Chapter 278: Chapter 278 Perfect harmless revenge
The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly, turning the pavement into shimmering waves of heat. Even in his dark glasses, Jace squinted, sweat glistening faintly at his temple. He leaned against the shaded wall of the café terrace, but even the shade felt heavy, pressing, restless.
His gaze, however, was not on the street. It was locked on the table under the white parasol.
Jay.
He sat there, perfectly at ease in the suffocating summer heat, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, golden skin catching the light. His laughter spilled across the glass as he spoke to the woman beside him. She stirred her iced coffee, smiling far too brightly at him, her hair flipping over her shoulder as if to catch more of his attention.
And Jay gave it, at least enough to make her laugh, his eyes crinkling with that warmth that used to burn only for Jace.
Jace shifted, uncomfortable. His throat felt dry, but he was not sure if it was the weather or something else. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, irritation bubbling under his skin.
Why did his chest tighten every time Jay leaned a little closer to her?
Why did it feel like heat was crawling not just from the sun above but from somewhere deep inside him, something he could not name?
Jay turned his head slightly, as if sensing him. Through the glass, their eyes met. Jace froze, the summer haze pressing in harder. Jay’s lips curved, lazy, deliberate, as if he had caught him red-handed.
Jace quickly looked away, pretending to fix his glasses, but his ears burned hot.
Was it anger? Was it annoyance?
He pressed his palm against the wall, grounding himself against the sticky heat of the day, but his heart would not slow.
Jay flashed his grin and gave the woman a quick, charming wink. "Sorry, gotta take this, important call," he said, slipping his phone out and turning away. The woman’s face lit for a moment at the attention; she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled like everything was fine.
But Jace, standing a little to the side, saw the way the smile died the instant Jay’s back was turned. The woman’s mouth moved, she muttered something low and swift, and though Jace could not catch the words, the change in her was unmistakable. Her fingers curled at her side, her jaw tightened, and the warmth of the afternoon seemed to drop away from her eyes. There was a hard, dangerous line to her posture now.
A cold knot tightened in Jace’s chest. He pulled his phone and typed, fingers deliberate.
Get the cafe footage. All angles. Now. [Attached address]
He sent the message and slipped the phone back, keeping his face calm while the laugh-track of the café rolled on around them.
·༻𐫱༺·
"Bella bell, finally you missed me?" Jay’s teasing voice came through the phone, smooth as always.
Bella stomped her foot even though he could not see her. "Jay! You, you are a very, very, very bad guy!!"
Jay blinked, pulling the phone slightly away from his ear. "Huh? Why suddenly so much bad energy toward your favorite brother-in-law?"
"You tricked me!!" Bella shouted, her face red from embarrassment. "You said you would teach me curses, but instead you taught me compliments! Compliments, Jay! I have been embarrassing myself all this time, calling Leo handsome instead of cursing him!"
Jay burst out laughing, so hard that he nearly dropped his phone. "Wait, wait, you mean you only just found out? Oh, priceless!"
Bella puffed her cheeks. "Yes! Nonna called me bellissima this morning, and when I got sad thinking she was cursing me, she explained it means beautiful! She told me! So you lied to me! I will never forgive you! And Nonna is on my side!!"
She hung up with a furious little huff.
Jay froze, staring at the screen. "Nonna... on her side?" he whispered. His smile faltered as reality sank in. He paced back and forth, running his hand through his pink hair. "No... no, no, no. This cannot be happening. Nonna, the same Nonna who terrorized me and Leo with those slippery oil massages, who made us sit with cucumbers on our eyes for discipline? That Nonna... siding with Bella?"
He clutched his chest as if stabbed. "It is over. My life is over!"
Jay groaned and plopped down on the nearest chair. "Nonna will spoil her. Bella will spoil Leo. And then what? They will both gang up on me! I will be oiled shiny like a roast chicken before I can even say bellissima!"
But then he remembered Bella’s furious little voice, her ’very, very, very bad guy!’ and he started laughing again, clutching his stomach. "God, she actually thought she was cursing Leo! All this time she was calling him handsome! Hahahah bro must have been enjoying it!"
He slapped his thigh, tears in his eyes from laughing. "Still, Bella bell... tattletale! I will get you back. You watch!"
·༻𐫱༺·
"I will teach you real curse words!" Victoria’s eyes gleamed with mischief as she watched Bella hang up on Jay. The old woman leaned back, tablet resting on her lap like a spellbook.
"No need," Bella stammered, cheeks hot. She could not imagine her Nonna teaching her vulgarities.
Victoria waved a hand. "Bah, not curse real words. Too ugly for a pretty girl like you. But maybe I should tell you the things my grandsons hate most, so you can tease them back when they deserve it..." Her mouth curved into a sly little grin.
Bella blinked. "Really?" Her voice rose, curious and hopeful at once.
"Of course," Victoria said, leaning forward like a general sharing war secrets. "First, Jay. That boy thinks he is smooth with his pink hair and careless charm, but he cannot stand sticky things. Jam, syrup, even melted chocolate on his fingers. Once, when he was small, I dabbed apricot jam on a spoon and he shrieked like a rooster until I washed his hands. He is still the same. Put a little syrup packet in his pocket and watch him go mad." She chuckled proudly. "Perfect harmless revenge."
Bella clapped her hands together, laughing. "Oh my god, Nonna, I have to try that!"
Victoria’s eyes softened. "He is a fool sometimes, but he is harmless. Tease him, do not break him." She leaned back and folded her arms. "Now, Leo..."
Bella’s heart skipped. "L-Leo?"