CHAPTER 363: CHAPTER 363 DEVOTION

Dinner that evening felt warm and strangely domestic.

Bella sat across from Leo at the dining table, her eyes lighting up as she talked about her newest hacking projects—her voice animated, hands moving as she explained how she had cracked an encryption system faster than expected, how she had built a prototype security algorithm just for fun, and how she was helping a small tech start-up secure its data.

Leo listened in rare silence, his usual stern expression softening with every word she spoke. Normally, he hated talking during meals; he had always believed dinner was for eating, not conversation. But tonight, he found himself responding to her, asking quiet questions between bites, genuinely curious about every detail.

"And then," Bella said, grinning as she twirled her fork, "I realized the entire firewall had a hidden port open at three a.m.! So I just sneaked in, changed the internal password, and left a little note saying; Security upgraded by Bellatrix_019’"

Leo raised a brow, his tone calm but his eyes glinting. "You left a note for them?"

"Well, yes," she said defensively, "it’s like... digital politeness."

A small laugh escaped him, low and warm. It was the kind of laugh that came so rarely from him that it always caught her off guard. He leaned back slightly, studying her as she continued speaking—her cheeks flushed with enthusiasm, her eyes full of light.

For a man like him, whose world was made of structure, danger, and endless calculations, there was something disarming about the way she talked.

He watched her for a long moment, his gaze unreadable. However, there was an unknown spark in his eyes—something close to devotion

.

She was so absorbed in explaining the logic of her code that she didn’t notice the way he was looking at her, as though he were seeing something far more than just a wife or a partner.

When she finally paused, taking a sip of water, he murmured quietly, "You really love what you do."

She looked up, smiling softly. "Yeah. It makes me feel... strong."

His lips curved faintly. "It suits you."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Only the soft clinking of their cutlery filled the room, and the warm golden light from the chandelier danced across his gray eyes, which now carried a rare, meaningful glint.

After dinner, Bella had taken her bubble bath and was now tucked beneath the thick blankets, her skin warm from the steam. The soft, flowery scent filled the room, and she looked impossibly cozy like a little bunny who had no intention of leaving her nest.

Leo, standing by the bed and adjusting the sleeves of his shirt, glanced at her with an unreadable expression. "Bunny," he muttered, his voice low, almost teasing, "did you forget about your promise?"

Bella blinked, confused for a moment, then smiled sweetly from beneath the blanket. "Oh? What do you want?" she asked, her tone bright and innocent. "Last time I gave you a back massage, remember? What do you want now?"

Her words made him pause mid-movement, one brow arching slightly as he looked down at her. The sight of her—curled up in that soft, oversized blanket, her cheeks pink from the warmth, hair tumbling over her shoulder—made his expression soften.

He walked closer, loosening his tie, the faintest hint of a smirk curving his lips. "Hmm," he murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed, "I haven’t decided yet."

Bella laughed softly, turning her face into the pillow. "Then you should hurry and decide before I fall asleep," she said, her voice muffled and drowsy.

Leo leaned closer, his hand brushing a few strands of hair from her face, his eyes glinting with quiet amusement. "Oh, don’t worry, bunny," he said in that deep, lazy voice of his. "I always decide eventually."

Then Leo went toward his side of the bed and lay back against the headboard, one arm folded behind his head, the soft glow of his phone lighting the sharp lines of his face. His expression was calm, unreadable, as his fingers moved swiftly across the screen, answering the last few important emails for the night.

’Well... I’ve already decided what I want,’ he thought, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as his thumb hovered over the send button.

Beside him, Bella stirred under the blankets. She turned toward his side, and after a few seconds of quiet fidgeting, she reached out and tugged gently at his sleeve. "Come here and sleep too," she muttered in a small, sleepy voice, her words almost hidden under the soft rustle of sheets. "Do you know how cold it’s getting?"

He didn’t answer right away, still scrolling through his inbox. The blue light of the phone reflected in his gray eyes, but the slight curve of amusement on his lips betrayed him.

"Five minutes..." he murmured without looking up, his tone smooth and low—the kind that carried no room for argument, yet always made her heart skip anyway.

Bella pouted, tugging at his sleeve again, this time more firmly. "You said that last time too," she mumbled.

Leo finally looked down at her. Her cheek was pressed to the pillow, her eyes half-lidded and glistening from sleep, her hand still clinging to his sleeve as if she were afraid he’d disappear the moment she closed her eyes.

He sighed softly, pretending to be annoyed, but the smirk returned. "Alright, alright," he said, locking his phone, setting it aside, and switching off the bedside lamp.

As he slid under the blanket beside her, the faint chill in the air was instantly replaced by the warmth between them. Bella instinctively moved closer, her small hand resting against his chest.

Leo wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in until her head rested perfectly under his chin. "Better?" he asked quietly.

"Mm-hmm..." Bella whispered, barely audible, her voice muffled against him. Her lashes fluttered as she rubbed against his chest again, like a kitten finding the most comfortable spot, before finally going still.

A small smile curved his lips as he looked down at her. "Spoiled bunny," he whispered softly, brushing his fingers through her hair.

Within moments, her breathing grew steady and deep. She had already drifted away, lost in the waves of dreamland—safe in his arms, her tiny form tucked perfectly against him.