Chapter 82 She's Not Even Close to Tristan's Level
Bella stopped pouring water and glanced up at Katniss.
Right then, Katniss caught the words and turned her head, locking eyes with Bella.
"Grandma Forbes, she's just an assistant, not even close to Tristan's level," Bella said, pulling back her annoyed look and flashing a sweet smile at Adelaide.
Adelaide's kind face showed a flicker of annoyance, but she kept her eyes on Katniss and Tristan.
"Anyone who helps Tristan is good in my book. Anyone who isn't, well, they're just bad news," Adelaide said.
Katniss, now standing next to Tristan, felt a smirk tug at her lips, but when she looked up, she met Tristan's gaze.
Her smile froze, and she quickly looked down. "Mr. Forbes, we should get going."
"Sort these documents and bring them along." Tristan rolled down his sleeves, his defined hand buttoning them up.
As she organized the items, Bella and Adelaide kept chatting. Without looking, Katniss could picture Bella's suck-up expression.
"Grandma Forbes, you're right. Tristan's always swamped, and it's great Katniss can help him out. But you should keep an eye on him. He's so busy; when will you get to be a great-grandma? Some things need to be prioritized," Bella said.
Bella thought if Tristan ditched his wife now, she could marry him soon and make Adelaide's wish come true.
But Adelaide wasn't buying it. She said, "These things can't be rushed. He'll have kids with his wife when he's ready. He's already married, so no worries about kids. The main thing is, he needs to be ready."
Adelaide wondered if Bella was trying to gauge her opinions and then perhaps use a child to gain favor or status. She had to shut down Bella's dirty thoughts!
But after she finished, Bella kept smiling, nodding as she held her arm. "Grandma Forbes, you're right, I think so too."
Katniss paused while organizing the items. 'Is Bella throwing shade at me?' she thought.
She had no clue where the crazy rumor about her being pregnant came from.
After sorting the documents, she nodded slightly at Tristan. "Mr. Forbes, everything's ready."
"Let's roll." Tristan stood up, grabbed his coat, and slung it over his arm as he walked around the desk.
He walked up to Adelaide and said quietly, "Grandma, I'm heading out for a meeting. I'll be back soon. If you're tired, you can rest in the lounge."
Adelaide waved him off without even looking up. "Go on."
Katniss followed Tristan, giving a slight nod to Adelaide as they left together.
They stepped into the elevator, and as the doors slowly closed, Katniss took a light breath. Suddenly, the light in front of her dimmed.
Looking up, she met Tristan's urgent kiss. She instinctively grabbed his arm, his warm hand pressing against her back and the elevator wall.
The kiss lingered, moving from her lips to her cheek and ear, gentle and tender.
He seemed eager to make love to her right there, their foreheads touching, his uneven breath brushing against her face.
"Katniss," Tristan murmured.
She mumbled a response through her pursed lips.
But he wasn't satisfied. His hand on her slender waist gently squeezed. "Look at me," he said.
The elevator continued its descent, soon reaching the basement parking lot. But it was work hours, and no one was around.
When the elevator doors opened, a cool breeze blew in, breaking the intimate vibe.
She looked up, her misty eyes filled with confusion, making Tristan curse under his breath. "Damn it."
He didn't know when it started, but whenever she was around, he couldn't control his gaze or attention.
He bent down and picked Katniss up. Her light body clung to him like a pendant as they approached the car.
She cooperatively unlocked the car door, and he placed her in the back seat, her body curling up on the seat.
Tristan leaned forward, his well-defined hand threading through her hair, his urgent kisses falling, his tall figure enveloping her.
Katniss let out a soft moan, pushing Tristan's shoulder and turning her head. "Someone's coming," she said.
The footsteps grew closer. Tristan got into the car, closing the door. In the process, he had already lifted her onto his lap.
They both looked outside the car. A security guard was shining a flashlight into the dim corners, muttering, "What's that noise?"
Katniss turned her head and leaned on Tristan's shoulder, whispering, "We're gonna be late."
Tristan leaned his head back against the seat, the slight tilt of his head revealing his sexy Adam's apple to Katniss.
His eyes were deep, filled with frustration and unfulfilled desire, along with a hint of inscrutable restraint.
Katniss looked at his collarbone, feeling his strong heartbeat, and calmed her emotions.
She quickly kissed his Adam's apple lightly, then slid off him and moved to the driver's seat.
Behind her, Tristan's laughter echoed, still trying to suppress the horny feeling she had caused.
Most of the deals that required Tristan's presence were already set in stone; the meetings were just a formality to give the other party's boss some face.
Tristan, with his noble air and every move dripping with charm, was a sight to behold. Even though Katniss had seen him negotiate countless times, she was captivated every single time.
He had calmed down too, and it took him an hour and a half to seal the deal. They headed back.
On the way, he closed his eyes to rest. Before getting out of the car, he said, "Tonight, you and I will take Grandma back to the Forbes Mansion, and then we'll head to your place."
"Okay." After a moment of thought, Katniss replied, feeling a strange happiness, her lips curving slightly.
In the rearview mirror, Tristan's indifferent eyes caught a glimpse of her smiling lips.
'Is there ever a time when her happiness is because of me?' Tristan wondered.
Just as they arrived at the company entrance, Katniss's phone suddenly rang. It was the Chief Secretary, Daphne Reed.
She answered and put it on speaker, Daphne's anxious voice filling the car. "Katniss, the document you gave me this morning has been leaked!"
"What?" Katniss felt a surge of anxiety. It was a proposal needed for the next morning.
This wasn't the most important thing; the most important thing was that there was a mole in the company leaking confidential info.
"I'll be right up." Hanging up the phone, Katniss parked the car and turned to Tristan. "Mr. Forbes, this is serious. You might need to handle it personally."
As she spoke, she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Tristan had already opened his door and stepped out.
He adjusted his suit, put one hand in his pocket, and strode toward the elevator, glancing at his watch. There was only half an hour left until the end of the workday.
When they reached the top floor, they found Daphne in Tristan's office, standing with her head down in front of Adelaide.
Hearing the door open, Daphne turned around, her eyes pleading as she looked at Katniss.
"Grandma Forbes, although I haven't been with the company for long, I'm very familiar with everyone here. Ms. Reed has been with Synergy Global Corporation for five or six years and would never do something like betraying the company." Bella didn't pay much attention to Katniss, who had just entered. She only paused her speech when she saw Tristan.
Then she continued, with a hint of insinuation, "Ms. Reed, tell us who else had access to this document besides you."
"The proposal was submitted by the team, and then Katniss and I worked on the revisions together. The leaked version is the revised one, and no one else has seen it besides the two of us!"
Daphne was quick to deny any wrongdoing but didn't place the blame on Katniss either.
Bella gave a knowing "oh" and looked at Katniss. "So, if the confidential info was leaked, it was either you or Katniss."
Katniss frowned, meeting Bella's eager gaze.
She wasn't sure if Bella was involved, but she knew Bella wouldn't miss a chance to get rid of her.
Bella's threat was greater than that of her position as Tristan's wife.
She glanced at Tristan, who was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window. He had a cigarette between his fingers, and the half-open window let in a breeze that filled the room with a faint smell of smoke.
Tristan's face was cold and indifferent, showing no reaction to Bella's words.
Taking a deep breath, Katniss walked over to the Chief Secretary, saying, "Adelaide, Mr. Forbes, the document was finalized by Ms. Reed and me. We bear some responsibility for the leak, and I'm willing to accept the consequences for our negligence. But the most important thing now is to find the mole who leaked the confidential information."
"That makes sense," Adelaide immediately responded. "Then go find them."
"Grandma Forbes, the one who leaked the information could very well be her. She'll just be going around in circles..." Bella quickly interjected.
But Adelaide cut her off. "You're just a secretary, keep unnecessary words to yourself. Tristan hasn't spoken yet."
Bella was silenced.
Katniss and Daphne both looked at Tristan. He extinguished his cigarette, his chiseled features shrouded in smoke.
A single word escaped his thin lips along with the swirling smoke, "Investigate."
Daphne breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Katniss. "Katniss, could someone have entered your office?"
"My office has surveillance," Katniss said without looking up. "Go get the proposal, along with the manila envelope and the seal. Also, bring Christina in."
Daphne nodded immediately. "Got it!"
She turned and quickly left, returning in less than two minutes with Christina and the already opened manila envelope.
She handed the items to Katniss. "I was about to do the final check when I saw that the competitor had posted the proposal on their website."
They didn't even try to steal it; they just posted it to prevent them from using it.
Katniss looked thoughtfully at the document and the manila envelope, then glanced at Christina. "Christina, do you have anything to say?"
"Yes," Christina said without hesitation. "From the moment I handed the document to Ms. Reed, I've been with her the entire time. I can vouch that she didn't leak it."
Bella smiled again and said, "So, isn't it clear that it was Katniss? Grandma Forbes, you might not know much about Katniss's background. She has a sick mother at home and is in desperate need of money. She probably wanted to make some money to treat her mother. It's pitiful, but her actions are truly despicable!"
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