His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.

Chapter 668 Gifts

Later that evening, Bella checked her email again. A new message had arrived from the university, this one addressed only to her.

She opened it, her heart beating faster.

[ Dear Mrs. Moretti,

Based on your exceptional performance on the placement exam, you have been placed in the Advanced Computer Science track. This program is designed for students who have demonstrated mastery of introductory concepts and are ready for accelerated study.

Your classes will begin in two weeks. Please find attached your schedule, classroom assignments, and orientation information.

We look forward to welcoming you to campus. ]

Bella stared at the screen, her hand pressed to her mouth.

"Leo," she called.

He came in from the other room, his brow furrowed. "What’s wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing." She turned the laptop toward him. "I got placed in the advanced track."

He read the email, his expression shifting from concern to pride. "Advanced track?" he said.

"Accelerated program. For students who already know the basics." She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "I start in two weeks."

He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. "I told you," he murmured against her hair. "You’re a genius."

She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Maybe," she said.

"No maybe." He pulled back, looking at her face. "Definitely."

She smiled, and for the first time, she let herself believe it.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

For the next few days, Bella felt like she was living in a dream. A warm, golden, impossible dream where everyone was proud of her and nothing hurt.

Grandpa William arrived at the house in the late afternoon, his eyes extremely bright. Bella was in the living room, still in her pajamas. She hadn’t bothered to change, hadn’t bothered to do anything but exist in the glow of her success. Then she heard his voice.

"Where is my granddaughter?" William called.

She stood up quickly, her heart leaping, and there he was. William, her grandfather, his weathered face split in a wide smile, his arms already open.

"Grandpa," she breathed, and then she was in his arms. His embrace was warm and solid, smelling of old books and the faint sweetness of the mints he always carried.

"I heard the news," he said, pulling back to look at her face. His eyes were wet. "Perfect marks, Isabella. Perfect. Do you know how rare that is?"

She shook her head, her own eyes burning.

"It’s rare," he said firmly. "And you did it. You. My granddaughter." He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing her cheeks. "I am so proud of you."

She cried then. She couldn’t help it. The tears came hot and fast, and she buried her face in his shoulder, letting him hold her.

"I’m not crying," she mumbled.

"Of course not," he said, patting her back. "Neither am I."

They both were.

He stayed for dinner, and Leo joined them, and the three of them sat around the table talking about nothing and everything. William told stories about his own school days, about the teachers who had inspired him and the ones who had failed him. Leo listened quietly, his hand resting on Bella’s knee under the table. And Bella laughed, really laughed, the sound bright and unexpected.

Before he left, William pressed a small box into her hands.

"What’s this?" she asked.

"Open it," he said.

She lifted the lid. Inside was an elegant silver pen. Engraved on the side were the words: For Isabella, who writes her own future.

"Grandpa," she whispered.

"You’ll need a good pen for your classes," he said gruffly. "And I wanted you to have something from me."

She hugged him again, tightly, and he let her.

**

The gifts kept coming.

Jay gave her a collection of highlighters in every color of the rainbow. "For your notes," he said, grinning. "Because your notes are probably going to be as colorful as your personality."

Jace gave her a leather-bound notebook, soft and supple, the pages blank and waiting. "For your ideas," he said quietly. "You have a lot of them."

Scarlett sent a bouquet of flowers with a card that read: Knew you were smart. Didn’t know you were that smart. Don’t let it go to your head.

Hazel stopped by with a box of expensive chocolates. "You deserve something sweet," she said.

Even Dom came by, holding a potted plant. "It’s a succulent," he said. "They’re hard to kill. I figured you’d be busy studying, so..." He shrugged. "Low maintenance, like me."

Bella laughed, accepting the plant. "Thank you, Dom," she said.

"You’re welcome, genius," Dom replied.

She blushed every time someone called her that. Genius. It felt too big, too heavy, like a coat that didn’t quite fit. But everyone kept saying it, and everyone kept smiling, and Bella started to wonder if maybe, just maybe, it was true.

***

The days blurred together, warm and golden and full of love. She woke up each morning expecting the dream to end, expecting to open her eyes and find herself back in her old room, back in her old life, where no one celebrated her achievements because no one noticed them.

But the dream didn’t end.

Leo was there each morning, his arm around her waist, his breath warm on her neck. The gifts sat on her desk, the flowers in her room, the chocolates half-eaten on the coffee table. William called every day to check on her. Jay sent her memes about studying. Scarlett texted her random facts about the universe.

It was too much. It was everything.

And yet, underneath the happiness, there was a small, persistent worry.

Miss J

Bella had thought about her often over the past few days. She had picked up her phone twice, scrolled to Miss J’s contact, and stared at the screen. She had typed out messages and deleted them. She had composed calls in her head and never dialed.

Should she tell her about the score? Would Miss J even care? They had only met once, exchanged a few calls, shared a few secrets. Maybe Miss J was busy. Maybe she had forgotten about Bella. Maybe she would find the call annoying, an interruption, a bother.

Bella bit her lip, staring at her phone.

"You’ve been looking at that screen for ten minutes," Leo said from the doorway.

She looked up, startled. "I have?" she asked.

"You have." He walked over and sat beside her on the bed. "Who are you thinking about calling?" he asked.

"Miss J," she admitted. "The painter. From the exhibition."

He nodded slowly. "The one you’ve been talking to," he said.

"She helped me. Before. When we fought." Bella looked down at her phone. "I want to tell her about the exam. About the score. But I don’t want to bother her."

Leo was quiet for a moment. Then he reached over and took her phone from her hands.

"Leo—" she started.

"If she thinks you’re a bother," he said firmly, "then she’s not worth knowing."