Chapter 266 She Is Addictive
Katniss rolled over, snuggling into Tristan's chest like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Tristan had a sudden epiphany—it wasn't just his own desire; she was the real temptation here.
He gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The touch was so soft, but it still woke Katniss up.
She blinked sleepily, then started to pull off her nightgown without a second thought.
"Are you ready? Let's get this over with," she mumbled, clearly just wanting to get back to sleep as soon as possible.
Tristan's breath caught. He quickly grabbed her hand, stopping her, and kissed her cheek with a playful smile.
"How about we skip it tonight and just sleep?"
"Can we cuddle then?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep, needing that reassurance.
Tristan moved closer, wrapping himself around her. "Sure," he said softly.
Katniss drifted back to sleep almost instantly, but Tristan lay awake, his desire simmering just beneath the surface.
After what felt like forever, her phone buzzed with a Facebook message from Adelaide. [Let's never speak of this again. Until the time is right, it will just be our secret.]
The screen only showed the first couple of lines before it dimmed. Tristan frowned, the glow of the screen reflecting in his eyes.
He pressed his lips together, then leaned down to kiss Katniss's forehead gently before finally falling asleep.
Adelaide was always on edge, which is why she sent that message. She had watched Eudora and Tristan grow up. Eudora had always been sensible and likable, making it hard for Adelaide to dislike her as much as she did Travis and the others.
In fact, Adelaide had a bit of a soft spot for Eudora, but that didn't mean she trusted her.
After sending the message to Katniss, Adelaide worried it might freak her out. She knew Katniss hadn't found the right moment to explain things to Tristan, and that could lead to misunderstandings.
So, within two minutes, she quickly retracted the message.
Night fell, and the mansion was swallowed by darkness. The early winter wind howled, scattering dead leaves everywhere.
Early the next morning, the servants at the Forbes Mansion were busy cleaning up the yard.
When Katniss woke up, she saw the retracted message from Adelaide and figured it was sent by mistake, so she didn't think much of it.
Then she got a call from Rupert, saying that Robert's people had arrived in Velvet City.This wasn't exactly a small town, so Robert didn't want to make any hasty moves. He agreed to sit down and have a proper chat with Rupert.
They decided to meet at a small park near the hotel. Katniss planned to have Tristan drop her off at Synergy Global Corporation, and then she'd drive her own car to the park.
But when Tristan heard she was meeting those people, he drove straight to the park to meet up with Rupert and the others.
In a remote, desolate area, Tristan's sleek yet luxurious Range Rover stood out.
The park had a small red brick path with benches placed every few feet.
From a distance, Katniss saw Rupert and Ember sitting on a bench, with Ember chattering away. "You stubborn kid, you just don't get it. Do you know you could ask her for $70,000 with just one word?"
As the meeting with Robert got closer, Ember's fear grew.
How could loan sharks be reasonable? What if they didn't agree to let them repay the money slowly and just took her away?
Ember had been nagging the whole way, but Rupert, clearly annoyed, tuned her out, keeping his hands in his pockets and avoiding her gaze.
Ember glanced at his clothes and frowned. "Those clothes must be worth a lot, right? She bought you several sets, which shows how much she cares about you! You..."
"What about him?" Katniss walked over slowly, her hands in the thin layer of her velvet coat, looking coldly at Ember. "If he owed the money, I would pay it back, even if it was $140,000. But it's you who owes it, and I won't pay a single cent. Got it?"
She couldn't stand Ember's attitude any longer and decided to speak her mind.
Ember opened her mouth to say something, but when she saw Tristan standing beside Katniss, her throat tightened, and she fell silent.
Seeing that Jessica hadn't come, Katniss figured Jessica was waiting to see how the negotiation with Robert would go.
In fact, Jessica wanted to see if Katniss would really not care about this loan.
From a distance, Robert approached with five burly men.
Seeing those guys, Ember tried to hide behind Katniss and Tristan.
Rupert alone couldn't handle those men, but when Ember met Tristan's cold gaze, she hid behind Rupert instead.
That day, after Tristan and Katniss took Rupert from Robert, Robert specifically looked into Tristan.
When he found out that Tristan was a real big shot, someone he couldn't afford to mess with, he was very polite.
He greeted Tristan first, then brought up the $70,000 loan.
"I do manual labor. After deducting a year's expenses, I can save at least $14,000 for you. In five years, I can definitely pay off the $70,000." This was the solution Rupert came up with.When Robert first saw Katniss and Tristan's calm expressions, he felt a bit relieved, thinking they wouldn't intervene forcefully.
"You know what business I'm in," Robert said. "Have you calculated how much interest $70,000 will rack up in five years?"
With compound interest, the debt wouldn't just stay the same; it would balloon.
Rupert frowned and, after a moment, said, "Loan sharking is illegal. If we take this to court, you won't win. I can't do anything to you in Harmony City, but outside of Harmony City, you're nothing. You wouldn't dare cause trouble outside of Harmony City. So let's compromise: I'll repay the $70,000 in five years, with no extra interest."
He had spent the whole night researching online. Although he wasn't very educated, he understood a bit after reading.
"What if you can't repay it in five years?" Robert was clearly unhappy and felt cornered.
"If he can't repay the $70,000 in five years, you can do whatever you want with the debtor."
At that moment, Katniss stepped forward, ignoring Ember's glare, and added, "And the $70,000 won't be paid in installments but in a lump sum after five years."
Robert was shocked for a moment before blurting out, "Impossible! No interest for five years and no benefits for me? Dream on!"
"Rupert can only repay the money by doing manual labor. Although he's young, his body can't withstand the strain. Sudden deaths among young people are common nowadays. If something happens to him, you definitely won't get the $70,000." Katniss reasoned, "He used to run a successful pasta restaurant. If he starts over, it would only take a year. Based on his previous experience, he could repay the debt in three years. You should weigh this yourself."
Five years of endless labor, from dawn to dusk, would lead to despair.
Moreover, with a mother like Ember around, Katniss was sure Rupert couldn't handle it.
She made a lot of sense, but for Robert, it was a gamble.
If he won, he might get the $70,000 in three years. If he lost and the pasta restaurant didn't do well, he might get nothing.
Troubled, he turned to his men, took out a cigarette, and started thinking.
Tristan stood by the roadside, feeling a craving for a cigarette as he watched them smoke.
He hadn't smoked in a long time, focusing on helping Katniss conceive. The faint scent of nicotine lingered, but he could still catch a whiff of it.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and even without any expression, he exuded an intimidating aura.
Robert sensed that Tristan's gaze was a clear threat.
The other party was wealthy and powerful, and the mere fact that they were willing to negotiate already gave him a glimmer of hope.If it had been someone else, they might have taken Robert straight to the cops.
Realizing this, Robert felt reluctant but had to say, "What if he can't repay it in five years? I still want a guarantee."
"Let's sign an agreement. If he can't repay it in five years, Ember is yours to deal with," Katniss said coolly.
Hearing this, Ember almost lunged at Katniss.
But with Tristan's intimidating presence, she didn't dare.
In the end, Ember signed the agreement with Robert, promising to repay the $70,000 within five years. If not, she would be at Robert's disposal.
After signing, Ember's face darkened as she finally accepted that Katniss wouldn't pay her debt.
Rupert said, "Katniss, I'll go pack my things and take the train back to Harmony City. I'll definitely come back for your wedding."
He finally understood what Katniss meant by helping him negotiate with Robert.
Five years of grueling labor compared to one year was a world of difference.
Rupert believed the future would be good, but the thought of five years still left him a bit uncertain.
Now, it was only a year! He was confident!
"Go ahead." Katniss took out a card from her pocket and said, "This is the $3,000 you gave me when you left Velvet City. It's just enough to get you back on your feet. Start over."
When Katniss left Velvet City, Rupert had given her a wad of cash, only about a thousand dollars. She couldn't remember the exact amount.
But Rupert must have kept enough for himself and given Katniss the rest.
Katniss didn't dwell on it; it was just enough to cover Rupert's immediate needs.
Rupert was about to say it wasn't $3,000, but noticing Ember's eager gaze, he quickly changed his mind and said, "Got it."
If Ember knew Katniss had given him money, who knew what she might do.
Then Rupert took Ember back to the hotel to pack and sent a message to Jessica, detailing the negotiation.
At that time, Jessica read the message, put her phone aside, and stared at Eudora, who had suddenly shown up.
Jessica said, "Last time, you gave us the hotel's VIP card at the Synergy Global Corporation entrance and let us in. Who are you, and what do you want?"
She already had an impression of Eudora, which wasn't a good thing for Eudora.
Originally, Eudora hadn't planned to come herself. She wanted Lila to handle it, but Lila, having lost interest in Michael, refused to see her.
Eudora replied, "Don't worry about who I am. I want to know some things about Katniss. If the information is juicy enough, I'll offer you $70,000."
Hearing this, Jessica was immediately tempted, but her instincts told her that the woman in front of her was not to be trifled with. If she revealed anything, Katniss might be in trouble!
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