Chapter 329 Not Suitable for Speaking in a Business Setting
Beau wasn't completely out of power; there were still quite a few people greeting him and discussing business matters.
While exchanging pleasantries, his cold eyes never left Katniss.
"If we can make Tristan and Katniss fall out before Tristan is discharged, he definitely won't stand up for Katniss. Then we can apologize to him, and we'll be on the same side." He whispered to Rowan.
Rowan had no ideas of her own and listened to him completely. She said, "Beau, you're the best. I'll follow your lead. What should we do?"
"Come, listen to me..." He pulled Rowan to a corner.
Katniss found the engagement party boring. After wandering around with Samuel for a while, all they got were questions about the first step of acquiring The Astor Corporation and the current development of White Corporation.
Using the excuse of having drunk a bit too much, she and Samuel went to the second-floor lounge to find some peace.
Samuel's face had been gloomy. After holding back for a while, he took out a business card from his suit pocket.
"This is from Nora."
Nora's business card showed her position as a manager at Adams Corporation.
"What does this mean?" Katniss looked at him in shock. "She wants to poach you to Adams Corporation?"
"She wants to cuckold Benjamin." Samuel found it increasingly difficult to speak. "She said she and Benjamin have a business marriage and they agreed to see other people if I don't mind."
Katniss, who usually had great self-control, couldn't help but laugh and handed the card back to Samuel.
Samuel's face turned grim. "Do I look like someone who would be a long-term secret lover?"
But Katniss still admired Nora. At least she made it clear that she was a married woman.
No seduction, just mutual consent.
It was against morals, but if Benjamin really had such an agreement with her, why not?
Before she could finish her thoughts, the lounge door suddenly opened.
Rowan walked in. Seeing Samuel there, she frowned but still sat on another sofa.
"You two must be Katniss and Samuel, right?" She spoke first, her attitude fairly respectful.
"Mrs. White." Katniss and Samuel regained their serious expressions and nodded to Rowan.
Seeing how different they were from their previous cheerful conversation, Rowan smiled kindly. "You don't need to be nervous. I'm just tired and came to rest. Since we met, let's talk."
No one believed that. The entire hotel had a dozen temporary lounges, and Rowan just happened to choose the one they were in.
"I have a few words to say to Katniss alone." Rowan got straight to the point.
Samuel looked at Katniss, who raised an eyebrow and said, "We have nothing to discuss privately. Mrs. White, just say it."
"Why are you so cautious?" Rowan moved to a closer sofa. "I'll say it here then. I heard Mr. Forbes got injured. How is he?"
Katniss hadn't sought them out, but they came to her first.
Her eyes darkened as she stared directly at Rowan. "Mrs. White, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't waste time; we need to go out soon."
Rowan felt a moment of panic under her sharp gaze but quickly steadied herself. "Actually, it's not right for outsiders like you to interfere in the White family disputes. My husband may be ruthless, but he was forced by you."
She spoke righteously, as if they were forced to retaliate.
"If you two agree... I hope you won't interfere in the White family matters anymore to avoid trouble for yourselves. This time, Mr. Forbes got hurt, making our relationship with the Forbes family awkward."
She didn't care about Katniss at all, implying that it didn't matter if Katniss lived or died, but dragging Tristan into it was a problem.
The lounge was very quiet. Katniss leaned her elbows on her knees, staring contemptuously at Rowan.
She suddenly smiled. "Mrs. White, if you have nothing better to do, stay home and play cards, be a housewife. Don't meddle in business affairs. If you have something to say, let Mr. White come to me himself. Look at you..."
She pointed at Rowan's trembling hands. "Your hands are shaking, and your voice lacks confidence. You're not suited for business discussions."
Rowan's face turned red with shame. She really had no other skills besides being coquettish in bed, but being told this in front of others made her furious.
"You don't know your place! If you dare meddle in the affairs of the White family, you won't even know how you died!"
She checked the time and stood up abruptly. "I'm done talking. If you don't appreciate it, just wait and see."
As soon as she left the lounge, Rowan saw Beau coming down the stairs. She quickly approached him, and they went to the stairwell.
"Did you succeed? I could only stall for so long."
Beau smiled smugly, "No problem, just wait for the fish to take the bait. Let's go back and watch the show."
In the lounge, Katniss stared at the slowly closing door, frowning, "So, what did she come here for?"
"To threaten you?" Samuel questioned, then quickly shook his head, "No, it didn't seem effective. You dismissed her with just a few words."
After pondering for a moment, Katniss stood up, "Let's go out and see if anything's happening."
The engagement party hall was still bustling, with people chatting and toasting.
Katniss scanned the room but didn't see Benjamin. Nora was with her father.
"Let's split up and find out where Benjamin went." She whispered to Samuel, and they went their separate ways.
Before she could get far, her phone rang. She stepped into a quiet area to answer it; it was Hazel.
"Ms. Grey! Come to room 308 quickly!"
Katniss frowned and turned into the nearby stairwell, heading straight to the third floor, "Are you at the engagement party?"
"I...," Hazel hesitated, then said, "Just come, and I'll explain!"
Hanging up, Katniss quickened her pace to the third floor. As she exited the stairwell, she encountered a hurried waiter.
The waiter stared at her for a moment before saying, "You're looking for Mr. White, right? He's in room 308. He has something urgent to discuss with you!"
The waiter then pulled a room key card from his pocket and handed it to her.
Katniss took the key card, nodded to the waiter, and watched him take the elevator down before heading to room 308 and unlocking the door.
On the double bed lay Benjamin, his breathing unsteady; it was clear to see what happened.
Beside him, Hazel was wiping his face with a wet towel.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. I saw two waiters carrying him here. I hid by the door and stayed. He... seems to have been drugged." Hazel said, looking helplessly at Katniss while continuing to wipe.
Thinking of the waiter who had led her to room 308, Katniss felt a shiver.
"Let's move him to another room."
She signaled Hazel to stop wiping and walked over to Benjamin, giving him a hard pinch.
Benjamin suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze bloodshot, and it was hard to tell whether he was fully awake or still in a daze."Get up, we're taking you out." She and Hazel lifted Benjamin and left room 308, trying other doors on the third floor, but they were all locked.
Finally, they opened a storage room at the end of the hall. Katniss signaled Hazel to move him there.
Afterward, she took out her phone to call Samuel for help to get Benjamin to a hospital.
But before she could dial, a force pushed her shoulder, slamming her into the hallway wall.
The storage room door was shut and locked behind her. Panicking, she rushed over and pounded on the door, but it wouldn't open.
The third floor was a long corridor, visible from one end to the other.
Someone would come up soon. If she stayed there, people would suspect someone was in the storage room. If the Adams family saw Benjamin and Hazel inside, the engagement party would be ruined.
She realized Beau's plan: to frame her and Benjamin, ruining the marriage and her relationship with Tristan, using reputation as a weapon.
Before she could think further, the elevator arrived. She quickly decided to take the stairs down.
The first floor was still lively. Samuel, having searched for Benjamin without success, was about to call her.
Seeing her come down, Samuel was surprised, "Is Mr. White upstairs?"
"Yes." Katniss explained the situation upstairs, "But why didn't Beau go up?"
She saw Beau and Rowan mingling with the crowd, frowning.
"I've been watching. No one left, and the Adams family didn't go upstairs. I think..." Samuel speculated, "The ones who went up were probably reporters. Beau wants to make a big scene, embarrassing the Adams family and breaking off the marriage with Benjamin."
Fortunately, Hazel had followed, helping Benjamin avoid disaster.
They watched the upstairs commotion. Sure enough, a few unfamiliar faces came down soon after.
They had hidden cameras in their pockets, but their expressions showed they hadn't captured anything.
Katniss sighed in relief, thinking of going back upstairs, but thought it was unappropriate.
Benjamin was drugged, and until the effects wore off, he wouldn't let Hazel go.
Ultimately, she and Samuel stayed to cover for Benjamin, saying he had urgent business. The party continued until ten, and they saw off all the guests.
She also saw Emory off, explaining helplessly, "Unexpected situation. I might be very late, probably can't be with Evie tonight."
"No problem, I've got it. You don't need to worry." Emory replied cheerfully, waving and leaving.
Katniss and Samuel waited at the end of the third-floor hallway until past midnight when the door finally opened from inside.
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