Chapter 38 Her Attitude Was Clearly Different
His writing was elegant and fluid; Katniss admired both his good looks and his graceful handwriting.
After Tristan scribbled his name on the document, Katniss snatched it back and smoothly grabbed the pen from his hand. She strutted out and handed the signed paper to the secretary-general, saying, "Chop-chop."
"Katniss, you're a rockstar!" The secretary-general took the document, muttered something under his breath, and dashed off.
Katniss heard a voice behind her and spun around to see Bella stepping out, giving her a look.
Their eyes locked, and Katniss was at a loss for words. Should she spill the beans on handling urgent stuff in the future?
That'd just make her look like she was flaunting her closeness with Tristan.
"Katniss, let's grab dinner after work. I've invited a bunch of folks, and Tristan's coming too." Bella suddenly flashed a smile.
"I'm swamped with work and might have to pull a late one, so I'll pass." Katniss politely declined, gave Bella a slight nod, and headed back to her office to tackle the mountain of paperwork.
Before she knew it, the sky had darkened, and the neon lights outside cast a soft glow on her.
The room lights flicked on, and she realized it was already super late. She lifted her eyes slightly and glanced towards the door.
Tristan's tall frame was leaning against the door frame, one hand in his pocket, his deep gaze fixed on her.
"Katniss, let's roll. The reservation's set. You can deal with the non-urgent stuff tomorrow!"
Bella squeezed past him, dashed to Katniss, yanked the pen from her hand, and practically dragged her out.
The two squeezed past Tristan, and outside, a couple of folks from the secretary department were already waiting.
Seeing Tristan casually close her office door, Katniss had no choice but to go along.
"I'll grab the car," Tristan said, taking the CEO's private elevator down before Bella could react.
As soon as Tristan left, Bella quickly let go of Katniss and started chatting with the secretary-general.
"What do you guys like to eat? Don't be shy later; I just wanna get to know everyone from each department."
"We're good with anything," the secretary-general replied politely.
Katniss glanced at the spot where Bella had just held her arm and fell into deep thought.
Even though Bella didn't spell it out, her attitude towards Katniss was clearly different from before, but she acted all clueless in front of Tristan.
So, did Bella see the suitcase Tristan had stashed away?
In the elevator, Katniss noticed Bella and the secretary-general whispering to each other. Along the way, a few folks from other departments joined them for dinner.
Out of nowhere, Katniss spotted Jessica.
Jessica had been with the company for a bit, but she was definitely not on Bella's usual invite list.
Jessica stepped into the elevator, gave Katniss a quick, uneasy glance, then composed herself and moved closer to Bella.
Katniss pretended not to notice, knowing full well Jessica was trying to suck up to Bella.
But after a bit of chit-chat, Bella figured out Jessica's low rank and her obvious brown-nosing, so she stopped engaging.
After all, Bella wasn't about to waste her time on someone insignificant.
The restaurant was about a twenty-minute drive away. The group piled into several cars, and in the end, Jessica was left without a ride.
She eyed the sleek, low-key Range Rover where Bella was sitting alone, with an empty seat in the back. "Miss Astor, can I hitch a ride with you and Mr. Forbes?"
Her voice was soft, but Katniss, who had just driven up from the underground garage, heard it loud and clear.
The half-open car window let in the evening breeze, blowing her loose hair onto her face. She squinted slightly, watching Bella and Jessica by the Range Rover—one looking icy, the other desperate to please.
She couldn't help but smirk; Jessica was such a suck-up.
"Sorry, I want to ride alone with Tristan." Bella's cold tone left Jessica hanging.
Jessica felt awkward. Her department manager quickly stepped in, saying, "Jessica, don't be so thoughtless. How can you intrude on Miss Astor and Mr. Forbes' private time? Katniss is here. Go ride with her!"
Jessica reluctantly agreed, turned to Katniss's car, and tried to open the passenger door but couldn't.
Katniss glanced at her sideways and said, "Back seat."
Jessica was even more annoyed, but this was a company car, and Tristan either sat in the passenger seat or the first row of the back seat.
Was there some kind of unspoken rule?
She had no choice but to open the back door and sit in the last row.
Bella stood by the Range Rover, watching as Jessica got into Katniss's car. She furrowed her brow, trying to figure out the relationship between Jessica and Katniss.
"Not getting in?" Tristan rolled down the window, his face looking cold and impatient.
Bella snapped out of it, opened the car door, and slid into the passenger seat.
Katniss's car trailed behind Tristan's, her eyes reflecting the city lights outside, while Jessica in the backseat was cautiously probing.
"Katniss, how are things with Mr. Forbes?"
"Same old, same old," Katniss said coldly.
"Miss Astor suddenly becoming Mr. Forbes' secretary, does that mess with your groove?" Jessica asked again.
Katniss replied, "She helps with some of the random stuff."
"Why did Miss Astor suddenly join Synergy Global Corporation?" Jessica edged closer but didn't dare sit where Tristan usually sat. She clung to the front seat, inching nearer to Katniss.
Katniss answered calmly, "No clue."
Jessica quickly added, "You can't just sit back. You need to step up. What if Miss Astor starts suspecting you?"
Katniss hit the brakes, her sharp gaze locking onto Jessica. "And if she does, then what?"
Jessica's throat tightened, feeling the weight of Katniss's stare. After a moment, she awkwardly smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, I'm just looking out for you."
"Are you worried about me or yourself? Afraid I'll run out of cash, so you're trying to cozy up to Bella?" Katniss saw right through Jessica's intentions.
Jessica's face twisted, and she couldn't say a word.
Then Katniss went on, "I'm just reminding you. Bella is not someone you can befriend. Your little schemes are obvious to everyone."
If Katniss weren't Tristan's assistant, Bella wouldn't even give her the time of day.
"What are you talking about? I just admire Miss Astor and envy her for being a rich family's daughter and Mr. Forbes' future wife. What's wrong with trying to get on her good side?"
Before Jessica could finish, the red light turned green, and Katniss stepped on the gas, causing Jessica to lurch backward.
Katniss ignored her, and Jessica fell silent, sitting up properly.
Bella had reserved two private rooms, and the twenty people were split into two groups. Naturally, given Katniss's status, she was seated at Tristan's table, which was also Bella's.
Jessica, on the other hand, was assigned to the adjacent room. She reluctantly walked towards that room but was suddenly called back by Bella. "We can fit one more person here. If you don't mind, come join us."
Jessica stopped in her tracks, disbelief flashing across her face before she quickly returned. "Sure, Miss Astor!"
The company's execs were savvy, so naturally, Bella sat next to Tristan, leaving the seat on Tristan's other side open for Katniss.
After all, Katniss's position was above theirs.
Once Katniss sat down, Bella brought Jessica in and had someone add a chair for her.
Jessica was all flattered and said, "Thanks, Miss Astor, and sorry for the hassle, everyone."
Katniss subtly frowned and instinctively glanced at Tristan. His deep gaze was on Bella, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
Lowering her eyes, Katniss noticed a hair tie on Tristan's wrist, one she had seen on Bella's head before.
"Everyone, don't be shy. Order whatever you like." Bella placed the menu on the turntable, letting everyone pick their favorite dishes.
She was friendly and low-key, quickly breaking down barriers, and soon everyone was chatting and laughing.
"You are all Tristan's top-notch team. You've worked hard with him over the years. Now that I'm joining Synergy Global Corporation, I hope you can guide me. If I mess up, please let me know!"
"Don't hold back because of my status. Tristan is always strict when it comes to work," she added.
Tristan sat in his chair, never speaking, leaving all the talking to Bella, his eyes showing a hint of impatience.
He hid it well, so well that even Katniss, sitting so close, didn't notice.
She had heard that Bella made many mistakes, but Tristan never lost his temper with her. He was really good to Bella.
When Katniss first joined Synergy Global Corporation, she also made mistakes and was always harshly criticized by Tristan.
Even after their relationship evolved, he remained professional.
That was the difference.
Even though Katniss knew she couldn't compare to Bella in Tristan's eyes, these comparisons always involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
Everyone present showed great respect for Bella, treating her almost like the lady of Synergy Global Corporation.
Katniss felt the air in the room was stifling. She put down her utensils, stood up, and said, "You all continue. I'm going to the restroom."
She turned and left the room, splashing her face with cold water in the restroom, then standing by the window at the end of the hallway to cool off and calm down.
Steady footsteps approached from behind, and she instinctively turned to look. It was Tristan.
He had a lit cigarette in his mouth, just having lit it, and was putting the lighter back in his pocket. Holding the cigarette between his fingers, smoke wafted from his lips, making his features even more defined.
"What's wrong? Not in a good mood?" His deep voice sounded as he stood next to her, the breeze dispersing the smoke, surrounding Katniss.
Katniss shook her head. What right or position did she have to be in a bad mood? "Mr. Forbes, you must have been really happy, huh?" Katniss asked.
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