Chapter 39 Mr. Forbes Should Be Very Happy
Tristan cocked an eyebrow, totally clueless about what Katniss was getting at. Her calm eyes had this determined glint that made it hard for him to look away.
"I mean, Mr. Forbes, you must be stoked to see Miss Astor every day," Katniss clarified.
Tristan's face went dark instantly. Was she saying she was bummed 'cause she couldn't see her crush every day?
The vibe got icy real quick. Neither of them said a word, just standing there awkwardly until Jessica and Bella strolled over.
Seeing them under the warm orange glow of the lamp, Jessica shot a cautious glance at Bella.
Bella's face went pale for a sec, but she quickly forced a smile and walked over. "Tristan, you should cut back on the smokes; they're bad for you. We're all here to grab a bite, so save the work talk with Katniss for later!"
Tristan stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it in the trash. "Alright."
He turned and headed to the restroom, leaving a faint whiff of tobacco behind.
"Miss Astor, I'm gonna head back to the private room," Katniss said and turned to leave.
Both of them were ice-cold and expressionless, making Bella feel like she was crashing their moment.
"Miss Astor, you good?" Jessica asked, seeing Bella just standing there.
Bella sniffed and looked at Jessica. "What's your deal with Katniss?"
Jessica blinked. "She's my husband's sister."
"So, you must know about Katniss and Tristan, right?" Bella's voice was light, not like she was grilling her.
Jessica hesitated, unsure if Bella was testing her or genuinely curious.
"Don't BS me; I know everything," Bella turned away. "But I don't really care, 'cause Tristan just sees her as a sexual object."
Jessica took a deep breath. Bella knew everything and was still this chill?
She must not see Katniss as a threat, right?
Bella said, "My folks aren't cool with me and Tristan right now, so he's keeping his distance. Once we're hitched, he won't be messing with Katniss anymore."
Bella looked all dreamy but quickly turned to Jessica. "But I'm kinda worried Katniss won't back off then."
"She doesn't have a choice! How could she even compete with you, Miss Astor?" Jessica blurted out, then realizing her slip, quickly covered her mouth and glanced around.
Seeing no one around, she let out a sigh of relief.
Bella raised an eyebrow at Jessica's reaction. "Why'd you say that? Isn't she your husband's sister?"
"Miss Astor, you don't get it. We're not close at all," Jessica said, worried about getting dragged into drama.
"She grew up with her stepmom. When my mother-in-law split, she only took my husband and left Katniss with her dad. She was raised by the stepmom who wrecked my mother-in-law's marriage."
Bella hadn't expected Katniss's backstory to be like that.
"So, Miss Astor, don't underestimate her. Her stepmom's bad news, and she probably picked up some tricks. If she's got any plans, you should watch out," Jessica said, trying to butter Bella up.
Bella looked troubled. "What can I do to guard against her? Tristan and I aren't even married yet, and I can't just call her out."
Jessica stopped there, waiting to see how Bella would react. She didn't want to completely trash Katniss, just in case she needed her later.
"Alright, enough of this. Let's head back," Bella said with a smile. Even though Jessica stopped in time, Bella now knew Jessica and Katniss weren't exactly besties.
When they got back to the private room, they sat a bit apart, but their occasional glances hinted at something more.
Bella suddenly said in a playful tone, "It's so hot, Tristan. Can you help me put my hair up? My hair tie's with you."
Tristan put down his utensils and handed her the hair tie. "Here."
"Help me, please," Bella said sweetly, turning her back to Tristan, her long hair cascading down her back.
Tristan frowned, his face tense, emotions bubbling just below the surface.
Katniss glanced sideways, her eyes filled with a mix of pain as she looked at Bella's back.
"Mr. Forbes and Miss Astor have such a great relationship!" Jessica suddenly said, "They're like a perfect match!"
"Yeah, they're really well-suited."
"Miss Astor is beautiful and comes from a good family. Only she is worthy of Mr. Forbes."
Everyone chimed in with flattery, but as they spoke, they sensed something was off. Both Tristan and Katniss's expressions were strained.
The atmosphere got awkward. Bella sensed the tension and turned to look at Tristan, reading the coldness in his seemingly calm eyes.
She bit her lip. Did he care that much about Katniss? He wouldn't even help with her hair, and his face darkened just from hearing a few compliments about them?
"Katniss, why do you look so off?" Jessica jumped at the chance to help Bella save face and maybe score some points. "The way you're looking, it's like you don't think Mr. Forbes and Miss Astor are a great match."
Everyone exchanged glances, feeling the weird tension in the air.
Tristan shifted slightly, following everyone's gaze to Katniss. She did look pretty rough.
Katniss's icy stare cut through Jessica like a knife, making her feel guilty and unable to meet Katniss's eyes.
Katniss coldly said, "You keep harping on this, and the media will have a field day. Let them gossip about when Miss Astor and Mr. Forbes will tie the knot, just like last time when it tanked Synergy Global Corporation's stock!"
Tristan was already married, so praising Bella, his side piece, as a good match was pretty laughable.
Everyone immediately clammed up. The last media frenzy had caused Synergy Global Corporation's stock to nosedive, and it was a big deal.
The PR manager quickly backed Katniss up, "Yeah, we should be careful. If the reporters get wind of this, the stock market will tank again!"
Bella had never felt so humiliated. She silently picked up the hair tie from the table and tied her hair herself.
Finally, it got a bit quieter. The tense vibe from Jessica and Bella's glances eased up, and Katniss felt more at ease.
She had planned to leave early, but now she decided to stick around until the dinner ended.
During the meal, Bella managed to win everyone over, and as they left the hotel, they all said their goodbyes to her.
Even though Tristan's marriage was brought up at dinner, everyone knew he had married out of spite towards Bella. Mrs. Forbes, who hadn't been around for years, couldn't stop Bella from marrying Tristan.
So they still treated Bella as the future boss's wife.
As for Katniss's reminder, they saw it purely as professionalism and never doubted Katniss and Tristan's relationship.
Jessica, wanting to distance herself from Katniss, took a cab and didn't let Katniss drive her.
Seeing that most people had left, Katniss said to Tristan, "Mr. Forbes, you've been drinking. Need me to drive you and Miss Astor home?"
"No need," Bella walked over and said. "I haven't been drinking. I can drive Tristan home."
Katniss didn't push it. "Alright, Miss Astor, be safe."
"Wait," Tristan's words stopped Katniss from leaving.
Just then, Katniss spotted a Ferrari parked by the curb. Michael stepped out, his black trousers and crimson shirt making his sharp features even more striking.
"Bella, it's getting late. I'm here to take you home."
Bella frowned. "Michael, how did you know I was here? Didn't I tell you not to pick me up tonight?"
She glanced at Tristan, wishing she could drive him home instead.
Michael affectionately patted Bella's head. "Come on, be good. Mom and Dad are waiting for you at home. They won't relax until you're back."
Bella looked at Tristan, clearly reluctant.
Tristan said, "Go home with Michael. I'll have Katniss drive me."
Bella turned to look at Katniss, who was standing behind a streetlamp, her expression hidden by the dim light. But Bella felt she must be feeling smug right now.
"Let Michael take you home. It's on the way anyway!"
"No need," Tristan refused bluntly, giving Michael a look before turning and walking towards Katniss's car with one hand in his pocket.
Katniss said, "Mr. Astor, Miss Astor, goodbye. Be safe on your way home."
She turned and followed Tristan, their shadows stretching out under the streetlamp before they got into the car.
After Katniss drove away and the car disappeared from sight, Bella finally looked away and got into the Ferrari.
Her face was grim. "Did Tristan ask you to come pick me up?"
She questioned Michael.
Michael fastened his seatbelt and started the engine before answering, "Yeah, he did..."
"Michael, when I wanted to come back to find Tristan, you were the only one at home who supported me. You even assured me that Tristan still had feelings for me! But now? He's different from before. Why aren't you helping me?" Bella turned to Michael angrily.
Michael's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean by help? Ignoring Mom and Dad's objections and letting you live with Tristan? Have you thought about the consequences? If Mom and Dad find out, they'll be even more against it."
"Besides, don't forget he has a wife. You're just a mistress now. If you can't deal with his wife, no matter how hard you try, it won't work."
Bella's expression faltered, thinking of Katniss's words at dinner. She bit her lip and said, "Then help me find out who his wife is. I want to get that woman out of the picture and make her divorce Tristan immediately!"
"It'll take time," Michael said, "Mrs. Adelaide Forbes is deliberately keeping it a secret. It's not easy for us to find out. Give me some time."
"Fine. In the meantime, I need to figure out how to deal with Katniss!" Bella's face was more determined than ever.
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