Chapter 279: Chapter 279 Secret joy
Bella’s heart skipped. "L-Leo?"
"Yes, Nardo," Victoria said with a faint smile. "My serious boy, always frowning. He pretends to be made of stone, but he has one weakness he never grew out of. He hates being ignored. As a child, if I turned my back and praised Jay instead, he would scowl for hours, stomping around until I gave him attention again. If he annoys you, just ignore him for a while. Watch how long he lasts before dragging you back to look at him."
Bella’s lips curved, her cheeks turning pink. "That... actually works," she admitted in a small voice.
Victoria’s sharp eyes softened, but a playful glint danced in them. "Well then, if he makes you upset somehow, just ignore him. That boy was never able to bear being ignored by anyone he cared for, least of all someone he likes."
Bella’s breath caught, her lashes fluttering as she lowered her gaze. She nodded quickly, but her heart was already beating faster.
Warmth bloomed in her chest. She sat there with a small smile tugging at her lips, thinking of his gray eyes that used to be empty and distant. In the beginning, he treated her as though she was invisible, something that barely mattered. He ignored her, brushed her aside, and she had thought she was destined to remain in his shadow forever.
But now it felt like the dark clouds that once hung heavy around her had finally begun to break apart, revealing sunshine, his sunshine, warming her little by little.
Bella pressed her fingers to her cheek, her smile shy but full of secret joy.
******
After Nonna left, Bella decided once again to slip out. This time she told the staff she had another appointment at the beauty salon, her tone casual but her heart thumping in her chest.
She had already bought another set of men’s clothes yesterday, so all she had to do was change, adjust her wig, and put her location in the same salon to throw off any suspicion.
Her work at William sir’s company was progressing smoothly. It was now too easy because she had already built the skeleton of it inside the shadow server. Sitting at the real terminal felt like retracing her own steps. Every red node, every spline, she already knew what to do. Within just a few days, she could complete everything. When she mentioned this to William, his brows lifted with genuine surprise, and his voice carried rare admiration.
That praise warmed her heart, but today something else had her blushing.
Scarlett.
They had agreed to meet, not as two girls on a casual outing, but as Bella’s other self, Isaac. Scarlett had even joked about calling it a date. Bella pressed her hand against her cheek as she left the salon. Just the word made her face hot.
By the time she pushed open the café door Scarlett had sent her, her pulse was racing.
Scarlett was easy to spot. She sat at a table near the window, sunlight painting her dark waves of hair in a glossy sheen. Her red dress fit her perfectly, hugging her curves with confidence, and her lips were curved faintly as she gazed out the glass. Men around the café could not stop stealing glances, but Scarlett did not seem to notice or care.
Bella drew in a breath and straightened. Her expression smoothed into something cold, practiced, the way Leo always carried himself. Her steps slowed, heavier, deliberate, like a man who owned the room.
"Scarlett," she said in her deepest, calmest voice. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
Scarlett turned, and the moment her eyes landed on him, her mouth fell open.
She had seen pictures of "Isaac" before, Bella had sent a few selfies in disguise, but seeing him in the flesh was something else entirely. The man standing before her was dressed in stylish but understated clothes, his dark floppy hair falling perfectly over his brow. His eyes were a warm yet piercing brown that caught the light, and his lips, soft pink, looked so real, so close, that Scarlett felt her heart jump into her throat.
"B-Bella..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, as disbelief and shock flickered across her face.
She blinked twice, then thrice, as if trying to convince herself this was really Bella standing there. "Oh my god... no way. You—" she pointed at him with wide eyes, "you actually pulled it off! You really look like a guy!"
Bella’s lips twitched into a smirk, keeping her Leo-like composure. "Is that a compliment, or are you shocked because I’m too handsome?" she asked, her voice lower than usual.
Scarlett burst into laughter, loud enough that the people at the next table turned. "Handsome? Hah! You wish. Don’t flatter yourself, Isaac," she said, though her cheeks betrayed her with the faintest pink glow.
Bella leaned forward slightly, resting one arm on the table just like Leo would. "So... you’re saying I’m not handsome?" she pressed, her voice velvety smooth.
Scarlett froze for a second. Up close, the disguise was too good. His jawline looked sharp, his lashes long, and those pink lips were dangerously convincing. She quickly grabbed her glass of water to hide her flustered expression. "Ugh, stop looking at me like that! You’re Bella! My Bella!"
The corner of Bella’s mouth curved higher. "Today, I’m Isaac," she said, tone playful but laced with a mock seriousness.
Scarlett covered her face with her hand. "This is so unfair. Why are you so good at this? If you walked down the street like that, I swear ten girls would fall for you instantly."
"Just ten?" Bella teased. "I was hoping for at least twenty."
Scarlett gave her a look, half exasperated, half amused. "Shut up. You know what? This really does feel like a date. I’m sitting here, blushing like an idiot, and you’re enjoying yourself way too much."
Bella tilted her head, her cold mask cracking into a mischievous smile. "Then... should I order us wine and make it official?"
Scarlett’s mouth fell open, and then she laughed so hard she nearly dropped her phone. "Bella!! Don’t tease me like that! You’ll make me actually fall for you."