CHAPTER 217: CHAPTER 217 IT WAS PRIVATE

The cold sweetness distracted her for a moment, and she let out a small giggle to herself. But that relief shattered in an instant.

"Bella?"

Her whole body stiffened. The spoonful of ice cream nearly slipped from her hand. That voice—low, familiar, commanding. Her heartbeat spiked so hard it hurt.

"Huh??" She whipped around, widening her eyes in feigned surprise. There he was—Leo. Tall, magnetic, and impossibly sharp-eyed, standing just a few feet away. His gray eyes narrowed on her like steel cutting through silk, suspicion etched across his perfect features.

Bella forced a laugh, waving her cone awkwardly as though nothing was wrong. "Leo? What are you doing here??" she asked, her tone dripping with confusion, like she was the one caught off guard.

But inside, she was screaming.

Leonardo’s gaze flicked down to the cone in her hand, his lips twitching. "Your ice cream is melting," he remarked smoothly, then added with an almost careless shrug, "And I’m here because I needed to buy something."

Bella quickly licked at the dripping side, her tongue darting out. "What do you want to buy?" she asked innocently, tilting her head.

His eyes darkened immediately, a flicker of heat crossing his face as he watched her pink tongue against the ice cream. He leaned closer, his voice dropping into a teasing drawl. "Personal things. Do you really want to know?" His smile was deep, mysterious, and far too dangerous for the middle of a mall.

"Huh?" Bella blinked at him, almost choking on her cone. Her wide eyes made her look even more naive. "What kind of personal things?"

Leo chuckled under his breath, enjoying her bewilderment. But then, as his gaze swept over her, something else gnawed at him. His eyes lingered on her slightly flushed face, the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. Suspicion returned like a shadow.

"By the way..." His voice turned serious, "what were you doing all afternoon? With only a few shopping bags to show for it?" His eyes sharpened, scanning her expression.

Bella froze for a beat before flashing a quick smile. "I was... I was at the salon," she said lightly, as though it was the most natural thing.

Leo tilted his head, considering her answer. Salon, huh? His mind ticked back to his mother’s constant complaints about appearances. He remembered how she used to scold his dad for never noticing details—her nails, her hair, her dresses.

His chest tightened unexpectedly, anticipation rising. Will Bella show me her nails now? Should I react? He swallowed hard, a little nervous, though he’d never admit it. If I don’t say something, will she be disappointed?

Leonardo’s eyes dropped to Bella’s hands, his gaze brushing over her fingers. He had expected something—polished nails, glossy color, maybe a subtle shine. Instead, they looked the same as always. His brow furrowed ever so slightly. Normal. A small sting of disappointment flickered in his chest before he masked it. His gaze lifted again, sweeping over her hair, her flushed face. No obvious difference. So that’s why Father always struggled when Mother came home from the salon... he could never tell.

He let out a slow breath. "Are you done with shopping?" he asked, his tone casual, though his eyes searched her face.

Bella quickly nodded. "Mm."

"Oh wait—"

A voice cut through, and Bella stiffened as her head turned.

Stella.

The girl strode forward, her expression perfectly painted with wide-eyed surprise. "I heard your conversation!" Stella said, her gaze flicking between Leo and Bella. "I was at the salon the whole afternoon, but I didn’t see you there..." Her tone was innocent, but the glint in her eyes was anything but.

Bella’s heart skipped. Her jaw tightened.

Leo’s own expression hardened, his jaw clenching as he turned toward Stella. "Why were you listening to our conversation?" His voice was cold, his eyes narrowing. "It was private." The possessiveness in his tone was sharp, almost dangerous.

Stella’s hands fluttered as though she hadn’t meant anything by it. "No, I didn’t mean to intrude," she said quickly, then placed a faint stress on the word, "I just wanted to say hi to my sister." Her tone chilled on the last word, her gaze meeting Bella’s with deliberate coldness.

Bella’s glare sharpened instantly. "You’re not my sister," she bit out, her lips pressing into a tight line.

But Stella only tilted her head, pretending innocence. "Don’t change the subject, sister," she said sweetly, her voice loud enough for Leo to catch every syllable. "I was at La Lumière salon all afternoon. I didn’t see you there at all." Her eyes widened as though she were shocked by the realization, but inside she was smirking. Outwardly, she wore an expression of worried concern, glancing at Leo as though silently telling him, Look, your Bella is lying to you.

Bella’s fists curled at her sides, heat burning through her veins.

Leo stood perfectly still, his face unreadable but the silence between the three of them stretched dangerously thin, as if one wrong word could snap it.

"There isn’t only one salon in this mall." Leo’s voice cut like a blade, smooth and sharp at the same time. A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips as his eyes locked onto Stella. "And what exactly are you implying? That my wife is lying to me?"

His gaze was like fire—piercing, unblinking. The intensity of it made Stella’s throat tighten. She actually shivered, her legs trembling under the pressure of his sharp stare.

"I-I didn’t mean that," she stammered, though her jaw clenched with frustration. Behind her lowered lashes, hatred burned. She couldn’t stop herself from gritting her teeth, cursing Bella inwardly.

But Leo didn’t give her another chance to speak. His hand closed firmly around Bella’s wrist, warm and commanding, and without a word of explanation he pulled her away.

Bella stumbled slightly but followed, her heart hammering. Stella stood frozen, watching them leave with humiliation pressing down on her. For a split second her pride burned—she didn’t deserve to be dismissed like that! But then she remembered her upcoming plan with Alexa. Slowly, her lips curved into a faint smile. Bella won’t be smug for long.