His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 545 Healing

"Good," Leo said. "Start."

Dom pointed a frantic finger at Jason. "He is exaggerating!"

Jason didn’t miss a beat. He raised his hand as if taking an oath. "I have receipts."

That did it. Bella finally lost her battle for composure. A light, genuine laugh escaped her, sweet and clear, cutting through the last of the tense atmosphere in the room. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Leo glanced at her, and the remaining coldness in his eyes softened, just for her. Then he looked back at Dom, who was staring at him with the wide-eyed hope of a condemned man seeing a possible pardon.

"You are not dying today," Leo said calmly.

Dom exhaled in a massive, shuddering rush, his shoulders slumping as if the strings holding him up had been cut. He looked like he had just been reborn.

"But," Leo added, the word stopping Dom’s relief instantly, "you are paying me back."

Dom’s head bobbed in frantic, immediate agreement. "Yes. Of course. Absolutely. Payment is a beautiful concept. I love payment. I am very pro-payment."

Jason clapped him on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of him. "Look at you. Survived another day."

"Barely," Dom muttered, shooting a wary glance at the gun still resting near Leo.

Bella just watched the scene, shaking her head softly, a smile still playing on her lips.

"Since you are so... financially challenged," Leo said, leaning back with a more relaxed air, that familiar sharp smirk settling comfortably on his lips, "I will show mercy. Only because you are Bella’s friend."

Dom straightened instantly, puffing out his chest as if he had just been handed a medal of honor instead of a stay of execution.

"Though," Leo added, his eyes glinting with a darker promise, "next time, I will not."

Dom nodded so aggressively it was a wonder his neck didn’t protest. "Understood. Deeply understood. Life lesson absorbed. Etched into my soul."

Leo continued, his voice calm but laced with quiet amusement. "You will become my assistant. For one month."

Dom blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Processing. Then his entire face transformed. The fear and tension melted away, replaced by a brilliant, blinding grin. It was the look of a man who had just been told all his taxes were canceled forever.

"Sure! Sure! How easy!" he exclaimed, the words bursting out of him. "Assistant! I can do that! I am excellent at assisting! What does that involve exactly? Scheduling? Digital management? Light espionage?"

Bella covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes dancing. She knew, with absolute certainty, that Dom had just wildly misunderstood the nature of the position.

Jason folded his arms, voicing the obvious. "You do realize ’assistant’ means work, right? Actual physical and mental labor? Not just looking pretty and offering unsolicited tech advice?"

Dom waved a dismissive hand, his confidence fully restored. "Pfft. Details. I am emotionally ready for responsibility. I thrive under structure."

Leo let out a quiet, genuinely amused laugh, the sound rough but real, and shook his head slightly, as if marveling at the creature in front of him.

Then his eyes, which had been warm with humor, flickered with a new, sharper idea. The amusement remained, but now it was edged with purpose.

"And," Leo added casually, though the word carried weight, "start packing your bag. You are coming with me to my cousin’s wedding."

Dom froze. Then his expression flipped from dread to pure delight. "SURE! Sure!" he chirped immediately, as if he had just been invited on a free cruise. "Free food. Open bar. Emotional-support wedding dancing. I am fully committed. What’s the dress code? Black-tie offensive or casually devastating?"

Bella muffled a laugh into her palm.

Jason, who had been enjoying the show, suddenly straightened like a meerkat sensing opportunity. His eyes widened. "I ALSO want to come!" he announced, like he was calling dibs on the last slice of pizza. "I also want free food. And cake. I have emotional needs that can only be met by high-end catering."

Dom immediately pointed at him. "Yes. He can carry luggage."

Jason walked toward him and shoved his hand away. "I am not luggage staff."

"You eat like luggage staff," Dom shot back.

Leo watched them both with the weary patience of a zookeeper observing particularly noisy penguins.

Jason turned his most persuasive grin toward Leo. "Seriously, bro. I should come. For security reasons."

"Security?" Leo repeated, one brow lifting in pure skepticism.

"Yes," Jason said confidently. "To protect the wedding cake from Dom."

Bella laughed out loud this time.

Dom gasped. "I am offended. I only steal expensive desserts."

Leo sighed softly. "Both of you are exhausting," he said.

"Is that a yes?" Jason asked immediately.

Leo looked at Bella.

Then back at them.

"...We will discuss it," he said.

Jason pumped his fist anyway. "I heard yes."

Dom nodded seriously. "Same."

Bella shook her head, smiling, and Leo watched all of them quietly, that faint smile still resting on his lips.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

"I’m used to injuries. It isn’t a big deal," he said, though a cold, dangerous glint passed through his eyes for a second. "And we still have to attend my cousin’s wedding."

"Okay," Bella said, her voice firm, almost scolding. "But you will not overwork like you used to. You didn’t take your injury seriously before. So now, if you feel any pain, any strain, you tell me immediately."

She was standing between his legs where he sat at the edge of the bed, and he looked up at her with a gaze that was already shifting from distant to intensely present.

"Oh?" His eyes darkened slightly, warm with amusement and something deeper. "Anything?"

Bella nodded, completely earnest. "Anything."

Before she could step back, his hands moved. They were not hesitant or careful. They were sure, strong, and deliberate, sliding around her hips and pulling her down firmly onto his thighs. The movement was controlled, but it carried a possessiveness that made her breath catch.

"Leo!" she protested, a glare forming in her eyes as she tried to push herself back up, but his arms wrapped securely around her waist, anchoring her against him.

He buried his face into the curve of her neck, breathing her in deeply, as if he had been starved of her presence. His exhale was warm and unsteady against her skin.

"God, Bunny," he murmured, his voice low and rough with restraint. "Do you have any idea how hard this has been? You’ve been right here, taking care of me, and I couldn’t even hold you the way I needed to."

Her heart stuttered, the protest fading in her throat.

"You’re injured," she said softly, even as her hands lifted and rested on his shoulders, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.

"I’m healing," he corrected, his lips brushing the sensitive skin beneath her ear. "It doesn’t hurt the way you think it does."