Chapter 73 He Was Quite Observant
Bella rocked a light purple cocktail dress, her hair all done up and flowing, makeup on point, looking like she just stepped out of a magazine.
She gave Lucy a big hug, and then the crew made their way to the garden behind the castle.
The anniversary bash for Mr. and Mrs. Brooks kicked off at eight in the morning. It was only seven now, but hey, some folks like to be early birds.
The back garden was all decked out, long tables loaded with drinks and flowers everywhere.
There was a whole spread of food too. The castle was chillin' on the east side, and a stream ran through, making the view pretty sweet.
Katniss wasn't feeling the scenery vibe. She glanced at Tristan, who was still lounging in bed, cool as a cucumber.
"Mr. Astor and Miss Astor are here," Katniss said.
Tristan's eyes snapped open. Just as he thought, they came here.
He got up, stretched, and walked over to her, giving a cold look outside. "Go grab some breakfast first. Lucy will help you get dressed. I'll head down."
Tristan hit the walk-in closet to suit up, while Katniss freshened up in the bathroom. By the time she was done, he was already out.
He was probably off to find Bella. Even though they had talked it over, Bella would definitely be ticked if they bumped into each other here, and he had to smooth things over.
She had hoped to enjoy the last two days with Tristan at Rose Castle without any drama, but that was a pipe dream.
With a sigh, she hit the walk-in closet, changed into some clothes, and headed downstairs.
"Morning, Mrs. Forbes. Mr. Forbes asked me to whip up breakfast for you. Ready to eat?" The servant greeted her as she came down.
Katniss smiled and nodded. "Yeah, thanks."
"No problem, Mrs. Forbes. You're too sweet," the servant said, leading her to the dining room. "Mr. Forbes is so thoughtful. He borrowed our kitchen last night to make porridge for you. I even picked up a few tips from him, though I can't say it tastes as good as his."
So, the porridge last night was Tristan's handiwork.
Katniss sat at the dining table, the smell of the porridge wafting up, but she couldn't really feel it.
She tried to remember the taste of the porridge from last night but came up blank.
Oatmeal porridge. She and Tristan had ordered it a bunch of times for breakfast on business trips.
He was quite observant, knowing she wasn't into beef and had a thing for oatmeal porridge.
As she stirred the porridge, the steam warmed her face.
With a heavy sigh, she dug in, shoveling big spoonfuls into her mouth.
Just as she finished, Lucy popped in. "Katniss, your dress is here. Come on, let's try it on."
"Alright." She got up and followed Lucy to the second floor, into a private walk-in closet.
The closet was packed with clothes, some still sporting tags.
The showstopper was the dress on the mannequin in the center.
A light purple number with a slit that went way up, decorated with hand-sewn stars.
The back was all hollowed out, making it sexy but still classy.
"I fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it. Gotta hand it to Tristan, he knows you well. This dress is so you," Lucy gushed, signaling the servant to hand the dress to Katniss.
The fabric felt cool and comfy against her skin. Someone pulled the curtain for her to change, leaving Katniss alone.
Outside, Lucy's chatter was a constant hum, while inside, Katniss slipped into the dress.
In about five or six minutes, she was done and pulled the curtain open.
Lucy's eyes went wide. "Katniss, you look amazing!"
The light purple dress was perfect for Katniss's skin tone.
The high-neck design showed off her neck beautifully.
Her long, slender legs peeked out from the slit, showing off her slim calves.
"Really?" Katniss looked down, feeling a bit out of place.
Maybe she was too used to her business attire and felt awkward. She asked again, "Lucy, are you sure this is okay?"
"It's perfect," Lucy said without missing a beat, grabbing her wrist and leading her out. "Guests are arriving. The morning's all about mingling, and there's a dance later..."
Lucy kept talking about the event's schedule.
Katniss's mind wandered, her eyes landing on Tristan in the distance. He was sitting across from Michael and Bella, legs crossed.
A cigarette dangled from his fingers, and a nearly empty glass of red wine sat in front of him.
Bella was all smiles, chatting away, her red lips moving non-stop.
Michael chimed in now and then, but Katniss couldn't see Tristan's face, as his back was to her.
Maybe he was just sitting there, listening all cool and collected, or maybe he was actually into the convo, smiling and all.
"Tristan!" Lucy hollered.
Everyone turned to look, their eyes landing on Katniss, her long hair flowing like a waterfall.
The light purple dress made her look even more elegant and classy.
Bella's eyes flashed with jealousy, something she couldn't hide.
Tristan's gaze deepened as he looked away from Katniss, glancing at Bella and Michael with a calm expression.
One was burning with jealousy, and the other was sizing her up—it was Michael.
Michael smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes; it was almost cold.
"Katniss looks stunning," Michael said casually, smiling.
Bella shot him a disapproving look but kept quiet, remembering Michael's earlier advice.
Lucy pulled Katniss over and sat her next to Tristan. She nodded politely at Michael and Bella, then looked away, not caring about their reactions.
"Tristan, you've got great taste. Katniss looks amazing in this dress. As her husband, you really know what suits her best!" Lucy praised again.
Katniss smiled politely at the compliment, while Tristan stayed indifferent. Bella's face twisted with jealousy, glaring at Katniss. She had to admit, Katniss did look beautiful.
Feeling awkward under Bella's stare, Katniss smiled and said to Lucy, "There are more guests arriving over there. You should go greet them."
"You're so considerate!" Lucy smiled at Katniss, nodded at Michael and the others, and then walked briskly toward Brady; her steps light and happy, radiating joy.
Katniss's gaze fell on the Brooks couple. They were a perfect match. She had heard that Lucy didn't come from a well-off family, while the Bradys were quite affluent.
"Tristan, after the Brady's anniversary bash, are you heading back to Velvet City? Shall we go together?" Bella started, lightly nudging Tristan's hand with hers.
Tristan snapped out of it and dodged her touch by pretending to reach for a cigarette. "I still have a collaboration to discuss with the Brooks. I'll decide based on how that goes."
Bella's face darkened, and she glanced at Katniss.
Even though Katniss was just sitting there, not doing anything, Bella felt like she was being mocked.
Biting her lip, she pushed on, "As your secretary, I'll stay too. Since it's a business discussion, I..."
Before she could finish, Tristan's brows furrowed tightly. He lit a cigarette, his expression cold and impatient.
"Bella," Michael cut in, smiling, "Katniss is here, and the company has other matters waiting for you to handle. You need to make sure Tristan has no worries."
Michael could see that Bella was about to get shot down by Tristan.
Katniss sat there like a statue, unmoving, as the morning sunlight gradually lit her up, making her even more radiant.
Soon, more guests started showing up. Tristan stood up, his hand in his pocket slightly raised. "There are a few old clients here today. Let's go say hello."
"Okay." Katniss stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then placed her hand on his slightly raised arm.
The two of them slowly walked into the crowd.
Bella stared at them, biting her lip until it bled, but she didn't feel the pain.
"When Tristan came here for business, I was there too. It was really under unavoidable circumstances that they pretended to be a couple," Michael explained.
But his words did nothing to soothe Bella's sadness. She looked at Michael with red-rimmed eyes. "Does Tristan not like me anymore? Is he going to be taken away?"
"No," Michael said, standing up and grabbing a tissue to patiently wipe her tears. "I have good news for you. Grandma Forbes is back. It's good for Tristan to stay in Pearlhaven for a few more days. Use this opportunity to build a good relationship with Grandma Forbes. When Tristan returns, everything will fall into place."
Bella took the tissue from him, wiping her tears with a glimmer of hope. "Really? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I just got the news and didn't have time to tell you. After the banquet, I'll take you shopping in Pearlhaven to buy some gifts for Grandma Forbes," Michael said.
A few words were enough to cheer Bella up. Michael had known her since she was a kid and understood her temperament.
Bella quickly forgot her sadness and smiled again.
Katniss followed Tristan, greeting a few clients and mingling with the crowd. Countless eyes were on her.
Suddenly, a warm coat was draped over her shoulders. She turned to see that Tristan had taken off his coat and put it on her.
The warmth lingered, and his fresh, pleasant scent filled her nostrils.
"Who do we have here? Isn't it Mr. Forbes?" Jasper pushed through the crowd, tossing his suit jacket over his shoulder and standing in front of Tristan with his hands in his pockets.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
