His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 625 Careful

Bella’s face shifted into an exaggerated pout. "Well, I’m not going because your brother wants me to focus on college. Apparently being a wife and working isn’t enough—I also have to be a student."

Jay laughed. "Hahaha! That sounds like him. Bella, you must better yourself. Bella, education is important. Bella, stop distracting me during meetings."

"I never distracted him during meetings!"

"You absolutely did. I have witnesses."

Bella threw a napkin at him. He caught it, still grinning.

"But seriously," Jay continued, "I’m happy for you. College is exciting. New people, new experiences, new opportunities to embarrass yourself in front of professors."

Bella’s pout transformed into a huge, beaming smile. "I’m actually really excited. Like, genuinely excited. I’ve never done the whole campus thing before—classes, libraries, terrible cafeteria food. It’s going to be an adventure."

"See? That’s the spirit." Jay pointed at her with his spoon. "Embrace the adventure. Make friends. Join a club. Start a revolution."

"A revolution?"

"Why not? Every good college needs one."

Bella laughed, the sound bright and warm in the kitchen.

Jay leaned forward, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Okay, subject change. Do you want to visit an orphanage with me sometime?"

Bella blinked. "An orphanage?"

"Yeah, Alexa’s parents are running one." He pulled out his phone, scrolling through it. "I know, I know—Alexa is... Alexa. But hear me out. Her parents actually seem to be doing really good work there."

He turned the phone toward her, showing a webpage filled with photos.

Bella leaned in, studying the images. Children of all ages—some as young as toddlers, others looking like teenagers. They were smiling. Laughing. Playing with toys and each other. A little girl with pigtails showed off a missing tooth. A group of boys kicked a soccer ball in a yard that actually had grass.

"I heard they transformed the place," Jay continued. "Like, it used to be rundown. Kids were malnourished, sleeping on the floor, the whole sad orphanage stereotype. But now? Each kid has their own room. Proper food. Toys. Education. Medical care."

"Wow," Bella breathed, scrolling through more photos. A boy held up a drawing. A group of girls sat at a table with art supplies. A teenager smiled awkwardly next to a bookshelf.

"They look so happy," she murmured.

"Right? That’s what I thought." Jay leaned back. "Whatever you think of Alexa, her parents seem to be doing something right. I figured maybe we could go, see the place, maybe volunteer or donate or something. If you’re interested."

Bella looked up from the phone, her eyes bright. "I’d love that. When?"

Jay shrugged. "Whenever works for you. After your exam, maybe? We could make a day of it. Go see the kids, play some games, remind ourselves that the world isn’t completely terrible."

Bella smiled. "I’d really like that, Jay."

"Awesome." He grinned. "It’s a date—a totally platonic, don’t-tell-my-brother-I’m-taking-his-wife-anywhere date."

Bella laughed. "Your secret is safe with me."

"And if Leo asks, we were... buying books. For college. Very educational."

"Books about what?"

"I don’t know, Bella. Books about books. He won’t question it."

They clinked coffee cups, grinning at each other like co-conspirators.

Afternoon, 2:45 PM

Leo sat behind his massive desk, a mountain of documents spread before him, his expression focused and unreadable as he scanned through contract details with practiced efficiency.

Jeffrey lingered near the door, shifting from foot to foot for a good thirty seconds before finally gathering the courage to speak. He’d been standing there so long that one of the assistants had already passed him twice, giving him curious looks.

"Boss?" Jeffrey started carefully.

Leo didn’t look up. "Mm."

"So... I was wondering..." Jeffrey trailed off, then steeled himself. "Is Isaac still working with us? Like, at all? We haven’t seen him in weeks. Did he quit? Transfer? Get promoted to some secret department I don’t know about?"

Leo glanced up briefly, his gray eyes meeting Jeffrey’s curious gaze. "Hmm."

That was it. Just "hmm."

Jeffrey’s face fell slightly. He nodded to himself, trying to look unbothered even though he clearly was. "It’s okay... I get it. People move on. New opportunities. Better offers. Probably making twice my salary now, knowing him." He sighed dramatically. "I’ll just... be here. At my desk. Alone. Forever."

Leo’s pen continued moving. He didn’t respond.

Jeffrey shook off his melancholy, forcing a brighter expression. "Anyway, sir! That’s not why I’m here. Well, partly. But mostly—are you joining the dinner tonight? The celebration? Everyone’s going to be there."

"No."

The answer came immediately. Flat. Final. No room for interpretation.

Jeffrey’s shoulders slumped in defeat. He’d expected this, but still—hope sprang eternal. "Okay, okay. I figured. You’re busy. You’re always busy. The world would probably collapse if you took a night off." He turned to leave, then paused, remembering something.

"Oh! But Jay sir messaged me earlier." He pulled out his phone, checking the text as if he needed confirmation. "He said he will definitely attend. And—" Jeffrey’s voice perked up, "—he said he’s bringing his sister-in-law."

Leo’s pen stopped moving.

The scratch of ink on paper ceased. The office suddenly felt very quiet.

Leo looked up slowly, those gray eyes sharpening with something Jeffrey couldn’t quite read. "She’s coming?"

"I think yes, boss." Jeffrey nodded eagerly, sensing a shift in the atmosphere. "Jay sir said so. Specifically said ’sister-in-law.’ Which is Bella ma’am, right? Your wife? The cute one with the big eyes and the smile that makes people do stupid things?" He had seen Bella mostly in photos, and once in the office.

Leo’s eyebrow twitched slightly. "Careful."

"Right, sorry, sorry. Your wife. The lovely Mrs. Moretti." Jeffrey corrected himself quickly, but his grin remained. "Anyway, she’s coming. Jay sir confirmed it. And apparently Jay sir also confirmed that she’s been cooped up in the house studying for some exam and needs to get out and socialize like a normal human. His words, not mine."

Leo set his pen down deliberately. He leaned back in his chair. He studied Jeffrey for a long moment.

"Everyone will be there?"

"Yes, boss! Well, almost everyone. The usual crew. Food, music, the whole thing. It’ll be fun—the kind of fun where people pretend to be professional for the first hour and then someone starts karaoke and everything falls apart."

Leo’s lips twitched—almost a smile, but not quite. "Karaoke."

"It happens every time, sir. You should know this by now."

A long pause. Leo’s fingers tapped once against the armrest.

Then: "What time?"

Jeffrey’s face lit up like Christmas morning. "Seven, sir! At the usual place. The banquet hall downtown. You know the one—with the good appetizers and the terrible parking situation."

Leo gave a small nod. "I’ll think about it."