CHAPTER 416: CHAPTER 416 CUTE AND ADORABLE

Bella tilted her head, curious, soft, trusting. "Talk to me then..."

Leo couldn’t help himself. He let out a low chuckle and leaned forward, brushing the tip of his nose gently against hers before pressing a light kiss there.

"You’re so cute," he murmured, his voice thick with affection.

Bella lifted her chin proudly, her lips curling into the most self-satisfied smile. "I know!!"

Leo blinked at her. Then laughed. A genuine laugh that made his eyes crinkle ever so slightly. He looked at her with a mix of amusement and disbelief.

"Oh?" he teased, raising an eyebrow. "So you know you’re cute?"

Bella nodded immediately, her whole face brightening. "Of course!" she said, puffing up like a proud kitten.

Leo leaned back slightly, watching her with that patient, indulgent amusement of a man completely wrapped around his wife’s little finger. "You’re unbelievable," he murmured, brushing her hair behind her ear. "This smug face... how can someone be this adorable?"

Bella didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned forward and placed both her palms on his shoulders. Then she gently rubbed her cheek against his, left to right, like a tiny affectionate puppy.

Leo froze for a second.

This girl...

She was rubbing her cheek against his like a cuddly little animal.

He didn’t move, didn’t breathe, because his heart genuinely forgot how to function for a moment.

Bella, however, was already complaining.

"Ew... your cheeks hurt me!" she muttered, her voice muffled as she kept her face pressed against his. "Why is your stubble so prickly? My soft skin is suffering..."

But even as she complained, she didn’t pull away...not even a centimeter. Her cheek stayed pressed against his rough jaw, her little nose pressed into the side of his face as she nuzzled him with sleepy affection.

Leo looked at her in silent awe.

"You’re complaining," he said slowly, tightening his arms around her waist, "but you’re not moving."

Bella grumbled again and rubbed her cheek on him even more, as if proving her point. "Because... I like your cheeks..." she mumbled softly, burying her face deeper into him.

Leo’s breath hitched.

A warmth so strong it almost hurt bloomed in his chest. He closed his eyes, resting his chin lightly on the top of her head as he breathed her in.

"You’ll be the death of me," he whispered, voice low, tender, completely undone.

Bella’s face remained tucked against him, her arms sliding around his neck, her voice tiny and muffled. "Then die nicely."

Leo laughed quietly, pulling her tighter against him as he buried his face in her hair.

Bella finally pulled back a little, her fingers still hooked around Leo’s collar as she blinked up at him with that bright, curious expression that always made him soften. "So why did you call me?" she asked, puffing her cheeks slightly. "I’m working, you know!"

Leo brushed a thumb across her waist, amused. "Oh, right," he murmured. "I almost forgot."

He leaned back in his chair, eyes warming as he watched her pull her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "We got an invitation for a ballroom event tomorrow."

Bella’s entire face lit up.

"Ballroom???" she gasped, her voice jumping an octave in excitement. Her hands slid from his collar to his cheeks, squishing them gently as she leaned closer. "A real ballroom? With music? Lights? Dance? Pretty dresses?"

Leo nodded, charmed by how sparkly her eyes became. "Yes."

She stared at him as if he had handed her a key to a magical world.

"I called you," Leo continued softly, "because I wanted to ask if you were interested in going shopping with me... or I can ask a designer to prepare something beautiful for you."

Before he even finished the sentence, Bella’s reaction exploded like confetti.

"No, no, no—" she leaned back abruptly, cupping his face with both hands, her thumbs brushing his jaw excitedly. "We are going shopping. Together. I want to pick a suit for you!"

Her eyes gleamed with pure happiness, so bright it almost felt like sunlight filling the small office.

Leo blinked at her, surprised at the sudden spark of enthusiasm. Bella looked like a little firecracker; soft, adorable, but filled with a burst of energy he could never predict. Her excitement was so intense he could almost hear her heart squealing.

"You want to pick my suit?" he asked, amused.

"Yes!" Bella declared proudly, still holding his face between her small palms as if he would run away. "I want to choose everything. Color, style, shirt, tie... everything!"

Leo smiled, the kind of smile he only ever showed her. He ran his fingers along her spine gently, stopping at her waist as he pulled her closer.

"Fine," he murmured. "We’ll go together."

Bella’s face beamed with delight, her entire body warming with anticipation. "I’m so excited," she whispered, almost breathless. "Leo... you’ll look so handsome. I can’t wait to see."

Leo tilted her chin up lightly, his eyes tracing her shy happiness. "And you," he whispered, "will be the most beautiful one in that ballroom."

Bella covered her reddening cheeks with both hands and fell forward against his shoulder, squeaking softly.

Leo held her gently, smiling into her hair.

Tomorrow’s ballroom suddenly felt like the most beautiful thing waiting for them.

Or... was it?

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

Jay was sitting in his office, hunched over a stack of paperwork that looked taller than his patience. His pen tapped loudly against the table as he tried to finish one file before lunchtime. He was muttering under his breath about unfair labor rights when his phone vibrated twice.

He picked it up lazily, only to freeze at the message glowing on the screen.

Bro:

I am taking Bella out for shopping.

You handle my work and file her half-day leave notice.

Jay stared.

Then stared more.

Then he shot up from his chair.

"What the—!!!" he yelled, slamming the phone onto the desk as his paperwork flew into the air like scared birds. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

His voice echoed across the hallway.

"Sir??" someone called from outside.

But Jay was too busy having a meltdown.

"My hands just healed!" he shouted at the ceiling as if the universe had personally offended him. "JUST HEALED! ONE DAY OF PEACE—ONE! And now my brother—my own brother—throws all his work back at me?!"

He grabbed his hair.

"My cold, ruthless brother who used to hate shopping more than taxes... now abandons the entire company because he wants to buy SOMETHING?!"

He marched around his office in small furious circles.

"He used to mock me for shopping! He said it was a waste of time! And now—now he’s taking his wife shopping like a lovesick prince!"

He threw himself back into his chair, defeated.

"And I have to file Bella’s half-day notice too?!" he groaned, banging his head lightly on the desk. "Why?! Why is my life like this?!"