'Oh crap, running into someone who knows Tristan,' Katniss thought, feeling all kinds of uneasy.
Tristan shoved her into the car, then strolled around to the passenger seat without even glancing back at the crowd.
He didn't give a damn, but she was too scared to look, worried someone might recognize her.
She shook off her thoughts, fired up the engine, and sped off.
In the car, Tristan was dead silent, slouched in his seat with his eyes half-closed like he was about to doze off. She took a deep breath and headed straight for Serenity Estate.
When they got there, she called over a security guard to help lug Tristan inside, tossed his coat on the bed, and left a glass of warm water on the nightstand. Then she bolted back to Oakwood Hills.
Later, while showering and getting ready for bed, she lifted her pillow and found a check for half a million bucks underneath.
Tristan was generous; the amount was way more than what he used to give her at the office.
Her thoughts hadn't changed; she knew not taking the money or confessing wouldn't earn her Tristan's forgiveness.
But every time she took the cash, it left a bad taste in her mouth.
She smirked at herself. What dignity or choice did she have now?
She grabbed her phone and shot a text to Damon.
[Damon, can you get my mom on the new meds? I'll swing by to pay when I can.]
After sending the text, she crashed hard. She was out cold when she felt the bed dip and a shadow loomed over her, jolting her awake.
"It's me," Tristan's deep voice rumbled as he bent down and bit her lip. "Katniss, you got some nerve, huh?"
He was pissed that she had dumped him at Serenity Estate and bailed. Katniss glanced at the clock—it was five in the morning.
Had he just sobered up and come over?
"Mr. Forbes, you told me to take you home."
"Fine, I'm not here to argue."
Tristan's big hand clamped around her neck, showing his anger through his actions. He grabbed her chest with both hands, kneading roughly.
Katniss moaned. "Be gentle, please."
Maybe he did it on purpose, being too rough and hurting her during sex.
He even left hickeys all over her body, including her collarbone, like he was out for revenge.
Her resistance was pointless. In the end, she scratched his back and bit him in anger. His shoulder had a row of teeth marks, and his back was covered in red scratches. Apart from the kiss marks, she had no other injuries, maybe because Tristan didn't really want to hurt her.
But eventually, she was so worn out she fell asleep before he was even done, her eyebrows furrowed tightly.
Seeing this, he stopped and carefully lay down. He brushed her hair away from her face.
Thinking of her earlier fierce resistance and the look after biting him, Tristan smiled.
The early morning sunlight peeked through the curtains but didn't wake them.
It wasn't until the phone on the nightstand rang that they stirred. Tristan, eyes still closed, answered it.
"Tristan, where are you?" It was Bella.
Tristan took a deep breath and said, "At home."
"Are you still sleeping?" Bella asked, "Didn't you go to the office?"
Tristan replied, "I drank too much at a social event last night."
Katniss quietly slipped out of bed and went downstairs without making a sound.
She hadn't slept well. After washing up, she was about to slap on some makeup to hide her dark circles when Tristan walked in and told her she had the day off.
Katniss quickly put the makeup back and said, "Cool, I'll whip up some breakfast then."
When Tristan saw the breakfast spread, looking exactly like yesterday's, he couldn't help but frown.
But he still chowed down and then drove himself to the office.
Katniss changed into some casual clothes, ready to hit the hospital to pay Sophia's medical bills.
At the hospital, she went straight to Damon to get the bill sorted and reminded him, "If my mom asks, don't mention the new meds yet."
Without looking up, Damon said, "Got it, don't worry."
While waiting for the bill, Katniss got a Facebook message from Bella.
[Katniss, you didn't come to the office today?]
Katniss was about to reply when Damon handed her the bill, so she put her phone down and forgot to respond until Bella, getting impatient, called her.
"Katniss, where are you?" Bella's tone was a bit anxious.
"Miss Astor, is there something you need from me?" Katniss didn't get why Bella was so keen on her whereabouts.
Bella's side had the sound of a car door opening and closing. "We'll talk when we meet. Where are you? I'll come to you."
Katniss gave her the hospital address. After paying the bill, she didn't go to Sophia's ward but headed to the orthopedics department to get some meds for her leg.
As she walked out of the hospital with the meds, she saw Bella standing by the roadside, looking around.
She walked over and said, "Miss Astor."
Seeing the meds in her hand, Bella remembered the reporters' blockade that day and realized Katniss was also hurt.
Bella looked at her with some discomfort. "You've had a rough time. I'll ask Tristan to give you more benefits as compensation."
"Thanks, Miss Astor. Did you come to see me for something specific?" Katniss smiled politely.
Bella opened the car door. "Get in, we'll talk inside."
Bella had driven herself, no driver, so it was just the two of them in the car.
Seeing how urgently Bella wanted to meet her, Katniss couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Last night at D.V., were there any women at the dinner?" As soon as they sat down, Bella couldn't wait to ask.
Katniss nodded and replied, "Yeah, most of the secretaries were women, including me, there were about five or six."
"Did you notice any female secretary who seemed to have an unusual relationship with Tristan?" Bella stared at her intently.
Katniss was stunned and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Just tell me, yes or no!" Bella pressed urgently.
Katniss shook her head and replied, "No."
"What time did you leave D.V.?"
Katniss thought for a moment and said, "Around eleven-thirty. Mr. Forbes drank too much, so I paid the bill and took him home."
Bella suddenly seemed to lose all her strength and said, "I knew Tristan wouldn't betray me!"
Katniss's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her face expressionless and asked, "Are you saying Mr. Forbes and...a female secretary?"
"Last night around one o'clock, a friend sent me a Facebook message saying they saw Tristan kissing a woman in the elevator at D.V.!" Bella's eyes reddened at the thought of the scene. "But you left at eleven-something, so that person couldn't have been Tristan."
Katniss stared at Bella in confusion, guessing that Bella's friends probably did see something after eleven o'clock, but she couldn't understand why they suddenly decided to inform Bella in the wee hours of the morning.