CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43 VISITING EILIVFX STUDIO

But suddenly... Isabella froze.

A chill ran down her spine like cold water, and her fingers paused mid-lift from the coffee cup. She didn’t even have to turn around to know, she could feel it.

Someone was standing behind her.

She slowly bit her lower lip and turned her head with the most awkward, guilty smile curling at the edge of her lips.

There he was.

Leonardo.

Towering behind her in a tailored brown suit that clung perfectly to his broad shoulders, his white shirt crisp beneath the collar. His dark hair was neatly styled, not a strand out of place. But it was his face that made her forget how to breathe...sharp, chiseled, and as breathtaking as it was unreadable.

And those infamous grey eyes They were locked on her.

Dangerous. Sharp. Focused.

And definitely hearing everything.

So awkward...

"...Good morning?" Isabella squeaked, suddenly feeling very, very small in her pink dress.

Jay, ever the agent of chaos, casually sipped his coffee and said with a grin, "Well, speak of the devil."

Leonardo didn’t smile and she suddenly regretted every word she said five minutes ago.

Leonardo walked in with his usual quiet authority and sat down at the head of the table, his presence instantly shifting the air. Without looking up, he spoke in a calm, cold tone to the maid nearby.

"Coffee."

The maid nodded quickly and rushed to the kitchen.

His gaze, sharp and strong, landed straight on Isabella and Jay. Those intense grey eyes didn’t waver, not for a second as if silently asking, What exactly were you two discussing before I arrived?

Jay gave an awkward cough and focused very hard on buttering his toast.

Within minutes, the maid returned with a cup of steaming coffee and a small breakfast plate. She placed it carefully in front of Leonardo and stepped back.

Unbeknownst to him, the coffee had been prepared earlier by Isabella.

Leonardo picked up the cup and took a sip, his movements smooth and graceful.

And then... another sip.

And another.

And then he finished it.

Jay nearly dropped his fork.

He blinked. Stared. Leaned back slightly and muttered under his breath like it was a national emergency.

"...He drank the whole cup..."

Leonardo usually had a strange habit, he’d take only two sips of coffee. Always. No matter where, no matter who made it. It wasn’t even about the taste. It was just his thing.

But today...

He drank it.

All of it.

Every last drop.

Jay, mid-bite into his toast, paused. Slowly, he turned his head to watch in disbelief as his brother calmly placed the empty cup down on the table without a word.

Jay’s eyes widened like he’d just seen a ghost.

Jay slowly turned to look at Isabella with a face full of exaggerated suspicion.

"Girl, what did you put in that coffee?" he whispered dramatically. "Love potion?"

Isabella blinked innocently. "Just cinnamon and cream..."

Jay narrowed his eyes at her.

****

After Leonardo finished his breakfast and left the dining hall without a word, the atmosphere instantly lightened. Jay leaned back in his chair and flashed Isabella a grin.

"Well, your dragon husband’s gone. Time to grant you some freedom," he said with a wink.

He pulled out his phone and made a quick call. Within minutes, a luxurious black car was arranged outside the villa gates just for her.

"You can go wherever you want," Jay said, handing her a small card with emergency contacts. "The driver knows you’re the boss today. And don’t worry, the bodyguards will follow but from a distance. You won’t even notice them."

Isabella’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Really? I can actually go?"

"Really," Jay said with a dramatic bow. "Go explore the world, Princess Bella."

Feeling light and happy, Isabella gave him a little wave before heading out. She climbed into the car, gave the driver the address from her email, and leaned back with a hopeful smile.

The ride was longer than expected, nearly forty-five minutes of winding roads, lively streets, and quiet city corners she had never seen before.

She had imagined a small, tucked-away studio.

But as the car turned the final corner and pulled up to the location, her eyes widened in awe.

Before her stood a tall, modern building with mirrored glass windows reflecting the sky. The name EliVFX Studios gleamed in silver above the sleek automatic doors. People in professional attire walked in and out.

Isabella stared through the window in amazement.

This... is not small at all.

As the driver parked near the grand entrance, Isabella hesitated.

Her hands clutched her phone, her thumb nervously tapping the screen. She glanced down at her outfit—her soft pink dress with a little bow near the collar, her white shoes just slightly scuffed from the garden path, and her hair styled in a simple half-updo.

She looked... cute.

But now, standing before such a tall, serious-looking building, she suddenly felt too causal and normal.

Maybe I should’ve worn something else... she thought, nibbling on her lip.

With a deep breath, she opened her phone and quickly typed a message.

To: Eili

Hi! I’m downstairs... in the lobby, I think. Wearing pink...

Then she slipped her phone back into her bag and walked toward the glass doors, pushing them open gently.

The moment she stepped inside, cool air brushed her skin. The interior was sleek, modern, and filled with stylishly dressed people.

Everyone looked like they belonged in a high-budget tech commercial.

And then there was her.

Soft pink, floral perfume, and big brown eyes taking everything in like a shy bunny.

She walked up to the receptionist desk quietly. "Um... h-hi," she said with a small smile. "I’m here to meet someone—Eili? From the FX team?"

The receptionist blinked, looked her up and down, and nodded politely. "Of course. Please have a seat, he’ll be right down."

Isabella nodded and turned toward the seating area, but as she walked, she could feel it.

The eyes.

Not rude... but curious.

People passed by, glancing at her at her dress, her soft look, her gentle expression.

They weren’t used to someone like her walking through these sharp, glass halls.

And Isabella shrank a little in her seat, holding her bag close.

She straightened her back and waited nervously.

"Are you Bella?" a calm voice asked from nearby.

Isabella turned quickly and almost stood too fast.

A tall man stood a few steps away, wearing a dark grey suit that fit him perfectly. His long, dark hair was tied neatly at the back, and thin glasses sat perfectly on his nose. He had a lean frame, graceful and professional, but what caught her attention most was his smile—warm, gentle, and showing faint dimples.

"Y-Yes," Isabella said softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she stood up. Her cheeks turned a light pink under his gaze, especially when she noticed the way his brows lifted slightly in surprise, like he wasn’t expecting her to look... like this.

"I’m Elliot," he said, offering a polite hand. "I’m the creative director here. This is my studio."

Isabella quickly shook his hand, her small fingers disappearing into his larger palm.

"It’s... very nice to meet you," she said nervously.

Elliot’s dimpled smile deepened. "Likewise. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting someone who looks like a fairy to walk through my doors."

Isabella’s eyes widened and her blush deepened. "I-I’m just... here for the work."

"Of course," he said, stepping to the side and gesturing toward the elevator. "Let me give you a quick tour. I promise you’ll like what you see."

With a polite nod, Isabella followed him, still clutching her phone in one hand, heart fluttering just a little from both nerves... and the strange, warm way Elliot smiled when he looked at her.

EliiVFX Studio wasn’t just a random fancy building—it was a whole creative world hidden behind glass walls.

As Elliot walked beside Isabella, he explained with quiet pride, "Our studio focuses mainly on short films and animated movies. We keep each department sharp and specialized so that every detail is handled by experts."

They passed a wide glass hallway where Isabella could see teams of animators working in near silence, their screens glowing with beautiful concept art and moving character rigs. Each person was laser-focused, their eyes scanning designs and storyboards pinned to the walls.

"That’s our Animation Wing," Elliot said, gesturing as they walked. "From character modeling to rigging, everything starts there. Most of our artists work in Blender, Maya, and Unreal Engine."

Isabella’s eyes sparkled with interest.

A little further down, they turned into a room with loud speakers and soft padded walls. "Here’s Sound Design. Foley artists and voice directors work together to bring our worlds to life."

Then they passed a darker corridor where strange LED screens and green walls glowed faintly. "This is VFX and Motion Capture. We do most of our creature effects and magic scenes here. A lot of our clients come just for this floor."

Isabella followed silently, wide-eyed and soaking in every detail. She never imagined a world like this would be so well-structured.

"And up ahead," Elliot said, "is the Color Grading and Post-Production Suite. You’ll like that one..it’s where people like you work magic."

Isabella blinked. "People like me?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice low but sincere. "You’re great at color grading. Your LUT packs? We’ve tested a few in-house. The mood, the warmth, the balance... You’ve got something special, Bella."

Isabella’s eyes widened a little, her lips parting, but no words came out immediately. Her cheeks slowly turned pink as she looked down shyly, trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

"I... I’m glad you liked them," she mumbled, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.