His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 617

"I’m not going to apologize again," she said quietly. "You know I’m sorry. You know why I did it. But I need you to understand something."

He waited.

"When you shut down like this, when you go cold and silent, it doesn’t protect you. It doesn’t punish me." She held his gaze. "It just puts distance between us. And I hate that distance. I hate sleeping without you. I hate eating alone. I hate walking past your office and feeling like a stranger in my own home."

His jaw tightened.

"I’m not asking you to stop being angry. You have every right to be." Her voice softened. "But don’t shut me out completely. Don’t make me prove I love you by surviving your silences."

Leo stared at her for a long, long moment.

Then, slowly, his hand lifted. His fingers brushed a strand of hair from her face. The touch was featherlight. Tentative. Like he was relearning how to reach for her.

"Bella," he said. Just her name. But it wasn’t cold anymore.

She leaned into his touch, eyes closing.

"I hate the distance too," he admitted, his voice rough. "I just... didn’t know how to stop it."

"Next time," she whispered, "try talking to me. Even if you’re angry. Even if you don’t have the right words. Just... don’t leave me out in the cold."

Her eyes held his for one more heartbeat, soft and sad, but there was something in her eyes he had never seen before. He leaned closer, trying to read that emotion in her beautiful brown eyes. Then, without waiting for his response, without giving him time to say anything at all, she stepped back.

She put distance between them. And then she left the room.

Leo stood frozen in the kitchen doorway, his arms empty, her warmth still lingering on his skin. He stared at the door she’d disappeared through, his lips pressing into a thin line.

She’d walked away.

She’d said what she needed to say, and then she’d walked away.

Not in anger. Not in tears. Just quietly. Like she’d decided she’d given enough and it was his turn now.

Guilt hit him like a physical blow.

He thought about the past days. The coffee she’d left each morning that he’d drunk in silence. The meals she’d prepared that he’d eaten alone. The flowers on his desk, wilting now, because he hadn’t thanked her, hadn’t acknowledged them, hadn’t done anything but exist in his own cold bubble.

She’d been trying. Every day. Reaching out in small, quiet ways.

And he’d done nothing.

He’d been so wrapped up in his anger, in his hurt, in his own damn pride, he’d made her feel like a stranger in her own home.

His jaw clenched. His hands curled into fists at his sides.

Stupido.

He was such a stupid, stubborn fool.

He looked toward the door again. She’d gone to their room? Her PC room? He didn’t even know. He’d created so much distance that he didn’t know where his wife went to escape him.

Leo ran a hand through his hair, pulling at the strands.

She’d asked him to talk. To not shut her out. Simple things. Things he should have done from the beginning.

And instead, he’d made her walk away.

He pushed off from the doorframe, his feet carrying him toward the hallway.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

Meanwhile, Bella was in her PC room, curled up in her chair with her phone pressed to her ear, her whole face glowing with relief and excitement.

"Thank you so, so much, Miss J!" she said joyfully, practically bouncing in her seat. "I did what you said. I didn’t leave his side completely, but I gave him space. I left little things for him. Coffee. Flowers. His favorite meal." She grinned. "And today, he actually talked to me. He seemed to understand. I think... I think we’re going to be okay."

Miss J’s warm laugh came through the speaker. "You have no idea, sweetheart, how happy I am hearing this. I’ve been worried about you."

Bella blinked, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks. "You’ve been worried about me?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Of course I have." Miss J’s voice was gentle, motherly in a way that made Bella’s chest ache. "You’re such a sweet child. Young people shouldn’t have to carry so much stress. Life is hard enough without relationship troubles weighing you down."

Bella bit her lip, some of the joy fading as honesty crept in. "But I can’t control stress. I’ve tried. I really have." She hugged a pillow to her chest, pouting at the wall. "When things go wrong, I feel sad. Really sad. And all I want to do is cry and fix everything immediately. But I can’t always fix it right away, and that gives me so much anxiety. My heart races. My stomach hurts. I can’t sleep."

Miss J was quiet for a moment, listening.

"I just want everything to be okay," Bella continued softly. "With Leo. With my family. With everyone I love. And when it’s not okay, I feel like it’s my fault. Like I should be able to make it better. And when I can’t..." She trailed off, blinking back tears.

"Oh, sweet girl." Miss J’s voice was thick with emotion. "You carry too much. You take too much weight on those small shoulders."

Bella sniffled. "I don’t know how to stop."

"You learn," Miss J said gently. "Slowly. One day at a time. You learn that some things aren’t yours to fix. That sometimes people need to work through their own feelings before they can meet you halfway. That your job isn’t to carry everyone, it’s to love them while they carry themselves."

Bella wiped at her eyes. "That sounds hard."

"It is. The hardest thing in the world, maybe. But you’re strong, Isabella. Stronger than you know." A pause. "And you’re not alone. You have me now. Whenever you need to talk, I’m here."

Bella smiled through her tears. "Really?"

"Really. Day or night. Good days and bad days. I’m here."

"Miss J... can I ask you something?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

"Why are you so kind to me? You barely know me."

The silence on the other end stretched. When Miss J spoke again, her voice was softer, almost wistful.

"Because you remind me of someone I loved very much. Someone I lost." A shaky breath. "And because every time I talk to you, I feel like I’m getting a second chance. To be there. To help. To love."

Bella’s heart clenched. "Miss J..."

"Sorry, sweetheart. Didn’t mean to get heavy." A small laugh. "Old woman’s sentimentality."

"Don’t apologize." Bella hugged the phone tighter. "Thank you. For everything."

"Anytime, Isabella. Anytime."