Chapter 265 A Mix of Disappointment and Understanding
Right then, Ember's words hit Rupert like a ton of bricks, making him feel both ashamed and pissed off.
He muttered under his breath, "I need my pride! I'm a grown man, and here I am with a mom who's a wreck, and now I gotta drag Katniss into this mess—someone I didn't even grow up with! What does that make me? If I make it, you'll have a good life with me. If I don't, well, that's just how it is! I'm serious. If you decide to stick with me, anyone who brings up Katniss or even thinks about her can just get lost!"
Ember felt a lump in her throat, her face turning red with embarrassment.
Jessica shivered, her mind racing.
What should she do? Should she stay in this messed-up relationship with Rupert, dealing with all the chaos?
Or should she get a divorce and try to start fresh with someone new?
But could Katniss really just leave Rupert behind?
What if, down the road, she felt bad for him and ended up giving him some money?
If Jessica remarried, could she even find another guy as good as Rupert who also had money?
Jessica was stuck in a loop of confusion, unable to make a decision for what felt like forever.
Rupert knew Jessica was practical, and with the weight of the debts hanging over them, she was having a hard time deciding. He said, "Jessica, I know I don't deserve to ask you to stay with me right now. But if you're willing to stick around, I promise that within five years, I'll pay off the gambling debt and give you the best life!"
He wanted to give Jessica some reassurance and not drag her into a tough life without saying anything.
It was also a way for him to set a goal for himself.
After a long pause, Jessica spoke softly, "Can I take some time to think about it? I need to see if you can come to an agreement with Robert. If he doesn't agree, the loan shark debt will just keep growing. Forget about paying it off in five years—at this rate, you won't clear it in fifty! If I waste five years with you, I'll be in my early thirties by then, and I..."
"Okay." Rupert felt a mix of disappointment and understanding at her bluntness. "I'll take my mom back to Harmony City first. Once everything's sorted out, I'll let you know, and then you can decide." With that, Rupert took Ember and left, with Jessica trailing behind.
Katniss drove them back but didn't go home. Instead, she found a small motel.
After she left, Jessica went back to her colleague's place to wait for news and make a decision.
The night seemed endless, with the early winter wind cutting through like a knife. At this hour, Tristan was still burning the midnight oil at work.
Katniss had called him earlier and then headed to Synergy Global Corporation to pick him up.
She ran into Eudora, who had just finished work. Eudora was the general manager of Synergy Global Corporation, second only to Tristan.
Travis had put Eudora in place to keep an eye on Tristan.
"Katniss, here to pick up Tristan?" Eudora held her bag in both hands and greeted Katniss in the lobby.Katniss replied, "Just passing through. Miss Savoy, are you done for the day?"
Eudora nodded, "Yeah, just wrapped up a meeting with Tristan. He should be down any minute." As she spoke, the elevator doors slid open, and out stepped Tristan, looking sharp in a deep blue coat over his black suit.
Under the lobby lights, his features looked even more chiseled, and his eyes softened when they landed on Katniss.
"Didn't you say you had to work late?" Katniss asked, remembering he had told her it would be a long night.
Tristan glanced at his watch, ignoring Eudora standing nearby, and wrapped an arm around Katniss's waist. "Grandma called this afternoon, asking me to bring you home for dinner. She called again just now to remind me, so I had to bring you home to handle it."
It was already dark outside, and Katniss murmured, "If you had let me know earlier, I would have reminded you. Mrs. Forbes must have been waiting for quite a while."
"She doesn't mind waiting." Tristan nodded to Eudora and then guided Katniss outside. "What she really wants to know is if your situation is resolved. She's eager to settle the financial matters tonight, and as long as we show up, she'll be satisfied."
That was true.
However, Katniss still urged Tristan to let her know earlier next time to prevent making Adelaide wait.
The two whispered softly, their figures gradually disappearing into the neon lights, while Eudora stood in the lobby, her face pale.
There wasn't much time left until December 6th.
Eudora tightly gripped her bag strap, her fingertips turning white. After a long time, she took out her phone and called Ivy.
As the days grew shorter, darkness fell more quickly. By the time Katniss and Tristan reached the Forbes Mansion, the night had fully taken over.
However, it was still not even seven o'clock. The kitchen had already prepared dinner, and they started eating as soon as they walked in.
There wasn't much to discuss, just checking if things were stable with Ember and planning to invite Sophia out for dinner tomorrow to discuss the wedding money.
"It's great that things are stable, but just in case, I'd like to invite your mother and the others over to the Forbes Mansion tomorrow night to talk. What do you think?" Adelaide didn't want any more complications, especially since Ember hadn't left Velvet City yet.
If she stirred up trouble at the hotel again, it could hold up the money transfer!
"Anything you arrange is fine with me." Katniss understood her worries.
Adelaide said, "No, you should check with your mother first. If she feels uncomfortable, I'll find another venue. But this really is the best spot."
The Forbes Mansion was located halfway up a hill. It was one of the top residences not just in Velvet City, but in the entire country.
It was worth over a few hundred million dollars.
The price reflected its grandeur, and the place carried an air of solemnity. Adelaide was concerned that Sophia might feel too confined there.Adelaide's thoughtful consideration made Katniss feel appreciated once more. "Alright, I'll check with my mom later," she replied.
Tristan finished his meal as quickly as possible and said to Katniss, "I have a meeting to attend. We might have to stay overnight. If you get tired, go to the room and wait for me."
"Okay." This wasn't Katniss's first time staying here, so she took it in stride.
Adelaide was delighted and, after dinner, took Katniss upstairs to water the plants, chatting about the future and imagining what it would be like when Katniss and Tristan got married.
As they enjoyed their conversation, Adelaide's smiling face was filled with wrinkles.
"It's been about seven years, hasn't it?" Adelaide sighed suddenly. "When I first arranged for you to marry Tristan, it was mostly out of spite. But then I learned about your background and realized you were genuinely a good person—ambitious and true to your word. After you got the marriage certificate, you never came to me or Tristan for anything."
Adelaide had thought that if Katniss later came asking for money or became materialistic, treating the Forbes family as a cash cow, Adelaide would definitely have Tristan divorce her.
However, Katniss didn't. After signing the contract and getting the certificate, she never contacted them again.
Because of her decisiveness, Adelaide began to take note of her and found out that she had joined a company and was working diligently to advance her career.
Katniss gradually became well-known in the assistant industry.
At this, Adelaide thought, perhaps if she and Tristan interacted more, there might be some unexpected surprises.
Katniss's ascent to becoming Tristan's special assistant was largely due to Adelaide's influence.
Back then, Adelaide wasn't surprised that Tristan didn't recognize Katniss. They had only met once at City Hall, and after getting the marriage certificate, Tristan's copy was with Adelaide.
However, Adelaide guessed that Katniss would recognize Tristan and was curious to see how she would react.
In the end, Katniss remained steady and diligent, working tirelessly without complaint. It was precisely this quality that caught Tristan's attention.
And Adelaide grew more and more fond of Katniss and then arranged for her to be with Tristan.
Yet Adelaide didn't realize that the two of them had developed a different kind of relationship.
She thought that perhaps one day, if they weren't careful with protection, Katniss could end up getting pregnant.
But after all the ups and downs, they developed feelings, but no child.
Adelaide even suspected that Tristan might have a problem!
But she didn't say more to Katniss, fearing that Katniss would think she was a scheming, manipulative old woman.
Suddenly, there was a strange noise from the corner.
Katniss and Adelaide both turned to look, and a black figure quickly disappeared.
Katniss got up and walked over, but no one was at the staircase outside the greenhouse. On the ground, a metal badge reflected the light.She paused for a moment, then crouched down to pick it up. It was a servant's badge from the Forbes family.
"Mrs. Forbes." Katniss handed the item to Adelaide.
"Emily's badge," Adelaide said as she took it, her smile revealing a touch of curiosity. "She's been with the Forbes family for five or six years, introduced by Eudora."
Katniss pressed her lips together and locked eyes with Adelaide's stormy gaze for a moment.
After a long pause, Adelaide said, "I'll return it to her later. You concentrate on the wedding; I'll take care of everything else."
"Okay." After all, it was a servant of the Forbes family. Even if Katniss had some suspicions, she couldn't do much.
Fortunately, Adelaide seemed to have a good grasp of the situation and could probably prevent any issues.
Although Katniss didn't have a heavy workload these days, she was still quite tired from their nightly activities.
After taking a bath, she went to bed and video-called Matilda.
When the video connected, Katniss keenly noticed that Matilda didn't look well, her eyes a bit red.
Katniss asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just cutting onions while cooking; it made my eyes water," Matilda said, offering an excuse.
In truth, Matilda's temperament mirrored Katniss's—always sharing the bright side of things while concealing her struggles, keeping her worries to herself.
Knowing she wouldn't get much from Matilda during a video call, Katniss decided to drop the subject. Instead, she mentioned that Adelaide wanted Sophia and the others to come to the Forbes Mansion tomorrow night.
Matilda handed the phone to Sophia, who readily agreed.
After the call, Katniss scrolled through Facebook and, unsurprisingly, saw a post from George.
A completely black photo with the caption: [Mood as dark as this.]
So, Matilda had a fight with George?
Lately, Katniss had noticed Matilda and George being affectionate with each other, but they also seemed to argue quite frequently.
Although Matilda was younger than George, she had grown significantly in maturity over the past year, largely due to Sophia's situation.
No longer was she the carefree girl she once was.
Especially after coming to Velvet City, Matilda was fully in charge of the education institution, which kept her very busy.
There wasn't as much time for dates as George had expected, leading to frequent arguments.
In short, George had a certain immaturity about him, but that didn't mean he didn't love Matilda.
Thinking about this, Katniss gradually fell asleep. When Tristan pushed the door open, he saw the bedroom lit only by the bedside lamp, casting a warm glow on Katniss's curled-up figure.
She had a slender figure, her golden hair spread out like seaweed, bathed in the warm light.
The strap of her nightgown had slipped off her shoulder, exposing her delicate skin dotted with a blend of old and fresh kiss marks.
Tristan had been very satisfied these past few days. He thought there would be a limit to such things, but with Katniss, he found himself insatiably greedy.
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