His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 560 Wedding preparations

"Not bad," Leo muttered, taking another slow sip of coffee as he stood on the balcony. The morning view stretched before him, endless mountains draped in soft mist, the peaks catching the first gold of sunrise. He wore a simple dark sweater, his hair still slightly disheveled from sleep, looking more relaxed than she had seen him in days.

Bella beamed from her chair, bundled in an oversized black sweater that swallowed her whole. Her legs were tucked under her, a mug warming her hands, her nose slightly pink from the crisp mountain air.

"I told you!" she said triumphantly. "But you were like, ’I don’t drink random coffee,’ and ’what if they added too much sugar,’ and ’I have standards, Bella.’"

Leo glanced back at her, one eyebrow raised. "I have standards."

"And yet you’re drinking it."

"And yet I’m drinking it," he agreed calmly. "Because you made me try it."

Bella’s smile softened, warmth blooming in her chest that had nothing to do with the coffee.

He turned back to the view, taking another sip. "It’s acceptable."

"Acceptable," she repeated, amused.

"Don’t push it."

She laughed, the sound light and bright in the quiet morning. The air here was different, clean, carrying the scent of pine and distant snow. She breathed it in deeply, letting it fill her lungs.

"I love this," she said softly. "The air. The peace. The mountains."

Leo was quiet for a moment. Then, without turning, he said, "You’re part of the view now."

Bella blinked. "What?"

He gestured vaguely with his coffee mug toward the landscape. "Mountains. Sky. You in that ridiculous sweater." A pause. "It all fits together."

Her cheeks flushed warm despite the cold. "My sweater is not ridiculous. It’s cozy."

"It’s three sizes too big."

"It’s borrowed. From you. So technically, you’re calling your own sweater ridiculous."

Leo finally turned to look at her fully, taking in the way the oversized sweater swallowed her small frame, the way her hair was tucked behind her ears, the way her eyes sparkled with morning and mischief.

"I take it back," he said quietly.

"Take back what?"

"The sweater looks good on you."

Bella’s teasing smile faltered. "Leo..."

He walked toward her slowly, setting his coffee on the small table beside her chair. Then he crouched down, bringing himself to her eye level, and cupped her face in his hands.

"The mountains are beautiful," he said quietly, his gray eyes holding hers. "But they’re not what I’m looking at."

Her breath caught.

He leaned in and kissed her, soft and slow, tasting of coffee and morning and her.

When he pulled back, Bella was pink from more than just the cold.

"That was..." she started.

"Acceptable?" he offered, the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

She swatted his arm lightly. "You’re impossible."

He rose smoothly, retrieving his coffee and returning to the view. But his hand reached back, finding hers, pulling her gently from the chair.

Bella stood beside him, wrapped in his sweater, her hand in his, watching the sun climb over the mountains.

For a long moment, neither spoke.

Then Leo said, very quietly, "We should come here again. When there’s no wedding."

Bella leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I’d like that," she whispered.

"Basically a second honeymoon," he said, the corner of his mouth lifting as his tongue pressed lightly against the inside of his cheek. His gray eyes swept over her, warm and teasing.

Bella’s cheeks flushed a deep pink. "I would like that," she admitted softly. Then her expression flickered, something sad passing briefly through her eyes. "But the first honeymoon was... the worst."

Leo’s teasing expression softened immediately.

"I thought we would enjoy it together," she continued quietly, her gaze dropping to the coffee mug in her hands. "Explore. Be happy. But..." She swallowed and did not continue.

Leo was quiet for a long moment. Then he reached out, gently turning her face toward him. His thumb traced her cheekbone, slow and tender.

"I’m so sorry," he murmured, his voice rough with genuine regret. "I was so stupid back then."

Bella looked up at him, her eyes soft despite the hint of sadness. "It’s fine," she whispered. "I know back then you didn’t have feelings for me."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she kept going.

"But now?" A small, genuine smile curved her lips. "Now I’m happy. With you. Here. Like this."

She turned back toward the mountains, tucking herself against his side, her smile settling into something peaceful.

Leo blinked.

His chest tightened with something hot and unfamiliar, an ache that spread through his ribs and settled deep inside him. He stared at her profile, at the way the morning light caught the soft curve of her cheek, at the gentle smile she wore while looking at a view that did not even compare to her.

She was happy. With him.

Despite everything. Despite the cold first honeymoon. Despite his walls, his silence, his stubborn pride. She was here. Smiling. Warm against his side.

He pulled her closer without a word, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair.

The wedding was still six days away. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Jay had taken over most responsibilities with the manic energy of someone who thrived on chaos. Decorations, logistics, handling vendors, calming last minute anxieties, he was in his element, barking orders into his phone while directing staff and somehow still making Hazel laugh at his dramatics. Jace helped where he could, and Hazel worked alongside them with her assistant Rika.

Nicolas, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen during any of the actual work. He drifted through the resort like a particularly smug housecat, appearing at meal times, lounging by the pool, occasionally offering useless opinions before disappearing again. "Delegating," he called it. Everyone else called it being useless.

Leo was not helping with physical work, doctor’s orders and Bella’s even stricter rules making sure of that. But he could not sit completely idle either. When Jay needed something coordinated or a decision made, Leo sent Dominique.

Dom, surprisingly, had become an excellent errand runner. Probably because every task came with a chance to glimpse Hazel across a room. Jason tagged along every time, partly for moral support and partly to witness Dom’s increasingly embarrassing attempts to look cool in front of the masked bride-to-be.