Chapter 78 Take Her Wherever He Goes
Standing next to Bella, Katniss couldn't help but sneak a peek at Tristan.
He was lounging around, looking all cool and slightly annoyed. He had a cigarette between his fingers, but it seemed like he forgot about it.
When Adelaide started talking, he raised an eyebrow, shifted a bit, took a drag, then snuffed it out and tossed it in the trash.
Bella's eyes darted shyly to Tristan and then away. "I'll pick something Tristan likes to eat," she mumbled.
Katniss didn't catch the rest. Her head was buzzing, and she felt all over the place.
After making the rounds with the menu and getting everyone's orders, she handed it to the waiter and told them to hurry up with the food.
Back in the private room, she scanned the folks around the table. Finally, she stood in a corner near Tristan, waiting for any orders.
Eleanor piped up, "Mrs. Forbes, you're getting on in years. Maybe it's best to stay home. With Tristan's parents abroad most of the time, the Forbes family needs you to keep things in check."
Eleanor kept holding Adelaide's hand, smiling and hinting that Adelaide should push Tristan to divorce and marry Bella.
Adelaide glanced at Tristan, snorted, and said, "You're right. Without me, who knows what Tristan might get up to."
She acted like she didn't get Eleanor's hint, but you couldn't be too obvious about pushing Bella onto the Forbes family.
After a few rounds of chit-chat, Eleanor dropped more hints, but Adelaide kept changing the subject, leaving things hanging.
While they ate, Katniss stood there. Every time Eleanor hinted at something, Katniss tensed up.
"Katniss, come pour tea for Eleanor and the others," Adelaide suddenly said.
Katniss quickly walked over, grabbed the teapot from beside Tristan, and their eyes met for a second.
She looked away fast, went to Eleanor's side to pour tea, then moved on to Henry and Michael.
"Looks like Tristan really likes this assistant, taking her everywhere," Eleanor commented.
Katniss froze for a second while pouring tea for Michael, spilling a few drops. She quickly grabbed a napkin to clean it up, saying, "Sorry."
Adelaide frowned. "You are so careless. If you upset the guests, your pay will be docked."
"Sorry, I'll be more careful," Katniss replied quickly, then put down the teapot and stepped back.
Finally, Adelaide turned to respond to Eleanor's comment. "She's a senior assistant. Besides work, she's gotta be on call 24/7. We're paying her, so might as well use her. Otherwise, it's just a waste of money. Honestly, I like her type. If she messes up, you can scold her. If you're pissed, you can punish her. She won't dare to lose her cool. She hasn't screwed up in years and is super obedient."
Even though she was tough on Katniss, her words were full of praise. She wasn't exactly coddling her but definitely treated her like one of her own.
Eleanor gave a wry smile and glanced at Katniss standing in the corner.
Wasn't this a veiled sarcasm: the high-and-mighty Astor family heiress Bella wasn't as good as an assistant like Katniss!
The Astor family members were puzzled throughout the meal, trying to figure out Adelaide's game.
Katniss felt drained. Listening to their high-level chatter was more exhausting than a brawl. Finally, the meal wrapped up.
She went to get the car, hit the lock button as she exited the elevator, and followed the beep.
She saw a figure standing by the car—it was Samuel.
"Samuel, you came too," Katniss greeted him first, remembering how he had helped her before.
Samuel nodded, pointing to the car parked opposite. "Dinner's over? I need to drive up too."
"Yeah, it's done." Katniss stood in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Thanks for the Jasper thing."
Thank him? Samuel frowned, then quickly relaxed. "I didn't do much. I'm just glad you're not mad at me for butting in."
After all, he just passed the message to Tristan. The rest was all Tristan.
Katniss shook her head, surprised. "Of course not. You helped me. Why would I blame you for that?"
Samuel felt something was off. Her clear gaze made him feel weirdly guilty. He looked away and stepped aside.
"Better get going. I need to pick up Mr. Astor," Samuel said.
"Okay." Katniss responded, got in the car, rolled down the window halfway, nodded to Samuel, and then drove off.
Watching her car slowly leave, Samuel frowned and got into his own car.
Katniss had to take Adelaide back to the Forbes Mansion first, then head to the company with Tristan.
The Astor family couple stood by the car, chatting with Adelaide for a bit. Katniss could tell Eleanor was getting impatient. Eleanor wanted to bring up Bella and Tristan directly but couldn't find the right moment. In the end, she waved goodbye reluctantly.
The car merged into traffic, heading straight for the Forbes Mansion, where the butler was already waiting outside.
The car drove directly into the Forbes Mansion, a modern villa with a vast area, stretching as far as the eye could see.
On one side of the road was a green lawn, and on the other, a clear lake with a shimmering surface, stirred by the breeze.
The blue sky and white clouds were reflected in the water, occasionally interrupted by birds flying through the reflection.
Having followed Tristan for the past few years, Katniss had visited the Forbes Mansion many times, and each visit made her more acutely aware of the gap between her and Tristan.
The place she grew up in was not even as large as the servants' quarters of the Forbes family.
After parking the car in front of the villa, the butler came over to open the door and helped Adelaide out.
Katniss also got out, standing respectfully beside Tristan, watching Adelaide.
"Tristan, if you dare to have Katniss investigate anything again, I'll fire her immediately." Adelaide slowly ascended the steps, her hunched back making her look old, but her voice was full of authority.
Tristan frowned deeply. "Grandma, you're wasting that woman's youth."
Standing at the door, Adelaide turned around, took off a silver bracelet from her hand, and threw it at Tristan. "You bastard, are you trying to drive me to my grave?"
A flash of silver came toward Tristan, and Katniss instinctively stepped forward to shield him.
Tristan seemed to anticipate her move, raising his hand to block her behind him, his body slightly turned.
The bracelet hit Tristan's forehead, falling to the ground with a crisp sound.
Although it wasn't a sharp object, Adelaide was angry, and the force she threw it with was strong.
It left a wound on Tristan's forehead, instantly seeping with blood.
Katniss's worried eyes met Tristan's deep gaze, and he subtly shook his head.
Adelaide was still furious. "The entire Forbes family is mine, and I can't control you? Katniss, listen to me. From now on, you take orders directly from me. If he dares to do anything secretly, you must stop him, or you're out!"
Katniss opened her mouth in surprise, looking toward the door, but Adelaide had already been helped inside by the butler.
She stood there for a few seconds, then realized she was still holding Tristan's arm. She quickly let go and glanced at his wound.
"Are you okay?" Katniss asked.
Tristan shook his head, instinctively raising his hand to touch the wound, then smiled after a while. "Let's go back to the office," he replied.
He opened the passenger door and got in, taking a couple of tissues to wipe the wound.
By the time Katniss got in, he had roughly treated the wound, his expression returning to its usual cold demeanor.
The car slowly left the Forbes Mansion, speeding down the smooth road in silence.
Suddenly, Tristan broke the silence, glancing at her. "Grandma seems to like you."
'Like me?' Katniss thought to herself.
Thinking of the things said at the meal, Katniss shook her head with a slight smile. "She likes my tact and competence, not me as a person."
"Now, you answer to her, and I answer to you," Tristan said. It was hard to tell if it was a light jest or resignation. Tristan leaned his head against the seat, looking ahead.
After hesitating for a while, Katniss tentatively said, "Mr. Forbes, if you still want to investigate that matter, I can help you."
Tristan turned to look at her. "How can you help? By going against Grandma's wishes so she can fire you?"
If Tristan insisted on investigating, she couldn't go against his wishes, could she? After all, she worked under him. Adelaide's words were just a pretext; could she really control Tristan?
"I can't protect you in front of Grandma." After a while, Tristan said, thinking of Adelaide's scolding, the veins on his forehead bulging.
He really had no choice.
Katniss almost laughed, turning to look out the left window, but suddenly met Tristan's eyes in the reflection.
"Is it funny?" Tristan's voice carried a dangerous tone.
Katniss immediately suppressed her smile, shaking her head. "Not at all."
She faced forward, driving seriously.
Upon arriving at Synergy Global Corporation, she went to the break room, grabbed the communal first aid kit, and headed to Tristan's office.
He was already seated at his desk. Seeing her come in, he paused his actions, then understood when he saw the first aid kit in her hand.
"To the sofa." He got up, walked around the desk, and took the first aid kit from her.
She followed him to the sofa, watching as he opened the kit, took out a cotton swab and iodine, and handed them to her.
"Hmm?" She hesitated. The kit was open, the cotton swab soaked in iodine. All that was left was to apply it to the wound. Did he really need her for that?
Taking the cotton swab, she stepped forward. He was seated at her chest level, and as she bent over, they got even closer.
Her shallow breaths brushed the top of his head, and as he looked up, he could see the collar of her shirt.
One button was undone, revealing a hint of her collarbone and nothing more.
But the fragrance from her body wafted into his nose.
His voice deepened. "Are you done?"
"Almost." Katniss finished applying the iodine, discarded the cotton swab, and took out a band-aid. "Avoid getting it wet for a few days, and it will heal faster."
Tristan's voice was hoarse. "I was asking if your period is over."
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