Chapter 269 They've Raised Themselves
The villa only had cameras in the living room and on the stairs of each floor.
Emily and Eudora were chatting in a camera blind spot, but you could see from the stairway footage that they both went up to the second floor one after the other.
After a bit, Eudora headed to Ivy's room, while Emily went straight downstairs.
"That wicked woman!" Adelaide muttered, her face darkening. She had been in such a good mood earlier, but now it had soured.
Royce seemed to catch on and quickly tried to comfort her, "Mrs. Forbes, don't worry. Miss Grey is planning to explain everything to Mr. Forbes. Even if they get to him first, it won't mess up Mr. Forbes and Miss Grey's relationship."
Adelaide believed him, but she had a feeling things weren't that simple. Those two had left in a hurry, probably to plot something.
Adelaide couldn't sleep that night, wondering what they were up to.
But after a couple of days with no word from Ivy, Adelaide started to relax.
They probably realized that the secret about Katniss being Tristan's wife wouldn't affect Katniss and Tristan's relationship now.
Early winter brought a rainy day, and the temperature dropped fast.
Maybe it was because Katniss had spent a year in the always-springlike Nightfall City, or maybe Tristan had worn her out, but this year, Katniss felt especially sluggish.
Every morning, it took several alarms to drag her out of bed to handle some work stuff.
She got back into her regular tutoring sessions, and before she knew it, it was November.
News of her and Tristan's wedding, set for December 6th, had spread.
She found time to ask Saskia to set up a dinner with Benjamin to talk about the lawyer's letter incident.
Tristan had Ryan send a check to cover the lawyer's fees, but Benjamin sent it back to Katniss.
Benjamin wouldn't take it, so inviting him to dinner was the least Katniss could do.
When she invited him, Benjamin agreed and even picked the restaurant, a new spot that had just opened.
Katniss showed up ten minutes early, only to find Benjamin already there.
She said, "Benjamin, I just called Saskia. She's stuck in traffic and doesn't know when she'll get here. Let's go ahead and order."
She then asked the waiter for a menu and handed it to Benjamin.
Benjamin ordered a tomahawk steak and asked, "Are you and Saskia close?"
Katniss replied, "Yeah, we're really close. Not just because of Nicholas and Tristan; we were good friends even before that."
Katniss found it hard to believe. Back in Velvet City, she and Saskia hadn't been that close.For some reason, after she left Velvet City, Saskia cut ties with the Stuart family and headed straight to Nightfall City to find her.
"Did you and Saskia know each other for a long time?" Katniss asked, knowing they weren't classmates or anything.
"We used to run in the same high society circles, so we know each other pretty well," Benjamin said. "I'm also quite familiar with Erik, the guy from the Brown family where you're tutoring now."
Katniss wasn't surprised. A few years ago, Benjamin had been the firstborn son of the White family and their only heir.
But in the world of the rich, disputes were common, and overnight upheavals happened all the time.
Benjamin said, "Erik mentioned you're doing a great job as a tutor. Kenna's grades have improved a lot."
He hinted, "After you get married, have you thought about going back to the business world to support Mr. Forbes? With your skills, just being a tutor seems like a waste."
"We'll see," Katniss replied. She didn't rule out the possibility of returning. If Tristan and Travis's father-son conflict got worse and they needed her at work, she'd definitely go back.
Benjamin said, "Let's get Mr. Forbes out for a drink sometime. He seems to have a lot of hostility towards me, and we should clear that up."
He was trying to be friendly, and Katniss replied calmly, "It's not hostility; you're overthinking it. We'll arrange it for another time."
"When you get married, I must attend. Send me an invitation, okay?" Benjamin asked for a wedding invite.
Katniss paused. The Forbes family was handling the invitations, and she wasn't sure if the White family was on the list, but she was pretty sure Benjamin wasn't.
If Adelaide invited the White family, it would be awkward for her to invite Benjamin separately.
"If it's too difficult, don't stress about it. I was just suggesting it. I'll send a gift instead, and you and Mr. Forbes can invite me out another time." Benjamin didn't insist, smiling as he clinked his juice glass with hers.
But by accident, he knocked over a nearby glass of water, drenching Katniss's clothes with the clear liquid.
Benjamin quickly righted the glass and handed Katniss a napkin. "Sorry, I didn't notice."
"It's okay." Katniss took the napkin and wiped it. The clothes were thick for the season, and not much spilled, so it didn't soak through.
"After dinner, if you have time, I'll take you to the mall next door to buy some clothes as an apology." Benjamin looked genuinely sorry.
Katniss was about to say it wasn't necessary when she suddenly saw a girl in her twenties walk over and stand by their table without moving.Benjamin followed her gaze and was stunned.
"Did you leave me for her?" the girl pointed at Katniss, her small face full of sadness.
Hearing this, Katniss instinctively denied. "Miss, you misunderstood..."
"Hazel Carter, it has nothing to do with her," Benjamin interrupted Katniss, stepping between her and Hazel. "You're an adult now. When I first sponsored you, I told you that I would stop supporting you once you graduated from college."
Hazel bit her lip tightly. "But that's not what you said that night. You said you..."
"Enough!" Benjamin's eyes were cold. "How many times do I have to tell you no?"
For a moment, Hazel moved her lips, but no words came out, only tears fell.
A waiter noticed the commotion and came over. "Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
"This person is disrupting our meal. Please show her out," Benjamin said, turning back to his seat and gesturing for Katniss to sit down as well.
Katniss didn't know the whole story, so she sat down without saying anything, but Hazel's tearful appearance was heartbreaking.
Katniss could see that Benjamin was deliberately distancing himself.
"I'll wait for you outside. We still need to talk!" Hazel said before leaving the restaurant, as she hadn't reserved a table.
At that time, Katniss and Benjamin were sitting by the window, and from there, they could see Hazel sitting on the flower bed at the restaurant entrance.
As it got darker, Hazel rubbed her hands together for warmth, constantly blowing on them to keep warm.
"Benjamin, why don't we reschedule this dinner? She might get sick from the cold," Katniss suggested. The steak had already been served, but Benjamin had barely touched it, clearly distracted.
Benjamin glanced out the window, gritted his teeth, and said, "She is a student I sponsored. Back when I was still with the White family, I went to the mountains with some friends. She got into the best middle school in the county but had no money, so I started sponsoring her."
Over ten years, from middle school to college, he couldn't count how much money he had spent on Hazel. Hazel was ten years his junior. At thirty-two, his future looked bleak, and he still had a tough battle to fight with the White family.
But Hazel, at twenty-two, had a bright future ahead of her.
Just then, Saskia messaged that she was stuck in traffic and hadn't moved for half an hour. She planned to turn back, as she wouldn't make it in time for dinner.
Meanwhile, Katniss couldn't bear to see Hazel waiting outside, so she quickly finished her meal and suggested leaving.She put on her coat, grabbed her bag, and went to pay the bill. Benjamin was waiting at the door and said, "I have a favor to ask. Could you give me a ride?"
Katniss looked at him in confusion and asked, "You didn't drive?"
"No, it's rush hour. Just drop me off somewhere it's easier to catch a cab," Benjamin said with a warm smile, not giving her a chance to respond. "Thank you."
Katniss couldn't refuse and walked out of the restaurant with him. Seeing this, Hazel quickly got up and followed. "Benjamin, I..."
Before she could finish, Benjamin's disdainful look cut her off. He lit a cigarette and said to Katniss, "Please wait for me in the car."
Katniss nodded and went to the car to wait.
She saw Benjamin grab Hazel's slender arm and drag her to a dark corner, where he harshly pushed her against the wall.
The cold, hard wall made Hazel's eyes instantly redden.
Benjamin suddenly leaned in, trapping her between the wall and his chest. He blew smoke from his thin lips onto Hazel's face.
He said, "What? Do you think sleeping with me once means I owe you? I've spent so much money on you over the years, and taking your virginity was only fair, wasn't it?"
Hazel looked up sharply, unable to believe such cruel words were coming from him.
Benjamin continued, "You're from the countryside. Did you really think you could marry into a wealthy family?"
Even though Benjamin was no longer the heir to the White family, his status in the legal world meant he could easily earn millions of dollars a year.
Compared to Hazel's background, he was indeed from a wealthy family.
"You're lying!" Hazel exclaimed and bit her lip tightly. "You weren't like this before. Are you..."
Benjamin interrupted her, "Enough with the complaints. Let me be frank. All our friends have a girl they sponsor just so they can have a virgin they've raised themselves. But once she's been used, she loses all value. Don't..."
Hazel slapped him hard across the face. "You're a bastard! Benjamin, I hate you!" With that, she pushed him away forcefully and ran off crying.
Benjamin's hand, propped against the wall, was bulging with veins, his fingertips white.
At this, Katniss sent Benjamin a message, just one sentence. [I'm leaving]
She saw Hazel run away and knew Benjamin was done talking. Katniss also noticed Benjamin's car not far away.
He had only asked her for a ride to upset Hazel, but after saying such cruel words, he no longer needed her to drive him.
At the Forbes Mansion, Adelaide's internal clock had her in bed by nine o'clock.
But now, it was almost ten, and the villa was brightly lit. In the living room, Travis and Ivy sat opposite Adelaide, with Eudora standing to the side.
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