Chapter 45 Aren't You Jealous?
Adelaide was on the guest list, but when Katniss saw Tristan's face go all stormy after that call, she knew Adelaide was a no-show. She asked, "Did Mrs. Adelaide Forbes come back?"
"Yeah," Tristan sighed, rubbing his temples. "She came back a few days ago, told everyone to keep it hush-hush. Just found out she's skipped town again, off to another state to 'relax.'"
His face was all scrunched up with worry. Given her years, it was concerning to think of her traveling so much.
Katniss bit her lip, figuring he was stressed 'cause Adelaide was dodging Bella. She just sat there in the car, keeping quiet.
Rupert, not getting his takeout order in the afternoon, decided to chill at home for a bit. But Katniss's vibe from earlier kept bugging him.
Ever since they reconnected, Katniss always seemed tough as nails.
But her eyes were puffy that morning, and she didn't eat breakfast till after ten. Something was definitely up.
Seeing Jessica dolling up to go out, he asked, "Where you headed?"
"Friend's birthday. Won't be back for dinner, so you're on your own tonight," Jessica said, picking out her priciest dress and shoes.
"Cool," Rupert said, but couldn't help asking, "Is Katniss dealing with something?"
Jessica paused, one shoe on, and looked back. "What do you mean?"
"I dropped off her order this morning, and her eyes were all swollen like she'd been crying. Someone's giving her a hard time?" Rupert asked.
Bullied? Bella was the one who got roasted yesterday! Jessica thought. No wonder Katniss could stick with Tristan for so long. Did she go back and play the victim?
"She's fine. Who'd dare mess with her in the whole company?"
With that, Jessica bounced.
Rupert mulled it over. Katniss was the CEO's assistant; who'd have the guts to mess with her?
"Could it be Tristan?" he muttered, frowning.
But Tristan was still crashing at her place and even brought her breakfast.
Rupert couldn't crack it by the time dinner deliveries kicked off, so he grabbed his helmet and got back to work.
Katniss followed Tristan into the hotel, and a waiter led them to the private room booked by the Astor family.
The fancy carpet was spotless, muffling their steps. The double doors were slightly open, with laughter and chatter spilling out.
Bella was the queen bee, surrounded by her crew. Tristan's entrance cranked up the party vibes.
He rocked just a white shirt, no tie, looking all effortlessly cool. But everyone knew his deal, and their eyes were full of both admiration and fear.
People wanted to chat him up, but his icy vibe kept them at bay, so they turned to Bella to get closer.
"I knew it. Who else could get Tristan to a birthday party but Miss Astor?"
"They look so good together."
"I think they'll soon get hitched, but Tristan's still married, so we'll have to wait and see."
Everyone was buzzing and gossiping. Even though they mentioned Tristan was married, Bella was still feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
Tristan seemed totally unfazed by their chatter, standing coolly not far from Bella, occasionally sneaking glances at Katniss.
"Tristan, come with me," Michael said, breaking away from his folks and slinging an arm around Tristan's shoulder.
Katniss instinctively wanted to follow but was stopped by Michael. He said, "Katniss, perfect timing. We need help with the reception; lots of guests today."
Katniss paused and looked at Tristan.
Tristan gave her a quick glance, frowned slightly, and said, "Go ahead."
In the hotel's VIP lounge, as soon as Tristan walked in, a gift box was shoved into his hand.
"Since it's Bella's birthday, you should give her a gift," Michael said, raising an eyebrow. "I bought it for you, so you don't have to spend a dime."
Tristan raised an eyebrow, hooking his finger around the gift box handle, looking thoughtful.
Michael hesitated for a moment and said, "She's been looking a bit off lately. Since she's working, help me keep an eye on her."
Tristan placed the gift box on the coffee table, tugged at his tie, and said, "I've done enough. That's it. You should know my limits."
"What? Are you so worried about Katniss?" Michael asked with a light laugh.
Tristan's eyes darkened, and he raised an eyebrow. "This has nothing to do with her, and it's not your concern. We have just agreed to one thing, and it works as long as Bella doesn't get too out of line."
He stood up, grabbed the gift box, and patted Michael on the shoulder.
Katniss headed back to the hall, found the hotel shift manager, and checked if everything was set for the birthday bash.
Jessica walked in just in time to see Katniss talking to the supervisor, then she sneakily made her way over to the private room where Bella was sitting.
Inside, she saw Bella chatting with two girls around the same age.
She quickly walked over. "Miss Astor."
Bella glanced at her and smiled, waving her over. "I thought you weren't coming."
"How could I not?" Jessica hurriedly stepped forward, linking arms with Bella. "I couldn't miss your birthday. Traffic just held me up."
The two girls beside them were giving Jessica the once-over, thinking her pricey outfit looked kinda tacky.
When did Bella start hanging out with folks like this?
"Miss Astor, I just saw Katniss. Why's she here too?" Jessica wasn't trying to stir the pot; she just felt uneasy with Katniss around.
Bella's eyes were cold as ice. "She came with Tristan."
"What?" Jessica frowned. "She's just an assistant. Why would Mr. Forbes bring her to such a private event? Did she insist on coming?"
Thinking about how Rupert mentioned Katniss seemed to have been crying, could it be that she threw a fit with Tristan this morning and insisted on crashing Bella's birthday party?
"Bella, is she the woman who came with Tristan just now?" asked Isla Tudor, Bella's cousin from her uncle's side. She had noticed Katniss right away because of her looks.
Bella nodded without saying a word.
Standing next to them was Saskia Stuart, Bella's cousin from her aunt's side. With her short hair and androgynous look, her seemingly indifferent eyes showed a hint of impatience.
Their families relied on the Astor family for their livelihood, so both Saskia and Isla had been taught from a young age to please Bella.
Since Saskia was two years younger and not as cunning, Isla was usually more favored by Bella.
Because of this, Saskia often got scolded and gradually grew to dislike such occasions.
She silently watched Isla suck up to Bella.
"Bella, with such a pretty assistant by Tristan's side, aren't you jealous?" Isla asked, fully aware that Bella was bothered by it.
But Bella didn't respond. She glanced at Jessica, who took a moment to realize she was being called upon.
"She's just an assistant. Miss Astor wouldn't be jealous of her. It's just that Miss Astor recently joined the company and took over some of Katniss's tasks. Katniss might be worried about her job and has been causing trouble for Miss Astor; she's just coasting on her long tenure at Synergy Global Corporation," Jessica said.
Jessica couldn't outright mention Katniss and Tristan's relationship, especially since Bella didn't want it to be widely known. It would be embarrassing for her too!
Bella gently tugged Jessica's arm. "Don't say anything reckless. It's my fault, not Katniss's."
She still wore a faint smile, as if she didn't mind being bullied by Katniss at the company.
Jessica forced a couple of dry laughs. So she was the one to play the villain? But it didn't matter, as long as she could please Bella.
"Isla, take care of Jessica for me. I'll go greet some other guests. You two chat," Bella said, pulling her arm away and pushing Jessica towards Isla before turning to leave.
As soon as she turned, Bella's face twisted in disgust, wiping the spot where Jessica had touched her like it was contaminated.
Jessica didn't say much to Isla, just spun some tales about Katniss causing trouble for Bella. Just then, Katniss walked back into the private room.
Jessica quickly found a spot to hide, not wanting Katniss to spot her.
Isla secretly eyed Katniss, plotting ways to put her in her place.
Saskia leaned in and whispered, "You better watch out, don't be a fool and let yourself be used. That woman is Mr. Forbes' assistant, it's not your place to get involved."
Isla rolled her eyes. "She's just Mr. Forbes' assistant. I'm Bella's cousin. Would Mr. Forbes really stand up for her and risk pissing off Bella?"
With that, Isla strutted towards Katniss.
Saskia watched Isla go, muttering, "What an idiot," before walking away.
The hotel staff was on point, and the birthday party was running smoothly. Katniss was just standing by, keeping an eye on things.
Isla, dressed in a sleek black gown with her long hair flowing, sauntered over with a glass of red wine in hand. "Waiter, is this red wine spoiled?"
"Sorry, miss, I'm not a waiter. I'll go get one for you," Katniss said, turning to find a waiter outside the room since the others were busy. But Isla suddenly blocked her path.
Using the hand holding the wine glass, Isla tried to stop her, but the wine spilled, soaking Katniss's white shirt.
The red liquid stained the shirt, clinging to her skin and revealing her slender waist.
Some of the wine also splashed onto Isla's dress and shoes.
"What are you doing?" Isla yelled, throwing the empty glass at Katniss, which fell to the floor and broke in two.
The carpet muffled the sound, but Isla's loud voice drew attention.
"Are you blind? There's plenty of room, and you had to bump into my wine glass? Do you know how much this dress costs? Can you afford to pay for it?"
Instantly, several people in the room turned to look.
Katniss was stunned for a few seconds, frowning slightly. "Miss, you blocked my way, causing the wine to spill. And it's not just your dress that's wet; my shirt is too."
"How much is your cheap shirt worth?" Isla sneered. "This dress is a limited edition, worth..."
"Your dress is the main feature of this year's Orphiel collection, priced at $88,000. With a black card membership, you can get a 30% discount. But the price of the dress is irrelevant. After all, it's just a piece of clothing, and this isn't the place to make a scene. Don't you agree?" Katniss interrupted, having noticed Isla and Bella together when she entered.
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