Jay, who had been waiting downstairs for fifteen minutes, nearly choked on thin air the mont he saw them. His eyes widened so aggressively it almost looked painful.
Oh God, am I going blind.
Since when do they walk this close.
Why does Leo look like a man who refuses to let go of his wife even for a second.
Jay stared at them, horrified, confused and amazed all at once. Bella was tucked so neatly against Leo’s side that she might as well have been sewn into his shirt. Leo didn’t even seem aware of how fiercely he was holding her, one hand around her waist and the other adjusting her hair gently when it fell over her shoulder.
Jay blinked again.
Still the sa scene.
Still too romantic for his innocent eyes.
What is this garden walk behavior at nine in the morning.
Not just him. A few guards and maids froze mid task, their heads turning in slow motion. Soone almost dropped a tray. Another maid elbowed her friend, whispering urgently. One guard stood straighter, as if trying to confirm his vision wasn’t playing tricks on him.
After all, Leo, cold, ruthless, silent, emotionally unavailable Leo, had never in his entire life touched soone like this. Let alone walk holding them, looking so naturally warm and protective.
The mansion staff exchanged looks that said everything.
Is this real.
Is that really Leo.
Did soone kidnap boss Leo and replace him with a clingy lover boy.
Jay rubbed his eyes, still not convinced. "I need holy water," he muttered under his breath. "They are walking like lovers in a drama trailer. What is happening to the world."
anwhile, Leo didn’t even glance at anyone. He simply lowered his head slightly and whispered, "Careful on the last step, bunny," holding Bella’s hand firmly as she stepped down, the gesture so gentle it made Jay feel like he was watching a forbidden romance scene he wasn’t supposed to witness.
Bella’s cheeks ward in embarrassnt. She knew everyone was staring. But Leo acted like the world had disappeared and only she existed.
For everyone who had known him, seeing him like this felt almost unbelievable.
The once untouchable icy man now looked like a clingy protective husband who refused to lose a single inch of distance from his wife.
Jay genuinely wondered if he should call Jace and tell him to bring sunglasses. Because this level of closeness was blinding.
"Bro, are you the sa bro who used to get disgusted seeing couples behave like this?" Jay finally burst out, standing up from his chair and rubbing his eyes as if he needed to refresh his entire vision. His voice cracked in disbelief and Bella’s cheeks turned pink instantly. Leo, however, remained completely unbothered. He didn’t even spare Jay a glance. With quiet authority, he simply placed his hand on Bella’s waist and pulled her gently toward the dining table, as if nothing in the world existed besides making sure she sat beside him.
Jay stared at them with his mouth hanging open. "Oh my God. He ignored . He actually ignored . I am his brother," he whispered dramatically, clutching his chest like he had been betrayed at the soul level.
Just then, Jace appeared in the main hall carrying a large bag. "Hey," he called casually as he placed the bag beside the couch.
Jay spun around and rushed toward him like a man escaping danger. "ACE. JECE," he yelled, grabbing Jace by the shoulders and shaking him slightly.
Jace blinked, confused. "Why are you screaming like soone stole your kidneys."
Jay pointed behind him with both hands. "Look at them. Look at those two. Walking together like they are in a wedding comrcial. Since when did my brother beco a clingy husband type."
Jace looked past Jay, and the sight that greeted him nearly made him stop breathing.
Leo was pulling out Bella’s chair for her.
He set Bella down gently, adjusting the back of her dress so it wouldn’t wrinkle, and then sat beside her, so close their arms brushed. Then, without hesitation, he placed his hand on the back of her chair as if she belonged inside the circle of his arm.
Jace’s eyes widened.
Jay whispered, "See. See. Am I hallucinating."
"I don’t know," Jace murmured. "Is this really Mafia Leo."
Leo finally looked up, only to glare at the two staring like owls. "Don’t stand there. Sit."
Jay whimpered. "He even talks different."
After breakfast Leo and Bella left to get ready. Jay walked beside Jace with the slow defeated steps of a man whose worldview had been shattered overnight. He kept rubbing his eyes as if trying to erase the image of clingy Leo from his mory. Even though he knew Bella and Leo’s relationship had been growing for months, nothing had prepared him for the sight of his cold ruthless brother walking down the stairs holding Bella like she was the only oxygen he knew how to breathe.
Jace glanced at him. "Stop walking like your soul left your body."
Jay let out a tired sigh. "My goodness. My past self didn’t know my brother would be glued to her like this one day..."
Before Jay could ruin Jace’s ntal stability further, Leo and Bella appeared at the top of the stairs.
But this ti Leo had helped Bella change into her disguise.
They ca down together, and both brothers stopped mid breath. Bella looked nothing like the soft girl who wore beige dresses and shy smiles. Her hair was tied and tucked beneath her wig, she even wore glasses that sat comfortably on her nose, and her shirt and jacket hung in a relaxed masculine way. Even her posture had changed. She walked with easy casual steps, her hands brushing her pockets, her shoulders slightly slouched.
Jay gasped first. "Oh my God. Bella! Bellarina!" He rushed toward her, circling her like a shocked hawk. "You are really Isaac. You look exactly like a guy, like a real one. I an, wow. I knew you disguised yourself, but I didn’t know you looked this convincing."
He leaned down to inspect her shoes, then stood on tiptoe to check her hairline, then even looked from the side.
Jace raised his brows, impressed. "I have seen your disguise photos, but seeing you like this in person is a different shock altogether. I would not be able to tell you are Bella unless soone spelled it out."
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