Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Leaving
Bella’s feet shifted, her eyes flicking to the hallway. Please don’t look at me, she thought desperately, her heart thumping like a trapped bird in her chest. Please just let me pass...
But then as if he’d felt her thoughts, his gray eyes flicked up, sharp and cold even behind his long lashes.
"Bella."
His deep voice cut through the quiet living room like a blade. Her small shoulders stiffened, her footsteps stopping mid-step.
She watched him cut the call with a simple swipe of his thumb. He slipped the phone into his pocket, straightening his tall frame. He looked so effortlessly powerful in that dark, open-collar shirt.
And she in her soft, simple sundress felt like nothing.
When he spoke, his tone was calm, flat like he was talking about the weather. "We’re leaving tomorrow."
Bella blinked. Once. Twice. Her fingers tightened on her bag strap until it dug into her palm.
She lifted her eyes to his — so pretty and round, but dull now, hiding the ocean of f eelings that swirled just beneath her lashes.
So she nodded instead. A tiny, stiff bob of her head. Her face was as blank as she could make it, her small shoulders held tight to keep from trembling.
"...Okay," she whispered, her voice so soft it almost disappeared into the echo of the quiet living room.
Then she lowered her eyes again, her long lashes a shield and walked past him without another word.
Leonardo’s eyes stayed locked on her small back as Bella walked past him, her steps soft but heavy on the floor.
A small frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. His jaw tensed as he slipped his hands into his pockets, the phone pressing against his thigh. He replayed the look on her face in his mind that careful blankness, the way her lashes had trembled just once when their eyes met.
Why does she look like that? he thought, the frown deepening. What happened to her?
He knew her moods by now, the way she pouted when she was annoyed, the shy way her eyes lit up when she was happy, that innocent giggle she never hid when she was with someone she trusted. But this... this wasn’t her.
She looked like a tiny bird trying to hide a broken wing.
He exhaled slowly through his nose, his sharp eyes drifting toward the stairs where she’d disappeared. The urge to call her back to demand she explain that sad look — pulsed once through his chest before he forced it back down.
She’s just tired, he told himself, but the thought didn’t sit right. His fingers curled around the inside of his pocket, restless.
What are you hiding from me this time, little bunny? he wondered darkly.
And then, like always, he buried the feeling deep, turned away, and told himself it was nothing.
****
The next morning, the villa was wrapped in a sleepy hush, sunlight slipping in through the tall windows and pooling like gold on the floors.
In her room, Bella zipped up the new suitcase the staff had brought for her. She’d folded her clothes as neatly as she could, tucking Moonbeam, snowball and Berry safely at the very top so they wouldn’t get squished. She brushed her hair out until it fell smooth around her shoulders, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t hide the faint puffiness around her eyes.
When she looked in the mirror, she practiced a tiny smile. It didn’t reach her eyes but it was better than nothing. It’s fine, she told herself as she pressed her palm over her heart. Everything’s fine.
Minutes later, she stepped into the waiting car. Leonardo was already seated inside, his sharp profile framed by the soft morning light pouring through the tinted window. His phone rested loosely in one hand, but his eyes flicked up when he heard the door close.
She sank into her seat beside him, carefully setting her small bag on her lap. Her hands rested primly over it, fingers twisting the strap just once before she forced them to stay still.
Leonardo’s cold gray eyes lingered on her a moment longer. He noticed the slight redness around her lashes, the tiny shadows under her eyes that hadn’t been there before. His lips parted, as if he was about to say something but the words caught in his throat.
She felt his stare, but she didn’t look at him. She only turned her head to the window, the soft morning breeze brushing her hair when the car pulled away from the villa gates.
The silence between them was heavy — not angry, not sharp, just... heavy. Like all the words they’d never spoken were piled up around them, cushioning every bump in the road.
Leonardo’s eyes lowered to her small hands, still clenched politely in her lap. He frowned, shifting slightly, an odd tension creeping up the back of his neck. Why do you look like that? he wondered again, but he stayed silent, his thumb tapping once against the leather seat.
And beside him, Bella pressed her forehead lightly to the cool glass window, letting the world blur by. She wouldn’t let the tears fall now — not when he was right there. Not when it would change nothing at all.
After the long drive, they finally boarded Leonardo’s sleek private jet. Bella stepped inside, hugging her small bag to her chest, her eyes darting around the cabin. Unlike last time, there was no mean flight attendant in sight from last time but another one who looked professional— no fake seductive smiles, no lingering stares at Leonardo like he was something to bite.
Somehow, that made her feel... relieved. She quietly let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
She found her seat by the window and carefully settled down. She buckled her seatbelt, her small fingers fumbling with the metal clasp until it clicked. She pressed her palms together in her lap, feeling the faint vibration of the engines as the pilot prepared for takeoff.
A moment later, she felt the faint dip of the cushion beside her as someone sat down.