Chapter 281 Is It Possible They Still Have Feelings for Each Other?
Eudora clenched her jaw and muttered, "Everything's fine."
Ivy chimed in, "Forget it then, just come back. While he's stuck in the ICU for the next few days, head over to Synergy Global Corporation and hold things down. Travis will be there too. Use this chance to win over the shareholders and the higher-ups."
Ivy and Travis always had a backup plan.
If Tristan kicked the bucket, one problem solved; if not, they'd take over the company first.
"By the way, shouldn't he totally despise Katniss? Why would he risk his life for her?" Ivy wondered aloud, "Could it be they still have feelings for each other?"
Thinking of Katniss's cold-heartedness, Eudora snapped, "No way. Maybe Tristan hasn't moved on, but Katniss is done. He saves her, and she doesn't even care; she bails before his surgery is even over."
Ivy had the speakerphone on and, after hearing Eudora, exchanged a look with Travis.
Whatever they were plotting was still a mystery, but there was a sneaky glint in their eyes.
"I don't think I need to rush to the office right now. I should use this time to take care of Tristan, so he can marry me ASAP," Eudora's voice piped up again. Hearing this, Travis didn't hesitate, "If we can shake his position in the company, do you even need to get married?"
Ivy grabbed Travis's hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, and shook her head at him. Then she said, "It's best to do both. Wrap things up at the company and then head to the hospital."
In any case, they agreed to let Eudora take care of Tristan in the hospital.
Having gotten what she wanted, Eudora set the time to go to the company with them and then hung up the phone.
She went back to Adelaide's side and said, "Grandma, let me take care of Tristan."
"I don't care. He hates me and definitely won't work with my team. If you can stay, then you take care of him," Adelaide said, her expression softening a bit upon hearing that Tristan was no longer in immediate danger. When Tristan was wheeled into the ICU by doctors and nurses, she finally saw him through the window.
His blue and white hospital gown was unbuttoned, with cold instruments attached to his chest, and the ICU was filled with the constant hum of machines.
His face was pale, his lips colorless, and he was sleeping with his eyes slightly closed.
Adelaide lowered her head, a hint of fear and a glimmer of darkness in her eyes.
On the smooth road, cars zoomed by, and the scenery outside the window blurred past.
Katniss gripped the seatbelt tightly, staring out the window as her bottled-up emotions began to spill over, her lips pressed firmly together.
The scent of Tristan still lingered in her nostrils, and the sticky warmth of the liquid on her hands was a constant reminder.Even though the nurse had wiped the blood off her face, Katniss still felt Tristan's presence lingering.
"Katniss, don't hold it in. If you need to cry, just let it out," Saskia said while driving, keeping an eye on her.
Katniss turned her head away, but Saskia could still sense her deep sorrow.
"I've never seen Tristan in such bad shape. If there's a misunderstanding between you two, clear it up. I think..." Saskia's words trailed off.
Thinking of Adelaide, Travis, and their family, she suddenly couldn't continue.
She was torn, hoping Katniss and Tristan wouldn't be torn apart by misunderstandings.
But she also didn't want Katniss to get hurt again. Joining the Forbes family would bring all sorts of dangers.
Katniss, with no background, would be an easy target for bullying. Others would only attack her, and the Forbes family would push her out when faced with tough choices.
"There's nothing to explain," Katniss said, her voice barely steady after taking a deep breath. "This sadness is temporary. It's better than regretting it when my life is on the line."
Saskia replied, "I was just talking without thinking. When you get home, rest up. I'll have Nicholas keep an eye on Tristan. I'll let you know if anything happens."
Saskia parked the car in front of Katniss's apartment, handed her a couple of tissues, and said, "Katniss."
Katniss took the tissues, smiled at Saskia, and said, "You don't need to feel bad. Your wedding got ruined because of us. We should be the ones feeling bad."
Suddenly, she thought of someone deliberately pushing her back into the spotlight.
She added, "The hotel wouldn't be so careless. Someone must have tampered with it. Have Nicholas check it out."
Katniss wasn't sure if her deal with Benjamin had been discovered or if someone else was behind it.
She only knew that someone was targeting her.
Saskia's face immediately turned serious. "Okay, I'll get to the bottom of it."
Katniss then turned and went back home. She first went to her place to take a shower and change out of the clothes stained with Tristan's blood.
She changed into loungewear and looked at the bloodstains on the dress hanging over the sink. One area had dried and hardened, leaving a stark contrast against the fresh traces.
Her eyes suddenly turned red. When she was pushed out, she stumbled forward quickly.
But Tristan still rushed out to catch her immediately. In such darkness, his attention was all on her.
Her chest ached slightly, a mix of sadness and relief washing over her. Thankfully, both she and the baby were okay.
After the incident, Benjamin sent Katniss dozens of messages.Not getting a reply, he kept sending messages every few minutes.
Katniss quickly texted Benjamin back, letting him know she was safe.
Benjamin: [How's Mr. Forbes?]
Benjamin had been escorted out and only heard from the hotel that Katniss and Tristan were both hit by the chandelier.
Katniss: [He's in the ICU. It'll take three days of observation before he's out of danger.]
Katniss then asked if the White family had found out about her collaboration with Benjamin, but Benjamin's answer was negative.
Benjamin: [I haven't even started taking action against the shareholders you investigated. Even if I had, they wouldn't trace it back to you, so it can't be them.]
Seeing this, Katniss mentally sifted through the list of suspects.
Suddenly, she remembered that Michael was related to Saskia, so he must have been there today.
But she hadn't seen him.
Regardless of who she suspected, she needed evidence. She put down her phone, changed clothes, and went next door.
Matilda had left the hotel in a cab, so she didn't know about the dangerous situation Katniss had faced later.
George was driving behind, frantically chasing the cab, blocking and intercepting it, scaring the cab driver so much that he didn't dare drive anymore.
The driver said, "Young lady, are you two having a fight? How about you get out? I won't charge you. It's too dangerous to speed in this area."
In the rearview mirror, George's car was closely following, the engine roaring.
The sound acted like tear gas for Matilda, making her cry even harder.
"Ignore him. If there's an accident, it's his fault, and he'll compensate you," Matilda said and turned her head away, ignoring him.
Hearing this, the driver had no choice but to keep driving, nervously stopping at the entrance of the educational institution and finally dropping Matilda off.
As expected, George blocked her as soon as she got out.
George grabbed her wrist, not letting her go. "Can you please not leave? Can we talk?"
"What's there to even discuss?" Matilda said, trying to pull her hand away but failing. "You broke your promise, you were late, and then you said those things. I have nothing to say to you!"
"I was just feeling anxious at the moment," George said regretfully, seeing her tears. "I've been reflecting a lot during this time. I realize I was wrong to throw a tantrum at you." His tone softened, and Matilda stopped struggling, but her eyes were still red, and she turned her head away, not looking at him.
George continued, "But since you returned to Velvet City, we've had dinner alone only a handful of times. We've met often, but you're always busy, and I'm just there with you. Is this what you call a relationship? I'm just accompanying you at work!"George wanted to take her to so many places, eat all kinds of delicious food with her, and watch countless movies together.
Matilda replied, "But I'm swamped with work. I've told you how much there is to do at the educational institution. You promised you'd understand and tolerate it!" Thinking of how George would stay at the institution with her, sometimes even falling asleep, Matilda felt guilty.
But what could she do? Work was crazy, and she couldn't just walk away from it all!
George remarked, "Isn't the educational institution Katniss's? She won't have much work in the future. Can you let her handle more of the institution's affairs? I don't need you to be highly capable at work. Even if you're just my receptionist like before, I just want to see you every day."
George couldn't bear seeing Matilda only twice a week, each time for just five minutes.
What he didn't realize was that Matilda truly wanted to support her family!
When Katniss covered her tuition and Sophia's medical bills, Matilda felt a sense of helplessness.
She wanted to discover her own worth. After all, the road ahead was long, and she hoped to one day be a source of support for Katniss.
And Katniss was offering her those opportunities.
Matilda responded, "I can't. Katniss is in a bad mood lately and can't handle the institution's affairs. With her and Mr. Forbes in such a mess, she won't be in the right frame of mind to work for a while. I have to manage the institution well. I need to support her and my mom."
George's lips tightened, stubbornly looking at her.
After a long time, he let go of Matilda, turned, and sat on a stone pillar by the roadside.
His back looked a bit dejected, and he lowered his head, lost in thought.
Matilda walked over to him, thought for a moment, and said, "I'll only get busier in the future. If you really can't stand it..."
"Can we live together?" George turned to her, his expression serious. "I don't mean it the way you might think. I just want to see you at least in the evenings if I can't during the day. As long as you're home, we can sleep in separate rooms."
His sudden request made Matilda's ears turn red. After hearing his explanation, she felt both shy and conflicted.
"Sometimes I'll be busy with work, and so will you. We might only see each other at night for a whole month. I just want to spend more time with you."
George stood up and approached Matilda, who was blushing and biting her lip, shorter than him. He felt a flutter in his heart.
Grasping her wrists gently, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
It was quick and tender.
Since they had officially started dating, there had been plenty of kisses, but they always felt rushed, never allowing them to fully savor the moment. Even a light kiss left Matilda too shy to look up.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
