Chapter 285 Do You Hate Tristan?
Travis looked at Ivy, puzzled. "What's the good news? Did Tristan kick the bucket or something?"
Ivy shook her head. "Not quite that dramatic, but Nicholas threw a party last night, and Tristan showed up. He ran into Katniss and nearly choked her out. Then he went wild with a bunch of rich kids, drinking and smoking. Nicholas freaked out and shut the party down, sending Tristan back to the hospital."
Travis paused, then smirked darkly. "What a mess, throwing his life away over a girl."
Ivy nodded. "True, but we still need to be careful. I'll handle Eudora. You need to get Tristan to sign an agreement for your bet, just like when you transferred half your shares to him. A little trickery, and even if you lose later, it won't count."
They schemed, putting all their focus on Tristan.
The next morning, Ivy met with Eudora and slid an agreement across the table. "I know you want to marry Tristan, but if you don't gain real power and control him, it won't happen."
Eudora tried to stay calm, even though Ivy had hit the nail on the head. "Ivy, whether I marry Tristan or not, I'm on your side. I'll do whatever you need."
Ivy listened, but didn't fully trust her. "Good. Here's the deal. Help us stabilize Synergy Global Corporation and hand it over to Sam in good shape, and we'll make sure you marry Tristan. Maybe once you stabilize the company, Tristan will regret it and come to you. But right now, it's not happening."
Eudora had heard about Tristan and Katniss's showdown at the club. She believed Tristan still had feelings for Katniss, even if his hatred was stronger. He was just lost in his anger and spiraling down. Eventually, he'd come to his senses and realize Eudora was the one he needed.
After a night of thinking, Eudora decided to take control of Synergy Global Corporation first. Once Tristan came around, she'd have what she wanted.
"Fine, I'll sign." Eudora checked the agreement for any tricks and then signed it.
With the agreement signed, Ivy gave her some advice on securing her position at Synergy Global Corporation. "It's not going to be easy. Don't you have a good relationship with Michael? The Astor family does business with Synergy Global Corporation. Maybe you can get him to help you out."Within three days, Tristan and Travis hashed out a deal and signed it in front of all the shareholders.
Tristan showed up at Synergy Global Corporation looking noticeably thinner. The last time the shareholders had seen him was in photos from some wild yacht party. The last they'd heard of him were stories of his wild antics.
After signing the contract with Travis, Tristan toned it down a bit, but only by showing up to the office every day. Most of the big projects were handed over to Eudora, who was swamped and ended up asking Michael for help, just like Ivy suggested.
Two months flew by.
Katniss had vanished from the public eye, and people had almost forgotten about her. Little did they know, at the White family's shareholders' meeting, Benjamin used his majority shares to overpower Beau and snagged the president's seat at White Corporation, with Katniss as his biggest supporter.
Once he secured the president position, Benjamin kicked Beau out of White Corporation, fired his loyal senior staff, and restructured the company. The general manager spot was still open, waiting for Katniss to fill it.
Katniss was almost five months pregnant, so it wasn't the best time for her to be in the spotlight. Benjamin decided to wait until after she gave birth.
After sorting out the internal mess at White Corporation, he and Katniss had a late-night video call. Katniss looked radiant, her winter clothes almost hiding her pregnancy. She was going over business data while talking to Benjamin. "You've just taken over as president, but your position isn't secure yet. After using some shady tactics to get those shares, you've made a lot of enemies. You need to lock down some major projects to scare them off and make others think twice before coming after you."
Benjamin nodded. "I get it. That's why I've been looking into projects White Corporation can jump into. Got any good ideas?"
Given White Corporation's shaky situation, no one was eager to partner with them. They had to act fast and grab opportunities.
"Synergy Global Corporation," Katniss said, pausing for effect. "White Corporation and Synergy Global are bound to be rivals. If you can snag a project from Synergy Global and see it through, White Corporation will be solid."
This would not only stabilize the internal staff but also boost White Corporation's reputation.
"Are you sure?" Benjamin was surprised to hear Katniss mention Synergy Global Corporation. He thought she'd have reservations.Katniss lowered her eyes, hiding her emotions. After a moment, she smiled. "What? Are you scared?"
"Of course not," Benjamin replied without hesitation. "Right now, Eudora's running Synergy Global Corporation with Travis backing her. They're not a threat. If Tristan were still in charge, I'd be more cautious."
"That's exactly why I suggested Synergy Global Corporation," Katniss said, thinking for a moment. "And don't forget the Astor family. Snatch any project or talent you can. You've made it halfway, but whether White Corporation can truly rise depends on your ability and ruthlessness."
The cold screen showed them staring at each other in silence. After a while, Benjamin suddenly smiled. "Katniss, I really hit the jackpot with you. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today."
"Save the sentimental talk. We're just using each other," Katniss said calmly.
"Do you hate Tristan?" Benjamin suddenly asked. "Is that why you're working with me? Protecting the child is just one reason. You hate him, so now you're targeting Synergy Global Corporation, right?"
Katniss's hand tightened slightly on her leg. She avoided the question. "Synergy Global Corporation is the most suitable target."
Benjamin didn't push it. Sensing Katniss didn't want to say more, he changed the subject. "Synergy Global Corporation is eyeing a piece of land in the southern suburbs and plans to collaborate with the government..."
Business and politics rarely intersected, but when they did, it was a significant advantage for businesspeople, and everyone wanted in on it. This was Synergy Global Corporation's biggest project, which they had been preparing for months, and they felt very confident about it. As things stood, Synergy Global Corporation was the frontrunner to secure this project.
Katniss said, "Find out who in the government is handling this project and target them specifically. Eudora and Michael are planning this project based on Tristan's previous core strategies, but since the personnel have changed, they might not handle the details perfectly, and there could be loopholes."
She analyzed the pros and cons and then thought of someone. "I remember you know Samuel. He's Michael's assistant. Maybe you can approach him."
The purpose of approaching Samuel was clear: to win him over and make him work for Benjamin, using less-than-clean methods. But Benjamin couldn't afford to be clean; being clean would only lead to a dead end.
He said, "I'll handle it, but I need you to draft a project plan." Benjamin was very busy, and his subordinates were unreliable. He also believed that he lacked Katniss's insight and that any plan he made wouldn't meet the standards.Katniss agreed and, after a few more words, ended the video call.
She supported herself on the chair, walked slowly to the bed, and sat down to rest, looking at her pitifully small belly. She had regular check-ups, and if the doctor hadn't assured her that the baby was developing well, she would have suspected developmental issues. However, even with the doctor's confident assurances, Matilda and Sophia were still anxious, constantly providing Katniss with nutritional supplements.
Seeing that it was almost mealtime, Katniss got up and went to the door. Matilda and Sophia were in the kitchen making soup and chatting, not noticing her arrival.
"Why do you think Katniss and Tristan broke up?" Sophia sighed. "I've been seeing a lot of news about him lately. Many people say that a once-promising business genius has been ruined. Is it because of Katniss?"
Matilda gently stirred the soup with a spoon and shook her head. "I don't know. Katniss won't say."
She continued, "Although Katniss doesn't show it, she's smiled a lot less since the breakup. She stays home all the time, and the doctor said she needs more exercise, or it won't be good for the delivery."
Sophia wiped the splattered soup off the stove with a cloth. "Tomorrow's the weekend, and you're off, right? Let's take Katniss to the nearby supermarket. We probably won't run into anyone."
"Okay," Matilda agreed, then sighed. "If they're both so miserable, why did they break up?"
Sophia turned around and suddenly saw Katniss standing in the dining room. She quickly tugged on Matilda's arm.
She said, "Katniss, are you hungry? The soup is almost ready, and dinner will be ready soon."
Katniss forced a smile, as if she hadn't heard, and was about to walk over when Sophia ushered her out of the kitchen.
Sophia said, "It's not good for a pregnant woman to be in the kitchen with all the fumes. Wait outside. Tomorrow, Matilda and I will take you to the supermarket. We'll buy whatever you like to eat and make sure you get enough nutrition."
With no way to refuse, Katniss had to agree. She also thought that a quick trip to the nearby underground supermarket wouldn't lead to running into anyone familiar.
However, as soon as the three of them arrived at the supermarket and before they could buy anything, they saw Tristan. He was standing in the fresh produce section, with cold air from the freezer swirling around him, his deep eyes fixed on Katniss.
She was wearing a loose-fitting black down jacket that showed only her slender calves and a small face that had grown even thinner. Tristan was holding her favorite seafood, and most of the items in his cart were things she liked.
Seeing Katniss, he didn't seem awkward. He placed the seafood in his cart and pushed it towards her.
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