Chapter 89 Are You Planning to Cut Ties with Me?
Katniss's eyes went wide, and she even stopped breathing for a sec.
Everyone else, hearing this, turned their heads to stare at Katniss and Tristan.
One looked like a ghost, pale as a sheet.
The other had a face like a storm cloud.
Nobody said a word, but did this mean Rupert was actually telling the truth?
The room went nuts, giving Rupert a chance to get up, only to lock eyes with Tristan's icy glare.
He froze, gulped, but still managed to say, "You can't just ditch Katniss like this!"
Tristan's lips curled into a nasty, sarcastic grin.
Even Katniss, standing right next to him, could hear his teeth grinding.
"So, what's your big plan?" Tristan's words came out like shards of ice.
Rupert's voice got shaky. "You should make it right with Katniss! She's stuck by you for years, how's she supposed to get married now, she..."
"Enough!" Katniss cut Rupert off, feeling totally humiliated.
The worst part was, Tristan hadn't even glanced at her.
She dropped her eyes, too scared to see his face, which was probably full of sarcasm and disdain.
She moved a bit, walked over to Rupert, and shoved him toward the door. "Get out!"
"Katniss, he said he'd give you money! Didn't you hear? I'm not leaving, what if he backs out once I'm gone?" Rupert, seeing Tristan's dark face, was scared Katniss would be left to fend for herself.
He even looked around at the others, saying, "You all heard it, your boss said he'd give Katniss money!"
"Get lost!" Katniss couldn't push him, and in her panic, she yelled, her voice sharp and unlike her usual calm self.
Tears instantly streamed down her face.
She couldn't see Rupert's expression, but she knew he was shocked by her outburst.
"Katniss, I..." Rupert was stunned. "Did I mess up? But Jessica made a good point, what are you gonna do without some cash?"
Jessica again. Katniss wiped her tears and firmly repeated, "For the last time, leave."
The ruckus had drawn a crowd, and someone had already called security. The sound of hurried footsteps got closer, and Tristan's dark gaze was unmistakable.
Rupert finally realized he was in deep trouble. "No, I'm not leaving; I can't leave you alone."
"What a heartwarming family drama," Tristan sneered.
That sentence shattered all of Katniss's dignity. She turned to look at Tristan, who now seemed like a total stranger.
His features were ice-cold, his eyes full of contempt and mockery.
The security guards, batons in hand, rushed over and stood behind Tristan, glaring at Rupert.
But seeing Katniss standing in front of Rupert, they hesitated, unsure of what to do next.
"Mr. Forbes?" they asked, looking to Tristan for direction.
Tristan moved slightly, and before anyone could blink, he was right beside Katniss.
His strong hand grabbed her slender wrist and dragged her toward the office.
Katniss stumbled along, and though his grip on her hand loosened once the door shut, he still held her shoulder tight.
She was forced to face him, her head tilted up, making her tears fall even faster.
Tristan demanded, "You want money that bad? Just say it, I'll give it to you. Are you causing a scene to cut ties with me and never see me again?"
His breath hit Katniss's face; her throat tightened, unable to speak.
He sneered. "I always thought you were smart, but I didn't expect you to pull something this dumb."
His hand slid from her neck, gripping her chin, forcing her to look at him. "How much do you think you're worth?"
Katniss bit her lower lip, using all her strength to speak under his piercing gaze.
"I'm not worth anything. I never intended to ask you for money. Rupert was manipulated." Her weak explanation had no effect on the already irrational Tristan.
His furrowed brows relaxed slightly, ignoring her words. "Offend me, and you still want to survive in Velvet City? How about being a lifelong mistress? As long as you please me, behave, and stay obedient, I don't mind supporting you for life. I can give you as much money as you want!"
Her strength drained, her body slid uncontrollably downward.
He let go of her, and she crumpled at his feet, her long hair falling loosely, covering most of her face.
Tristan took a cigarette from his pocket, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and lit it, taking deep drags.
It seemed to be his way of calming down, something to ease his mind.
Katniss's tears fell on her burned hand, but she didn't feel any pain.
After a long time, her tear-stuck eyelashes fluttered, and she stood up.
She didn't plan to explain further; he wouldn't believe her. Even if she was set up by Jessica, the situation had already reached a dead end.
It was also her fault.
The strong smell of smoke was suffocating. As she approached, she saw countless cigarette butts by Tristan's expensive shoes.
He had been smoking non-stop, clearly furious. If this mess reached the Astor family, his upcoming marriage to Bella would be in jeopardy again.
She spoke up. "Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Forbes. It's all my fault. You don't need to give me any money. I'll write a resignation letter right away..."
"I won't give you any money," Tristan cut her off coldly, looking down at her. "You're suspended for now. We'll talk about your resignation after Grandma's birthday party."
"Suspended?" Katniss looked up sharply, eyes wide with shock. She thought he'd just fire her on the spot.
His eyes dropped slightly, landing on her hand, covered in blisters of all sizes, looking pretty gnarly.
His heart clenched, his lips pressed into a thin line, but he still turned his head away.
"Deal with the people outside," he said, turning back to the window.
Katniss turned and walked out. The scene outside was just as chaotic as when she had gone in.
Rupert was being held by security. When he saw her come out, he lowered his head.
"Everyone disperse. The meeting is delayed by half an hour. Let him go," Katniss said.
Even though she looked a bit rough, her words still carried weight. The execs quickly headed to the conference room, and the others scattered.
The security guards let Rupert go and headed downstairs.
She looked unscathed, and under the curious stares of others, she went back to her office to grab her bag. When she came out, she took Rupert into the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, the previously quiet office erupted into noise. She could almost hear the nasty gossip buzzing around.
Although the drama had gone down on the top floor, word had already spread while she was talking to Tristan.
The receptionist peeked at her from behind the counter. Katniss managed to walk out with a blank expression, her mind replaying Tristan's cold stare.
If she broke down here, he'd hate her for messing up his place.
Outside Synergy Global Corporation, under the blazing sun with a gentle autumn breeze, she only carried her bag and coat, not bothering to put it on.
Her gaze fell on the two people standing by the fountain at the entrance, and she stopped in her tracks.
Bella stood with her arms crossed, smirking at her.
Jessica glanced at her, then quickly looked away guiltily, rushing over to pull Rupert away. "Let's go."
"Katniss." Rupert refused to leave, looking at Katniss. "I know I was impulsive. What did he say to you? Did he bully you, did he..."
"No," Katniss replied hoarsely, turning to Jessica. "You told Rupert to come?"
Jessica's eyelid twitched, and she hurriedly said, "He wanted to come on his own. I just... Ah!"
A slap landed on Jessica's face, cutting off her explanation.
Katniss's voice was still hoarse. "I slapped you because I can't stand your stupidity anymore. Take care of yourself. I want to see what you get by following Bella."
She gave up on saving Jessica, but she still offered Rupert some advice. "If you can't stay here, don't hesitate to leave Velvet City."
Jessica's cheek stung from the slap. She wanted to get angry but was somewhat afraid of Katniss, especially in her current furious state.
Though her expression was calm, her gaze was sharp, making people afraid to provoke her.
"Is this all you're capable of? Showing off in front of them, but still leaving Synergy Global Corporation in disgrace?" Bella walked over slowly, giving Jessica a look. Jessica could only pull Rupert away.
Rupert struggled a bit, feeling uneasy, but he still followed Jessica.
"Your abilities aren't that great either," Katniss said, squinting slightly against the wind. "You rely on schemes to achieve your goals. In his eyes, you're nothing special. Let me remind you, you haven't achieved your goal yet. I'm only suspended, not fired. And you haven't married into the Forbes family yet, so what are you so arrogant about?"
It was unclear if it was her last bit of stubbornness or a glimmer of hope that made her say these words to Bella.
She walked past Bella, shoulder to shoulder, and chuckled lightly. "See you around."
She didn't take the company car but hailed a cab back to Oakwood Hills.
Perhaps she was numb; she showed no expression the entire way. After giving the driver the address, she zoned out.
When she got home, her heavy eyelids wouldn't lift. Exhausted, she collapsed on the couch and fell asleep.
Curled up, she hugged herself against the cold.
As night fell, Tristan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, the city's neon lights reflecting in his eyes, yet they couldn't lighten the heaviness in his gaze.
On the table behind him was an opened bottle of red wine. By the time Nicholas arrived, Tristan had already drunk more than half.
The smell of alcohol was strong, but he didn't seem drunk. He glanced over coldly and asked, "Why are you here?"
"Grandma Forbes couldn't reach you on the phone, and she couldn't contact Katniss either, so she came to me," Nicholas said, sitting on the long chair by the window. He noticed something was off with Tristan's mood.
He scanned the office and asked, "Are you working late? Where's Katniss? Isn't she with you?"
"She's suspended," Tristan's voice was frighteningly deep.
'Something must have happened,' Nicholas thought immediately. "You didn't try to get her fired just to be with Bella, did you?" he asked.
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