Chapter 142: Chapter 142 Mean?
Bella’s brows twitched. "Of course..." she muttered under her breath. "Birds of a feather flock together."
She saved the girl’s profile to her secret folder, tucking it away for later.
Hugging her knees up to her chest, Bella rested her chin on top of them.
Next morning...
Bella knew deep in her heart that tonight Leonardo was going to have dinner with Stella. Her only hope — the tiny hope that stopped her chest from caving in was that he would tell her himself. Just once, she wanted him to trust her with the truth, not hide behind cold silence or half-lies.
When Leo came down from the stairs, he looked effortlessly sharp as always his black dress shirt hugging his broad shoulders, his sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms.
His gaze locked on the little bunny curled up on the couch, phone balanced on her knee. She looked so small against the plush cushions, but her eyes — those soft brown eyes were glinting sharply, locked on her screen.
She was wearing a warm brown dress that matched her eyes and hair so perfectly that Leo’s mind blanked for a moment. He almost said something but then she looked up at him.
The look she gave him nearly made him pause mid-step. Mean? He blinked. Was that a mean look? Since when did she ever glare at him like that?
He walked over, calm and expectant. He stood right beside the couch, so close her phone screen reflected on his watch. But Bella didn’t react or greet him like usual — no shy smile, no quiet ’good morning’.
She looked away.
"What are you doing?" Leo asked, voice calm but low. He was used to her peeking up at him like a baby bunny, wide eyes soft and seeking his warmth. Now she was stiff, her lips pressed together, her shoulders squared like a tiny soldier.
Bella didn’t answer. She just lifted her eyes and there it was again: that mean look, but this time it came with a tiny scrunch of her nose. He didn’t know why, but it almost made him smirk.
"Are you blind?" she said, voice small but carrying a sting. She turned her eyes back to her phone, pretending to type furiously.
Leo’s brow twitched. Blind? His mouth twitched up at the corner. She thought she was a tiger with claws out, tail puffed but to him, she looked like a kitten who didn’t know her claws were soft.
He leaned closer, shadows of amusement and something else darker flickering in his eyes. He tilted his head, voice smooth. "Huh? What’s this? Did you grow fangs overnight?"
Bella shot him another glare, but he saw the pink in her cheeks, a little flame that made her look even more adorable.
"I’m busy," she snapped, nose in the air. Her phone trembled slightly in her small hands. "Can’t you see? I’m working!"
Leo said nothing. His eyes traced her face, memorizing every little defiant twitch, every tiny pout. And deep inside, under all that cold calm, something hot coiled in his chest– his little bunny could try to act fierce all she wanted.
Really? His little bunny?
His own subconscious mocked him cruelly for how soft his thoughts sounded. Leonardo scowled inwardly and shut that thought down. He didn’t want softness. He didn’t want that word echoing in his head.But it was too late. The moment he looked at her pouting on that couch, it was all he could think, his little bunny acting like she’d grown claws.
He shook his head slightly, pushing those unwelcome thoughts away. He took one step closer, his shadow falling over her tiny form. "Why are you acting like that?" he asked, his tone carrying a hint of irritation this time. He wasn’t used to being ignored, least of all by her.
Bella didn’t even look at him properly. She puffed out her cheeks and poked her phone screen, pretending to scroll faster. "I’m not acting," she mumbled. "I’m busy. I’m not acting like anything."
Leo let out a quiet scoff, tilting his head as he studied her, the way her brows pinched together, how she wouldn’t look him in the eyes, the slight tremble in her lip she was trying to hide.
"Busy with what? Texting your little friends?" he asked coldly, his voice dipping low, hoping to catch her reaction.
Bella’s eyes snapped up at that, flashing that mean look again — except it was all watery now, her anger fighting with something softer in her eyes.
"At least my friends talk to me honestly," she bit out, her voice small but sharp like a kitten’s hiss. "Unlike you."
Leonardo’s jaw flexed. He stepped even closer, hands in his pockets to keep from grabbing her chin and forcing her to look straight at him.
"Bella." His voice dropped lower. "Stop being dramatic."
But her fake claws only dug in deeper, she looked away again, shoulders trembling just a little. "Go away," she muttered, so softly he almost missed it. "Go to your Stella."
Leo’s brows knitted together instantly — the cold heat in his eyes flaring as his jaw tensed.
"Who told you?" Leonardo’s voice dropped so low, it was more growl than question.
Bella’s heart squeezed painfully, but she lifted her chin, eyes darting everywhere except at him. "No one," she snapped, her voice small yet sharp like she was trying so hard not to break. She pushed her phone into her dress pocket and turned to walk away. Run away, really like the bunny she was.
But he wasn’t about to let her bolt.
His fingers wrapped firmly around her slender wrist before she could take another step. She let out a tiny gasp, her eyes wide as he tugged her back. In one quick pull, her small back collided with his solid chest. Her breath stuttered in her throat, her whole body tensing as the heat of him sank into her skin through that soft brown dress.
Leonardo leaned in, his lips brushing so close to the shell of her ear that her knees almost buckled. His voice was velvet wrapped around a blade. "Are you jealous... little bunny?"