Chapter 136: Chapter 135 She is back!
@K4ne404: Heh. Good night to their servers.
Bella’s eyes didn’t flicker once as lines of code spilled across her screens. She leaned forward, her fingers moving fast but precise, scanning IPs, marking targets like stars on a map. The glow of her laptop danced on her face, making her look like a ghost queen leading an army of shadows.
"Well, turns out...it’s HIM," Bella burst out laughing when she finally traced the source.
She slapped her palm on her bed, giggling so much her laptop wobbled.
On the other end, SyntaxQueen went silent for three seconds before facepalming so hard it echoed in her mic.
In the general chat, SyntaxQueen typed furiously:
@SyntaxQueen: BlackKnight, WHY are you helping the enemy team?!
Somehow, in the middle of his attack, BlackKnight popped up with that lazy, clueless tone:
@BlackKnight: What are you talking about, woman?
SyntaxQueen hit her head on her keyboard.
@SyntaxQueen: WHY are you attacking that company?
@BlackKnight: They paid me FAT money. I’m homeless, remember??
SyntaxQueen rolled her eyes so hard she almost saw her brain.
@SyntaxQueen: If you’d STAY civil, you wouldn’t be homeless! *Rolling eyes*
BlackKnight immediately bit back:
@BlackKnight: Says the one who emptied my card for that "original designer bag."
@SyntaxQueen: *guilty emoji* ANYWAY, stop attacking!
@BlackKnight: Why would I? This is my job.
Bella finally jumped in, her tone soft but firm:
@Bellatrix_019: Can you stop, BlackKnight? If you’re really homeless, I’ll help you.
BlackKnight paused for two seconds, then replied with suspicious glee:
@BlackKnight: Really? You’ll help?
@Bellatrix_019: Yes.
@BlackKnight: Hehehe I didn’t know you’re from such a RICH family! *greedy emoji*
Bella typed sweetly:
@Bellatrix_019: It’s my husband’s company you’re attacking.
BlackKnight went dead silent in the chat, then popped back in all caps:
@BlackKnight: WOAH— I didn’t sign up for this! I’ll stop! I’ll stop!
@BlackKnight: But what about the guy who paid me?
@Bellatrix_019: He’s a bad guy. Very bad.
BlackKnight’s typing bubble popped up like evil laughter.
@BlackKnight: Alright. I know EXACTLY what to do. Hehehehe.
SyntaxQueen added one last line with an eyeroll:
@SyntaxQueen: This is why I have grey hair at 28.
Bella giggled.
***
On the other side, Leonardo and his entire security team sat in stunned silence as the monitors, which were blinking with warning red lights just seconds ago, suddenly turned calm.
The endless stream of malicious code that had been battering their firewall vanished like someone had yanked the plug.
One of the lead techs, Nathan, leaned back in his chair, eyes wide behind his glasses.
"Someone helped us..." he whispered, almost not believing it himself.
A few others nodded, exchanging looks of relief and confusion.
Jay, still catching his breath, muttered, "Our firewall didn’t just hold — it got stronger. Whoever did that, they’re way beyond our level..."
Leonardo let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. The tightness in his shoulders eased, but his mind was already racing — who the hell stepped in to save his empire without asking?
His eyes darkened, tapping his finger on the table.
But for now, he didn’t say a word.
He just allowed himself one small sigh of relief.
After that, Leonardo leaned back in his chair, his cold eyes glinting with an unreadable light. He turned to Nathan and others..
"Find out who that hacker was," he ordered calmly, but his tone left no room for delay. "If they helped me, they deserve to be rewarded. I want every detail — their location, their network, everything."
"Yes, Sir," Nathan nodded, already pulling up new traces to backtrack the sudden firewall reinforcement.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Bella was sitting cross-legged on her bed, hugging Berry while her laptop’s screen went dark. Her lips curved into a sweet smile, her brown eyes sparkling with relief and pride.
"Thank you, everyone!" she had typed in the chat before logging off, earning a string of funny goodbyes and virtual hugs from her hacker friends.
Closing her laptop, she stretched her arms with a happy sigh.
"I hope Jay Jay and Leo aren’t stressed anymore..." she whispered to herself, her innocent voice echoing in her quiet room.
She hopped off her bed, went to wash her face, brushed her teeth, and quietly padded down the stairs for a small dinner the maids had kept warm for her.
After finishing every bite because she hated wasting food — she whispered goodnight to Clara in the kitchen, then tiptoed back upstairs.
Once she crawled into bed, she pulled Berry, Moonbeam, and Snowball close to her chest.
Under her blanket, her heart felt light for the first time that day.
She didn’t know her ’little favor’ had made Leonardo’s mind race with questions — all she knew was that she did something for her family.
And with that thought, Bella fell asleep with a small, content smile on her lips, dreaming sweet dreams under the soft moonlight.
****
Jessica’s eyes gleamed as she watched her daughter finally come back. She reached out and cupped Stella’s face between her palms, studying every inch with a smile.
"My baby girl... look at you! So thin, but so pretty — well, you’ve always been pretty," Jessica cooed, brushing Stella’s hair behind her ear.
Stella sniffled, trying to hold back tears. "Mom, I’m so sorry. I—I shouldn’t have left with Tom... he... he was horrible. I just wanted to feel loved."
Sam, standing beside them, placed a comforting hand on Stella’s shoulder and chuckled softly. "It’s alright, sweetheart. We all make mistakes, don’t we? At least you came back to us. That’s what matters."
Jessica rolled her eyes playfully at Sam. "Oh, please, you’re acting like she ran off for years — it was only months, Sammy."
"Months that felt like years!" Stella pouted, leaning into her mother’s touch. She glanced at her father, her voice lowering. "Dad, I’m so sorry for all the worry. I really missed you."
Sam smiled, squeezing her shoulder a little tighter. "I know you did. And you’re back where you belong, hmm? We’ll fix everything, together."
Jessica snapped her fingers dramatically, cutting off their soft moment. "Alright, enough crying at the doorstep. Are we going to stand here sniffling, or are we going inside? I prepared your favorite soup, Stella. You need to gain a little weight. A thin figure is nice, but you look so weak!"
Stella’s eyes widened. "Soup? Mom, you really cooked for me?"
Jessica scoffed. "Of course not. The maid did. But I told her exactly how you like it. Come on!"