CHAPTER 208: CHAPTER 208 HER WISH

Bella blinked in shock at the firmness beneath her cheek. She hadn’t meant to notice, but she couldn’t help it—the hard ridges of his abs pressed through the fabric of his shirt, radiating warmth against her skin. Heat rushed to her face, her heart thundering as her fingers unconsciously tightened at his sides.

Leo’s body tensed like a drawn bow. Her touch... it was too much. The soft pressure of her arms, her hesitant closeness—it sent a dangerous ripple through him. His breath came heavier, his throat working as he looked down at her clinging to him like that.

"Bella..." he muttered, his voice husky now, carrying a warning edge. "Do you even know what you’re doing?"

She lifted her gaze slightly, her cheeks flushed pink, but her determination remained. "I just... I just want to go shopping alone. Please, Leo." Her words brushed against his chest as she spoke, warm and trembling, making his self-control strain further.

For a long moment, his hand hovered in the air, unsure if he should push her away or pull her closer. His fingers twitched before finally settling on the top of her head, his palm pressing gently but firmly as though to ground himself.

"You don’t play fair, Bella," he said lowly, his lips curling in a faint, humorless smile. His gray eyes darkened, the restraint in them palpable. "You think wrapping yourself around me like this will make me give in?"

Bella’s heart stuttered. She didn’t know why she had acted so impulsively, but now that she was in his arms, she couldn’t bring herself to let go. She shook her head slightly, her voice almost a whisper. "I-I just... don’t want to be caged..."

Something in his chest clenched painfully at her words. He looked down at her, her innocence, her warmth, the stubborn courage beneath her softness. Every fiber in him screamed to protect her—even from herself.

Slowly, deliberately, his hand slid from her head to her chin, lifting her face up toward him again. Her eyes widened as his intense gaze bore into hers, stealing her breath away.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he said in a low growl, his breath brushing her lips. For one dangerous second, it felt like the world itself was holding still around them.

But then he closed his eyes, pulling back slightly, his grip tightening at her chin to keep her from moving closer. His restraint was iron-clad, even if his body burned for the opposite.

"The answer is still no," he finally said, his voice rough.

"No??" Bella’s eyes widened, her soft lips puckering in frustration. "Why??"

"It’s dangerous!" Leo’s voice was firm, edged with that steel command that always silenced a room.

But not her. Not now.

"No—I want to go!" She snapped, shoving him back just enough to make her point, her voice trembling as her emotions surged forward. "My uncle never let me go anywhere since I was a child. Do you know what that’s like?" Her hands curled into fists at her sides, her words spilling faster, louder. "I don’t know anything because of him! I never went shopping like normal girls, I never went to college parties, I never had sleepovers or stayed up late giggling with friends. After marriage, I came here and it’s the same—I still can’t go anywhere!"

Her breath hitched as hot tears filled her eyes. "Girls my age... they go shopping, they go to classes, they take photos, laugh, and have fun. But me? Can you believe I’ve never even been to an amusement park? Never once!" She lifted her hand, angrily wiping at the tears streaming down her face with the back of her hand. "I feel like... like I’m just locked away while the whole world keeps moving without me."

Leo’s chest tightened, a sharp ache stabbing through him at the raw pain in her voice. He had seen Bella pout, he had seen her shy smiles, but this—this was different. Her vulnerability was laid bare, trembling yet fierce, her longing spilling like water through cracks she had been holding shut for years.

"Bella..." he muttered, his voice softer now, almost breaking. He reached toward her, wanting to touch, to comfort, but hesitated when she jerked her head away.

"No!" she said firmly, though her voice quivered. She wiped at her cheeks again and raised her chin, her wide, tear-bright eyes locking on his. "You said you would grant me one wish. Do you remember?" Her lips trembled but her gaze was steady, defiant even through the tears. "My wish is this. Let me have just one day—one day without a cage."

Her words fell into the heavy silence between them, echoing like a vow.

Leo’s breath caught. His hand froze mid-air, his usually unshakable composure faltering. For a man who never bent to anyone, not even to the most powerful men in the underworld, he found himself standing on unsteady ground now, faced with one fragile girl demanding freedom with nothing but her tears and courage.

His throat worked as he swallowed hard, torn between the roaring instinct to protect her at all costs and the undeniable truth that she wasn’t asking to be protected. She was asking to live.

He exhaled slowly, his gray eyes softening, though the storm in them remained. "Bella..." he began, his voice low, heavy with conflict.

But Seeing her looking at him with those tear-filled eyes finally broke through the steel wall he had built. Leo’s jaw tightened, his lips parting as if to argue, but the words caught in his throat. He wanted to say it again—that it was dangerous, that she didn’t understand, that she should ask for another wish instead. But staring at her trembling lips and stubborn, glistening eyes, he couldn’t.

He swallowed hard, his voice low and rough. "Fine."

For a moment, Bella blinked, stunned. Then, slowly, her face lit up like the sun breaking through clouds. A bright, childlike smile bloomed across her lips, wiping away the remnants of her tears.

Before he could prepare himself, she had flung her arms around his waist again, hugging him tight. "Thank you sooooo much!!" she said, her voice bubbling with joy. "You are sooo good, Leo! You’re great!!!"

She rubbed her head against his abdomen like an affectionate kitten, her soft hair brushing against the hard planes of his body.