Katniss took a deep breath and hustled to catch up.
Soon enough, she was back at her tiny apartment. Staring at the duplex, she felt a sting of bitterness. This place was a birthday gift from Tristan last year. No way she could've afforded this $2 million crib in such a prime spot on her own.
She dropped her bag and car keys, headed upstairs, grabbed the marriage certificate, and stuffed it in her bag downstairs.
If Adelaide Forbes, Tristan's Grandma, gave the green light for Bella and Tristan to get back together tomorrow, the next step was the divorce papers.
And once everyone knew she was Tristan's wife, her job as his assistant would be toast.
She had to figure out how to break it to Tristan that she was his legal wife.
Back when she was desperate for the job, she hadn't fessed up, and he hadn't recognized her.
Later, she found out through work that Tristan hated sneaky people.
So, she kept her mouth shut.
Now, all she could do was hope everything went smoothly tomorrow.
She woke up at six, got ready in a flash, and put on some makeup to hide her dark circles.
After a quick breakfast, she drove to Serenity Estate.
She needed to stay sharp because after the divorce, she'd probably need to job hunt right away.
Tristan didn't look like he slept well either; he closed his eyes to catch some Z's as soon as he got in the car.
The Forbes Mansion was halfway up the hill, sprawling over 50,000 square feet. In front of the bronze-black iron gate, the Astor family's car was already parked.
Katniss slowly pulled over by the curb.
Tristan got out, and Bella hopped out of the car in front, running over to grab his arm.
"Tristan, I was waiting to go in with you."
Katniss watched Tristan's profile through the car window, seeing a hint of softness and affection, which made her stomach churn.
Just then, the iron gate creaked open, and the butler walked out, politely saying, "Miss Astor, long time no see."
Then he turned to Tristan and said, "Mr. Forbes, Mrs. Forbes went to stay on the mountain last night."
Everyone's faces changed at that. Bella's smile vanished, and Tristan's brows knitted together.
Katniss stifled a laugh, not because her secret was safe, but because Adelaide was clearly dodging Bella on purpose.
"When will Grandma Forbes be back?" Bella asked, looking bummed.
The butler thought for a moment and said, "Mrs. Forbes didn't say, but she usually stays up there for at least half a month, sometimes longer, since it's so peaceful."
Tristan's parents were often abroad, so he grew up with Adelaide, who treated him like her own. She still held a grudge against Bella for ditching Tristan six years ago.
Katniss had been so worried about her own secret getting out that she forgot Adelaide would never forgive Bella easily.
Katniss got out of the car.
The butler smiled warmly at her and said, "Katniss, Mrs. Forbes mentioned you a couple of days ago and asked me to remind Mr. Forbes not to treat you unfairly."
Katniss stiffened. Adelaide was making things tough for her, clearly showing that Bella didn't rank as high as Katniss in her eyes.
She looked at Tristan, unsure whether to explain.
"Since Grandma isn't here, let's head back."
Tristan didn't blame her, knowing Adelaide did it on purpose. He looked at Bella and opened the door of the Astor family's car. "You should go back first."
But Bella turned around and got into the black Mercedes-Benz business car, saying, "I'm not going back; I'm going to the office with you."
Tristan nodded to the butler and then got in the car.
"Goodbye," Katniss quickly said, hopping back in her car and driving off.
Bella's arrival caused quite a buzz at the office.
Everyone knew Tristan had tied the knot just to keep Adelaide happy.
For six years, no one had ever seen Tristan's wife. Now Bella was back, making a big splash at the company to to declare her relationship with Tristan!
Everyone was buzzing, waiting to see how this drama would unfold.
A junior employee sidled up to Katniss, itching to gossip. "Is Tristan gonna marry Bella?"
Katniss was trying to wrap her head around it too, but she wasn't about to spill her secret before it was out in the open.
After all, she'd be booted from the company sooner or later, so she might as well hang on for one more day.
By "hang on," she just meant her assistant gig.
Katniss sipped her coffee in the break room, eavesdropping on the office chatter about everything from looks to the six-year wait, and of course, Tristan's mysterious wife.
Some even joked about getting Tristan drunk at a company retreat to make him spill the beans.
But she wanted to laugh and say, no matter how much Tristan drank, he wouldn't say a word; he didn't even recognize his own wife.
When she got back to her desk, she was floored to see Bella sitting in her chair.
"Katniss, you're back?" Bella said sweetly.
"Miss Astor, why aren't you in the office with Mr. Forbes?" Katniss smiled as she walked over.
"He's in a meeting." Bella patted the chair next to her.
This chair was from Tristan's office, meaning Bella planned to stick around for a while.
Seeing Katniss standing there, Bella pulled her to sit down.
"Tristan's got a bad temper. You must get chewed out a lot working with him, huh?"
Katniss felt super awkward, not sure what Bella was after, and kept a professional smile. "It's not too bad," she said.
"You've been with Tristan for so long, you must be really dedicated." Bella praised her, "Martin's assistant, Samuel Bennett, gets yelled at all the time. You're way better than him."
"Is Tristan very busy?" Bella kept asking, not caring that Katniss wasn't really responding.
She asked, and Katniss had to answer, "Yes, very busy. Leaving work at ten at night is considered early."
"Can you send me Tristan's schedule?" Bella waved her phone and said, "Just send it on Facebook."
Katniss finally got why Bella added her on Facebook.
She politely declined, "Sorry, Miss Astor, Mr. Forbes's schedule is confidential."
Bella pleaded, "You know our relationship. Can't you make an exception for me?"
"Miss Astor, please don't make it hard for me." It was professional ethics, nothing else.
Bella sighed, "It's really tough for me. You won't even help me. If I can sweet-talk Tristan, I believe he can convince Grandma Forbes."
Katniss thought Bella was too naive. If Tristan could handle Adelaide, he wouldn't have agreed to the marriage six years ago.
Katniss and Tristan's marriage was actually a deal between Tristan and Adelaide.
So without Adelaide's okay, he couldn't get a divorce.
"I came back to make it up to him. Can you help me with something?"
Bella looked at her hopefully, and Katniss found it hard to refuse the innocent Bella.
"Miss Astor, I'll help with anything I can."
Bella finally smiled, "I haven't arranged it yet. I'll hit you up on Facebook once I have everything set up!"
Bella was about to say more when the intercom buzzed.
"Bring me a cup of coffee."
Before Katniss could get up, Bella jumped up, "Leave these small tasks to me from now on. You focus on your work!"
Katniss pinched her brow, trying to concentrate, but she kept thinking about what Bella and Tristan were doing in the office.
"Katniss, I heard Mr. Forbes's first love is back?"
Jessica, with makeup that didn't suit her age, anxiously stood in front of her desk and whispered.
"What are you gonna do? Are you just gonna let him use you for two years for nothing?"
Katniss frowned slightly, "My business is none of your concern. Don't wander around during work hours; get back to work."