Chapter 71 He's Gonna Be a Dad?
Katniss's jaw dropped, her heart pounding like crazy.
'Is he finally fed up? Is he gonna divorce me without Adelaide's consent?' Katniss wondered.
She bit her lip and, under his intense stare, managed to say, "Alright."
Tristan's brow furrowed a bit, noticing her weird vibe, and he softened his tone. "What's up?"
"Nothing." Katniss forced a smile and looked at him coolly. "Mr. Forbes, it's time to board. Let's roll."
She turned and headed for the gate. Suddenly, she felt a warm, strong hand grab hers, pulling her slightly toward him.
If Tristan hadn't grabbed her, she would've probably bumped into someone.
She steadied herself, and before she knew it, her fingers were laced with his. He casually led her to check in their bags.
In his sharp suit and tie, Tristan's tall, commanding presence stood out, drawing a lot of eyes.
Next to him, Katniss, petite with flowing hair and a mask that showed off her clear eyes, looked delicate and classy. Her long trench coat added a lively touch.
They looked like a perfect pair, turning heads and sparking envy.
Katniss found herself soaking up the attention, feeling like they really were a match made in heaven.
At first, holding his hand felt awkward, but she figured once they got back from Pearlhaven, it would all be over.
So why not enjoy the moment?
Tristan handed their bags to the staff, and before he could reach for her hand again, she had already grabbed his arm.
Seeing his surprised look, Katniss tilted her head slightly. "What's up?"
"Nothing." Tristan smiled faintly as they boarded the plane together.
Business class wasn't too crowded. Katniss and Tristan sat close, their fingers still intertwined.
The staff passing by with juice and meals couldn't help but steal glances at Tristan.
But when they saw Katniss's hand in his, they shot her envious smiles.
Katniss soaked up the feeling, loving every bit of it while trying to ignore that this was their last trip, choosing to live in the moment instead.
Three hours later, the plane touched down in Pearlhaven.
As soon as they stepped out of the airport, the humid air smacked them in the face, and a light drizzle was coming down. Their ride was already waiting outside.
The driver hopped out quick to toss their bags in the trunk when he spotted them.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tristan opening the back door and letting Katniss in first, looking kinda shocked.
It wasn't until Tristan got in and slammed the door shut that the driver snapped out of it, hurriedly closing the trunk and jumping back into the car.
Inside, the driver didn't dare peek in the rearview mirror, scared he'd see something he shouldn't.
The Brooks couple knew they were coming and had a room ready. The driver headed straight for the Rose Estate.
From a distance, they could see rows of grapevines overlapping.
Clusters of grapes below glowed purple in the sunlight.
On the other side was a massive wine cellar, stretching forever. It took nearly twenty minutes of driving to reach the Brooks' place.
The classic castle architecture screamed luxury, with busy servants everywhere.
The slowly opening gate was bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun.
The Brooks couple waited at the castle entrance, and as the car pulled up, Brady's wife, Lucy Andrews, quickly lifted her skirt and came down the steps.
She and Katniss got along great, having met only a few times but always staying in touch.
Lucy had visited Velvet City several times, and Katniss and Tristan had always hosted her together.
She was ready to give Katniss a big hug.
But when the car door opened, a shiny leather shoe came out first. Tristan's tall figure appeared, holding a sleeping Katniss in his arms.
She'd been busy tutoring Kieran these past few days, worn out from the early mornings and late nights.
"Katniss," Lucy had just called out her name when Tristan's clear gaze stopped her.
Brady quickly came down the steps, pulling Lucy into his arms and glaring fiercely at Tristan. "Tristan, you're too much, on my turf... Daring to glare at my wife?"
But Tristan didn't give Brady a chance to finish, cutting him off, "Sorry to bother you, but could you please show me to our room? She's asleep, and I need to take her to rest."
Lucy quickly called a servant to lead Tristan to the room.
It was a bedroom on the top floor of the castle, with two open windows and curtains billowing in the breeze.
The red bedding looked all festive and romantic. Katniss rolled over on the bed and fell into an even deeper sleep.
Tristan closed the windows and drew the curtains, carefully taking off her trench coat.
Seeing the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, a pang of heartache hit him.
He gently pulled the thin blanket over her and then quietly slipped out of the room.
In the living room, the Brooks couple was all cuddled up. Seeing Tristan come down, Brady said sarcastically, "What are you doing down here? Here to watch me and my wife do lovey-dovey stuff?"
Tristan plopped down on a single sofa, looking straight at Brady, saying, "Didn't get a chance to greet you earlier, my bad."
"I knew it, Tristan could never be rude," Lucy smiled at Tristan, then added, "But you seem different this time compared to our previous meetings. You're treating Katniss way better."
Tristan raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression softening as if he thought of something.
Lucy's eyes lit up as she asked, "Could it be that Katniss is pregnant with your baby?"
'Pregnant?' Tristan's eyes momentarily lost focus, not getting where Lucy's words came from.
"See," Lucy lightly patted Brady's chest, "I told you, Tristan suddenly being so attentive and careful with Katniss must have a reason. Could it be he's gonna be a dad? Congrats in advance!"
Brady, holding his chest where Lucy had patted, looked at her indulgently, then pointed to the rows of wine cellars outside, saying, "When your wife gives birth, I'll give you a whole row of wine."
Tristan hadn't said anything, and they were already jumping to pregnancy and childbirth.
Just as he was about to explain, Brady suddenly stood up and patted his shoulder. "Tristan, get up. I want to show you something cool."
Tristan instinctively glanced upstairs, looking hesitant.
"Let Lucy stay. She can keep your wife company when she wakes up." Brady saw his concern at a glance, gave Lucy a look, and then pulled Tristan away by the shoulder.
In the vast vineyard, only a central lamp emitted a white light that lit up the entire estate.
The first ray of light entered the room, casting a red shadow on the curtains, which reflected on Katniss's face.
The light made her skin look even more delicate. Her eyes fluttered slightly before she slowly opened them.
The unfamiliar environment left her brain in a fog until she remembered that she had come to Pearlhaven with Tristan. This was likely the Brooks couple's estate!
She quickly got up and ran to the window to check out the night view, confirming that this was indeed the Rose Estate.
"Katniss!" Lucy called out to her from an open space downstairs, waving.
Katniss smiled and waved back at Lucy, but her eyes locked onto Tristan under the parasol.
Tristan, rocking a high-end gray custom tracksuit, had a cigarette between his fingers, flicking the ash while chatting with Brady.
His deep eyes glanced at her, filled with affection, and his lips curved into a smile.
That smile melt her heart, making her heartbeat go all wonky.
He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and said something to Brady before his tall figure headed into the castle.
Katniss was stunned, watching as Brady stood up and said something to Lucy, who then looked at her with teasing, slightly ambiguous eyes.
Her ears suddenly turned red. She grabbed her trench coat from the cabinet and was about to leave when the door opened.
Tristan walked in slowly, pushing her back into the room.
"Why'd you come up?" Katniss asked, puzzled, "I was just about to head down."
"I had someone make you some porridge. Drink it first before going down," Tristan said.
It was only then that Katniss noticed the bowl of porridge in his hand. She was indeed hungry.
She took the porridge and sat down, stirring it with a spoon before starting to eat.
Tristan sat beside her, pulling a hair tie from somewhere to tie up her long hair that was in the way.
His cool fingertips brushed against her neck, making her feel a bit uncomfortable.
Katniss turned to look at him, his face tinted red by the curtains, and impulsively brought a spoonful of porridge to his mouth. "Wanna try?"
She regretted it immediately and was about to pull her hand back when he grabbed her wrist, looking into her eyes as he ate the porridge.
He even nodded seriously. "Tastes good. You should eat more."
"Okay," she responded absentmindedly, eating the porridge in small bites.
'He used my spoon to eat the porridge,' Katniss thought.
Although they had done more intimate things, those were to satisfy physical needs. What was this?
"They're grilling meat, beef specifically. I know you don't like it much, but since we're guests, it's not polite to ask them to change it. If the porridge isn't enough, you can always have another bowl." Tristan's voice was low and rich.
"How do you know I don't like beef?" Katniss was surprised. Besides Sophia and Matilda, no one knew she didn't like beef.
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