His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.

Chapter 799 Guilty

"Yes. Whoever did this to her wanted to keep her weak, to keep her from fighting back, to keep her quiet." The doctor’s voice was grim, his eyes tired, his hands clasped in front of him. "It will take time for her body to heal. She’ll need rest, proper nutrition and physical therapy."

Bella pressed her hand to her mouth, her eyes burning with unshed tears. Her heart ached for her best friend. She had been so close to losing Mira, so close to losing someone she loved.

Leo’s arm tightened around her, pulling her closer. His warmth seeped into her cold skin, grounding her, reminding her that she was not alone.

"Can we see her?" Bella asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Just one person," the doctor said. "And only for a few minutes. She needs rest. She needs to sleep."

Bella looked at Leo, and he nodded, his gray eyes soft and understanding. "Go," he said. Then he turned and followed the doctor, who had called him away to get his injuries treated. His lip was still split, his knuckles still raw and bruised, and his ribs ached with every step. He needed medical attention, even if he would never admit it.

Bella stood up and walked through the double doors, her footsteps echoing in the quiet corridor. She found Mira’s room at the end of the hallway, the door slightly ajar, a sliver of pale light spilling out.

Mira lay in the bed, her face pale, her body small and fragile against the white sheets. Bandages covered her head, her arm and her ribs, and an IV dripped into her arm, while monitors beeped softly in the background, tracking her heartbeat, her breathing, her life.

Her eyes were closed.

Bella sat beside her and took her hand. Mira’s fingers were cold and fragile, like a bird’s bones, so delicate that Bella was afraid she might break them.

"You’re going to be okay," Bella whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You’re going to be okay."

Mira’s eyelids fluttered, and her lips parted. "B-bella," she breathed, the word barely a whisper.

"I’m here."

Mira’s fingers tightened around hers, weakly and a tear escaped the corner of her eye, rolling down her bruised cheek.

Bella squeezed her hand gently. "I’m here," she said again. "I’m not going anywhere."

Mira’s lips curved into a small, weak smile, and then her eyes closed, her breathing evening out, her body finally surrendering to sleep.

Bella still held her hand, unable to let go. The guilt was crushing her, pressing down on her chest like a heavy stone she could not lift.

It was all happening because of her. She had thought she was safe. She had thought she had everything under control. But she had never expected the danger to extend to her friends too. She had been so shortsighted, so focused on her own survival, that she had not seen the threat closing in around the people she loved.

She felt so guilty and so tired.

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Later, Mira was shifted to Jason’s home. The house was large enough, with plenty of rooms, and Jason had insisted. "She’ll be safer here," he had said. "More comfortable and more private."

Bella agreed. She had called Mira’s parents, her fingers trembling as she dialed the number. The phone rang twice before a man’s voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Bella. Mira’s friend."

There was a pause, and then, "What happened? Is she okay?"

Bella took a breath. "She was attacked. She’s a-alive...but she’s hurt. She’s in a safe place now. I’m taking care of her."

Her father’s voice was sharp and worried. "Attacked? By who? How did this happen?"

Bella explained as best she could. She did not mention Samuel by name, did not mention Leo or the mafia. She just said that someone had targeted Mira because of her connection to Bella and that she was safe now.

"He was a stalker," Bella said. "He had been watching me for months. He kidnapped Mira to get to me."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Then Mira’s father spoke again, his voice rough with emotion. "We will catch the nearest flight and come soon. Please, take care of my girl."

Bella’s throat tightened. "I will. I promise."

She hung up and looked at Mira, who was still sleeping peacefully in the bed Jason had prepared for her.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

Dominique and the others were shocked when they heard what had happened. Their faces went pale, their voices dropped, and they gathered in the living room, their expressions grim.

"Kidnapped?" Dominique said, his voice high with disbelief. "Mira was kidnapped?"

"Yes," Bella said.

"And your creepy stalker was behind it?"

"Yes."

Dominique ran a hand through his hair. "I can’t believe it. I mean, I knew he was obsessed with you, but this... this is insane."

Jason shook his head. "He’s gone now. Leo’s men took him. He’s not coming back."

"But his father is still out there," Hazel said quietly.

Everyone turned to look at her. Hazel sat on the arm of the couch, her scarred face calm, her dark eyes deep and thoughtful.

"We knew this was coming," she continued. "Not the kidnapping, maybe, but something. He was always going to make a move. He was always going to escalate. It was only a matter of time."

Dominique stared at her. "You expected this?"

Hazel shrugged. "I expected something. I didn’t know what. But I knew he wouldn’t stop. Men like that never do."

Dominique shook his head. "You’re too calm about this."

"I’m not calm," Hazel said. "I’m just not surprised."

Leo sat beside Bella on the couch, his arm around her shoulders. He had told her everything while they waited for the car to take them to the hospital.

"When I got your message," he said, his voice low, "I was in the middle of a meeting. Jay and Jace came in, and I could see on their faces that something was wrong. I didn’t listen to them. I didn’t care what they had to say. I just grabbed my coat and ran."

Bella looked at him. "You didn’t listen?"

"I didn’t need to. All I could think about was you. I had to get to you. I had to make sure you were safe."

Bella’s heart ached. "But how did you save Mira without Samuel knowing?"

Leo’s jaw tightened. "I didn’t do it alone. Hazel helped when I was panicking. She told us the layout of the warehouse, every exit, every staircase, every blind spot. We used that to get in through the back. We found Mira before Samuel even knew we were there."

"How?"

"Jay and Jace went in first. They moved silently, took out the guards on the second floor without making a sound. By the time Samuel heard anything, Mira was already in Jace’s arms, and Jay was already behind him."

Bella’s eyes widened. "They did all that without him knowing?"

"They’re good at what they do," Leo said. "And they had a reason to be. They knew what was at stake."

Bella pressed her hand to her chest. She could not believe it. They had saved Mira without Samuel even realizing they were there. It was incredible, terrifying, and proof of how far Leo would go to protect her.

She leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered.

Leo kissed the top of her head. "Always."