Before hitting the sack, Katniss got a call from Rupert. She could totally hear Jessica's voice in the background, which meant she was eavesdropping.
Thinking about all the office gossip, Katniss straight-up told Rupert to pass the phone to Jessica.
"How much is the house gonna set you back?" Katniss asked right away.
Jessica got all hyped up hearing that.
"It's around two million bucks. Want me to send you the floor plan later?"
"Nah, I'm not the one buying it, so I don't need to see it," Katniss said, her tone dripping with meaning, making Jessica go quiet.
Katniss paused, then went on, "So, how much are you planning to hit me up for?"
Jessica quickly laughed, "After buying it, we gotta renovate. It'll be at least two and a half million. We only got fifty grand, the rest is on you."
Katniss chuckled, "Over two million? Where am I supposed to pull that kind of cash from?"
"You can ask Mr. Forbes," Jessica's voice got all sharp.
Katniss's eyes narrowed, "Why should I ask Mr. Forbes for money for you guys? Rupert's just my brother, not my kid. I don't owe him a car or a house. You two need to figure it out yourselves and leave me out of it."
Her words were final, which ticked Jessica off.
"Katniss, when Mom brought us to you, she said you'd help. I at least have a college degree, but your brother's just a delivery guy. How much can he make in a month? If you don't help, I'll divorce him. Then you'll have to find him another wife and pay for a wedding."
Katniss listened, stone-faced, as Jessica spewed her shameless rant. Then she retorted, "Do you really think your second-rate degree is something to brag about? Without my help, you wouldn't even be at Synergy Global Corporation. Don't act like you're better than Rupert. Without me, you'd be making two to three grand a month tops. If you wanna divorce him, go ahead. Whoever he ends up with next and how much it costs is none of my business, and it won't be yours either. So don't sweat it. And one last thing, if you don't wanna get booted from Synergy Global, you'd better watch yourself. Don't believe me? Try it."
With that, she hung up, tossed the phone on the coffee table, and headed upstairs to crash.
She could hear the phone ringing downstairs, over and over. Without even looking, she knew it was Jessica blowing up her phone, but she just ignored it.
What really made Katniss breathe easier was that Tristan didn't show up late at night, and he even drove himself to work these past few days. That saved her a trip and let her catch some extra Z's.
But then, Bella started showing up at the office every day, all eager to take over stuff like making coffee and getting documents signed.
So, Katniss only saw Tristan a couple of times in those few days, mostly during high-level meetings.
If it weren't for him raising an eyebrow and giving her that sly smile when no one was looking, Katniss might've thought they were just a regular boss and employee.
When dealing with Bella, she felt more at ease, honestly reporting Tristan's daily return time.
Synergy Global Corporation had this annual team-building event, with each department picking their own spot. Katniss and Tristan joined the whole secretarial crew.
They had a special meeting to decide where to go, and three spots were up for a vote.
Even though Bella was an outsider, the meeting wasn't about work, so she tagged along with Tristan.
Seeing the detailed intros of the three spots, she immediately piped up, "Tristan, I love hiking! Remember this mountain? I wanted to hike it before I went abroad but never got the chance. Can we go here?"
Tristan glanced at the brochure she handed over, his eyes drifting to Katniss, who was staring at one of the destinations, lost in thought.
"Everyone's already beat from work. The team-building is supposed to let them chill, not wear them out more."
He bent down, grabbed the brochure in front of Katniss, tapped on it with his finger, and said, "Let's hit this resort for a four-day getaway. Everyone, wrap up your work, and we'll head out in three days."
His quick decision was solid, and even though Bella wasn't thrilled, she just pouted and said, "Alright then, but you owe me a hiking trip later."
Tristan casually agreed, handing the chosen resort brochure to Katniss, and instructed, "Count the heads and set up the accommodations, just like before."
Katniss was still processing his swift decision but instinctively took the brochure and replied, "Yes, Mr. Forbes."
Tristan turned and left, and everyone else excitedly chatted as they walked out.
Bella linked arms with Katniss and said, "Katniss, why are you so spaced out?"
"No," Katniss snapped back to reality, chuckled, and said, "It's just that Mr. Forbes made the decision so suddenly, I couldn't keep up."
She really liked the resort and for a moment suspected that Tristan had read her mind, but she quickly brushed off the thought since it was a bit ridiculous.
Bella and she walked out of the meeting room and headed back to their desks. While she worked, Bella sat beside her, occasionally chatting.
Katniss always felt like Bella had something on her mind but never quite said it until it was almost time to clock out.
Bella pulled out a fancy box from somewhere and plopped it on Katniss's desk.
"Katniss, you haven't been looking too hot these past few days. This set of cosmetics is for you."
Katniss recognized the brand; it was super pricey.
Without thinking, she declined, "No need, my poor complexion is just from lack of sleep. I'll catch up on rest during the team-building trip."
"Oh, come on, don't be so formal with me," Bella pushed the cosmetics towards her and said, "A friend gave these to me, and I haven't even finished the ones I have at home. It'd be a waste to keep them, so just take them."
Before Katniss could say anything else, the office door suddenly opened, and Bella quickly shoved the cosmetics into Katniss's arms.
Instinctively, Katniss hid the cosmetics behind her. The next second, Tristan walked out.
"Book a few more rooms; Michael and Nicholas will be joining us too."
Katniss nodded uneasily. Tristan glanced at her a couple of times, seemingly noticing her discomfort, but he said nothing and turned back inside.
Bella said, "I'll go too," and then followed Tristan inside.
Katniss stood there, holding the heavy cosmetics, feeling like a weight was pressing on her chest.
Bella was very meticulous. After giving Katniss the cosmetics, she didn't come out again until it was time to leave, and she left with Tristan.
"Pick me up at Serenity Estate at 8 AM tomorrow," Tristan said, pausing beside her.
Katniss quickly nodded and replied, "Yes, Mr. Forbes."
Looking up, she saw Bella shushing her and winking. She could only smile politely.
She didn't even have a chance to return the cosmetics. Leaving them at the office might raise eyebrows if someone saw them, so Katniss waited until everyone had left before taking the cosmetics with her.
If it were just a normal friend giving her a set of cosmetics, it wouldn't be a big deal, but she and Bella were more like frenemies.
Bella giving her something definitely had an ulterior motive.
But then again, even if Bella didn't give her anything, it would be hard for her to refuse if Bella wanted her to do something.
The next morning, she rolled up to Serenity Estate right on the dot at 7 AM.
Not seeing Tristan downstairs, she hesitated about whether to go upstairs to call him or wait a bit longer when a clear, hoarse voice came from upstairs.
"Come up."
She dropped her bag at the entrance and walked upstairs, step by step. Just past the corner, a pair of hands from the first door on the left yanked her into the room.
The light was dim, and Tristan's scent was intoxicating, with hormones practically hanging in the air.
In a dizzying moment, she was pushed onto the bed, and Tristan's weight pressed down on her, making her involuntarily groan.
Tristan gently kissed her lips, his hawk-like eyes glowing in the darkness. "Your complexion still doesn't look good. Haven't been resting enough these past few days?"
Katniss moved her lips and said, "Mr. Forbes, we're gonna be late for work."
Tristan chuckled lowly and replied, "How could we be late? I clearly said 8 AM, but you came at 7 AM. Were you not doing it on purpose?"
Katniss was stunned, vaguely remembering that Tristan did say 8 AM yesterday!
But she was distracted at the time and didn't listen carefully, coming at the usual 7 AM!
Tristan's narrow eyes squinted slightly, a faint smile on his lips, clearly intentional.
But how was he so sure she would come at 7 AM?
She bit her lip, feeling embarrassed, and said, "Why change the time for no reason? You clearly did it on purpose to get me here."
"Yes, I did it on purpose," Tristan admitted openly, "Although an hour is a bit short, it's better than nothing."
He leaned close to Katniss's ear, his breath hot. She wanted to refuse but he grabbed her wrist and said, "Don't waste the little time we have, Katniss. I missed you."
Her resistance melted away with those words. He always knew how to easily break her resolve with his words.
Looking down, she could still see the marks she had scratched on his back, some of which had scabbed over. The bite mark on his shoulder was still red and swollen, perhaps because he showered every day, the wound hadn't healed.
An hour wasn't much time, especially since they had to leave time to shower and change.
This was the first time at Tristan's house, sudden and unexpected. Katniss didn't even have time to fully take it in before he carried her to the bathroom for a shower.