CHAPTER 424: CHAPTER 424 EXPLOSION OF HAPPINESS

Bella’s loud shout burst through the quiet morning, so sudden that even the curtains seemed to tremble with the sound. "Oh my god!" she cried, clutching her phone with both hands as her eyes grew wide and sparkling. The moment she unlocked the screen, the messages appeared. An unknown number that was not unknown at all. Her mouth fell open.

Theo.

Her guitar teacher.

Her old friend.

Her safe person during the hardest days.

He had messaged her. And he was coming back.

A breathless laugh escaped her and she bounced on the mattress like a tiny excited rabbit, her small feet thumping softly against the bed. "Oh my god, he’s coming back! He actually texted me! Theo is coming back!"

Leo, who had been standing near the vanity adjusting his watch, froze mid-movement. The strap hung loosely between his fingers as he turned slowly, eyebrows rising at the sudden explosion of happiness behind him. Hearing her squeal again, he stepped forward with a confused frown tightening his features.

"What happened, bunny?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

Bella spun around with her phone held up like a treasure. "Theo is coming back!"

Leo blinked, staring at her as if the name bounced around his mind without landing anywhere. There was a small pause, long enough for Bella to realize he truly had no idea who she was talking about.

"You silly!" Bella gasped, lightly swatting the air at him. "You really don’t remember? Theo! My guitar teacher! Theo!"

Recognition finally settled in. Leo remembered the younger man visiting their old home, a guitar in hand and cheerfulness in his eyes as he taught Bella chords. He remembered the messages from last night. He remembered the irritation, the suspicion, the jealousy that had prickled under his skin. And he was grateful he had not reacted like a possessive fool when he saw those texts.

He swallowed down the strange pinch in his chest and walked closer, sitting at the edge of the bed with forced calm. "So?" he asked casually, though his eyes never left her face.

"So what?" Bella looked at him with disbelief before her expression softened into something small and emotional. "I missed him so much," she whispered, her eyes turning glossy. "When I married you... only Jay and Mom cared for me. Theo was the third person who ever showed me kindness. He’s like my brother. Just like Jay."

Her voice trembled a little at the end, making her seem fragile, as if she were remembering how lonely those early days of marriage had been.

Something inside Leo twisted sharply.

He stared at her for a moment, taking in her sincerity, her excitement, her softness. And a wave of regret washed through him. Not for Theo. For HIMSELF.

For the husband he had been. For the cold man she had married. For all the moments she had felt alone under the same roof as him.

He lowered his gaze, jaw tightening. He wished he could go back in time and shake his old self. He should have cherished her first. He should have been gentle with her from the beginning. She deserved that.

Leo lifted his eyes again, watching the way Bella smiled down at her phone, happy and emotional at once. And somewhere deep inside him, a quiet promise began to take shape.

He would never let her feel lonely again.

He reached for her slowly, his fingers brushing her waist before he pulled her into his arms. Bella’s small body fit against him so naturally that his breath eased the moment she leaned against his chest. He rested his chin on her head, hiding the flicker of emotion that had risen the moment she squealed another man’s name with so much excitement.

"I’m so happy for you, bunny," he murmured, voice warm and steady, though something tight tugged softly in his chest. He stroked her back as if calming his own heartbeat. "When is he coming back?"

He tried to sound light and supportive, but a small hint of jealousy still slipped into his voice no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He cleared his throat and pushed it down quickly, reminding himself that she deserved to be happy. Her excitement was pure and innocent. And yet, the thought of her smiling so brightly because of someone else made his heart pinch in a way he could not fully hide.

Bella did not notice. She simply melted into his embrace, her voice cheerful as she answered, unaware of how firmly he held her or how carefully he was steadying his breathing.

By afternoon, the house filled with soft chatter and footsteps as the stylist team arrived to help Bella get ready. The room glowed warmly under the vanity lights while curling irons heated quietly beside them. Bella sat straight as the brushes moved across her skin in gentle strokes, each touch delicate and precise. Her hands rested in her lap, her eyes trying not to peek at her reflection too often. Every time the stylist adjusted a curl or added a soft shimmer to her eyelids, her heart fluttered with a shy, nervous excitement.

By six o’clock, she finally stood from the vanity with a breath caught in her throat.

She looked beautiful.

The gown she had chosen embraced her softly, glowing under the warm light. Her makeup was light and dreamy, as if evening air itself had touched her face. Her lips carried a soft rosy shade that made her look innocent yet radiant, and her hair framed her face in delicate curls that revealed the graceful lines of her neck.

Meanwhile, Leo had changed into his gray tuxedo, the fabric perfectly tailored to his tall, powerful frame. He looked mature, confident, impossibly handsome. The kind of man who drew every gaze the moment he stepped into a room. His hair was pushed back neatly, giving full view to his sharp jawline and deep eyes.

When he walked toward Bella and saw her fully dressed...

He froze for a heartbeat.

There was something about the way she stood there, fingers drifting over the fabric of her gown as if she wasn’t sure where to place her hands, her eyes lifting toward him with a shy little blush that colored her cheeks.

He found himself staring without even realizing it. She looked so beautiful in her own natural way.. And it made him wonder how she would look years from now, standing beside him as a grown woman, even more confident, even more stunning than she already was.