"Yeah, I always drive Mr. Forbes home after every party," Katniss mumbled, eyes downcast.
Michael squinted at her, gave her a long look, then just shook his head and walked off.
Once he was gone, Katniss called the hotel to get lunch for Bella and Tristan, then ordered some takeout for herself.
After stuffing their faces, Katniss laid her head on the table for a bit. She must've been super tired 'cause she actually dozed off.
Bella's voice jolted her awake, "Katniss, wake up."
Katniss blinked groggily at Bella, who was now sitting next to her. "Miss Astor?"
"You haven't been sleeping well, have you? You look pretty worn out," Bella pointed towards the office. "If Tristan catches you napping, you're toast."
Knowing Tristan hated slackers, Katniss rubbed her forehead and said, "Thanks, Miss Astor. I overslept."
"You look dead tired. Go splash some water on your face. I'll come with," Bella said, dragging her to the restroom. Katniss followed, still half-asleep.
The men's and women's restrooms were across from each other, with a shared sink area in the middle. A bunch of employees were gossiping while washing their hands.
Katniss froze, realizing why people had been giving her weird looks all day. They were talking about her. 'Doesn't Jessica spill the beans?' she wondered.
"You guys gossiping on company time?" Bella snapped, glaring at them. "You know slander's illegal, right?"
Everyone saw Bella as Tristan's future wife, so getting caught by her was bad news. Plus, it looked like she and Katniss were tight. They all went pale.
They tried to explain, but Bella wasn't having it. She wanted to know who started the rumors.
One of the secretaries blurted out, "I heard it from finance. Someone saw a hickey on Katniss this morning in the break room."
Bella was momentarily speechless. She turned to Katniss.
Katniss awkwardly adjusted her collar. She'd tried to cover it, but Tristan had left a hickey just above her collarbone, barely hidden.
It wasn't obvious unless she bent over.
"She's single and young. Having a boyfriend or living together is totally normal," Bella snapped. "She's gorgeous, how could she be a homewrecker?"
No one said anything, but they were all thinking, 'You're young, beautiful, and rich. Didn't stop you from being a homewrecker.'
Bella didn't catch on and said, "Get back to work. If I hear any more gossip, you're all in deep trouble!"
The group scattered, brushing past Katniss.
Bella pulled Katniss into the restroom and asked cautiously, "Katniss, I wasn't wrong, right? You have a boyfriend?"
Katniss forced a smile. "Yeah."
"Then why didn't you say anything? I asked Tristan, and he said you didn't have a boyfriend," Bella said, looking puzzled.
Katniss replied, "Mr. Forbes wouldn't know. We only talk about work, not personal stuff."
Bella nodded. "Makes sense. Your boyfriend must be a looker, right? We should all grab dinner sometime!"
Katniss kept her smile plastered on, even though it felt like her face might crack. "Sure, if we get the chance."
"Awesome!" Bella turned to wash her hands. "Katniss, I've been thinking, and it's not cool to have you spy on Tristan for me. Can you do me another favor instead?"
Katniss's hand hesitated for a second as she turned on the faucet, then she quickly recovered. "Sure, what do you need?"
Bella had just stuck up for her, so she couldn't really say no now.
"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Just let me know when you drop Tristan off at home after work and when you pick him up in the morning."
Bella patted her shoulder, like she was afraid Katniss might refuse. "And if anyone spreads those rumors again, I'll deal with them. If you're getting bullied, tell me, okay?"
"Thanks, Miss Astor. I'll text you every day after I drop Mr. Forbes off."
Katniss stayed calm, but there was a hint of distance in her eyes. She used to feel guilty towards Bella, but now, not so much.
Bella seemed to notice and handed her a paper towel. "Don't be so formal. Just call me Bella. I really want to be friends. It's a shame you're so busy; otherwise, we could hang out more, so you wouldn't feel so distant."
Katniss took the paper towel and was about to thank her when Bella cut in, "No need to thank me. Don't treat me like a stranger. Go on back. I've already told Tristan to give you less work. When he's not around, I'll keep you company."
It was clear Bella was serious about being friends.
Since Bella started hanging around Tristan's office, a chair had been set up next to Katniss's desk.
Bella either stayed in the office with Tristan or came out to chat with her, often helping with little tasks like taking documents to Tristan for signing or making coffee.
So, Katniss didn't see Tristan again until after 10 PM, after the morning meeting.
Bella had been picked up by Michael in the evening. It seemed like whenever Bella came to see Tristan, Michael was the one to pick her up. Katniss couldn't help but admire Michael for being such a dedicated brother.
He really doted on Bella.
Katniss went to drive Tristan home. He didn't say where to go, so she headed straight to Serenity Estate.
Tristan didn't say much during the drive.
Watching him enter the villa, she picked up her phone and sent Bella a message.
[Mr. Forbes is home.]
Bella replied right away with a smiley face emoji. Katniss turned off her phone and drove off, a thought nagging at her on the way home.
Would Tristan show up at her place again in the middle of the night?
Since Bella was asking about Tristan's arrival time, she must be keeping tabs on him or had someone else watching.
Feeling a heavy weight on her chest, she quickly sent Tristan a text.
[Mr. Forbes, Miss Astor suspects you have a woman when you go out late at night.]
What she really wanted to text was: [So, please don't come to my house anymore.]
But she deleted those words before sending, hoping Tristan would get the hint.
The text went unanswered. She didn't know if Tristan hadn't seen it or just chose not to reply.
Feeling uneasy, Katniss decided to change her home's password, just in case. Better for Tristan to be turned away at her door than for Bella to catch them in bed together!