Chapter 80 If We Drag Our Feet, It'll Be Too Late
A freaky thought hit Sophia, and her eyes went wide.
She sat on the hospital bed for what felt like forever before she started feeling a bit better.
"Matilda, does George know about Katniss getting the wrong end of the stick with her boss?" Sophia asked.
Matilda shook her head. "He doesn't know, but..."
Sophia cut her off, "Good. He doesn't need to know. Stuff like this, when it gets out, never sounds good. Katniss is a good girl, and she deserves George's love. If this messes things up, it wouldn't be cool."
Sophia didn't care that Matilda hadn't finished. She waved her hand and started packing. "Hurry up, we gotta move fast. If we drag our feet, it'll be too late," She mumbled under her breath.
Matilda caught it, making her stop and glance at Sophia every now and then.
Something felt off, like a bad vibe hanging in the air.
Soon, Katniss wrapped up the paperwork and came back to help with the luggage. They all headed downstairs like a mini parade.
They'd been in the hospital forever, and George's car was stuffed to the gills with their stuff.
By the time they got everything to the VIP ward, it was pitch black outside.
After they finished, Katniss remembered to flick on the lights.
The room lit up instantly. Matilda and George were still busy unpacking the new stuff.
Meanwhile, Sophia stood by the window outside the VIP ward, lost in her thoughts. Katniss walked up slowly and asked, "Mom, what are you doing out here? It's freezing. Come inside; it's warmer."
She grabbed Sophia's hand, which was a bit chilly, making her frown.
Sophia turned around and forced a smile. "I'm not cold. This place is nice, way quieter than the other side. If you hang out with me, I can sleep better."
"I think so too. That's why we moved you here, so you can be comfy and I can visit more often." Katniss smiled faintly, hoping Sophia would buy the reason for the move.
In the spacious ward, the white chandelier gave off a soft glow. Besides the patient's bed, there was a companion bed.
There was also a private bathroom, a sofa, and a coffee table, making it feel just like home.
Sophia sat down on the hospital bed just as Matilda and George finished tidying up. She quickly waved her hand, saying, "You and Katniss aren't even hitched yet, and you're already running around for me."
This was aimed at George, who'd been so busy since they got to the hospital that he hadn't had a chance to say a word.
Sophia felt a twinge of guilt.
George grinned and said, "No need to be all formal with me. Whether it's Katniss or Matilda, their stuff is my stuff. Helping out a bit is nothing."
"How can it be nothing?" Sophia looked at Katniss and said, "Now that everything's moved, find a spot to treat George to a meal."
"Okay," Katniss replied, heading to the sofa to grab her bag. The longer they stayed in the ward, the more the convo would revolve around her and George.
Seeing this, George politely said goodbye to Sophia.
Matilda also reached for her bag on the companion bed, but Sophia stopped her. "Why are you grabbing your bag? They're going to eat, why are you tagging along? Stay and keep me company!"
She shot Matilda a reproachful look, took her bag, and placed it by the bedside.
Turning to the door, she waved at Katniss and George, "You two go ahead. Let Matilda stay and take care of me."
Matilda pursed her lips and then forced a smile. "Makes sense. I'll stay with Mom."
She plopped down on the companion bed, pretending to mess with her phone.
At the door, George frowned and glanced at Katniss.
"Mom, let Matilda come with us. Your dinner will be delivered by a caregiver, but they won't bring anything for Matilda." Katniss walked back, grabbed Matilda's bag, and handed it to her. "If you want to spend more time with her, I'll bring her back after dinner."
The bag was shoved into her arms, and Matilda turned off her phone and looked at Sophia. Although Sophia looked disapproving, she agreed, "Alright, you all go together."
Hearing this, Matilda finally felt relieved. She grabbed her bag and left, with George following her out of the ward first.
Katniss followed them out.
Sophia stood at the door, watching as George and Matilda walked ahead, chatting and laughing, with Katniss occasionally chiming in.
She took a deep breath, closed the ward door, and went back inside.
There were plenty of restaurants near the hospital. George and Matilda picked a relatively clean small joint, and Katniss had no objections.
After the three of them sat down, Katniss's first words were, "You should show up less in front of my mom from now on."
The three of them knew that George had brought Matilda to help, but Sophia, clueless, thought George and Katniss had a great relationship.
George protested softly, "I was just trying to help."
"I'm not blaming you. I'm worried that if you show up a couple more times, our wedding will be on the agenda." Katniss shrugged helplessly and glanced at Matilda, who was smiling silently.
George waved his hands like a madman. "I'm terrified. I'll steer clear of here as much as I can."
The waiter came over to take their order, and Katniss handed the menu to Matilda and George, finally feeling a bit of relief.
On second thought, she was busy trying to keep Sophia hidden from Bella, while Sophia was all wrapped up in thoughts of her marrying George. It was both funny and frustrating.
And a bit heartbreaking.
During the meal, Matilda chatted about her job at George's place. George's employees, knowing her connection to him, treated her well.
But there was one thing Matilda found odd. She took the chance to speak quietly to Katniss while George was in the restroom. "Katniss, I've been working here for a while, and several companies I applied to before have called me for interviews. Isn't that weird?"
Katniss paused her eating and looked at Matilda. "So, you ended up working for George because someone made it tough for you to find a job."
Her tone was almost certain.
Matilda's expression shifted, realizing she had forgotten Katniss didn't know about this. She forced a dry smile and said, "I'm doing well at George's place, so I didn't tell you."
"And now?" Katniss put down her knife and fork and looked at her. "This isn't your field. Are you going to the interviews?"
As for who was making things difficult for Matilda, Katniss didn't need to think twice. Michael was definitely trying to cut off all her escape routes.
Matilda hesitated. "I owe George nearly a year's salary. Leaving just like that wouldn't be right. Besides, it's just an interview; it might not work out. Who knows if it's a trick to get me to quit and then not hire me?"
She was wary of Michael's various schemes.
"Then stay with George for now." Katniss noticed George coming out of the restroom, picked up her knife and fork again, and quickly whispered, "He's a good guy."
Matilda didn't have time to respond as George returned, cutting their conversation short.
After dinner, George took Matilda away. Katniss stayed at the restaurant entrance, leaning against the car, looking up at the moon hanging in the sky.
'Constantly being on guard isn't a solution,' Katniss thought.
Yesterday, she thought she could cut ties with Tristan cleanly today, get kicked out of the company, divorce him, and take the $20 million without any further contact.
But now, she was still his wife and lover, facing pressure from the Astor family. The complex emotions included a bit of happiness because she could still stay by Tristan's side.
She took a deep breath and lowered her head, only to suddenly see a tall figure standing across the street.
Under the red pedestrian light, Tristan was wearing a black wool coat that reached just past his thighs, making his long legs look even more straight.
The red light above cast a glow on him, making his features appear even more chiseled in the backlight.
He was practically flawless, without a single fault. As the light turned green, he walked over.
Finally, standing in front of her, she realized she hadn't been mistaken. He still had the band-aid she had personally applied on his forehead.
"What are you doing here?" She stood up straight, looking up at him.
Tristan raised an eyebrow and glanced at the tall hospital building not far away, responding, "There's an international video conference tonight, and I need you."
Hearing it was work-related, Katniss felt a bit empty inside but quickly forced a smile. "Are we going back to the office or somewhere else?"
"To my place." Tristan raised his left hand, and Katniss noticed he was carrying a briefcase.
She turned to open the passenger door, and before she could turn back, the briefcase was shoved into her hands, and the car keys were taken from her.
"I'll drive. You get in." With that, Tristan's tall figure had already walked around the front of the car.
He drove very fast. Sitting in the passenger seat, Katniss held his briefcase in her lap, her legs crossed, her eyes filled with the scenery flying by outside.
At Serenity Estate, after getting out of the car, she followed Tristan inside and saw the keys she had left on the foyer table, feeling a bit nervous.
She had left a letter in Tristan's study that morning!
"Put the keys away." Tristan, thinking she had forgotten to take them, handed them to her.
Seeing her somewhat unnatural expression, he raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Katniss shook her head, thinking of a way to retrieve the letter without Tristan noticing.
Tristan took off his coat and hung it up, casually loosening his tie, and walked inside with the briefcase.
His gaze swept across the living room, then he turned back to her. "Let's go to the study. The meeting will be long, and it's more comfortable there."
This was his home, and wherever he said to go, Katniss had no choice but to agree.
She changed her shoes and followed Tristan upstairs, heading straight to the study.
It was just as she had left it in the morning. She had even deliberately placed the conspicuous book in the center of his desk.
Tristan noticed it immediately. After putting down the briefcase, he frowned and picked up the book.
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