CHAPTER 260: CHAPTER 260 CAPTIVATING

"Take a seat," Leo said as he gestured toward the executive chair behind his desk.

Bella blinked, her eyes widening. "T-there? Are you sure?" she asked, half certain he had gone mad. That was his seat.

But Leo didn’t reply. Instead, he walked toward her with calm authority, his arm sliding around her waist as he guided her forward. She gasped softly when he pulled her down into the chair himself, her body sinking into the buttery leather that still carried his scent. She looked up at him in disbelief, her heart hammering.

Before she could even process it, Leo turned and strode out of the office. Bella’s fingers gripped the armrest tightly. Everything felt unreal.

Moments later, he came back carrying a sleek laptop. He set it down in front of her, the screen glowing to life. Then, instead of reclaiming his usual seat, he pulled over a plain chair and settled right beside her. His gray eyes were sharp.

"I lost some important files," Leo said, his voice low, velvet over steel. "My hackers can’t recover them. Maybe you can help me."

Bella hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I’ll try."

He gave her the file names, the fragments of information he had, and without another word she got to work.

The moment she started typing, everything about her changed. Her eyes sharpened, her expression shifted into one of complete focus, and her fingers flew across the keyboard with a speed and rhythm that made his chest tighten. Leo leaned back slightly, his gaze fixed on her, utterly captivated.

Strands of her hair slipped down against her cheek as she typed and without even thinking, he reached out, his fingers brushing the silky strands back behind her ear. She didn’t even look at him. She was so lost in the screen, so focused, and God, that made his chest burn.

Leo’s throat felt dry. He had seen women dress up, flirt, parade themselves in gowns and jewels, but this was something else. The way Bella’s brows furrowed, the way her lips pursed when she concentrated, the fire in her eyes as she solved each layer of code—it was intoxicating.

They always said a working woman was the most captivating thing to watch, and for the first time in his life, Leo understood.

She could bake, she could cook, she could play music, she could pout like a spoiled kitten and laugh like sunlight. She could be childish, serious, warm, or sharp. She also sell her little editing tools, her color-grading LUTs...

And now, watching her like this, Leo thought with a fierce rush in his chest, she was perfect. Multi-talented. Beautiful.

"Done!" Bella said proudly, leaning back in the chair.

Leo’s brows rose, his gray eyes narrowing slightly. "It’s only been five minutes," he said slowly. "And you’re done?"

Bella’s lips parted, and for a second she wanted to blurt out that it had actually taken her less than two minutes. But she stopped herself. She didn’t want him to know just how advanced she really was, so she had deliberately taken the longer, slower route instead of her usual coding style.

"Yes," she said lightly, forcing a small smile. "It wasn’t too complicated."

Leo leaned forward, studying her face as if he could see through every excuse she might come up with. But after a moment, he simply leaned back again, his expression unreadable.

"Can I go home now?" Bella asked hopefully, clutching her small purse against her lap.

Leo shook his head, his tone firm but calm. "No. I ordered breakfast for you. Eat first. After that, you can rest in my lounge."

Her mouth fell open slightly. "Your lounge?"

He stood, not bothering to explain further. "Come."

Bella followed him, her small steps hurrying to keep up with his long stride. He opened the glass door to a private lounge connected to his office, and Bella blinked in surprise. The space was warm and comfortable, with an L-shaped beige couch that looked softer than a cloud, a sleek coffee table, and another couch across from it. It didn’t look like the office of a cold CEO—it looked... livable.

"Thank you," she said softly as she stepped inside.

"No problem," Leo replied, his voice casual, and then he left her there without another word.

Bella looked around, then made herself comfortable on the L-shaped couch. She sank into it with a little sigh. It was so soft. She curled her legs up, hugging a pillow, feeling oddly at peace in his space.

A few minutes later, someone entered carrying a tray. "Breakfast, miss," the woman said politely, setting it down on the table in front of Bella.

"Thank you," Bella said warmly. The woman gave her a curious glance before nodding and leaving the lounge.

Bella picked at the food for a moment before standing up again. She couldn’t just sit there while Leo was still working. So she walked quietly back into his office, her eyes finding him at once.

He was seated behind his desk, focused, his brows slightly furrowed as his long fingers moved across the laptop keyboard. Papers were spread neatly in front of him. He looked so serious, so completely immersed in his work that Bella hesitated to disturb him.

But then she remembered he hadn’t eaten either.

"Leo," she called softly.

He didn’t look up. "Hmm?"

"You also didn’t have breakfast," she said, her voice more insistent this time.

"I’ll have it later," he replied flatly, still typing.

Bella frowned. She stepped closer to his desk, her hands on her hips. "No. That’s not good. You’re always telling others what to do, but you don’t take care of yourself."

His fingers paused on the keyboard. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to hers, his gray eyes cool but glinting with something else—something amused. "Are you scolding me, little bunny?"

Bella’s cheeks flushed. "I’m just saying... you ordered food for me, so you should eat too. Otherwise, it’s unfair."

Leo tilted his head slightly, watching her. "Unfair?"

"Yes," Bella said, stubborn now. "If I have to eat, then you have to eat too."

For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, with a quiet sigh, he pushed his chair back. "Fine. Bring it here."

Bella blinked, caught off guard. "W-what?"

"You wanted me to eat, didn’t you?" His lips curved faintly, almost a smirk. "So feed me."