His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 628 Shocking entrance
Where were they?
He took another drink, slower this time, letting the glass linger at his lips. His fingers were long and elegant wrapped around the crystal, his suit jacket open, his posture relaxed but coiled, like a predator waiting.
His tie was loose enough to show the column of his throat. His shirt was fitted, stretching across his shoulders when he moved. The dim bar light caught the sharp line of his jaw, the slight shadow of stubble, the way his throat moved when he swallowed.
He didn’t look at anyone. Didn’t need to. He knew people were looking at him, the women across the room, the men sizing him up, the staff who recognized the name. But his focus was on the door. On the two people who should have walked through it by now.
He finished his drink in one long swallow, the ice clinking against the glass. Set it down. Signaled for another.
The bartender refilled it quickly, professionally, not daring to make small talk.
Leo leaned back slightly, his arm resting along the edge of the bar. The fabric of his suit pulled across his chest. His eyes were half-lidded, dark and unreadable, fixed on the entrance.
Jay and Bella walked into the restaurant, the warm light spilling across the marble floor, the low hum of conversation wrapping around them like a blanket. Jay was talking with the manager near the entrance, sorting out something about their reservation, his hand gesturing animatedly, his voice light and easy.
Bella stood beside him, waiting, her eyes drifting across the room.
The restaurant was beautiful, high ceilings, soft amber lighting, tables draped in cream linen. Crystal glasses caught the light, and the faint sound of piano drifted from somewhere deeper inside. People sat in clusters, laughing, drinking, lost in their own worlds.
And then her eyes landed on a specific table.
Her breath caught.
Miss J was there.
Sitting at a large round table near the window, surrounded by people Bella recognized. Theo. Freya. And others, family by the looks of it. The table was warm with laughter, plates of food being passed around, wine glasses clinking in easy celebration.
Bella watched as Miss J, Jocelyne, leaned back in her chair, her dark hair swept up elegantly, wearing a soft cream blouse that made her look luminous. She was laughing at something Theo had said, her whole face bright with joy.
Then she reached over and pulled Freya into a warm hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead like it was the most natural thing in the world. Freya beamed, wrapping her arms around Jocelyne’s waist. Theo said something that made the whole table laugh, and Jocelyne reached over and tapped his forehead lightly, scolding him with mock severity.
They looked so happy. So close. So like a family.
Bella bit her lip.
Something twisted in her chest.
Why did her chest feel so tight?
She looked away, her eyes stinging.
Jealousy.
The word surfaced in her mind, ugly and unfamiliar. Jealousy. She was jealous. Of Theo and Freya. Of the way they got to sit with Jocelyne, laugh with her, be part of her life in a way Bella wasn’t.
She didn’t have the right to be jealous. She’d only met Miss J once. They’d exchanged numbers, talked on the phone, shared secrets. But that didn’t make them family. That didn’t make her daughter, or niece, or anything at all.
Bella blinked hard, forcing the feeling down.
"Let’s go, Bella!" Jay’s voice cut through her thoughts, bright and eager. He grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the private banquet hall where everyone else was waiting. "Everyone’s going to lose their minds when they see me. I’m ready for it. Bring on the gasps, the applause, the marriage proposals—" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Bella laughed, letting him pull her along, pushing the feeling deeper. "Marriage proposals?"
"I’m very handsome now, Bella Bell. People are going to want to lock this down."
They reached the entrance to the banquet hall. Jay paused, smoothing his jacket, running a hand through his dark hair. He looked nervous suddenly, beneath the bravado.
"Ready?" he asked.
She squeezed his hand. "Ready."
He pushed open the door.
The room was full, tables arranged in a wide circle, people laughing and talking, drinks in hand. The noise was comfortable, familiar. And then the conversation died.
Heads turned. Forks paused mid-air. Glasses hovered halfway to lips.
Jay stepped forward, Bella beside him, and the room went completely silent.
First, the eyes went to Jay. Or rather, to his hair.
The pink was gone. The bright, unmistakable, Jay-defining pink was gone. In its place was dark, rich brown, styled back from his face, showing the sharp lines of his features, the strong jaw, the high cheekbones that everyone had somehow missed before.
He looked like a Moretti. He looked like Leo’s brother.
Someone’s glass clinked as it was set down too hard. A woman whispered something to the person beside her. Jay’s hand tightened around Bella’s, but his face stayed calm, confident.
Then the eyes moved to her.
Bella felt the shift, their attention moving from Jay to her. She stood a little straighter, her red lips curving into a small smile.
She was Leo’s wife. They all knew that. They were just looking because they were naturally curious about Leo’s wife.
Jay leaned down slightly, his voice low. "They’re staring."
"They’re staring at you," she whispered back.
"They’re staring at you. My brother’s going to combust."
She almost laughed. Then her eyes found him.
Leo was in the corner. Leaning against the bar. Drink in hand. His tie was loose, his shirt open at the collar, his jacket unbuttoned. His eyes were fixed on her with an intensity that made her stomach flip.
He didn’t look at Jay. Didn’t look at anyone else. Just her.
His throat moved as he swallowed. His fingers tightened around his glass.
Bella’s heart stuttered.
Beside her, Jay grinned. "Told you."
And Jace stood near the far wall, a glass of water in his hand, long forgotten. His blue eyes, those icy, intense blue eyes that could cut through anyone else, were fixed on Jay with an expression that made Jay’s stomach flip.
