His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 637

The next morning, Bella stood outside Hazel’s penthouse, a basket of fresh pastries in one hand and a small bouquet of flowers in the other. She’d texted ahead, and Hazel had said to come anytime.

The door opened before she could knock.

Hazel stood there, dressed casually—dark jeans, a soft gray sweater, her hair loose and falling over the scarred side of her face. She looked tired, like she hadn’t slept much either.

"You brought food," Hazel said, her lips curving.

"I brought breakfast," Bella said, stepping inside.

The penthouse was beautiful—clean lines, large windows, a view of the city sprawling below. Morning light flooded the living room, making everything look warm and golden. It was hard to believe that just hours ago, someone had been shooting at them in a garden.

Bella set the pastries on the coffee table and looked around. "Where’s Dom? Still sleeping?"

Hazel nodded toward the hallway. "Guest room. He was up late."

"Up late doing what?"

Hazel’s expression flickered. "Talking to Jason. His flight is tonight. They wanted to say a proper goodbye. Jason was worried after hearing about the incident."

Dom and Jason lived together, and when Dom didn’t come back home, Jason had gotten worried and called him. Dom had explained he couldn’t risk going home and putting Jason in danger. Only then had Jason calmed down, though he’d made Dom promise to text him every hour until he left.

Bella nodded slowly. Jason was leaving for months—races, traveling, a whole new season. Dom and Jason had been friends since they were kids. It made sense they’d want time.

She followed Hazel into the kitchen, watching her make coffee. The penthouse was quiet, comfortable. Dom’s jacket hung by the door. A pair of his shoes were lined up neatly near the entryway. A small bag of his things sat on the counter—toiletries, a change of clothes, the things Hazel must have brought over for him.

"He’s staying in the guest room?" Bella asked.

Hazel glanced at her. "Where else would he stay?"

"I don’t know. The couch? Some people find couches comfortable."

Hazel shrugged. "He’s a guest. He gets a room."

Bella smiled. "Makes sense."

They carried the coffee and pastries to the living room, settling in. Hazel sat on the couch. Bella took the armchair.

Dom shuffled out a few minutes later, his hair a mess, his bandaged hands wrapped around a mug Hazel must have given him earlier. He was wearing clean jeans and a soft gray t-shirt and looked like he’d just woken up. His eyes were still heavy with sleep, but when he saw Hazel, he smiled.

"Morning," Bella said.

He collapsed into the armchair across from her, yawning. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten."

He groaned. "I never sleep this late. I’m a morning person. I wake up at six. I do yoga. I drink green juice."

"You were up late," Hazel said. "Talking to Jason."

Dom’s face softened. "His flight’s tonight. I wanted to make sure we had time before he left."

Bella watched him take a bite of pastry, watched the way his eyes kept drifting to Hazel. "How are you feeling? After last night?"

Dom paused mid-chew. For a moment, his usual humor faded. "Honestly? I was pretty shaken up. It’s not every day someone shoots at you."

Hazel’s jaw tightened. "It won’t happen again."

"I know." Dom looked at her. "I’m not worried about staying here. You’ve got everything under control."

Hazel’s expression softened, just slightly. "The guest room is comfortable. You can stay as long as you need."

Bella watched them. The way Dom’s shoulders relaxed when Hazel spoke. The way Hazel’s hand rested on the couch cushion between them, not touching, but close. The way they seemed to forget she was even there.

"How long are you staying?" Bella asked.

Dom shrugged. "Until they find the shooter. Hazel said it’s fine."

"The guest room was empty anyway," Hazel added. "It’s not a big deal."

Bella nodded slowly. She thought about Dom’s house, empty now, Jason leaving tonight. She thought about him coming home to silence tomorrow, no one to talk to, no one to make him laugh. She thought about him here, in Hazel’s penthouse, with her coffee and her flowers and her guest room.

"Jason must be worried about you," she said. "Leaving right after what happened."

Dom’s expression flickered. "He was. We talked about it. He wanted to cancel his flight, stay here until they found whoever did it."

Bella’s eyebrows rose. "What did you tell him?"

"That he’s been waiting for this season for years. That I’d be fine. That Hazel’s taking care of me." He glanced at Hazel. "He made me promise to be careful. And to text him every day."

"That sounds like Jason," Bella said.

"He also made Hazel promise to keep me alive." Dom grinned. "She said she’d do her best."

Hazel’s lips twitched. "I said I’d try."

"Very reassuring."

"You’re still alive."

"Barely."

Bella laughed. "You two are strange."

They ate in comfortable silence for a while, the pastries disappearing one by one. Bella watched Dom steal a piece of fruit from Hazel’s plate, watched Hazel pretend to be annoyed, watched the way they moved around each other like they’d been doing it for years.

"So," Bella said eventually, "what’s the plan for today? Are you going out, or staying in?"

Hazel glanced at Dom. "Staying in. I have some calls to make. Dom needs to rest."

"I don’t need to rest," Dom said.

"You have bandages on both hands."

"They’re just scrapes."

"You’re staying in."

Dom opened his mouth, probably to argue, then closed it. "Okay."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "That easy?"

Dom shrugged, but he was looking at Hazel. "She’s very scary when she’s bossy."

"I’m not bossy," Hazel said.

"You literally just told me what to do."

"I suggested."

"You ordered."

Hazel’s lips twitched. "Are you complaining?"

Dom smiled, slow and warm. "No."

Bella watched them, and something clicked into place.

The way Dom looked at Hazel. The way he leaned toward her when she spoke. The way he stole food from her plate just to make her look at him. The way he said her name.

Oh.

Dom liked Hazel.