CHAPTER 350: CHAPTER 350 BELIEVING HIM

And for that brief moment, the room felt suspended in silence.

"Leonardo... means lion," Bella said suddenly, bursting into a fit of laughter through the quiet. Her eyes sparkled as she tried to control herself, and Leo just rolled his eyes, pretending to look annoyed, though the corner of his lips twitched.

Lion, she thought again, suppressing another giggle. Of course he does. Fierce, strong, protective... and sometimes, a little scary.

But while laughing, her smile began to tremble. The sound broke apart in her throat, and before she knew it, tears were spilling down her cheeks.

Leo immediately straightened, startled. "Bunny?" he said softly, stepping closer. She tried to hide her face, but he didn’t let her. Instead, he gently wrapped his arms around her head and guided her face against his abdomen, holding her there as she cried.

"What’s wrong?" he asked quietly, his deep voice rumbling against her ear. His large hand rested on her back, steady and comforting, as if anchoring her to him.

Her voice came muffled against his shirt. "No one ever told me things the way you do..." she said between quiet sobs. "Not once."

Leo’s chest ached as he listened. He could feel the warmth of her tears soaking through his shirt, and he lowered his head slightly, brushing his chin against the top of her hair.

She sniffed, her shoulders shaking. All my life I thought I wasn’t enough... that I was too plain, too quiet, too ordinary. My hair’s too simple, my face too average—people always made me feel like I didn’t belong.

His thumb started tracing soothing circles through her hair. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. "Shh, Bunny," he murmured against her hair, his voice deep and warm. "Cry all you want, but don’t be sad."

His scent surrounded her—clean, faintly musky, grounding. He rested his chin gently atop her head. "I told you, didn’t I?" he whispered, his tone soft but steady. "You’re beautiful, inside and out. You don’t need to be anyone else."

Bella sniffled softly, her tears finally beginning to slow. Why does he always say it like that? Like he means it, she thought, her chest swelling in a way that made it hard to breathe. Like I can actually believe him.

And she did. She believed him with all her heart.

After a quiet moment, she lifted her head slightly and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her tears were still clinging to her lashes, and she wiped the last of them on his shirt without even realizing it. Leo glanced down, completely helpless, as a faint, tired smile tugged at his lips.

"Good now?" he murmured, his voice low and rough, the vibration of it deep against her cheek.

"Yeah," she whispered, her voice small and sweet, and hugged him tighter, pressing her face against him.

Leo chuckled under his breath, his large hand resting on the back of her head. "You’re funny, Bunny," he said, amusement softening his tone. "If you keep holding me like that, how am I supposed to work?"

"Five minutes," she mumbled stubbornly, her voice muffled against his chest, her pout audible even without seeing her face.

Leo let out a quiet laugh and looked down at her, his eyes filled with warmth and something deeper that he didn’t bother naming. Bunny didn’t understand what she was doing to him—how hard it was to stay composed when she was holding him like that.

He sighed quietly, his smile deepening as he rested his chin on her head. "Alright," he whispered, his voice low enough to make her heart skip. "Five minutes."

Five minutes later...

Bella finally loosened her arms around him, though her reluctance was written all over her face. Her lower lip jutted out adorably, forming a perfect little pout that made Leo’s heart tighten in his chest. It was ridiculous—how could someone look so innocent and tempting at the same time?

He watched her with quiet amusement, his gray eyes soft but glinting with mischief. "Still sulking?" he teased, brushing his thumb gently over her cheek.

She huffed and looked away, her voice barely above a whisper. "You said five minutes..."

Leo’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "And it’s been five minutes," he murmured, his tone dropping low, rich enough to make her stomach flutter. He leaned closer, and Bella blinked up at him in surprise, her eyes wide and glimmering beneath the soft light.

Before she could ask what he was doing, his hand slid around the back of her neck, his touch firm yet tender. He tilted her face upward, his thumb tracing the curve of her chin, and then, without another word, he kissed her pout.

Her breath broke in a sharp gasp, the sound lost against the heat of his mouth. The faint pout she’d worn just moments ago vanished as his teeth grazed her lower lip, catching it with a slow, deliberate pull that sent a shiver spiraling down her spine. Her fingers clutched at his shoulders—hard muscle shifting beneath her palms—as if holding him was the only thing keeping her upright. Then his tongue brushed against hers, sliding deeper, tasting her sweetness with a hunger that made her knees tremble. His lips were both soft and rough, the contrast maddening.

Every touch felt like it was meant to claim her, to burn her into memory, to leave no part of her untouched by the fire between them.

When he finally pulled back, he looked at her—the way her lashes trembled, the faint flush that painted her cheeks, the surprise that still hadn’t left her face. Her lips were red and soft, glistening slightly from his kiss.

They looked tender, a little swollen, and he couldn’t look away. Her breath came in small, uneven waves as his eyes lingered on her mouth, the faintest trace of a smile curving his lips before he whispered, "Now," he said in a low, teasing voice, "you can stop pouting."

Bella blinked at him, her mouth slightly open in disbelief, her heart fluttering so wildly she could barely form words. Her lips still tingled where his had been, and her mind felt too light, too dreamy.

"Y-you..." she stammered, her cheeks burning as she looked anywhere but at him.