Chapter 280 Barely Acquainted
Under the crystal chandelier, people were running everywhere, screams filling the air as the once romantic scene turned into a nightmare in seconds.
Katniss instinctively bolted outside, but the crowd around her was in a frenzy.
She shielded her lower abdomen with one hand, making sure she was safe as she got out of the chandelier area.
The sharp sound of the crystal chandelier crashing echoed behind her.
Just as Katniss thought she was in the clear, a huge force shoved her back into the danger zone!
She stumbled forward, and suddenly the sound of the chandelier was right above her head, almost in her ears!
She crashed into a familiar chest that smelled faintly of smoke and pine. Her nose hit it, and tears sprang to her eyes.
Tristan cushioned her fall, then flipped over to protect her, taking the brunt of the falling chandelier.
A muffled groan came from above her, followed by the faint sound of something sharp piercing flesh.
Someone saw the chandelier hit a person and noticed a trace of blood in the dim light.
They immediately screamed, shouting for an ambulance to save the person.
The scene stayed dark as Katniss quietly nestled in Tristan's arms, her fingers clutching a button on his suit tightly.
Warm tears trickled down her face, and her shaky breathing showed she was on the verge of breaking down.
"Don't cry," Tristan's voice came from above her, mixed with a groan, and Katniss felt warm liquid drip onto her face.
The smell of blood was strong, and she gripped his button even tighter, biting her lip to keep from making a sound.
Someone had already gone to call security to fix the circuit and get the lights back on.
Security evacuated the crowd, leaving only the Stuart family, the Kennedy family, and their close friends to deal with the aftermath.
The chaotic sounds gradually faded, but Katniss's heart was still in turmoil, her tears and his blood both sliding down her face to her ears.
"Are you okay? You were too impulsive, you shouldn't have..." She finally couldn't hold back and changed her grip on Tristan's button to hugging his waist, but felt a sticky wetness.
Tristan, however, scolded softly, "Let go, I'm fine."
As he finished speaking, the other lights in the hall came on.
Katniss's hand on Tristan's waist instantly retracted, her misty eyes reflecting his slightly pale face.
Meanwhile, Tristan looked her over, making sure she was okay.
"Tristan!" Eudora shouted, quickly reprimanding the security, "Get a move on! Save him! He's hurt and bleeding heavily!"
Security called in professionals to dismantle the complex chandelier, and the ambulance had already arrived on the scene.After another six minutes, most of the chandelier had been taken apart, leaving just a piece stuck in Tristan's back.
It needed professional removal, and a doctor had to check his vital signs.
Katniss was safely protected by Tristan, unharmed, but for safety, she was also taken to the ambulance.
"Any family members? Come along!" a nurse on the ambulance shouted.
Eudora immediately said, "I'm his family. I'll go with him!"
Seeing this, Saskia tore off the train of her dress, turning it into a short skirt, and quickly got on the ambulance.
She turned to Nicholas and said, "You drive over right away; I'm worried about Katniss."
"Okay!" Nicholas, looking pale, handed over the hotel's follow-up work to his father and drove to follow the ambulance.
The space in the ambulance was tight, with Katniss and Tristan lying side by side, though Tristan was on his stomach.
His sharp eyes slowly opened, staring at Katniss's profile, blood and tears mixing together.
It was like a painting on her delicate profile, making her look even more beautiful.
Tristan gently raised his hand, the veins on the back clearly visible, stained with blood, and his fingertip lightly brushed against Katniss's cheek.
Katniss suddenly turned her head away, showing him only the back of her head, causing the light in his eyes to dim slightly.
"Tristan, don't move," Eudora said, noticing his slight movement and quickly urging him to keep his hand down.
His expression turned colder, his hand resting slightly above Tristan's shoulder, not moving, and he said nothing.
At the hospital, Tristan was rushed into the emergency room, and Katniss was sent to the examination room.
No one was in the examination room, and the doctor who examined her was the same one who had been on the scene earlier.
Saskia stayed with Katniss, and just as the examination began, Eudora also came in.
"Do you feel any pain anywhere?" The doctor found no external injuries on Katniss.
Katniss shook her head and replied, "No."
Her lower abdomen felt normal, and she felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Then you're quite lucky; your husband protected you well. But just to be safe, let's do a comprehensive check-up," the doctor said while preparing the examination equipment.
"He's not my husband," Katniss said flatly, casting a glance at Eudora. She then added, "A thorough check-up isn't necessary; I don't feel any pain."
A comprehensive check-up included some procedures that were not suitable for pregnant women.
Upon hearing this, the doctor looked surprised. "Not your husband? So, is he your boyfriend or fiancé?"
"None of the above." Katniss's voice grew colder. "Barely an acquaintance."The doctor was momentarily speechless, glancing at Saskia and Eudora, then awkwardly said, "Well, he won't be just an acquaintance anymore. He's your lifesaver."
"Lifesaver?" The word instantly made Eudora vigilant.
Tristan's love for Katniss exceeded her imagination; he was willing to risk his life for her!
"Are you here to treat patients or just to chat?" Saskia snapped at the doctor, then turned her focus to Katniss with a serious expression. "Katniss, are you absolutely sure you don't want a thorough check-up? What if there's an internal injury? I know you're not ready to see Tristan right now, but please don't rush off. Let's make sure you're okay."
Katniss, supported by Saskia, sat up and shook her head again, her tone firm. "No check-up, but I won't leave either. After all, he ended up in the emergency room to save me. I'll wait to see if he lives or dies."
Her words were devoid of any emotion.
Eudora could no longer stay silent. "Katniss, do you even have a conscience? Tristan ended up in the emergency room trying to save you. How can you be so cold-hearted?"
"Cold-hearted?" Katniss adjusted her dress, her expression icy and her tone indifferent. "Isn't this what you all wanted? Why the charade? Do you expect me to break down and thank him while still keeping my distance?"
Of course, Eudora didn't want that; she was speaking out of frustration for Tristan.
Katniss continued, "I'm curious too. He was so angry when he saw the document you prepared, canceled the engagement, and said I wasn't fit to bear his children. Now he's willing to give his life for me. What do you call that?"
Katniss then walked over to Eudora, leaned in slightly, and whispered, "Instinctive protection is much more genuine than his words, Eudora. You want to marry him, don't you? Trying to create a rift between us? Too bad—do you really think he can forget me?"
After speaking, Katniss brushed past Eudora's shoulder, walked out of the examination room, and sat on a chair outside the operating room to wait.
Her hand, dangling at her side, clenched and unclenched repeatedly as she struggled to rein in her emotions.
Half an hour later, Adelaide arrived at the hospital and stopped when she saw Katniss sitting outside the operating room.
Eudora quickly went to Adelaide and said, "Grandma, you're here. Don't worry too much; the doctor said it didn't hit any vital organs, just lost a lot of blood and needs the wound treated."
"How did he get hurt?" Adelaide shifted her gaze from Katniss to Eudora, questioning her.
"It has nothing to do with me. He got hurt saving Katniss." Eudora pointed at Katniss without hesitation and replied, "Katniss was perfectly fine under his protection, but this heartless woman stayed just to see if Tristan would live or die. Grandma, what do you think of that..."She kept speaking up for Tristan, but Adelaide impatiently interrupted, "She's cruel and ruthless, but deep down, don't you know why she is?"
How could they expect her to be softhearted when they shifted the blame onto Katniss? Yet Katniss seemed not to hear their conversation, turning her head to stare at the light above the operating room.
The red light turned green, and the doctor came out and took off his mask. "Who is the family of the injured?"
"Me!" Adelaide quickly walked over and asked, "How is my grandson?"
The doctor frowned and said, "He lost a lot of blood. The wound was 0.04 inches away from piercing his lung. If he had come a minute later, not even God could have saved him. To update you, his life is saved, he's getting his wound stitched up, and will be transferred to the ICU for three days of observation."
His life was saved.
This sentence reassured Katniss; her emotions surged, and she knew she couldn't stay there any longer. She got up, grabbed her bag, and walked out.
Saskia, who had been busy contacting doctors since arriving at the hospital, told Nicholas, "Mrs. Forbes is old, you stay and see if there's anything you can help with Tristan. I'll go after Katniss."
"Okay." Nicholas was terrified; such a big incident had made his wedding quite the spectacle.
He walked over to Adelaide and started talking to the doctor.
Eudora, on the other hand, turned and saw Katniss's decisive and swift departing figure, pursing her lips.
This seemingly unrelated relationship, one that could endanger lives, was something she couldn't understand; it felt incredibly dangerous to her! But all that remained between them was that bit of emotion, nothing more!
Eudora had grown up with Tristan and knew him intimately. Once something became ingrained in him, it was difficult to forget.
So he instinctively protected Katniss, but deep down, he must hate her.
Eudora kept telling herself that when Tristan woke up and realized Katniss had left before his surgery was complete—gone not out of concern, but just to see whether he lived or died—he would be utterly disappointed!
All his stubbornness would fade away in the face of Katniss's heartlessness. Just then, Eudora's phone rang, it was Ivy calling.
Eudora quickly walked to the end of the corridor to answer, "Hello, Ivy."
"How is it? Is he dead?" Ivy's voice carried a hint of expectation and excitement.
This tone made Eudora feel very uncomfortable, but she still honestly said, "No, he has to stay in the ICU for three days for observation, but he should be fine."
Ivy's voice noticeably dropped. "He's really tough. Not even a trace of aftereffects? Honestly, being paralyzed wouldn't be so bad either!"
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