CHAPTER 190: CHAPTER 190 SWEETNESS

Bella blinked as she looked down at the soft pink paper bag sitting in her lap. It was warm, a little squished from his grip, and still carried the scent of vanilla, strawberries, and something buttery sweet. Slowly, like she was scared it might disappear, she untied the ribbon and peeked inside—then froze.

Inside were delicate, frosted strawberry cupcakes, a slice of soft sponge cake covered with whipped cream and fruit, and a small box of chocolate-coated macarons tucked beside a ribboned note that simply said: From Sunshine Heart Bakery.

Her lips parted in disbelief. He bought these... for her?

Her hands trembled slightly as she picked up the cupcake, the frosting perfectly piped, the strawberry on top still glistening fresh. Her heart skipped a beat. She stared at the desserts, cheeks gradually turning pink, eyes wide like she was seeing them for the first time all over again.

Did he really go to a bakery? Leonorado? That cold-faced, sharp-tongued, emotionally unavailable man... walked into a place called Sunshine Heart Bakery and picked out these girly, pretty little desserts for her?

Her stomach fluttered and she covered her mouth for a second, trying not to smile too hard. Her cheeks were already flushed and warm. She didn’t even know if she should laugh, cry, or eat the entire box in one go.

She glanced toward the hallway where he’d disappeared, and her heart gave a small, uninvited thump.

Maybe SweetTooth is right! ... maybe he wasn’t ignoring her. Maybe he just didn’t know how to talk to her.

Bella carefully set the box aside and hugged the bag to her chest, her heart feeling full and soft. She would still pretend to ignore him for a bit but only for a bit.

Then, unable to resist any longer, Bella picked up the pink paper bag again and pulled it close like it was some precious treasure. Her fingers were quick this time, carefully peeling back the tissue paper and setting each item down on the coffee table like they were rare jewels instead of desserts.

She gently lifted the strawberry cupcake first, its frosting swirled like a soft pink cloud, and brought it closer to her nose. It smelled sweet—like strawberries, cream, and... maybe a little bit of love. She giggled softly at her own silly thought and took a tiny bite, the cream melting on her tongue.

Her eyes lit up instantly.

"Mmm!!" she gasped, covering her mouth as her cheeks puffed. "It’s so good..."

She kicked her feet happily on the couch, her earlier sulky mood completely gone as she reached for the sponge cake next. She picked up the fork from the bag, sliced into the soft, pillowy slice, and popped it into her mouth with wide eyes.

"Oh my God..."

It was like eating a cloud. A sweet, creamy, fruit-kissed cloud. Her entire face lit up, eyes sparkling as she took another bite, and another, completely forgetting about the world around her.

She leaned back with a happy sigh, cupcake in one hand, and mumbled through a full mouth, "He really bought all this for me..."

And yet her cheeks stayed warm the entire time she ate.

Upstairs, in his private study, Leo leaned against the desk with one hand in his pocket and the other adjusting the monitor screen. The light from the screen reflected in his dark eyes as he stared at the footage—Bella sitting on the living room couch, kicking her feet like a happy child, cheeks puffed with frosting, and eyes sparkling with every bite she took.

He didn’t even realize his lips had curved into a small smile.

He had installed those hidden monitors a long time ago when he was still on edge, suspicious of everyone and everything. They were meant to catch spies, traitors, enemies hiding in his own house. But right now... he was watching his girl eating cupcakes with the kind of joy that made his cold chest feel strangely light.

She was humming quietly now, eyes half closed as she took another bite, cheeks flushed, probably thinking no one was watching.

His fingers paused near the screen. He leaned in a little, eyes following her every movement. "She liked it," he muttered under his breath, his voice almost boyish in tone—amused, curious, almost proud.

She giggled softly to herself on screen, and Leo blinked slowly. His heart thudded once, out of rhythm, like someone tapped it from the inside.

He looked away for a second, running a hand through his hair, trying to compose himself. But when he glanced back at the monitor and saw her licking a bit of cream off her finger, his ears turned slightly red.

"...Damn it."

He had killed men without blinking. He’d threatened billionaires, brought entire empires to their knees... But one girl eating dessert was turning his brain to soup.

Dinner was warm tonight, and not just because of the food. There was something else—something that made Bella’s heart thump and her spoon tap against the edge of her plate more than usual.

Leo was... smiling. Actually smiling. His sharp features, usually set in stone, were oddly relaxed, like someone had pressed pause on his mafia-mode and brought out the man underneath. He wasn’t saying much, but his eyes kept drifting to Bella—every now and then with that unreadable softness that made her cheeks grow redder by the minute.

And Jay? Jay looked like he was dying inside from second-hand embarrassment.

He scooped a mouthful of rice, rolled his eyes dramatically, and muttered, "I’ve never seen you this cheerful, bro. Are you sure you’re not possessed?"

Leo ignored him completely, simply sipping his soup like some royal prince pretending he wasn’t glowing with happiness inside. Bella, meanwhile, had her head slightly ducked as she bit her lip and poked at her vegetables—trying very hard not to smile too obviously or let her eyes meet Jay’s teasing ones.

Jay grinned wickedly. "Bella, when’s your homeless friend coming? Do we need to go fetch him?"

Bella almost choked on her water. "N-no! He said he’ll come by himself. I already sent him the address," she said quickly, trying to keep her voice steady. "He was really grateful you’re letting him stay," she added, giving a thankful smile.