'm still married; how could I be with you? I don't want you to suffer from gossip. Before we get married, I must protect you."
Katniss's blood ran cold. She couldn't hear what they said next.
All she knew was that Bella was touched by Tristan's words.
And Katniss? She was just a tool for Tristan to vent his desires. She wasn't worth protecting. He didn't care whether she could get married or not in the future because he didn't love her.
Katniss walked down the stairs, the empty hallway echoing only her footsteps, each step like a stone striking her chest.
She thought that after three years, she'd have some weight and status in Tristan's heart.
In the end, it was all wishful thinking. When Tristan deliberately avoided Bella these past two days, her wishful thinking ran wild, always feeling like she had become the exception by Tristan's side.
She opened the door to the stairwell; the sunlight poured in, instantly making her blurry vision clear.
"Katniss!" Elodie ran over and said, "The bus outside has arrived. Where's Mr. Forbes?"
Katniss replied, "He should be coming down soon. Let's stick to the original plan and take the bus back. Go tell everyone to get on the bus."
Elodie didn't notice her pale face and ran off after responding. Katniss took a deep breath and walked forward a few steps, suddenly bumping into someone coming around the corner.
The other person was a head taller than her. Although very thin, he was still a boy and knocked her against the wall, making her elbow ache.
"Sorry." George didn't even care about the suitcase that had been knocked away and hurried back to check on her. Taking a closer look, he said, "Katniss?"
The voice sounded kinda familiar. Katniss rubbed her elbow and looked up. The boy in front of her was wearing a bright yellow jacket and a black baseball cap, with delicate and handsome features.
"You are..."
"It's me, I'm George!" George felt a bit awkward. He hadn't planned to reveal himself here, but the word "Katniss" had slipped out, and there was no hiding it now. "You guys are staying at my parents' resort."
Katniss was stunned and, while rubbing her sore arm, managed a smile. "What a coincidence."
"It really is. Are you guys heading back? The resort is empty now, so I'm leaving too." George shook the car keys in his hand. "Did you come by bus? How about you ride back with me? Would your boss agree?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Katniss saw Bella and Tristan coming out of the elevator. Bella had already reverted to her sweet and adorable demeanor, and Tristan was carrying their luggage.
Tristan seemed to sense something and glanced over. Katniss quickly lowered her head, and George's frame blocked her from view. Tristan didn't notice anything and left the hotel.
"If it's convenient, I'll ride back with you," Katniss said politely. "I can pay you for the ride."
"Are you kidding me?" George was a bit displeased. "Even if you weren't my date, just someone I met for the first time, I would like to give you a free ride! Besides, if my mom found out, she'd kill me."
Katniss was amused by his exaggerated tone. "I'll go inform my boss. Wait for me at the entrance of the resort."
"Alright, see you then." George waved and turned to pick up his suitcase and head to the parking lot.
Katniss went to the bus, retrieved her luggage from a colleague, and then boarded the bus where Tristan was sitting. He was still sitting with Bella, and Nicholas was next to them. Seeing Katniss, Nicholas quickly offered her a seat. "If you don't mind, sit here. I'll join you guys for some fun. Michael left, so I'm here to take care of Bella. I'll just ride the bus back with you."
Katniss stood still and politely smiled at Nicholas. "It's an honor to sit with Mr. Kennedy, but..." She shifted her gaze towards Tristan. "Mr. Forbes, I've run into a friend, so I won't be taking the bus back with you. Just wanted to let you know."
Tristan, seeing her downcast eyes, felt something was off but didn't make it difficult for her. "Alright."
Katniss turned and got off the bus, carrying her luggage to the resort entrance. After waiting for about five or six minutes, George's car arrived.
George quickly got out, opened the passenger door for Katniss, then put her luggage in the trunk, and drove off.
As their car passed the bus, someone with sharp eyes noticed Katniss inside.
"Is that Katniss? The guy picking her up is so handsome!"
"Must be her boyfriend! He's quite a good-looking young man. I didn't expect Katniss to like this type!"
"He's so thoughtful, coming to the resort to pick her up!"
Tristan glanced sideways, squinting at the sports car in the next lane. Although he couldn't see inside, he could somehow imagine Katniss chatting and laughing with the young man.
Someone else said, "She probably didn't just meet him today. Yesterday, when we went out, Katniss was gone all day. She must have been with her boyfriend!"
"So romantic! Even though he's young, he's so considerate, coming all the way here to see Katniss!"
"But it's not surprising. Katniss is busy with work. She finally gets a break, so of course, she'd seize the chance to go on a date."
Tristan's face darkened, and the sports car disappeared from his view. A complex feeling spread in his chest.
Bella's eyes lit up. "When we came out of the elevator earlier, we must have seen Katniss's boyfriend, right? The guy in the yellow jacket. He seemed to be holding someone, probably Katniss. Look at how you overwork the poor Katniss, making she sneak around. But how did Katniss's boyfriend get into the resort? Tristan, didn't you book the whole place?"
She noticed the temperature drop around her and quickly added, "Tristan, don't be mad at Katniss. They can't be together often, so she must have found a way to bring her boyfriend in. As her boss, you should understand. She's not that young anymore."
Nicholas, watching Tristan with a smile, thought that if Tristan was just mad about Katniss sneaking her boyfriend into the resort, it would be easy to handle. But he sensed it wasn't that simple.
In the sports car, Katniss remained silent. George, sensing something was wrong, didn't speak either until they entered the Velvet City area.
George finally had to ask, "Katniss, it's getting late, and you haven't had lunch yet. How about I treat you to lunch, and we can talk?"
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