Chapter 91 She's So Bold in Private
Katniss spent the whole day hooked up to IVs and meds, with Matilda nagging her to chug water.
Probably 'cause of the meds, she was out of it and snoozed most of the day.
Next morning, Katniss slipped into the business outfit Matilda brought, with her help.
That's when it hit her—she'd be seeing Tristan at the hotel and dealing with his icy stare and snarky attitude again.
"Katniss, your clothes are hanging off you," Matilda said, tugging at Katniss' skirt, which was so loose it could fit an arm through.
Katniss turned around, grabbed a pin from her bag, and fixed it. "No biggie, just a quick fix. You guys have been here for two days, go back to work if you need to. If you're still worried, come back tonight."
She grabbed her bag and strutted out of the hospital room, her light makeup making her look a bit less like a ghost.
But her stuffy nose and bandaged hand kinda clashed with her otherwise professional vibe.
The hotel where Adelaide was throwing her birthday bash was owned by Synergy Global Corporation, and they booked the whole place for the event.
A long red carpet stretched from the entrance to the street, and guests stepped onto it as soon as they got out of their rides.
Only about ten families were tight with the Forbes family, so the guest list was small but important.
The party was set to kick off at 10 AM, and Katniss rolled up at 9 AM.
She hopped out of the taxi, strutted down the red carpet in her high heels, and was greeted by the doorman. "Hey, Katniss."
Feeling a bit awkward, she nodded and went inside. Just as she thought, Adelaide was already there.
The big hall was decked out to Adelaide's taste, all arranged by Katniss herself.
Adelaide was chilling in a chair in the center of the hall, with Tristan next to her, his back to the entrance. His tall frame lounged lazily against the chair.
Who knows what Adelaide was saying to him, but he had his head slightly lowered.
"Katniss, you trying to get canned? You showed up later than Tristan," Adelaide said, clearly ticked off.
Katniss saw Tristan's body tense up for a sec before he went back to normal.
She walked over to his side with her head down and nodded slightly to Adelaide, "Sorry, Mrs. Forbes."
As she spoke, Adelaide noticed the bandage on her hand and her eyes narrowed. "Hurt? No wonder you took off."
Took off? Who knows if Tristan told Adelaide that or if she just figured it out.
Since Tristan didn't say anything, Katniss just went with it. "Yeah, I accidentally burned myself."
"Well, you don't need to do any heavy lifting anyway. Since you're here, don't leave," Adelaide said, giving Tristan a side-eye. He kept his head down, looking all cold and noble, with a slight frown.
Adelaide frowned and gave Tristan a light kick. "Go, take Katniss to the entrance to wait."
Tristan sighed, got up, and walked out with one hand in his pocket.
Seeing this, Katniss nodded to Adelaide and followed him.
At the entrance of the banquet hall, the double wooden doors were all fancy with intricate carvings, and two big vases stood on either side.
Tristan leaned against the wall, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He lit it, took a drag, and blew out a smoke ring.
"Mrs. Forbes called me to help at the hotel today. Don't worry, Mr. Forbes. I know I'm on suspension and won't go to the company tomorrow," Katniss said, standing a few feet away, eyes downcast.
Tristan glanced at her. "Didn't expect Grandma to ask you to come to the hotel, did you?"
'So that's why you has the guts to curse me. But you probably didn't expect me to see it,' Tristan thought. He hadn't expected her to be so bold in private.
Katniss looked up at him, confused, not getting what he meant. But he didn't explain, just kept smoking, the swirling smoke hiding his expression. Yet she could feel the cold vibe coming off him, the low pressure.
Soon, people started showing up, and Katniss stood properly behind Tristan, smiling politely.
Tristan greeted the elders with his usual calm demeanor, welcoming wave after wave of guests.
Some even congratulated him in advance.
His expression stayed indifferent, showing no joy, just politely thanking them.
Nicholas and his parents were the second-to-last to arrive. He raised an eyebrow at Katniss before heading inside.
The last to arrive was the Astor family.
Henry and his wife wore dark red outfits, their faces beaming with joy.
Bella wore a bright red dress, looking like a little princess, with a black bow on her head.
Except for the moment she saw Katniss, her face darkened briefly before she quickly put on a cheerful smile.
With everyone there, Tristan led the Astor family inside.
Katniss followed at the end, with Bella and Michael deliberately lagging a few steps to walk alongside her.
"Katniss, glad you're here. I want you to see with your own eyes that Grandma Forbes recognizes me. Tomorrow, I'll make sure your suspension turns into a termination, and you'll be out of Synergy Global Corporation," Bella said, her sweet smile not matching her words.
Katniss didn't bite back this time. She glanced at Tristan walking ahead, who seemed to sense something and stopped.
He adjusted his suit with his thumb and glanced back at her. "Go check how the kitchen prep is going."
"Yes." Katniss turned and left.
After making a round in the kitchen and making sure everything was good to go, she headed back to the hall.
A crowd had gathered around Adelaide, each person presenting their gifts.
Katniss stood behind Tristan, who was mingling with a group of young folks.
Isla was next to Bella, throwing shade and giving Katniss the cold shoulder.
Next to her was short-haired Saskia, who smiled at Katniss and then glanced briefly at Nicholas. He glanced back, scoffing lightly before looking away.
Something was off between those two, but Katniss couldn't figure out what, so she just stood quietly behind Tristan.
Suddenly, one of the elders spoke up. "Mrs. Forbes, it's almost lunchtime. You mentioned you had some big news to announce; it's about time."
Instantly, everyone's eyes turned to Tristan and Bella.
Katniss lowered her head even more. For the elders, Bella and Tristan being together was a cause for celebration, but for her, it was a painful sight.
Isla gave Bella a nudge, and Bella moved to stand beside Tristan, her face blushing as she glared at Isla, then reached out to tug on Tristan's sleeve.
She looked shy, clearly raised in a loving environment.
Adelaide also smiled and beckoned Bella over.
Bella quickly let go of Tristan and shyly glanced at him before going to Adelaide.
"Grandma Forbes," she called sweetly.
"Good!" Adelaide responded more warmly than ever before.
The entire hall was filled with a joyful atmosphere, and everyone cast congratulatory glances at the Astor couple.
Eleanor had been looking forward to this day for a long time. She glanced at Tristan and, seemingly reminded of something, said, "Actually, Bella is a well-behaved child, just a bit willful. But no matter how willful, she would never hurt anyone."
This seemed to be a subtle jab at Tristan for marrying someone else in a fit of anger, hurting their relationship. Otherwise, why would it have taken so long to reach this day?
Tristan's eyes stayed cool, making it tough to read what he was thinking.
Katniss stood just behind him to the right, catching his perfect profile, his features sharp and glowing in the golden sunlight.
His lazy, noble vibe gave off a cold allure, making it hard to look away.
Who wouldn't fall for a guy like this? No wonder Bella came back after six years.
"Of course, girls are more considerate than boys," Adelaide said, patting Bella's hand. "Tristan is neither sensible nor has a good temper, unlike you, who are so understanding and well-behaved."
Bella's face turned red, both from shyness and happiness. "Grandma Forbes, I'm not as good as you say, but I promise that once I join the Forbes family, I will take good care of you."
"That's all I wanted to hear," Adelaide said with a smile, pulling a bracelet from her bag and placing it in front of Bella. "This bracelet..."
"I know!" Bella interrupted eagerly. "This is the Forbes family heirloom bracelet, right? When I used to visit the Forbes Mansion, you mentioned several times that the Forbes family had an heirloom jade bracelet for Tristan's future wife."
Back then, Adelaide had planned to give it to her, but she was too young to accept it.
But it didn't matter; after all these years, it would still end up in her hands!
She glanced at Katniss, who showed no reaction. Her indifferent eyes were fixed on the bracelet in Adelaide's hand.
'She must want it badly!' Bella scoffed, taking the bracelet from Adelaide and putting it on herself.
She raised her wrist to the crystal light, admiring its clarity and obvious value.
"You little rascal," Eleanor said, seemingly scolding but actually doting, "Mrs. Forbes hasn't even given her blessing, and you've already put it on. No manners."
"Mom," Bella pouted playfully.
Adelaide waved her hand and said, "It's fine, as long as she likes it. If she wants to wear it, just let her. But this bracelet isn't the one Bella mentioned."
Bella was stunned. "It's not the Forbes family heirloom bracelet?"
"It is also a family heirloom, but intended not for a granddaughter-in-law, but for a granddaughter," Adelaide said, patting Bella's hand. "As you know, our Forbes family has had only one child per generation, and they've all been boys. So this bracelet for a girl has never been given out. I like Bella so much that I want to take her as a granddaughter. She will be part of the Forbes family, and I won't treat her poorly. I've already asked the lawyer to draft a contract to give her company dividends and shares. Do you agree?"
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