CHAPTER 344: CHAPTER 344 WHO WERE YOU, DAD?

Bella’s eyes stayed fixed on the soft glow of her monitor screen. The curtains of her private room swayed gently in the afternoon breeze, letting thin streams of sunlight fall over her desk, across her scattered notes and a cup of coffee that had long gone cold.

When William Sir had contacted her for the project the first time, while digging through old files and buried data trails, something had stopped her cold.

Her father’s name.

She blinked, reading it again and again, making sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. Her father had worked with William Sir in his earlier days. The documents were old, the data half-erased and fragmented, but the digital signature was unmistakable.

It shocked her because she had searched for her father before, years ago, using every advanced tool and every hidden network she could access, yet found nothing. Whoever her father had been, he had hidden himself extremely well.

She leaned back slowly, her brows furrowed in thought. It wasn’t surprising, though. She always knew he loved computers and programming—it was something they shared. But now she couldn’t shake the feeling that her father had been more than just a curious man. Maybe he had been a hacker too.

Her gaze drifted to her hand, where a faint ray of sunlight reflected off the silver band—the ring of light, her father’s last gift. She lifted it gently and turned it between her fingers, her thumb brushing over the small engraved letter I.

For a long moment, she just stared at it, her chest tightening.

"Who were you, Dad?" she whispered softly.

She didn’t wear the ring every day, but whenever she missed him, she wore it.

Later that afternoon, around 2:34 p.m., Bella finally pushed her chair back and stretched her arms above her head, letting out a small sigh of relief. She had sorted through all her pending work, organized the last of her files, and cleared every lingering task from her system. The sunlight had shifted to a warm, honeyed hue that poured through her curtains, softening the corners of her quiet room.

Feeling the gentle growl of hunger, she decided to take a small break and headed downstairs. The smell of something fresh greeted her even before she reached the kitchen. Aunt Clara was already there, setting a chilled glass of orange juice on the counter.

"For you, dear. You’ve been locked up there since morning," Clara said warmly.

Bella’s face lit up immediately. "Thank you, Aunt Clara," she said, her voice cheerful as she picked up the glass. The cold sweetness of the juice touched her tongue, and she closed her eyes, savoring the refreshing taste.

Beside the juice, Clara had also left a small plate of her favorite snacks—crispy potato bites and a few butter biscuits. Bella grabbed the plate happily and made her way toward the living room.

The house was peaceful. Jay was resting in his room, probably scrolling through his phone despite claiming to be injured. Leo, as usual, was shut away in his study, busy with his endless meetings and reports.

That left Bella completely free.

She switched on the TV and curled up comfortably on the sofa, pulling a blanket over her lap. The screen flickered to life, the sound of movie previews filling the quiet space. With her snacks beside her, her juice in hand, and a rare afternoon of peace ahead of her, Bella smiled to herself.

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Leo’s day had dragged longer than usual, filled with meetings, reports, and countless phone calls. Yet through it all, one thought kept circling in his mind—her. The memory of Bella’s lips from last night lingered like a faint burn, a reminder that felt almost unreal. He could still taste her breath, still feel that shy warmth trembling against his mouth. It wasn’t just a kiss; it was something that had left a mark he couldn’t shake off.

When he finally finished his work, he didn’t even realize how quickly his feet carried him out of the study. His steps grew quieter as he reached the living room, where the soft glow from the TV painted the walls in gentle colors.

There she was.

His little bunny—half-buried under a fluffy blanket, her knees pulled up, a plate of biscuits beside her, and her wide eyes fixed on the screen as if the whole world depended on the movie’s ending. Her hair was a little messy, her lips soft and pink, and the way she was nibbling her biscuit made him smile at how cute she was.

Without a sound, he walked closer and leaned over her. The faint scent of her shampoo mixed with the sweetness of vanilla biscuits teased his senses. Then, in one swift motion, he scooped her up—blanket and all.

"Leo!" she gasped, blinking up at him, her biscuit falling onto the couch.

But before she could protest, he sat down and stretched across the couch, placing her gently on top of him. She blinked several times, clearly trying to understand what had just happened.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice soft, half-scolding, half-shy.

"I want to watch a movie," he said calmly, his tone as flat as if nothing unusual had happened.

Bella frowned suspiciously, her lips curling into a small pout. "You could have just sat beside me..." she murmured, but she didn’t move away. She tried to turn back toward the screen, pretending to focus on the movie again.

Leo smirked slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching. His large hand rested naturally against her waist, the warmth of her soft body seeping into his skin.

But when she shifted slightly, her back pressing closer against his chest, he felt the change in his breath. His fingers flexed against her waist almost involuntarily, and his jaw tightened as he swallowed hard.

Bella froze when she felt his hand move, her heart thudding loud enough that she could hear it in her ears. The air between them turned warm and thick, like something unspoken had filled the space.

"Are you comfortable?" he murmured near her ear, his voice low and husky, each word brushing against her skin like a whisper.

"Y-yes..." she stammered, though her entire face had turned red.

He chuckled softly, the sound deep and rich. "Good," he said, and his thumb traced a small, absent circle on her waist before he returned to watching the movie as if nothing had happened.