Chapter 458 Are You Here to Take Her Away?
Katniss couldn't force a smile. She froze, eyes wide with surprise.
"What are you standing there for?" Violette noticed her hesitation and frowned, quickly walking over to pull her inside. "Your cousin's here."
Cousin! Katniss took a deep breath, her confused gaze meeting Tristan's when Violette wasn't looking.
Tristan gave Violette a slight nod and then smiled at Katniss. "Looks like she hasn't woken up yet."
"She just flew in yesterday; she must be exhausted," Violette explained, patting Katniss's hand. "And you, your cousin came all this way with his kid, and you didn't even bring them home? Why'd you let them stay at a hotel?"
"I..." Katniss paused, trying to get into character. "You called me when he went to get the luggage. I didn't have a chance to say anything."
Violette looked a bit annoyed. "That's my fault then. I didn't expect someone to bring her over."
She then noticed the luggage and stomped her foot. "I didn't even think to bring her luggage back."
"Mommy!" Evie suddenly called out, pointing at Katniss.
Katniss couldn't help but step forward and pick Evie up, soothing her gently.
"You all came so early, you probably haven't had breakfast yet, right? Why don't you have breakfast here? Mr. Forbes, I hope you don't mind, my husband and son have already left for work, so there are no men at home to keep you company, but Katniss is here. Make yourself at home."
Violette warmly invited Tristan to stay for breakfast.
Tristan didn't refuse, and Violette asked Katniss to take Tristan to the dining room.
She went to wake up Charlotte and bring her over for breakfast.
Katniss, holding Evie, turned and walked towards the dining room, with Tristan's familiar, steady footsteps following closely behind.
"Such a big estate, and I didn't see many servants on the way here," Tristan said in a low voice, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Since I arrived, I've only seen a cook and Nicolette, who takes care of Grandma," Katniss replied honestly. Once in the dining room, she set Evie down, letting her play inside.
As soon as Katniss put Evie down, she turned and bumped into Tristan's chest, which was as hard as a rock and warm.
"Tristan, what are you doing?" Katniss pushed against his chest, but couldn't move him. "I'm your cousin. If someone sees this, won't they scold me?"
Tristan chuckled, pinching her nose. "Still holding a grudge? You left us at the airport and came back alone, clearly not wanting to be associated with us. But you can hug a stranger just fine?"
Tristan's argument was something Katniss could never win against.
She glared at him and then asked, "Where's the doctor you brought?"
"The doctor will come in the afternoon, it's already arranged," Tristan said, looking at Katniss's fresh, makeup-free face, which made her look even more pure and beautiful. He couldn't resist giving her a quick kiss on the lips.
"No wonder they don't suspect you're unmarried."
Tristan's hand tightened around Katniss's waist. Her slender, soft figure and youthful appearance made it believable that she had never been married.
If it weren't for her mature demeanor, she could easily pass for a college student.
The quick kiss startled Katniss, and she glanced outside.
Luckily, the large yard was empty. She sighed in relief, but before she could say anything, she felt a tug on her clothes.
Looking down, Katniss saw Evie standing beside them, pulling on her clothes and pouting for a kiss.
Tristan let go of Katniss and bent down to kiss Evie.
Evie called out twice, pushing him away, then continued to pout at Katniss.
Seeing Tristan's defeat, Katniss couldn't help but smile. She bent down and kissed Evie's cheek, her heart melting with warmth.
When Tristan wasn't around, Evie would always fuss about looking for him.
But when he was there, Evie didn't seem to care much about him.
To get Evie's attention, Tristan often had to kiss Katniss, a tactic he had mastered.
"This estate doesn't seem right." Tristan changed the subject, reminding her. "Such a big place with only two servants can't possibly stay this clean and tidy."
Since arriving, Katniss had been preoccupied with thoughts of Charlotte and hadn't considered these details.
"I think so too. Mr. Larson..." Katniss paused, then explained, "My father, he says he works all the time to support the family. But with such a big estate, two servants, a sick grandmother, and my cousin's expenses, it's hard to believe he can manage it all."
Maintaining the estate, paying for utilities, and other expenses would cost thousands of dollars a month.
And with their long commutes, the travel costs alone would be significant.
Katniss hadn't done the math in detail, but even a rough estimate didn't add up.
"I suspect they're pretending to be poor to keep me at bay," Katniss concluded.
She didn't see anything wrong with that. After all, she hadn't revealed her true identity either.
Charlotte had been nothing but kind to her.
Violette made Katniss feel a bit distant, which wasn't surprising since she wasn't her biological mother.
But Dwayne, her biological father, had been cold and distant, speaking only a few words to her, which was unexpected.
At dinner last night, Katniss had tried to talk to Dwayne several times, but his cold attitude made it difficult.
As they sat in silence, footsteps approached from outside. Violette pushed Charlotte in, and seeing Katniss and Tristan standing, she quickly spoke.
"Sit down, breakfast will be ready soon. I had them make a special soup for the child."
Charlotte eyed Tristan with a look of hostility in her cloudy eyes.
She waved Katniss over. "Come sit."
Katniss had no choice but to sit next to her, with Tristan and Evie sitting beside her.
Violette sat on Charlotte's other side, sensing her displeasure. She awkwardly explained, "Katniss has been missing for so many years; her grandmother has been worried. She feels a bit distant from her family. Mr. Forbes, please understand."
Violette gently nudged Charlotte. "Mom, don't be like this. Katniss isn't used to the northern weather. She'll eventually go back to Velvet City. How can she leave if you act like this?"
Charlotte looked directly at Katniss. "Katniss, are you leaving?"
Then she glared at Tristan. "Are you here to take her away?"
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