His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 619 Constipated guilty face?
Leo paced slowly behind his desk. "I need you to get me painting things."
A pause. "Painting... things, sir?"
"Colors. Canvas. Brushes." He waved a hand vaguely, though no one could see. "Whatever people use when they paint."
Assistant 5’s voice perked up with understanding. "Ah! You mean painting tools and materials, sir? Easels, paints, brushes, canvases, that sort of thing?"
"Yes." Leo stopped pacing. "That. Get me high quality ones. The best available."
"Absolutely, sir. Any particular type of paint? Oil? Acrylic? Watercolor?"
Leo frowned. He hadn’t thought that far. "All of them."
"...All of them, sir?"
"Yes. And instruction books. Whatever beginners need."
Another pause, longer this time. Then, carefully: "Sir... are you planning to paint?"
Leo’s jaw tightened. "Is that a problem?"
"No, sir! Not at all, sir! I’ll have everything delivered within the hour." Assistant 5’s voice was impressively professional, though Leo could hear the barely suppressed curiosity. "Anything else?"
"No. That’s all."
"On it, sir!"
Leo hung up and immediately scrolled to another contact.
Assistant 6 answered with crisp seriousness. "Hello, sir."
"I’m sending you a list," Leo said, already typing. "Get these delivered to the house within hours."
"Yes, sir. Right away."
Leo ended the call and set his phone down, staring at the wall for a long moment.
He’d never painted before. Not once. Art had never been part of his world, too soft, too unnecessary for the life he’d been raised in. But that didn’t matter.
He would learn.
He would make something beautiful for her. Something that showed her, showed her in a way words couldn’t, that he saw her. That he appreciated her. That he wanted to be the reason for that light in her eyes.
Nothing was impossible for him, and neither was this.
****
Meanwhile, Bella didn’t talk to or approach Leo after their almost-conversation in the kitchen doorway.
She didn’t avoid him exactly. She just... gave him space.
She went to the garden.
Her little chipmunks were waiting for her, as always. The bold one with the scar on his ear scampered right up to her feet the moment she sat down, twitching his nose impatiently.
"Hungry?" Bella laughed, scattering nuts and seeds on the flat stone. "You’re always hungry."
Three more appeared from the bushes, tiny faces peeking out before darting forward to join the feast. Bella watched them with pure contentment, her legs crossed beneath her, the sun warm on her face.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Miss J. Jocelyne.
A painting inspired by her. A painting called Isabella’s Light.
Her cheeks hurt from smiling.
"You look happy."
Bella looked up to find Jay dropping onto the grass beside her, grinning like he’d just discovered a secret treasure.
"Mind if I join?" he asked, already making himself comfortable.
"You’re already here."
"Details." He stretched out on the grass, arms behind his head, staring up at the sky. After a moment, he glanced at her. "So. Looks like you and bro caught up?"
Bella smiled softly, lying back on the grass. The blades tickled her arms, soft and cool. "I guess."
"Just ’I guess’? Come on, Bella Bell, give me details." Jay turned his head to look at her. "He’s been walking around with that constipated guilty face all morning. Something happened."
Bella laughed, a real, warm sound. "Constipated guilty face?"
"Very specific expression. I know it well." He grinned. "So? Spill."
Bella looked up at the clouds drifting lazily overhead. "We talked. A little. I told him how I felt. He listened." She paused. "I think... I think he understood."
"That’s it?"
"That’s enough for now."
Jay was quiet for a moment. Then he laid back fully, copying her pose, staring at the same sky.
"I get it," he said softly. "Why you like this garden so much."
Bella glanced at him. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. It’s peaceful here. Quiet. Nothing’s trying to kill you or impress you or judge you." He exhaled slowly. "Just grass and trees and little fuzzy things eating nuts."
Bella smiled, looking back at the clouds. "Exactly."
They lay there in comfortable silence.
The chipmunks finished their feast and scampered away.
"So," Bella said, turning her head to look sideways at Jay, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "who made the first move? You or Jace? I’m curious."
Jay’s smirk widened. He didn’t even hesitate. "What do you think?"
Bella pretended to consider it seriously, tapping her chin. "Hmm... you?"
"Perfect! Correct!" Jay pumped a fist in the air triumphantly. "Jace was so held back, all broody and repressed inside. If I want something, I don’t hesitate. I go for it."
Bella laughed, the sound bright and warm in the quiet garden. "I can totally see that. Jace seems like the type to overthink everything."
"Overthink is his middle name. Jace ’Overthink’ Knight." Jay grinned. "I had to practically sit on him to get him to admit he liked me."
"You sat on him?"
"Figuratively. Mostly." Jay waved a hand. "Point is, someone had to make a move, and it clearly wasn’t going to be him. So I did."
Bella shook her head, still laughing. "And now look at you two. All cute and couple-y."
Jay’s expression softened, something genuine and warm flickering behind his usual humor. "Yeah. Look at us."
They lay in comfortable silence for a moment, watching clouds drift.
Then Jay snorted. "He still overthinks everything, though. This morning he asked me if holding my hand in public was ’too soon.’ We’ve been together for months."
Bella burst into giggles. "No!"
"Yes! I had to grab his hand and shove it in my pocket just to prove a point."
"That’s so cute."
"It’s annoying is what it is." But Jay was smiling. "Worth it, though."
Bella smiled at the sky. "I’m happy for you both."
"I know." Jay reached over and patted her arm awkwardly. "And I’m happy for you and my bro. Even if he’s emotionally constipated."
Bella laughed again. "Emotionally constipated?"
"Very specific condition. Runs in the family." Jay sighed dramatically. "We’re working on it."
Bella laughed, rolling onto her side to face him better. "But tell me, did you fall for Jace at first sight?"
