Next day, Bella could feel it the way Leo's eyes stayed on her for a heartbeat longer when she came downstairs, the way he brushed his thumb over her wrist when he handed her the salt at breakfast. Something in his gaze seemed… softer. Or maybe heavier? She wasn't sure but before she could figure it out, he was gone for work, as usual, leaving her with her thoughts and her quiet routine in the big house
Meanwhile, far away in the towering Moretti Group building, Leonardo was deep in his work. His huge office was bathed in cold daylight spilling through floor-to-ceiling windows. He was reviewing security updates on his laptop when a knock came on the glass door. Leo didn't look up. "Come in."
His assistant stepped in, nervous fingers clutching a folder to his chest. "Sir… Mr. Ford says he has a lead on the hacker you asked about."
The air shifted. Leo's hands stilled on the keyboard. He slowly looked up, his eyes sharp and blank, like a blade catching light. "Send him in."
