His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.

Chapter 789 Will you be my friend?

The dining room was warm and cozy, filled with the smell of freshly baked bread and something hearty stewing on the stove. The fire crackled in the large stone fireplace, casting golden light across the long wooden table. Geoffrey had set out steaming bowls of soup, a basket of rolls, a pot of tea, and a plate of butter that was slowly melting into a golden puddle.

Everyone had gathered except Jay and Jace, who had not come down yet.

Leo sat at the end of the table, his gray eyes fixed on the doorway, waiting. His jaw was tight, and his fingers drummed against the table in a soft, restless rhythm. Bella sat beside him, her hand resting on his knee under the table. She could feel the tension radiating from him like heat from the fire.

Hazel took a sip of warm tea, the steam rising up to fog her eyes for a moment. She set the cup down and looked at Jason across the table.

"By the way, where are your parents, Jason?" she asked.

Jason blinked, his cheerful expression flickering for just a moment, replaced by something thoughtful.

"Oh," he said.

Dominique set down his spoon with a clink. "He has no idea. His parents left on a world tour a few years ago."

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "A world tour?"

Dominique gestured with his hands. "They like exploring not-so-famous places. According to them, they worked on Earth for more than forty years. Now they want to explore the meaning of their lives. Or something like that. They send postcards sometimes. From very random locations. Last one came from a village that doesn’t have running water."

Jason nodded pitifully, his lower lip pushing out in a pout. "Oh, they left me alone to fend for myself in this cruel, cruel world. I don’t have anyone. No one. Just me and Cheese and Geoffrey."

Cheese, who was lying by the fire, lifted his head and wagged his tail at the sound of his name.

"See? Even Cheese feels sorry for me."

Dominique rolled his eyes so hard his whole head moved. "Jason, I don’t believe you. You’re so ungrateful. I have been by your side through thick and thin!"

"Thick and thin?"

"Thick and thin. Remember when you crashed your car and I drove four hours to pick you up at three in the morning?"

Jason waved his hand. "That was one time."

Dominique crossed his arms. "Remember when you had food poisoning and I held your hair back while you—"

Jason slapped the table. "We don’t talk about that."

"I’m talking about it now."

Jason groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "Dommy, you’re supposed to be on my side."

Dominique shrugged. "I am on your side. I’m just also honest."

Jason sighed dramatically and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "Nowadays, you’re always busy with your new friend..." He coughed, his eyes darting toward Hazel. "Certain someone. Very busy. Too busy for your best friend."

Hazel blinked. "What?"

"Nothing," Jason said quickly, his voice too high. "Nothing at all."

Dominique’s ears turned pink. He stared at his soup and did not look up.

Jason turned to Winter, who was sitting quietly at the end of the table, her focus entirely on her food. She had a roll in one hand and a spoon in the other, alternating between bites of soup and bites of bread with mechanical precision. She had not looked up once.

"But what about me?" Jason asked, looking at Winter with wide, pleading eyes. "Will you be my friend? My new best friend? Since Dom has abandoned me for greener pastures?"

Winter paused mid-bite. She looked at Jason, then at his pleading eyes, then back at her food.

"I don’t need more friends," she said.

Jason clutched his chest. "But I need a friend!"

Winter took another bite of bread. "That’s not my problem."

Jason gasped. "Wounded. Wounded to the core. My heart is bleeding."

Winter chewed.

"Bleeding, Winter."

She swallowed and looked at him. "I didn’t see you bleeding."

Dominique laughed loudly like a hyena. Jason glared at him.

Bella watched the exchange, a small smile playing on her lips. But her mind was elsewhere, on Leo beside her. His eyes kept drifting toward the staircase where Jay and Jace had not yet appeared, and his jaw was so tight she could see the muscles jumping beneath his skin.

She squeezed his knee under the table.

Leo looked at her.

"Eat," she said softly. "They’ll come down when they’re ready. They must be tired."

Leo looked at his bowl, then back at the staircase, then at his bowl. He picked up his spoon.

After the meal, the group scattered like leaves blown by a gentle wind.

Bella pushed back her chair and stood up, her eyes drifting toward the staircase. Jay and Jace still had not come down. She could not understand it. Everyone else had changed and dried off and gathered around the table. But those two were still upstairs, hidden behind closed doors, doing who knew what.

"I’m going to check on them," she said.

Leo looked at her. His gray eyes were tired and shadowed, but he nodded. "I’ll be in our room."

She touched his arm, a brief soft squeeze, then walked toward the stairs. Her flats were quiet on the wooden steps, and the hallway above was dim, lit only by the gray light filtering through the windows at the end.

Hazel set down her teacup and stood. "I’m going to see that fruit garden Jason mentioned."

Dominique was on his feet before she finished speaking. "I’ll come with you."

She walked toward the back door, and Dominique followed quickly.

Zion and Scarlett went to their room. Scarlett was feeling a bit motion sick from the drive, her face pale, and Zion had his arm around her waist, guiding her up the stairs.

Inside the dining room, the fire crackled softly, casting warm shadows on the walls. The remains of the meal sat on the table: half-empty soup bowls, a basket with one sad roll, a teapot that had gone cold. The chairs were pushed back and scattered.

But now it was quiet.