Chapter 155: Chapter 155 You kissed me!
Just a tiny sip.
She tilted the glass.
One sip.
Then another.
Her lips glistened with the stain of wine, her cheeks blooming with instant warmth. "Mmm..." she whispered.
And then—"Oh no."
Her head already felt a little floaty.
Her cheeks were warm. Her heartbeat giggled.
She placed the glass down quickly, like a child caught licking frosting off the cake before the party started.
Act normal, Bella. Act like nothing happened.
Her good angel sat in the corner, hugging her knees with tears in her eyes.
"We’re doomed."
Her devil side smirked with sunglasses.
"Worth it."
And just then, Leonardo walked back in, his sharp eyes scanning the table.
Bella straightened up like a guilty student in class.
He didn’t say anything immediately. But his eyes narrowed just a little when they passed over the now slightly lower wine level in his glass.
And then...
They landed on her.
Her lips were glossier than before.
Her cheeks? Rosy.
Her pupils? Wide.
And she was sitting stiffly, like she just robbed a bank and was trying not to look suspicious.
A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
He said nothing.
Just walked back to his chair, sat down, and leaned back comfortably again—his eyes never leaving her.
Bella pretended to focus on her fork.
And Leonardo knew she drank it.
So bold, little bunny.
His eyes gleamed with amusement.
Stella’s fingers tightened around her napkin as she watched Leonardo chuckle softly—yes, actually chuckle—the man who, according to rumors, rarely even smiled. And yet here he was, smiling at Bella.
It was like she wasn’t even there.
Like she was just a side chair in the fancy restaurant.
Her teeth gritted as she stabbed at her salad, which now looked more like a battlefield. Bella hadn’t even touched hers much, too busy pretending not to be tipsy. Her eyes kept darting toward the wine glass, then back to Leo like a guilty squirrel.
And Leonardo? He knew. Oh, he knew. His smirk had not left his face since he sat down.
Stella opened her mouth to say something to slide in a perfectly timed insult, something subtle and elegant to remind Leo who she was.
But just as she inhaled to speak—
Her phone buzzed loudly on the table.
The vibration was so sharp it startled her.
The sound broke the strange, flirt-filled silence at the table.
Everyone glanced at her.
Stella blinked, slightly embarrassed. "I—I’m sorry. I have to take this."
She stood up abruptly, grabbing her clutch, her heels clicking fast on the floor.
Bella watched her go, her brows raised.
Leo didn’t even look up.
Once Stella was out of earshot, Bella leaned slightly toward him, her voice low and innocent. "She was going to say something mean to me, I just know it."
Leonardo arched a brow but didn’t speak.
Bella puffed her cheeks. "But I won’t let her. Scarlett said I have to be a mean girl."
Leo stared at her. "A what?"
Bella blinked. "A mean girl."
And Leo... actually laughed.
It was a real laugh, soft but full, and it made Bella’s heart flutter. She wasn’t used to hearing that sound from him. For a moment, she just stared, a little stunned and maybe even a little happy.
He reached for his glass and took a slow sip of water, his gray eyes twinkling with mischief.
"You can try, little bunny," he said, voice low, "but you’re still too soft."
Bella narrowed her eyes. "I can be fierce!"
Leo nodded slowly. "Mm. Show me later."
Bella’s jaw dropped slightly, and her face turned red—again.
After Stella left the table, the air felt strangely lighter. Bella sighed in relief and reached for a breadstick, munching quietly while stealing glances at Leonardo from time to time. Her nerves had calmed down a little until she saw him reach for the wine glass.
Her wine glass.
She froze.
Her big brown eyes widened in slow motion as Leonardo raised the glass to his lips and took a calm, elegant sip..completely unaware.
Bella blinked.
Her lipstick mark was still on the rim.
And he... just drank from it.
She stared at him.
Still staring.
Still.
And then—
He finally noticed the intensity of her gaze.
He put the glass down slowly and looked at her with a raised brow. "What?"
Bella’s jaw dropped a little, eyes still wide in disbelief. "You—You kissed me!!"
Leonardo’s brows furrowed slightly. "What?"
"You just did!" she said, pointing at the wine glass, her voice half-scandalized, half-horrified. "That was my lipstick mark!"
Leonardo looked down at the glass.
"Oh," he said simply. "I didn’t see."
Bella gasped. "That’s not the point! You drank from it!"
Leo leaned back in his chair, his tone flat and unreadable. "It’s just a glass."
Bella’s lips parted in disbelief. "No, no, no—you practically kissed me!"
He raised an eyebrow, amused now. "That’s quite a stretch."
"It’s not! It’s scientific!" she argued, cheeks puffed. "If your lips touch the same place as mine, then—it’s basically... indirect kissing!"
Leo let out a soft breath, something between a sigh and a low chuckle, as he leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table.
His gray eyes locked with hers, calm and unreadable.
"Then I suppose I’ve kissed you," he murmured.
Bella blinked.
Her face went red. Bright, warm, bunny-in-the-headlights red.
She quickly looked away, clutching her breadstick like a weapon of modesty.
Leonardo watched her, a small satisfied glint in his eyes as he picked up the glass again—this time making sure to drink from the exact same spot.
Bella peeked at him through her lashes, caught that little act, and nearly choked on her own gasp.
"You did that on purpose!" she whispered.
"Hmm?" he said, placing the glass down with deliberate calm. "I didn’t see again."
She glared at him, flustered.
He didn’t smile.
But oh, he was definitely enjoying this.
After Leonardo was done with the wine, he stood up slowly, adjusting the cuff of his dark sleeve with that calm, unbothered grace he always carried. The waiter approached with the bill, and without sparing even a glance, Leo pulled out his black card and handed it over casually.
"Take care of it," he muttered.
But his attention wasn’t really on the waiter.