His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 530 She’s not that weak

"Go take a bath and freshen up, alright?" Jace said softly, lifting his hands to cup her cheeks.

His touch was gentle, careful, like he was afraid she might break if he moved too suddenly.

Bella looked at him, her eyes still wet, her lashes clumped slightly from tears. Her face had turned red from crying, her nose faintly flushed, her expression tired but calmer than before. She nodded slowly.

"O-okay," she whispered.

She stood up from the bed with slow movements, walked toward the chair where he’d left it, and picked up the bag Jace had brought. Holding it close to her chest, she turned and headed into the bathroom.

Inside, she leaned lightly against the counter for a moment, taking a quiet, shuddering breath. She brushed her teeth slowly, rinsing her mouth, trying to wash away the metallic taste of fear and the heaviness still lingering in her chest. Then she turned on the shower and stepped under the warm water, letting it run over her hair and shoulders. The heat relaxed her tense muscles little by little.

She washed her face, her arms, her hair, letting the water carry away some of the exhaustion, though not all of it. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Leo, to the stark image of the stitches on his back, to the way he lay so still it seemed he wasn’t breathing.

After drying off, she changed into the fresh clothes Jace had bought—a simple cotton t-shirt and soft linen pants. They were gentle against her skin, fitting loosely, much kinder than the gown she had been wearing all night. She tied her damp hair back in a loose knot, rinsed her face one last time with cold water, and took a small, steadying breath.

Then she opened the bathroom door and stepped back into the room.

She looked cleaner now. Calmer on the surface.

Bella stepped into Leo’s ward quietly. Jay and Alessandro were sitting on the small couch near the window, speaking in low, serious voices. Their faces looked tight with worry, shadows sitting beneath their eyes. But Bella barely noticed them. Her attention went straight to Leo.

She walked toward his bed and lowered herself into the chair beside him, her movements slow and careful, as if even breathing too loudly might disturb him.

He looked pale. Unnaturally pale. The color had drained from his face, leaving his skin almost translucent against the white pillowcase. His dark lashes rested still against his cheeks, his lips faintly dry and parted, his breathing shallow but steady. The fresh stitches across his back were now covered with clean bandages, but Bella could still picture them clearly in her mind. He must be in so much pain.

Her gaze softened as she looked at him. Then, slowly, something colder began to surface beneath her ribs. Whoever had done this to him... how cruel could someone be to hurt him like this? How heartless. How merciless.

Her jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. The warmth in her eyes dimmed, replaced by a quiet, dangerous stillness. A blade of anger twisted inside her.

"Bella."

Jay’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She lifted her gaze slightly, and for a brief moment, he caught the expression on her face before she could fully mask it.

It made him pause. He had seen that look before—on dangerous situations, during tense negotiations. He had seen it on himself. On his father. On Leo. But seeing that same dark, calculating intensity on Bella’s usually sweet face unsettled him.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Bella looked at him and nodded, offering a small, clipped smile that did not quite reach her eyes. "I am," she said simply.

Jay studied her for a second longer, then shifted his gaze back toward Leo. "Please don’t worry too much," he added, trying to soften the heaviness in the room. "He will be okay. We’re... used to injuries like this." The words came out casually, almost dismissively. For him, for their family, getting hurt had always been part of life. Missions gone wrong. Deals that turned violent. Enemies who never stayed quiet. He, his father, and Leo had all bled before.

Bella’s eyes flickered briefly. "I am really okay," she repeated softly, though the storm inside her had not settled.

Jay hesitated, then spoke again, trying to shift the mood. "I sent Ace to get breakfast," he said. "You haven’t eaten anything." There was a trace of relief in his voice. He was grateful Jace was here. Jace had been steady, supportive the whole time. With Leo unconscious, shipment issues piling up, business matters demanding attention, and their father tied up elsewhere, most of the responsibility had fallen on Jay’s shoulders. Having Jace around felt like having a pillar beside him.

Bella nodded faintly. "Hmm," she murmured. She turned her attention back to Leo, her gaze softening again as she watched his face, her hand resting near his on the sheet.

Meanwhile, Alessandro watched Bella in silence. He studied her, his focus absolute, reading the shift in her posture and the new chill in her eyes. The expression he had seen on her face earlier had not left his mind. It was not fear. Not helplessness. It had been something darker. Something dangerous. Something familiar.

"Bella," he said, his voice a low rumble. He shifted on the couch, making room, and patted the empty cushion beside him. "Come here."

Bella glanced at him, hesitant. She did not want to move away from Leo’s bedside. "Why?" she asked quietly.

"Come," Alessandro repeated, not raising his voice, but the command in it left no room for refusal.

After a moment, Bella stood and walked toward him, sitting on the edge of the cushion he’d indicated, her body angled so she could still keep Leo in the corner of her vision.

Alessandro studied her carefully before speaking. "This ambush," he said slowly, "was planned by Pablo."

Bella’s attention sharpened immediately.

"We confirmed it recently," he continued. "But this time, his men were not the same as before. Their coordination, their strategy... it means he has partnered with another family."

Jay shifted slightly, listening closely.

"We didn’t see it coming," Alessandro added. "They stayed hidden even after realizing how strong our digital surveillance has become. They learned from their past mistakes. They adapted."

Bella frowned faintly. "So... this was planned more carefully than before."

"Yes," Alessandro replied. "And that makes it more dangerous." He paused briefly, then looked directly at her. "I have a few solid leads on who attacked Leo," he said. "Once I get confirmation from my trusted men, I’ll be leaving. In about twenty minutes."

Jay looked up sharply. "You’re going now?"

"Yes," Alessandro said calmly. Then he turned back to Bella. "I called you here because I want to ask you something honestly." He held her gaze. "Do you want to come with me?"

Jay’s eyes widened. "Dad?!"

Bella answered before Jay could say more. "I want to come," she said quietly but without hesitation.

Jay stared at her. "Bella—"

"Jay," Alessandro interrupted, his tone leaving no argument, "you stay here with your brother. I’ll take Bella with me."

Jay stood up, tension rising in his shoulders. "Dad, that’s dangerous. Why are you taking Bella? If someone needs to go, it should be me."

Alessandro looked at him evenly. "You are needed here."

Jay frowned. "And Bella isn’t?"

"She is," Alessandro replied calmly. "But not in the way you think." He turned slightly toward Bella again. "She chose to come. And she is the daughter-in-law of the Moretti family. She is not as weak as you assume."

Jay exhaled sharply. "This isn’t about assuming she’s weak. This is about keeping her safe."

"And keeping her locked away won’t keep her safe forever," Alessandro replied, his voice firm. "Danger will come whether she’s prepared or not." Bella looked at him, surprised by his words. "I don’t want her facing life for the first time only when she’s already cornered," he continued. "I want her to learn how to face it on her own terms."

Jay looked frustrated. "Dad, she’s exhausted. She hasn’t slept. She’s barely holding it together."

Bella glanced down at her hands, then back up, meeting Jay’s concerned gaze. "I’m tired," she admitted softly. "But I’m not helpless."

Jay turned to her. "Bella, this could get ugly. You don’t know how violent Pablo’s side can be."

"I know," she replied, her voice gaining a thread of steel. "And that’s exactly why I want to go."

Jay studied her expression, noticing there was no fear there—only a cold, clear resolve.

Alessandro nodded slightly. "She understands more than you think."

Jay ran a hand through his hair. "And if something happens to her?"

Alessandro met his gaze. "Then it will be my responsibility. But I will not treat her like someone fragile who needs to be hidden away."

’She’s not that weak’. The words echoed in Bella’s own mind, tightening her chest with a strange, fierce pride.

Before the tension could rise further, the door opened. Jace walked in carrying a takeaway bag of breakfast in one hand and another bag filled with fruit and bottled drinks in the other. He paused slightly on the threshold, sensing the charged mood in the room.

"Breakfast," he said quietly, placing the bags on the small table.

"Thank you, dear," Alessandro replied.

Jace nodded and glanced at Bella, his eyes searching hers. "You okay?" He had overheard the tail end of the conversation from the hallway.

Bella nodded lightly. "I will be."

Jay looked between them, his shoulders still tense. "So this is really happening?"

"Yes," Alessandro said, his voice final.

Bella took a slow breath. "I’m not going because I’m reckless. I’m going because I don’t want to sit here doing nothing while the person who did this is still out there."

Jace watched her for a moment, then said softly, "If you’re going, at least eat something first. You’ll need your strength."

A small, tired smile touched Bella’s lips. It was the first genuine one in hours.

"I will," she said.