Chapter 95 Are You Afraid of Me?
"I'll just stand," Katniss said, trying to play it cool. She wasn't scared of Tristan; she just didn't want to get too close to his icy vibe.
It was like trying to breathe in a freezer.
Tristan lit up a cigarette, giving Kieran, who was chilling, a quick glance. Then he strolled over to the big window.
"Tristan's considerate," Cedric said with a grin. "He'll make a good dad someday, knowing not to puff around kids."
Katniss couldn't help but look at Tristan. He stood there, backlit, tall and lean. One hand fiddled with his phone, the other holding a slowly burning cigarette.
After a bit, she sighed and got up. "I'm gonna head upstairs and prep for the next class."
She went upstairs. This awkward silence was like a million tiny needles. Better to just avoid it altogether.
As soon as she left, Tristan's eyes followed her to the stairs. He squinted, tossed the cigarette butt in the trash, and plopped back down on the sofa.
Cedric was too busy chatting with Kieran about school stuff to notice anything weird.
The last class of the morning began in ten minutes and ended promptly in fifty minutes.
Katniss and Kieran came downstairs, and Cedric and Tristan were already in the dining room.
Cedric took the head of the table, Tristan snagged the first seat on the right, and Kieran dashed to the first seat on the left.
By the rules, she should sit on the guest side like Tristan.
But she eyed the empty chair next to Tristan, his coat draped over it, and hesitated.
"Katniss, don't just stand there, come sit," Cedric said, signaling the servant to bring out the food while calling her over.
"Okay," Katniss muttered, walking over. Just as she reached for the chair one seat away from Tristan, she saw his well-defined hand move the coat and pull the chair out.
Message received. She had to sit next to Tristan.
Tristan's fresh, smoky scent was oddly comforting.
That familiar feeling seemed to fill the emptiness in Katniss's heart.
The meal was chill, mostly Cedric and Tristan talking about Kieran's studies.
Tristan's deep voice made Katniss, who sat beside him, restless.
"As long as Kieran's grades get better, I'll give you both a bonus!"
Cedric got pumped thinking about Kieran acing his classes with their help. "Oh, we should celebrate with a drink first. Don't worry, we won't go overboard!"
Since they had classes in the afternoon, Cedric had the servant bring out some low-alcohol fruit wine and poured a bit for both Katniss and Tristan.
Katniss couldn't really say no, so she sipped a small glass and then politely declined when Cedric tried to top her off.
But Cedric, all hyped up, roped Tristan into downing a few more glasses.
The result? Cedric got a bit tipsy. After eating, he stumbled off to his room to crash, leaving Katniss and Tristan to find a spot to chill.
Kieran had a study question for Katniss, so she hung back in the dining room for a few more minutes.
By the time she wrapped up with Kieran, Tristan was nowhere to be seen, probably off to rest.
Katniss wasn't one for napping, so she headed to the library, which had a mix of study books and novels.
She grabbed a random book and walked toward the bay window, but from the corner of the bookshelf, she spotted Tristan lounging on the sofa by the window.
At the same moment, he turned his head, his eyes deep and unreadable, catching her slightly surprised look.
"Sorry, Mr. Forbes, I didn't know you were here. I'll leave now." She turned to go, but suddenly felt a grip on her wrist, pulling her back.
She ended up falling into his lap, her body landing on his firm, long legs.
A faint smell of alcohol wafted from his breath, making her eyes flutter and her breathing hitch.
"Are you scared of me?" He saw her looking down, avoiding his gaze, and frowned.
Katniss shook her head. "No."
"Then you feel guilty?" Tristan's eyebrows arched slightly, his tone turning sarcastic. "You should be happy I'm even touching you, right?"
His sharp words cut deep, stabbing into Katniss's heart.
"Mr. Forbes." She bit her lip, at a loss for words.
Tristan almost lost it, his throat tightening as he looked at her delicate face and features.
Even though he was boiling inside, even hating that incident, he couldn't bring himself to be harsh.
"Have you had too much to drink?" Katniss wondered if he hated her so much, why would he want to touch her?
But his hands on her waist were gripping tightly, almost crushing her.
'Drunk?' Tristan thought. If that's what she wanted to believe, let her think he was drunk.
He pulled his fingers from her waist, pinched her chin, and covered her glossy lips with his.
Her body went rigid, her hands pressed against his shoulders, gripping his collar tightly.
He was gentle, like he was savoring some rare delicacy, the taste of fruit wine mingling between their lips.
Her quivering eyelashes fluttered open just a bit, and Tristan's hazy eyes started to fill with desire, his hands restlessly moving up from her waist.
Her body shuddered, and she let out a soft moan instinctively.
Tristan thought she was like a drug that could drive him mad.
The suppressed desire within him was on the verge of breaking free, but this wasn't the right place.
He pulled himself together just in time, tilting his head back slightly to look at the ceiling, his Adam's apple bobbing as he fought the urge.
Katniss leaned her head on his shoulder, watching his sexy Adam's apple with pursed lips.
The silence didn't ease the tension in the room; his breathing stayed heavy for a long time.
Seeing this, Katniss adjusted her clothes, got up from his lap, and moved to the other end of the sofa, holding the book in her hands, her head down, lost in thought.
"Why did Bella say you were pregnant?" Tristan suddenly asked, turning to look directly at her.
Katniss shook her head. "I have no idea where that rumor came from."
He didn't seem satisfied with that answer, frowning deeply. He raised his hand to pinch his brow and said, "Do you still want to go back to Synergy Global Corporation?"
This question made Katniss's heart tighten; she was conflicted.
Seeing her deep in thought, Tristan let out a cold snort.
He got up and walked over to her, placing one hand on the back of the sofa and bending down to pinch her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"What are you hesitating about? Even the janitors at the company know you slept with me, and you still have the nerve to go back?" He was somewhat angry, probably still embarrassed and furious that everyone knew about the incident.
"Mr. Forbes, if that's the case, why haven't you fired me?" she retorted, pulling at the corners of her lips.
The grip on her chin suddenly tightened, making her frown.
"If I fire you, where will you go?" Tristan asked.
'Find another sugar daddy to sell yourself to?' The thought of this possibility made Tristan's face darken. He let go of her chin, and she turned her head with the force.
He didn't say it outright, but she got the message.
Her heart shattered in an instant, and she bit her lip, no longer having the courage to meet his gaze.
Her loose ponytail fell over her shoulder, with a few strands resting on her chest, revealing her delicate collarbone.
Tristan's breath hitched. He stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and looked out the window.
Katniss adjusted her clothes, stood behind him, and softly said, "I won't disturb your rest, Mr. Forbes. I'll leave now."
Without waiting for Tristan to respond, she turned and left.
Tristan's frown deepened as he stood by the window.
His phone suddenly rang; it was Ryan calling.
"Mr. Forbes, Mrs. Forbes asked me to check your plans for these two days and wondered why you haven't returned to the Forbes Mansion to accompany her."
Tristan had wrapped up a lot of work early to take the weekend off, which was why he had given Ryan the day off.
He hadn't expected Ryan to call and track his whereabouts.
"I'll be back tonight. I'm at Mr. Neville's house tutoring his son today." After saying that, he hung up and, for some reason, immediately blocked Ryan's number.
So when Ryan tried to call again, he couldn't get through. He turned to Adelaide, saying, "Mrs. Forbes, Mr. Forbes has blocked me."
Adelaide was sunbathing in the yard, her eyes squinting. "I told you to keep an eye on him, and you let him slip away. You should have known he wouldn't go to the office on the weekend after finishing his work early on Friday. Where is he now?"
"Mr. Forbes is at Mr. Neville's house, the president of Apex Holdings Group, tutoring his son," Ryan said, not quite believing that Tristan would tutor a child.
Adelaide knew Cedric. After a moment, she waved her hand. "Leave. If he doesn't want you to follow, then follow him secretly. If he disappears again, I'll break your legs."
"Yes, ma'am." Ryan quickly left and drove straight to the Neville family.
In the afternoon, after Tristan finished his basketball lesson and was having tea with Cedric by the window, he saw a car parked outside the Neville family home.
It was Ryan's car. Although Ryan hadn't gotten out, Tristan recognized the car.
Tristan frowned, put down his tea, and stood up. "I've finished today's lesson. I'll be leaving now."
He grabbed his coat and walked out. Cedric saw him to the door, watching as he left the villa.
Instead of getting into his own car, Tristan walked over to Ryan's car and knocked on the window.
Ryan quickly got out of the car. "Mr. Forbes."
"Are you planning to follow me everywhere except when I'm sleeping?" Tristan immediately saw through his intentions.
Ryan felt embarrassed. "Mr. Forbes, this is Mrs. Forbes's order."
Of course, Tristan knew it was Adelaide's idea. He took a deep breath and said after a moment, "Go back to the office and have HR issue a notice about Katniss."
"Yes, sir." Ryan immediately took the order but quickly asked, "And you, Mr. Forbes?"
Tristan's cold eyes swept over him. "Get lost."
Ryan quickly got into his car and sped away.
As the sun set, Katniss finished her last class, and Tristan was nowhere to be seen.
She walked along the sunlit path for a long time until she reached the bus stop. Just as she got on the bus, she received an email from Synergy Global Corporation's HR department.
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