Chapter 267 Nothing Much
"You seriously can't be that clueless, can you?" Eudora scoffed, noticing Jessica's hesitation. "Don't you get how ruthless Katniss is to you all now? Even if she still has some feelings for Rupert, so what? She won't pay off your debts. She lives in a big mansion, drives luxury cars, but won't let you stay in Velvet City with the Bell family. Do you really think protecting her will make her grateful and give you money?"
Every word hit Jessica hard.
Jessica frowned, thinking for a while before saying, "I've only been married to Rupert for a few years, and she didn't grow up with Ember. I don't know much about her."
"Just spill whatever you know; the more, the better. As long as it's useful to me, I'll verify it and give you money." Eudora sat down calmly.
It was just some info about Katniss, right? Sharing it wouldn't hurt.
This thought grew in Jessica's mind, and she couldn't shake it.
Why should she feel guilty? Katniss didn't care about Rupert, so why should she care about Katniss?
She took a deep breath and said, "When Katniss and Rupert were very young, Ember got divorced. No one wanted her, but I remember Ember mentioning that the man she married later couldn't have kids. She had hoped to bring her daughter over so someone could care for her in old age, and when she got married, she wouldn't have to worry about money for a car or a house..."
But somehow, Ember brought Rupert over instead.
Maybe it was valuing boys over girls, and that's how Jessica saw it.
But after marrying Rupert, she realized that Ember wasn't particularly kind to him either. According to Ember, it was always about how hard it was to raise Rupert, and she expected him to take care of her in the future.
It was like raising him was her duty, and in return, he was supposed to take care of her.
"Talk about something else." Eudora listened impatiently. There was nothing to dig up from those old family issues.
Exposing Katniss's lowly background had no effect.
Eudora said, "Talk about everything since you came to Velvet City."
Upon hearing this, Jessica gathered her thoughts again.
When she came to Velvet City, Katniss had just joined Synergy Global Corporation not long ago. They didn't have much contact, and later Jessica accidentally discovered the relationship between Katniss and Tristan.
Jessica remarked, "At that time, she was considered a homewrecker, right? After all, Mr. Forbes was married then. Even if she didn't know who Mr. Forbes's wife was, she..."
Eudora already knew what Jessica was getting at. However, those past events didn't affect the Katniss of today.
Jessica continued, "She even sold her body for her stepmother. I don't know if she was stupid or naive. That sickly woman dragged Katniss down for six or seven years and cost a lot of money."Thinking about it made Jessica furious.
Eudora's eyes flickered as she frowned, deep in thought for a moment before asking, "When did Katniss's stepmother get sick?"
"She got sick right after Katniss graduated from college. If it had been earlier, Katniss wouldn't have been able to go to college, and she wouldn't have the skills she has today." Jessica pouted, thinking it would have been better if Katniss had nothing.
Then Jessica wouldn't have any expectations and wouldn't be so angry.
"What did Katniss do after graduating from college? How did she manage to earn such a high salary to cover her stepmother's medical expenses and support her stepsister's education?" Eudora noticed a gap in the timeline.
Where did Katniss get the money to treat Sophia in the three years between her college graduation and joining Synergy Global Corporation?
And it was in the second year after joining Synergy Global Corporation that she developed that kind of relationship with Tristan. In the first year, her salary wasn't enough to cover Sophia's medical bills.
"Could it be that she had another sugar daddy before?" This thought made Eudora's eyes light up.
She quickly stood up, grabbed her bag, and walked out, eager to investigate the events from a few years ago.
Seeing this, Jessica hurriedly stood up and followed, "Miss Savoy, what about my money?"
"Why are you in such a hurry? We'll discuss it once I verify this matter." With that, Eudora walked away.
At this point, Jessica found herself unable to leave because of Eudora. However, Jessica didn't want to give up on Rupert either.
So she told Rupert that a colleague had found her a good job here and that she would start working immediately. She suggested that he should go back and focus on making money, assuring him that when they reopened the pasta restaurant, she would quit her job and return to help him.
She managed to send Rupert away for nearly a year.
Seeing her message, Rupert didn't reply; instead, he immediately booked tickets to take Ember home.
Meanwhile, Katniss took the opportunity while Tristan went to get the car to find Robert.
She handed Robert a card and said, "Here's fourteen thousand dollars. I'll give you another fourteen thousand each year until Rupert can pay you back the rest. But until then, you have to promise me two things: first, don't tell Rupert, and second, don't lend any money to Ember again."
In the end, she was soft-hearted and couldn't bear to see Rupert's income for several years all used to pay off debts.
Robert was naturally happy to get the money in advance. He took the card with a grin and promised, "Don't worry, I won't say a word. You know Ember and Rupert well. If Rupert finds out, he'll definitely tell Ember. If Ember sees you giving money, she'll gamble again. To be honest, Rupert is a bit too filial."Hearing this, Katniss stayed quiet, her hands in her pockets, her eyes reflecting the desolate park.
After a long pause, she added, "Occasionally remind Ember of the consequences."
Judging by Ember's expression when she met Robert, it was clear she was scared of him.
But Ember only remembered the good times and forgot the painful ones. It wouldn't be long before Robert ignored her, and she'd forget about the gambling debts and start spending recklessly again.
"Alright, I'll do as you say!" With that, Robert left with a few of his men.
Katniss turned to retrace her steps but suddenly saw Tristan's car parked by the roadside.
The privacy tint on the car windows was very effective, but Katniss could feel Tristan's intense gaze on her. She pursed her lips, walked over, opened the passenger door, climbed in, and fastened her seatbelt.
Finally, she turned her head and whispered, "I only gave him fourteen thousand dollars. I believe that while Robert isn't a great person and makes his money through questionable means, he is still trustworthy."
Tristan replied, "Katniss, you don't need to report everything to me. I don't want to interfere too much in your family's affairs because of you, not because I despise them, and certainly not because their existence changes my opinion of you."
Seeing her cautious look when she saw him made Tristan's heart tighten.
After a long while, he took a deep breath, raised his hand, and touched her head. "If it weren't for them making you angry, I could support your family as long as you're happy, understand?" The words were simple, but the sentiment was genuine.
"Really?" Katniss said with a hint of excitement in her voice. "So what are you waiting for? Get to work! There will come a day when I'll depend on you to support me!"
A subtle smile appeared on her lips, carrying some implied meaning.
Tristan chuckled softly, started the engine, and drove away. He said, "Indeed, I need to work quickly. Tonight, Grandma wants to talk to your mother about that money, and there are a lot of wedding arrangements to handle. I'm busy during the day and busy making love at night."
His words lingered, causing Katniss's ears to turn red. She turned to look out the window, choosing to ignore him.
Thinking about visiting the Forbes Mansion, Sophia seldom asked Matilda to take her shopping for new clothes.
"Get something nice, so that Katniss won't feel embarrassed," she said.
Katniss and Matilda had similar spending habits when it came to clothes. Their best outfits, from head to toe, typically cost a few hundred dollars, usually ranging from one to two hundred.
However, lately, Tristan had taken charge of Katniss's seasonal wardrobe, filling it with pieces from high-end brands. She hadn't inquired about the prices, but it was clear they were on the pricier side.While Katniss's attire might not draw much attention at the Forbes Mansion, Matilda's and Sophia's outfits certainly wouldn't make the cut.
"Alright," Matilda agreed without hesitation. "Should we ask Katniss to come along?"
"Katniss is busy; let's not disturb her," Sophia said thoughtfully. If Katniss came along, she'd definitely have to pay. Now that Matilda was earning her own money, Sophia felt it was time to stop relying on Katniss's funds.
Though Matilda hadn't considered this herself, she still decided to cancel her afternoon work and took Sophia to the mall.
It was early winter, and the mall was crowded. Sophia, not walking as well as others, stood out in the crowd.
Odette, shopping with George, immediately spotted Sophia and walked over excitedly to greet her.
"Sophia? You're doing so well now?" Odette was thrilled. George had shared Sophia's treatment process with Odette, but he kept his relationship with Matilda under wraps.
He felt uneasy about it. Odette had once shown interest in Katniss, and now that he was involved with Matilda, George suspected she might not take the news well.
Hoping to find the right moment to explain, he prepared himself.
However, before he could muster the courage to speak up, an argument broke out between him and Matilda.
Seeing Matilda and Sophia shopping only fueled George's anger. Every time he asked her out, she was busy. But somehow she always had time to go shopping! It felt incredibly frustrating to George.
Anger welled up, and he turned away, ignoring Matilda.
Matilda could sense his anger. In front of both mothers, she could only endure it, politely greeting Odette. "Hello, Mrs. Russell."
"Wow, Matilda has grown so much! I remember when I first saw her, just a bright-eyed girl fresh out of school," Odette said cheerfully, holding Sophia's hand.
At this, Sophia paused for a moment and tentatively said, "Didn't George tell you about him and Matilda?"
Odette was taken aback and turned to look at George. "What?" she asked.
Hearing this, Sophia knew George hadn't said anything, feeling displeased. Since they came to Velvet City, George had visited her home many times.
Yet Odette still didn't know this.
"Nothing," George quickly denied it.
Sophia's expression grew even more somber.
Matilda's breath hitched, her grip on Sophia's arm tightened, and she looked down.
"It's nothing, I must have remembered it wrong. Odette, I have a dinner to attend tonight, so I can't chat for long. Let's get together another time," Sophia said, her smile becoming noticeably more polite.
She gently tugged at Matilda, and they turned to leave. As Matilda passed by George, his hand instinctively reached out from his pocket.
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