CHAPTER 261: CHAPTER 261

Her mouth opened in shock. "Feed you?"

He leaned back in his chair, arms crossing over his broad chest. "Yes. Or else I will go back to work."

Bella gaped at him, her face turning red as she realized he was serious. "Y-you’re impossible," she muttered, but she turned on her heel and went to fetch the tray anyway.

Behind her, Leo’s lips curved a little more. He wasn’t sure what was more satisfying—the thought of finally eating breakfast, or the sight of his little bunny flustered beyond words.

Bella carried the breakfast tray back into his office and saw him already working again, his eyes fixed on the screen as if nothing else existed.

She placed the tray on his desk with a small sigh and looked at him expectantly.

"I wasn’t joking earlier," Leo said, his gaze still on the laptop.

Bella puffed her cheeks, pouting. "You’re impossible."

"You eat first," he said calmly, flipping a page of the file beside him. "Then feed me later."

Her brows knit together. "But there’s only one fork..."

"That’s because I only ordered for you," Leo replied, rolling his eyes as if it were obvious.

Bella blinked, caught off guard. "You..." She shook her head, muttering under her breath as she picked up the fork.

Taking a small bite herself, she chewed quickly, then glanced at him. He was still working, completely unbothered. With her lips pressing together in determination, she scooped another bite and lifted the fork toward him.

"Here," she said softly.

Only then did Leo finally look up, his gray eyes catching hers. For a moment, he just stared at her, silent, before leaning slightly forward and parting his lips. He accepted the bite without breaking eye contact, chewing slowly as if testing her resolve.

Bella’s heart skipped, heat rushing to her cheeks. She quickly looked away and shoved another bite into her own mouth, pretending it was nothing.

But Leo’s lips curved faintly, the barest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner. "Not bad," he murmured, his voice low. "You make it almost enjoyable."

Bella’s eyes snapped back to him. "It’s just food!" she protested, embarrassed.

"Maybe," Leo said lazily, leaning back in his chair. "But when you feed me... it tastes better."

Bella nearly choked on her bite, while Leo calmly returned to his papers as if he hadn’t just thrown her heart into chaos.

Leo’s heart felt strangely hot as she leaned in with the fork, feeding him bite after bite. He hadn’t expected something so simple to feel this intimate, but the moment her hand moved toward him, her fingers delicate and unsure, the warmth spread through his chest like fire.

Bella’s cheeks were flushed pink, her lashes lowered as if she couldn’t meet his eyes. She chewed her own bites quickly, then hesitated each time before lifting the same fork toward him again. The thought made her blush harder, but she didn’t stop.

Leo let his gaze linger on her face as he accepted another bite. Her lips had just touched the same fork, and now it was between his teeth. The thought made his chest tighten even more, and for a fleeting second, he wondered if she realized how close it felt, almost like an indirect kiss.

Bella’s hand trembled slightly as she pulled the fork back. "Y-you’re eating too slowly," she muttered, trying to mask her embarrassment.

Leo’s lips curved faintly, his eyes never leaving her. "Or maybe," he drawled, his voice low, "I’m enjoying the way you feed me."

Her blush deepened, and she quickly shoved another bite into her own mouth to avoid answering. Leo leaned back slightly, his smirk soft but dangerous, the taste of food forgotten in the heat of the moment.

For him, it wasn’t breakfast anymore. It was the way her hands shook, the way her lips curved nervously, and the way the same fork touched both their mouths.

After they finished eating, Bella told him she wanted to go home. Leo studied her quietly, his gray eyes unreadable, then finally gave a small nod. He called someone to escort her to the driver.

Bella left with a smile, her steps lighter than before. She had missed home and her own bed, though now she had to stay in Leo’s room. With those thoughts swirling, she left the office.

The room fell silent again. Minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," Leo called.

Jeffrey walked in with his usual cheerful energy, holding a tablet under his arm. He slid into the seat opposite Leo, leaning forward with a grin.

"Sir," Jeffrey began, tapping the screen, "I finished checking. I compared sister-in-law’s work to that hacker’s patterns. They don’t match." He smiled as if delivering good news. "So your wife isn’t that hacker. But I’ll admit, she’s still surprisingly good at it."

Leo’s eyes lifted slowly from the papers on his desk. "Not the hacker?" he repeated, his tone flat.

"No, sir. I double-checked the codes and traces. Her style is different. Cleaner, almost like she learned on her own. The hacker we’ve been chasing has a more aggressive, sharp and wild pattern. Bella’s approach is simpler, softer." Jeffrey tilted his head. "Honestly, I think she just has raw talent."

Leo leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the armrest. His face gave little away, but a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes.

Jeffrey noticed. "You thought it was her, didn’t you?" he asked carefully.

Leo’s jaw tightened. He didn’t answer immediately, but his gaze darkened as he recalled yesterday—Bella’s sharp focus, the speed of her fingers, the way she had uncovered the missing footage so easily. No ordinary woman could do that, not without years of training.

After Jeffrey left, Leo leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on nothing. His mind replayed every detail of Bella’s face when she worked—the focus, the sharpness, the way her fingers danced across the keys. Suspicion and fascination tangled inside him until he finally forced himself to shake it off. There was work to be done.

He pulled a file closer, flipping through documents, marking details, his pen scratching steadily across the page. For a while, the only sound in the office was the quiet hum of the air conditioning and the tick of the clock.

Then his phone buzzed on the desk. Leo answered immediately, his voice clipped.

"Speak."

"Sir," a man’s voice came through, tense and urgent, "we need your presence. The shipment has been delayed at the docks. Customs are sniffing around, asking questions. If we don’t move now, it could draw unwanted attention."