CHAPTER 174: CHAPTER 174 MISCHIEVOUS BELLA

Leonardo stepped inside, one hand loosening the collar of his black shirt, his other hand running through his messy hair like he was still lost in thought. His sleeves were rolled up, the top button undone, and his eyes lazily scanned the living room as he walked in.

Bella’s brain immediately short-circuited.

He looked... hot.

She forgot how to breathe.

Oh no. He’s too hot today. My revenge plan is collapsing. My heart is not cooperating!

But Jay elbowed her lightly, whispering, "Now. Go, say it!"

And Bella stood up from the couch, puffed her cheeks, pointed dramatically at Leonardo and shouted the exact words Jay had taught her:

"Ciaaao, belliiiiissimo!!"

Leonardo stopped mid-step, one eyebrow raised, clearly caught off guard.

"...What did you just say?" he asked, voice low and bit shocked.

Bella grinned, full of smug energy. "Ciao... bellisssssssimo." she said again, dragging the word longer and standing tall with a smug little smirk, like she had just cursed him with the fiercest insult in history.

But Leonardo didn’t look angry.

He looked at his little brother, who was standing behind the couch grinning and sticking out his tongue like a naughty child. Then his gaze returned to Bella, who looked so satisfied and proud of herself.

Leonardo’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his lips were already twitching.

Of course he knew what it meant. She just called him "Hello, beautiful."

He immediately turned around to hide the smile climbing onto his face.

"Don’t call me that," he said casually, his voice calm but his ears slightly red.

Then he started walking toward the stairs, a funny little smile tugging at his lips, even as he tried to keep his face serious.

But Bella wasn’t done yet.

She ran behind him, skipping a little as she shouted again, louder this time.

"Ciaaaaao, belllllliiiissimooo!!"

Leonardo didn’t turn around. He only walked faster, pretending to be annoyed while secretly biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing.

His footsteps grew faster, like he was running away, but his heart was definitely not.

Bella watched him disappear up the stairs and then came back down slowly, holding her arms behind her back like an innocent girl who’d just pulled the ultimate prank.

She looked smug.

Jay was already laughing.

"Bella, you did very good!" he said between giggles.

Bella puffed her chest proudly. "Thanks to you, Jay-Jay! You’re the best teacher ever!"

Jay winked. "Tomorrow, we level up. Next insult, more spicy!"

Bella’s eyes sparkled. "I’m ready!"

Upstairs, Leonardo leaned on the stair railing, listening.

He was still smiling, even if they couldn’t see it.

"Bellissimo, hmm..." he murmured under his breath, his voice warm. "She really thinks that’s an insult."

And for some reason...

He didn’t want her to stop calling him that.

***

Lina and Alessandro had gone out for some work and were going to meet them directly at Alexa’s wedding venue the next day. Which meant...

Dinner was just the three of them.

Jay, Leo, and Bella.

And Bella? She was smug.

Her cheeks were glowing with pride, her eyes sparkled with silent victory, and she kept glancing at Leo like a mischievous little fox.

They all sat down at the table, the warm smell of roasted vegetables and pasta filling the air. The plates clinked, and Jay reached for the water jug when Bella suddenly cleared her throat loudly.

She looked straight at Leo with puffed cheeks and her hands folded like a polite student.

"Ciao, belliiiiiissimo~" she said sweetly, dragging the word like she was stabbing him with sparkles.

Leo paused mid-pour.

His fork hovered.

His jaw twitched slightly.

He turned his head slowly toward her, one eyebrow raised. "Don’t call me that."

But there was a very small, almost invisible smile tugging at his lips.

Bella, however, took this as pure success.

She bit her lower lip, her eyes shining as she looked down at her plate, clearly holding back a giggle.

Jay, across from her, gave her a secret thumbs up under the table.

Throughout dinner, Bella kept stealing glances at Leo and humming to herself. And right after dinner, while she was walking past Leo, she leaned a little closer and whispered:

"Ciaoooo, bellisssssssimo~"

Leo didn’t even blink.

He just turned to look at her with narrowed eyes. "You’re pushing your luck."

Bella skipped away like a happy little squirrel.

Jay was wheezing with laughter.

By the time she changed into her pajamas and snuggled into bed, Bella had the biggest smile on her face. She hugged her plushie and stared at the ceiling.

"Victory," she whispered proudly.

She didn’t know the real meaning of the word. She had no clue that Leo knew she was basically calling him beautiful. She thought she had cleverly insulted him in Italian.

And so, she slept very peacefully that night...

...believing she had defeated Leonardo Moretti.

***

The next morning, sunlight spilled gently through the thin white curtains, bathing Bella’s room in soft golden light. The warmth slowly spread across the floor, kissed the edges of her blanket, and reached the little lump curled in the middle of the bed.

Bella was still sleeping, her cheek resting against her plushie Berry, arms wrapped around it like a precious treasure.

In the sunlight, her brown hair glowed with soft caramel hues, a few strands gently falling over her forehead. Her skin looked fair and warm, touched by the soft blush of sleep. Even the tiny imperfections on her face like the faint little bump on her nose or the barely-there crease on her cheek—looked beautifully natural. Like a painting that didn’t need correction.

Her long lashes lay still, casting soft shadows. But soon, they fluttered.

She blinked slowly, eyebrows twitching a little before her eyes finally opened halfway.

"Mmm..."

A long, sleepy yawn escaped her lips as she stretched one arm above her head, still clinging to Berry with the other.

Her first thought was... Can I skip today?

Because today was Alexa’s wedding, and as much as she loved pretty dresses and food, Bella really wanted to roll back into her blanket like a sleepy burrito.

But... she was also responsible. So, with a tiny sigh, she sat up.

Ten minutes later, she was brushing her teeth with puffy eyes, staring at herself in the mirror.

"You can do this," she mumbled with foam in her mouth.

After her bath, she changed into a soft yellow dress that reached just below her knees, with tiny white flowers embroidered at the ends. It was simple, pretty, and made her cheeks look brighter.

She added a small hairpin, grabbed her phone, and finally made her way downstairs barefoot, her steps light and quiet.

The house smelled like toast and coffee.