CHAPTER 361: CHAPTER 361 JAY’S PLAN

Jay’s eyes glinted with sudden mischief, and the corners of his lips stretched into a grin that immediately made Bella suspicious.

"Jay Jay... what are you thinking?" she asked carefully, blinking at him in confusion, her wide brown eyes full of warning.

"Look, Bella Bell," he began dramatically, putting on his most pitiful expression, "I know, I know—I’m being too much. But I just want to go have fun with Jace! You have no idea how boring it is here! But Bro..." he sighed deeply, "he’s banned me from going anywhere."

Bella blinked, torn between amusement and disbelief. "So... what exactly do you expect me to do about that?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Jay clasped his hands together in mock despair. "Bella, do you even know how miserable my life was before you came? Every day was torture! Handling Leo was like solving a mythical puzzle. But now..." he leaned forward with exaggerated seriousness, "you can tame him! You can control him! Please, convince him to let me go!"

Bella’s mouth fell open. "No! Absolutely not, Jay! What if he gets angry at me? And besides, you’re supposed to rest!" she said firmly, standing up from the bed.

But Jay panicked. "Bella, please! I’ll do anything you say!"

She didn’t stop walking. She turned her back and headed toward the door.

"Bella Bell!!!" Jay cried out, and when she still didn’t turn, his voice cracked. "I—I’ll cry!"

That made her stop. Bella turned around to find him fake-sobbing into his bandaged hands, his shoulders shaking dramatically. She sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Jay..." she muttered helplessly. He peeked at her through his fingers, eyes gleaming with mischief beneath all that fake misery.

Her expression softened, exasperation giving way to reluctant affection—the kind you feel for someone who’s impossible to stay mad at.

Jay sniffled loudly and blinked his puppy eyes at her. "Please?"

And just like that, Bella’s resolve melted.

"I’ll try," she said finally, crossing her arms with the most serious face she could manage. "But if he gets angry, don’t you dare blame me, Jay!"

"Okay, okay!" Jay said quickly, grinning in triumph. "He won’t be angry at you, Bella Bell! You’re his soft spot—you could get away with murder!"

Bella stared at him, speechless. "Sometimes I think you’re the real devil in this house," she muttered before walking out.

Jay only waved both his bandaged hands in victory. "Love you, Bella Bell!" he called out cheerfully, laughing to himself.

Bella sighed deeply as she reached the upper floor. Why do I always end up agreeing to his nonsense? she thought, pressing her hand to her chest. Even so, she couldn’t shake off the small flutter of nervousness building in her stomach.

She wasn’t exactly afraid of Leo, but the thought of confronting him when he was in one of his cold, unreadable moods always made her heart race. Maybe she’d wait a little before bringing it up, she reasoned. Maybe after dinner. Or after he smiled at her. Or maybe... never.

To calm herself, she decided to change into something comfortable.

A few minutes later, Bella stood before the mirror in her soft pastel-purple home outfit. The shirt curved gently along her frame, and on the right side, in looping white script, it read Living my best life. Her loose pajama pants matched perfectly, the words Life is too short to worry written playfully near the hem.

She smiled faintly at her reflection, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Maybe he’ll be in a good mood," she whispered to herself, though her voice wasn’t entirely convinced.

Still, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and told herself she could do it. For Jay.

Even if it meant facing the storm named Leonardo Moretti.

She stood outside his office door for a few seconds, mentally counting to three before knocking. "Leo?" she called softly.

"Come in," came his deep, calm voice from inside.

Pushing the door open, she peeked her head in first. He was sitting behind his massive desk, the soft light from the monitor reflecting against his sharp features. His gray eyes were focused, his brows slightly furrowed as he studied something on the screen. The seriousness on his face made him look even more intimidating and, frustratingly, even more handsome.

Before she could speak, he gestured toward the stool beside him, where a small stack of papers rested. Taking the hint, she quietly moved the papers to his desk and sat down, sneaking a curious glance at what he was working on.

The screen displayed an intricate design—complex lines, measurements, gears, and mechanical details she didn’t quite understand.

"Are you making... a model of a weapon?" she asked softly, leaning closer.

"Hmm," he murmured, not looking up.

Bella’s eyes widened in fascination. "You’re like an engineer," she said in awe.

Leo’s lips curved slightly, a faint smirk forming as he finally glanced at her. "I am an engineer."

Bella blinked, surprised. "Wait, really?"

He nodded, turning slightly toward her. "Mechanical engineering, to be exact. Later, I studied business."

Her eyes sparkled with admiration. "You’re so amazing," she said sincerely. "I can’t even call myself a proper school graduate. Everything I learned was online."

Leo paused, studying her quietly. A rare softness touched his features. "Bunny, a degree is just a piece of paper," he said gently. "But you—you have real skill. Don’t ever call yourself uneducated."

Her chest tightened at that, a warmth spreading through her. She smiled shyly, her heart fluttering.

Before she could reply, he added, "Besides, you’ll continue your studies soon. Mom already made the arrangements."

Her eyes widened. "She did?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning back in his chair. "She told me you mentioned being interested in computer science."

Bella’s lips parted in surprise. "Oh, I... I just said that when she asked. I wasn’t serious," she admitted sheepishly.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "You’re not interested?"

"I mean..." she fidgeted with her fingers. "I like reading about coding and hacking books, but actually studying it feels so... tiring."

He chuckled quietly, the sound low and warm. "Everyone says that, Bunny. No one likes studying, but they still do it. You should too."