Chapter 287: Chapter 287 Condition
He rubbed his eyes quickly, convinced he was seeing wrong. But no—Boss was still standing there, close enough that their breaths could mix, still looking at the hacker like he was the most fascinating thing in the world.
Wait, wait, wait. Jeffery’s heart raced in panic. Boss is married. He has a wife. So why is he giving heart-eyes to another guy?! His face turned pale as an insane thought hit him.
Could it be... Boss is... gay?
Jeffery nearly staggered at the idea, his hand gripping his tie like he was choking. The men behind him looked just as confused, shifting awkwardly, trying not to stare too much, but even they could sense the strange tension in the air.
Meanwhile, Leo remained completely unfazed, eyes fixed on Bella with dangerous amusement, while Bella herself looked ready to faint, her cheeks flushed in nervous defiance.
"I need to go... m-my family is waiting for me," Bella whispered, trying to edge toward the other side. But before she could slip away, Leo’s arms shifted like iron bars. Both hands planted firmly on either side of her against the car, caging her without even touching. She startled at the sudden closeness, her head tilting up, and their eyes met. Hers had already turned misty, the shine of fear and frustration making them look impossibly soft.
"Can you... let me go?" she asked in a small voice. The plea made something flicker across Leo’s face. He frowned faintly, disliking the way her lashes trembled, how easily she seemed frightened. His bunny... she scared so easily.
"Fine," he said at last, his deep voice softening, "but only on one condition." He offered a smile, trying not to frighten her more, though his towering presence and smouldering gaze did that effortlessly.
Bella nodded quickly, her hands gripping the car door behind her for balance.
"You’ll work at my company," he said smoothly.
Her brows pinched, and she gave him a deliberate look. "But... I don’t know if my family would approve."
At her words, a spark lit in Leo’s eyes, dark and certain. "They will approve," he said firmly. Then, without warning, he shifted the subject, leaning a little closer, his voice dipping into a teasing register. "What’s your name, little guy?"
"I am not little!" Bella blurted out before she could stop herself, cheeks puffing slightly. She knew it sounded ridiculous, but she wasn’t little—why was he so obsessed with calling her that? Little guy. Little bunny. Little Whatever.
Leo’s smirk deepened as his gaze flicked down her frame, slow and deliberate. "Well, as a guy you’re underdeveloped. Look at me, then look at yourself," he drawled, eyes glinting with wicked amusement.
Bella glanced down at her own small build, then at Leo—towering, broad-shouldered, all taut muscle and sharp edges and huffed. "You can’t body-shame me! Otherwise, I won’t work for you!" she said, puffing her cheeks even more.
"Alright, big guy," Leo chuckled, the sound low and warm. He straightened slightly and gestured with one hand.
A guard stepped forward, handing him a sleek business card embossed with silver letters. Leo extended it toward Bella with his long fingers. "My company address and number are written here. You can join from tomorrow." His lips curved into a dangerous half-smile. "If you don’t come... believe me, I have the ability to—" He cut himself off deliberately, leaving the threat hanging in the air, his smirk speaking volumes.
Bella nodded quickly, clutching the card.
"And by the way," Leo added, tilting his head with mock innocence, "what’s your name, big guy?"
"Isaac..." Bella said, her voice a touch too high.
"Okay, Isaac." His smirk returned, but this time it was softer, almost fond. "I hope to see you tomorrow. Let me drop you off at your home."
"No—no need, I’ll manage myself," Bella said quickly, a flash of irritation on her face as she stepped aside.
Leo didn’t argue. He simply watched as she left, his eyes narrowing slightly. A moment later, he slid into the back seat of his car. "Follow her," he told the driver quietly.
Through the tinted window, he watched her small figure glide into a mall entrance, her hair swaying. A slow smile curved his mouth. So my bunny is the dangerous hacker... and she wasn’t even shopping. She’s off to work on her project, isn’t she?
"Boss!" Jeffery’s voice broke through his thoughts. "I got a name. Actually, he’s from Hackerverse—the user name is Bellatrix_019."
Leo’s brow arched. "Bellatrix_019..." he murmured.
Jeffery’s words tumbled on nervously. "Sir, if you’re not against Hackerverse hackers, we could have found him earlier... why did you always block them? Pablo Also hires hackers from there, right?"
Leo’s lips pressed into a faint line. "Hmm," he muttered, leaning back in his seat. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried—two years ago he had hired a man from the same site, only to be scammed out of three million. No matter how powerful he was, the event had been humiliating. Leonardo Moretti, scammed, unable to even catch the culprit. The username still hovered at the edge of his memory: something like ZeroVoid.
But this time was different. This hacker—this "Isaac"—was his bunny. Maybe she had cleaned up that cesspool of a site. Maybe she was the only genuine one left. She couldn’t be a scammer. She was too cute, too earnest. His bunny.
Leo’s eyes flashed coldly at the thought of the old scam, but then his expression softened again, the corner of his mouth tugging upward. She’s so cute, he thought, his fingers drumming lightly against the seat. And now she’s mine to watch.
***
After changing her clothes, Bella paused at the mirror, patting her cheeks lightly before splashing her face with cool water. Her reflection stared back at her, fresh and unguarded, no trace of the nervous hacker disguise she had been wearing earlier. She smoothed down her hair, trying to calm her racing thoughts.
That was when her phone buzzed. The screen lit up with a name that made her entire body jolt. Leo.