CHAPTER 348: CHAPTER 348 HOW DID YOU LEARN HACKING?

And Leo, seeing her captivated like that, hid a small smile as he leaned against the table, folding his arms. "So," he said softly, his eyes gleaming with mischief, "are we done being angry now, or should I prepare for another interrogation, Bunny?"

Her head snapped up instantly, and the blush on her cheeks returned. "You—! You’re changing the topic!" she stammered, but he only smiled wider.

"I didn’t change the topic," Leo said calmly, setting the metallic piece back onto the worktable. His deep voice carried a lazy steadiness, like he wasn’t the least bit affected by her anger, which of course only made Bella pout harder.

Her hands flew to her hips, and she leaned forward accusingly, her expression a perfect mix of frustration and disbelief. "So you always knew that I’m Isaac, and you still pretended you didn’t know?!" she demanded, her cheeks puffing like an angry bunny.

Leo didn’t respond immediately. He exhaled quietly, his eyes lowering for a moment as he thought. Truthfully, he had wanted to keep pretending he didn’t know. It was amusing, watching her sneak around in hoodies, carrying that oversized backpack, acting so confident yet nervous whenever someone stared too long. But every time he saw her struggling at the mall, waiting for cabs, or running around just to keep her identity safe, it had tugged at him. He couldn’t watch her do all that while he stayed silent.

Finally, he looked back up at her with that unreadable calm. "Well," he said, blinking slowly, "I thought you didn’t want me to know."

Bella’s jaw dropped. "So you just watched me struggle?!" she cried, pretending man was so hard.

He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "You looked adorable while struggling."

Her face turned bright red. "That’s not funny!"

"It’s a little funny," he said under his breath, stepping closer. "Do you know how hard it was to keep a straight face every time you said, ’I am going outside for shopping and hanging out with Scarlett’? You’d even glare at me if I asked what time you’d be back."

"Because I didn’t want you to find out!" Bella huffed, taking a step back, though her heart was already racing from how close he stood. "You were supposed to think I was just... going out!"

Leo chuckled softly, the sound deep and warm. "Oh, I knew exactly where you were going, Bunny." He leaned down slightly, his gray eyes glinting with amusement. "You’re not very good at hiding from me."

Bella puffed her cheeks again, completely flustered. "You—ugh! You’re impossible!"

"I’m observant," he corrected. "Big difference."

She stomped her foot lightly, her pout only making his lips curve into that faint, teasing smile. "Next time, I won’t tell you anything," she declared, turning away.

"Sure," he said easily, leaning back against the table. "Anyway, you can’t hide anything from me."

Her head whipped back instantly. "You, you, you—"

"Bunny," he said in that low, knowing tone, the kind that made her pulse skip, "I’ve known you long enough to tell when you’re hiding something. And I don’t mind. Just... don’t hide from me next time."

Bella froze. Her anger faltered under the quiet sincerity in his voice.

Leo reached out, brushing his fingers gently through her hair, his touch so warm that it sent a soft shiver down her spine. "You don’t have to fight everything alone," he murmured. "Even if you’re Isaac, you’re still my Bella."

Her lips parted, words lost somewhere between her fluster and his warmth. "You’re... annoying," she muttered weakly.

Leo found it unbearably cute when Bella quietly pulled a stool beside him and climbed onto it, her soft yellow dress brushing against her knees as she settled down. She folded her arms on the edge of the worktable and rested her chin on them, her round eyes watching him with quiet fascination. The faint pout that had earlier filled her lips was gone now; thankfully, the angry bunny had turned into a curious one.

He smiled to himself as he continued working, pretending not to notice how intently she was staring. But he could feel it—the warmth of her gaze, the small breaths she let out when something caught her attention, and the way her toes lightly swung under the stool. Every little sound from her, every hum, every soft sigh was like a melody that made the quiet room feel alive.

"Are you still angry, Bunny?" he asked without looking up, his voice carrying that teasing gentleness that always melted her guard.

"No..." she mumbled, tracing invisible circles on the table with her finger. "But I’ll think about it later."

He chuckled under his breath. "You’re allowed to. As long as you sit quietly like this."

She pouted again, though it was more of an act now. Her eyes followed his every move—the precise way his fingers handled tiny tools, the way his brows knit slightly when he concentrated. She had never realized before how focused and calm he looked when working. The faint golden light from the lamp made the veins on his forearms stand out, and the quiet strength in his movements made her chest feel strangely warm.

Her eyes widened with pure delight when he gently fitted a small glass piece into place, and the tiny lights inside the house flickered to life.

"Oh!" she gasped softly, straightening up. The miniature living room inside the model glowed with a warm golden hue, like a real home waiting for someone to return. Leo placed a tiny white pot with green leaves on the porch, making the whole thing look even more alive.

"Bunny," he said quietly, still focused on the delicate piece in his hand, "how did you learn hacking?"

Bella blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Hmm? Oh... I self-learned it. From books."

He looked at her briefly, one brow raised. "Books?"

She nodded, a little smile touching her lips. "Yes. The library near our neighborhood had an old computer section, and sometimes they threw away old magazines and programming manuals. I used to collect them, even if half of the pages were torn." She chuckled softly, her voice fading into something distant and past. "I guess I just wanted to know how machines think. Maybe... because people scared me more."

Leo’s hands stilled for a moment, the sound of tiny tools clicking fading into silence. "Then why didn’t you escape that house, Bunny?" he asked carefully.