Chapter 253 Marrying Her is Not a Loss
Sophia and Matilda got there early, but Sophia made Matilda wait until Katniss showed up before they went inside.
So, Katniss was late, and they ended up sitting in the car for twenty minutes.
Katniss and Matilda helped Sophia into the hotel, and a waiter led them to the private room Adelaide had booked ahead of time.
The big private room could fit dozens of people, with sunlight bouncing off the fancy crystal chandelier onto the walls.
It was Sophia's first time in a place like this, and she seemed a bit uneasy. But since she had trouble talking and walked slowly, it wasn't super obvious.
Adelaide sat close to her, leaving the job of ordering to Tristan and Katniss.
Since they got into the private room, Adelaide hadn't stopped chatting, while Royce, sitting next to her, held a bag.
Every now and then, he'd pull out different hotel brochures or wedding planning pamphlets from the bag as Adelaide needed them.
Last time was just a chat; this time, they were making decisions.
After about ten minutes, the waiter brought the food, and soon the table was packed with all sorts of delicious dishes.
The smell of the food filled the air, and Adelaide finally stopped talking. She said, "Let's eat first. After we finish, we'll get to the main point."
Hearing this, Katniss looked over curiously and asked, "What's the main point?"
She had already heard them talk about wedding dresses, wedding photos, and the hotel. What else could there be?
"Silly girl, don't you want us to give you money for the wedding?" Adelaide looked at her with a smile. "You're going to be the future lady of the Forbes family. I have to make sure you marry in style."
She continued, "Giving money for the wedding is just a local custom. Let's follow the rules of Velvet City." In Velvet City, it was customary for the groom's family to give the bride's family some money.
Adelaide and Tristan's intentions were clear to Katniss.
"That's not acceptable!" A strong voice interrupted.
Everyone was startled and looked over to see Jessica helping Ember walk in with a straight posture.
Ember said, "My daughter must have this money."
Ember's voice echoed through the private room.
Katniss felt like her heart was being squeezed by a giant hand, her clear eyes fixed on Ember as she entered the room.
Katniss's last memory of Ember was her leaving with Rupert, while Katniss chased after her, shouting, "Mom, don't leave me," but Ember didn't even glance back.
Not even a moment's hesitation in her steps as she left.
Today, Ember had come to Katniss, but her purpose was clear from the moment she spoke.
Moreover, Ember hadn't looked at Katniss once, her greedy eyes scanning the private room and then the food on the table.Adelaide, noticing Katniss's expression, quickly figured out who Ember was and realized that calling Katniss's relationship with Ember "complicated" would be a huge understatement.
So she said, "No matter whose daughter Katniss is, Tristan is marrying her, and the money issue will be discussed with her alone."
"She listens to me!" Ember said confidently, her gaze sweeping over everyone at the table.
Then she walked over to Matilda, bent down, and grabbed her hand. "Katniss, although I haven't raised you all these years, I gave you life, and for something as important as marriage, I must..."
"Mom!" Jessica whispered, "That's not..."
"Shut up," Ember snapped at Jessica. "How dare you interrupt when I'm speaking?"
It seemed like she was scolding Jessica, but really, she was asserting her authority to remind Katniss that she was her mother—making it clear how Katniss should treat her.
"For something as important as marriage, I can't let anything harm you. I need to see you happy to feel at ease." She finished her sentence with a reassuring pat on Matilda's hand.
Matilda was startled, realizing that Ember had mistaken her for Katniss! She looked at Sophia, both angry and annoyed.
Sophia's expression was strained. After all, she was Katniss's stepmother, and now Katniss's biological mother had appeared.
She didn't know what to say, so she just pressed her lips together in silence.
"You've got the wrong person," Katniss stood up, her gaze cold and disappointed. "She's my sister Matilda. I'm Katniss."
Hearing this, Ember quickly withdrew her hand from Matilda's as if it had been burned.
Ember hadn't expected Sophia to sit so close to Katniss while keeping a bit of distance from her own daughter!
Clearly, she was trying to curry favor with Katniss to take advantage and get money in the future.
Ember then said, "Katniss, you were so little when I left. I didn't expect you to change so much over the years."
She walked around the long table, quickly heading towards Katniss.
But before she could reach Katniss, Tristan stood up and blocked her path.
He pulled out a chair and stood by Katniss's side, stopping Ember from moving forward.
Ember was forced to stop, and as if she didn't notice Katniss's reluctance, she turned her attention to Tristan.
Ember remarked, "You must be Katniss's future husband. Our Katniss graduated from a prestigious university. She's beautiful and capable, and you're lucky to marry her."
Katniss's downcast eyes brimmed with sarcasm as she thought Ember sounded just like a vendor at the village market. "This cabbage is fresh, hearty, and delicious. You won't regret buying it!"
The sarcasm made her heart ache, leaving her unsure of what to say. Should she confront Ember in this setting and throw her out?Adelaide covered her mouth and coughed lightly. "They're guests; let's have them take a seat. It's a good day, so let's not ruin the atmosphere and make things uncomfortable for ourselves."
She was thinking about the bigger picture, not wanting to embarrass Katniss or cause a scene.
Before Katniss and Tristan could say anything, Ember turned and sat down in an empty seat. She said, "Jessica, come over here."
Jessica also sat down, but their seats were a bit far from Adelaide.
Ember's eyes darted around and landed on Sophia and Matilda. She stood up again and exclaimed, "You two, switch seats with us. I need to be closer to Tristan's mother to discuss things."
"Mom!" Jessica whispered, trying to remind her that Adelaide was Tristan's grandmother!
But Ember ignored Jessica and walked over to Sophia, waiting for Sophia and Matilda to give up their seats.
"Enough!" Katniss stood up, her eyes cold as she looked at Ember.
If she had harbored any fantasies about her biological mother before seeing Ember, hoping that their reunion would bring some motherly love, those hopes were now gone.
At this moment, all she felt was disgust and loathing.
She pointed to the door. "Since you're here, stay and enjoy the meal, but my wedding will be decided by me and my mom, Sophia. You don't need to worry about it. If you're happy, continue eating. If not, you can leave now."
Ember instinctively wanted to curse, but she suddenly noticed the cold aura emanating from Tristan beside Katniss.
And Adelaide, her eyes cloudy and unreadable, but her stern expression was intimidating.
"Mom, just bear with it for now. This is the Forbes family; we can't go against them," Jessica advised Ember softly.
At this, Ember turned and sat back down, calling the waiter to bring two more sets of utensils.
Katniss's words, "My mom, Sophia," made Sophia's eyes well up with tears, almost making her cry.
But Sophia held back, not wanting to reveal Katniss's background in front of the Forbes family and embarrass her.
The meal continued, but Adelaide knew that discussing money any further would only lead to a fallout.
She didn't want Katniss to feel awkward in front of her and believed that Katniss would handle Ember properly after the meal.
Perhaps feeling unsatisfied that Adelaide had stopped mentioning Katniss's wedding, Ember slightly lowered her stance.
She took the initiative to speak, "I feel bad that you're handling your son's wedding at your age. Is there anything I can help with? Just let me know!"
"Mom!" Jessica quickly spat out a piece of fish she had just eaten. "That's Mr. Forbes's grandmother!"Hearing this, Ember was stunned but blurted out, "The Forbes family doesn't take my daughter seriously, sending an elderly person to discuss the wedding. Where are your parents?"
"No one said that weddings must be discussed by parents," Katniss replied, her words carrying a double meaning. She was not only responding to Ember's question about Tristan's parents but also indirectly telling her that even as Katniss's biological mother, Ember had no say in her wedding!
"Katniss, I'm your biological mother!" Ember's dissatisfaction flared up.
Katniss raised an eyebrow, regarding her with a cold expression. "That's why I'm allowing you to stay for this meal, but your mouth here is only good for eating; it has no other purpose. You'd better come to terms with that."
The atmosphere in the private room had dropped to freezing point due to Ember's presence.
Especially since Katniss had changed her mood and become more assertive, Ember's expression darkened.
Seeing this, Jessica quickly whispered, "Mom, we can't rush things. We need to take it slow."
Ember had even mistaken Katniss for Matilda when she first came in, which Jessica couldn't stand.
"Fine, if she wants us to eat, let's eat. You all can talk," Ember said with a hint of sarcasm, then began to dig in eagerly.
The delicate dishes were picked apart by her, and she even ate some of the decorative carvings.
There were over a dozen dishes on the table, and she tried everything, using knives, forks, spoons, and even her hands.
Her place at the table was piled high with scraps, like a small mountain.
Katniss's hand, resting on her lap, tightened into a fist, the embarrassment washing over her.
Suddenly, a warm hand covered hers. It was Tristan. He leaned slightly towards her and whispered, "We'll go eat something else later."
He half-joked, trying to ease her embarrassment.
At the table, except for Ember and Jessica, no one else touched their utensils.
After the meal, while Ember and Jessica went to the restroom, Adelaide quietly comforted Katniss, "Every family has its difficulties. I'll give you time to handle this. It's not worth getting upset over people like them. If they want money, just give it to them for peace of mind. If you don't have it, I do. We'll discuss the money issue next time."
Adelaide had a keen eye for people and knew Ember was after money.
Hearing this, Katniss felt warm inside but couldn't bring herself to smile. She replied, "Thank you, Mrs. Forbes."
As everyone packed up to leave, Katniss had no intention of waiting for Ember and Jessica.
After leaving the hotel and seeing Adelaide off, she was about to take Sophia and Matilda home when Ember chased after her.
Ember exclaimed, "Katniss, stop! You really don't care about your mother, leaving without even calling me?"
Katniss turned around, her eyes cold and unwavering. "You lost the right to call yourself my mother when you walked out on me. Don't expect me to treat you like one now."
Ember's face twisted with anger, but before she could say anything, Tristan stepped in. "Katniss has made her decision. If you can't respect that, then you should leave."
Ember's eyes darted between Katniss and Tristan, realizing she was outnumbered and outmatched. She huffed and turned away, muttering under her breath.
Katniss took a deep breath, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. She looked at Tristan and gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thank you."
Tristan nodded, his expression softening. "Anytime."
As they walked to the car, Sophia put a comforting arm around Katniss. "You did the right thing, honey. We're here for you."
Katniss nodded, feeling a sense of relief and determination. She knew she had a long road ahead, but with the support of her loved ones, she was ready to face whatever came next.
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