Chapter 83 Deal with Her According to the Rules
When Bella mentioned her sick mom at home, Katniss felt this weird guilt and couldn't even look Adelaide in the eye.
What really bugged her was thinking Adelaide might link it to Tristan's wife.
Bella saw what was going down and jumped in, "Katniss, you've been with the company for a while, and Tristan's been good to you. We get it, but betraying the company? That's just messed up."
"Miss Astor's got a point. When Katniss parachuted into Synergy Global as Tristan's assistant, I thought it was nuts. How could a newbie handle that?" Christina chimed in, all calm and collected, but totally throwing shade.
Katniss suddenly felt a grip on her wrist. She looked down and saw Daphne giving her a wink as is to say, "Katniss, say something!"
Daphne didn't believe Katniss was that kind of person.
Katniss felt a warm fuzzy feeling and couldn't help but smile. She put the document on the coffee table. "Adelaide, Mr. Forbes, this document was handed to Ms. Reed by Christina. So, besides me, Christina also had access to the planning proposal."
"You sealed it!" Christina shot back without missing a beat. "Ask Ms. Reed. When she got the proposal, the seal was fresh and untouched!"
Everyone's eyes turned to Daphne, who hesitated but then nodded. "Yeah, when I got it, the document was still sealed."
"So Katniss, don't try to pin this on me," Christina said, all smug.
Bella got a bit worked up. She didn't know the full story, but she was happy to see Katniss getting blamed.
She stood up and looked at Tristan, "Tristan, you see..."
Before she could finish, Adelaide shot her a look that could kill. "Do I need to remind you again? Why is a secretary sticking her nose in so many things?" Adelaide's tone was way harsher now.
Bella's face went pale, and she reluctantly sat back down.
"Mr. Forbes, I have proof the sealed envelope containing the proposal has been opened." Katniss ignored Bella and pulled out her phone.
She found some photos and handed the phone to Tristan. "I always take pics of the seal and code on sealed documents. But the manila envelope in Ms. Reed's hand isn't the one I sealed."
So, Christina had opened the file and swapped it with a new seal and envelope.
Christina's face went white as a sheet.
Daphne let out a sigh of relief and turned to Christina, "Christina, what's going on?"
"I didn't do it!" Christina snapped back, trying to play it cool. "Mr. Forbes, don't buy her story. She probably just found some random sealed bag to take pics of and is trying to frame me!"
Katniss stood her ground in front of Tristan, cool as a cucumber. "Look, we can settle this easy. Let's check the trash can in the secretary's office or Christina's desk."
The torn-up manila envelope was probably still there; Christina might not have even bothered to get rid of it.
Bella frowned, thinking, 'Could Katniss have actually figured it out?' But she kept her mouth shut, remembering Adelaide's warning—"You're just a secretary."
Tristan squinted a bit and handed the phone back to Katniss. Their fingers brushed, and she quickly pulled her hand away.
"Deal with her according to the rules," he said.
The secretarial staff were required to sign confidentiality agreements, and those who disclose company secrets would be publicly held accountable. Christina's career in the secretarial industry was toast.
No one would hire a traitor who sold out the company.
"Mr. Forbes, please give me another chance!" Christina ran to Tristan, bumping hard into Katniss.
Caught off guard, Katniss almost fell, but Tristan reached out and steadied her.
She quickly regained her balance and pulled her hand away. "Thanks, Mr. Forbes."
"Mr. Forbes, I was just jealous. I envied Katniss for landing that assistant gig at Synergy Global. If it weren't for her, that job could've been mine. I know I messed up. Please, give me another shot." Christina begged, throwing all her pride out the window.
But Tristan was ice-cold. "Even without her, it wouldn't have been you."
Christina opened her mouth but had nothing to say.
"Handle her case by the end of the day," Tristan said, heading back to his desk.
It was clear he was done with the conversation.
Daphne dragged the unwilling Christina out of the office, and Katniss followed.
She sent a notice of Christina's dismissal to HR and posted an announcement on the company's website about Christina's betrayal.
At seven o'clock, nearly an hour past quitting time, Katniss finally wrapped everything up.
Just as she got back to her office, the internal line rang, and Tristan's clear voice came through, "Go get the car and take Grandma back to the Forbes Mansion."
She grabbed her bag and coat and headed to the underground parking lot. When she drove to the company entrance, she saw Bella there too.
Tristan stood tall on one side, while Bella supported Adelaide, smiling and chatting about something.
She parked the car and opened the door. Bella helped Adelaide in and then slid into the car herself.
"Grandma Forbes, it's been ages since I had the chef's fish at the Forbes Mansion. I've been craving it for years! Is it still the same chef?" Bella asked, shooting Katniss a smug look.
Looked like Bella was planning to crash dinner at the Forbes Mansion, which meant Tristan would probably stick around too.
Katniss turned to Tristan, "Mr. Forbes, aren't you getting in?"
He still had a cigarette in his hand. After she spoke, he put it out and said, "Close the door."
He walked around the front of the car to the passenger seat.
Katniss shut the door, blocking out Bella and Adelaide's chatter, and then got into the car.
The sunset cast a glow on Katniss's face, but dark clouds were rolling in from the east, and soon the sky turned gloomy.
It started to drizzle, and the car's interior lights flicked on. Katniss glanced at Tristan's reflection in the window.
Soon, his tall figure was blurred by the rain, which started coming down harder.
The windshield wipers worked overtime, and the car's speed dropped. What was usually a forty-minute drive took over an hour.
The car finally pulled into the Forbes Mansion garage. The butler opened the door and smiled at Bella, who got out first.
Then, with Bella's help, he assisted Adelaide out of the car. Adelaide said, "Looks like you'll be having dinner here tonight and staying over. With this heavy rain, it probably won't stop anytime soon."
The butler added, "There's a severe storm tonight, and the roads around the Forbes Mansion are mountainous. There might be landslides, which would be unsafe."
Bella's excitement was palpable. "Then I guess I'll have to stay. Sorry for troubling Grandma Forbes."
"It's no trouble at all. Come on, let's go inside." Adelaide smiled and led the way through the door from the garage to the house.
Katniss stood by the door, watching the pouring rain, and couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Mr. Forbes, I'll head back now," she said softly, ready to leave.
She knew she couldn't compare to Bella. No matter how heavy the rain, the Forbes Mansion wasn't a place she could stay overnight.
"Why leave? Wait for dinner after," Tristan said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Adelaide and Bella, who were halfway inside, stopped and looked back at the two in the garage.
Adelaide frowned. "Tristan, you really have no sense of propriety."
Katniss's heart sank, and she pressed her lips together.
Bella shot Katniss a gloating look, her eyes full of disdain.
'Thinking you could stay for dinner and spend the night? What a joke!' Bella thought.
"Didn't you hear the butler? The rain's too heavy, and there's a risk of landslides. Do you want Katniss to risk her life? Being your assistant must be a real drag." After scolding him, Adelaide added, "Bella is my guest, and I make the decisions. As for Katniss, you figure it out yourself!"
With that, she pulled the bewildered Bella along, not forgetting to say, "Isn't he infuriating? It's so unlucky to be around him!"
Katniss couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Do you feel it a drag?" Tristan asked.
Katniss quickly shook her head. She didn't consider meeting Tristan a drag.
Tristan's face darkened as he said, "We'll leave after dinner if the rain lets up."
This place, after all, wasn't very convenient.
Katniss agreed and then followed Tristan into the Forbes Mansion.
She had been here many times before but only to the living room.
The elaborate crystal chandelier extended down 9 feet from the fifth floor, and its brilliant light illuminated the entire mansion.
Even the casually placed ornaments were worth a fortune, and the handmade carpet underfoot made walking soundless.
Growing up in such an environment, Tristan was used to it, but Katniss felt very out of place here.
She could only follow him, step by step.
At 8:30 sharp, Adelaide and the others headed to the dining room. Katniss felt even more uneasy but didn't show it on her face.
Tristan sat to Adelaide's right, and Bella to her left. Before Katniss could decide where to sit, Bella had already pulled out the chair next to her, saying, "Katniss, sit here with me."
"Yes, Miss Astor." Katniss walked around the long table and sat next to Bella. She still understood basic dining etiquette.
Before Adelaide touched her utensils, Katniss quietly placed her hands on her lap and looked down at the plate in front of her.
The servants brought out dish after dish of beautifully presented food, as exquisite as those in a five-star restaurant.
One of Bella's favorite fish dishes was deliberately placed in front of her.
Once all the dishes were served, Adelaide picked up her knife and fork and said, "Don't be shy, start eating. Here, there's no distinction between superiors and subordinates; everyone is a guest of the Forbes family."
Katniss quickly nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Forbes."
Bella served Katniss a dish, saying, "Yes, Katniss, don't be shy. This is your first time dining at the Forbes Mansion, right? The chef here is excellent. I love his cooking. Try it, and if you like it, have more. After all, you won't get to eat this outside the Forbes Mansion!"
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