Chapter 912 Your first mistake?

Chapter 912: Chapter 912 Your first mistake?

Leo slowly lowered the gun.

Then Leo stood up. His movements were slow and authoritative. He walked toward Jack, his footsteps soft against the floor.

Jack instinctively leaned backward but the chair stopped him. There was nowhere to go. He was trapped.

Leo stopped directly in front of him.

He bent slightly, bringing his face closer to Jack’s. Their eyes met. Jack could see nothing in Leo’s gaze.

His expression remained completely composed.

"Tell me..."

Leo’s hand lifted. The movement was slow, almost gentle.

The cold barrel of the gun touched Jack’s temple.

Jack’s entire body stiffened. His breath caught in his throat. His eyes went wide, and his hands gripped the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Leo looked directly into his eyes.

"What should I believe?"

Jack’s face went completely pale.

"I... I..."

Jack’s voice broke as fear finally overwhelmed him.

"Put the gun away... put the gun away!" he shouted, his hands trembling as he instinctively tried to move away from Leo. His body pressed against the back of the chair, trying to create distance that didn’t exist.

Leo didn’t even blink.

"Tell me why you’re stalking MY SON?"

The last two words came out rough and sharp.

Leo suddenly grabbed Jack by the chin, forcing his face upward and making him meet those deadly gray eyes. His grip was firm.

Jack’s breathing became ragged. His chest rose and fell rapidly and his eyes darted around the room, looking for help that wasn’t coming.

"He... he’s my son," he stammered.

His voice trembled but he still tried to cling to the only thing he believed gave him authority. The only card he thought he could play.

"I can do whatever I want."

For a second, Leo simply stared at him. His gray eyes were cold and flat and his face was unreadable.

Then his grip tightened.

"HE IS MY SON."

There was no hesitation in Leo’s voice. Only absolute certainty.

Jack’s face went pale.

Leo leaned closer, his eyes burning into his.

"Blood doesn’t give you the right to frighten him."

His voice dropped lower.

"You abandoned him."

A pause.

"You left him."

Another pause.

"And now you think you can claim him because you suddenly discovered he’s worth something?"

Jack’s lips trembled. He had no answer. Every word he might have spoken died in his throat.

Leo released his chin slowly, but he didn’t step away. His gaze remained fixed on Jack, pinning him in place.

"And I don’t need your fucking answers. Since you’ve been talking and opening that good-for-nothing mouth of yours, all you’ve done is annoy me. I was already starting to feel like killing you."

Leo’s voice was dangerously calm as he stared directly into Jack’s terrified eyes. There was no emotion in his face.

"So if you dare to spill another word, I’ll kill you on the spot."

Jack immediately fell silent.

All the confidence he had carried into the mansion was gone. Fear was plainly visible in his eyes now, and he swallowed hard as he sat completely obedient beneath Leo’s stare. His hands were shaking and his face was pale and slick with sweat.

Leo watched him for another moment.

Then a faint, chilling smirk appeared on his face.

"Guards."

The guards immediately stepped forward. Their footsteps were heavy and synchronized and their faces were blank.

"Take him to the basement."

Jack’s eyes widened.

"The... basement?"

His voice trembled as the guards seized his arms. Their grip was firm and unbreakable.

Leo didn’t answer him.

He simply turned away, leaving Jack to finally understand that the private settlement he had been so eagerly imagining was nothing like what awaited him downstairs.

⊹₊୨୧₊⊹

"Cough... cough."

Bella deliberately cleared her throat, trying to pull his attention toward her.

Leo, who had been watching the guards take Jack away with an icy expression, finally turned his head.

His gaze immediately landed on his wife.

Bella was leaning against the wall, her arms loosely folded across her chest as she watched him with a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Leo’s expression softened by the slightest degree.

"So..." Leo murmured, finally turning his attention completely toward her as he began walking in her direction. His voice was filled with a hint of amusement, deep and smooth. "What’s going on in that little head of yours?"

He still had the gun in his hand.

As he approached her, Leo calmly took out a handkerchief and began wiping the muzzle. His movements were slow and unhurried. He looked completely at ease, almost as if the frightening man he had just dealt with had been nothing more than an unpleasant interruption to his evening.

Yet his eyes never left Bella’s face.

Bella’s gaze dropped briefly to the gun, following the slow, movement of his hands as he wiped its muzzle with the handkerchief, before gradually traveling back up the length of his body until her eyes met his. Something about the way he handled the weapon with such effortless control sent an rush of hot warmth through her. Her lips curved faintly as a single thought slipped through her mind.

He is hot.

She caught the faint curve of his lips.

Bella bit her lower lip, trying to suppress her smile.

Leo’s eyebrow lifted slightly.

He continued wiping the gun, deliberately taking his time.

Bella’s smile grew.

"You know," Bella said softly, "you look rather handsome when you’re intimidating people."

Leo’s hand paused for half a second.

Then his lips curved.

"Is that what you’ve been staring at me for?" Leo asked, his tone teasing, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Bella shrugged innocently, her expression playful. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Leo repeated, taking another slow step toward her, his eyebrow rising.

Bella nodded, her smile widening.

His gaze narrowed playfully.

"You’ve been married to me for years, bunny. You should have learned by now that I’m not very fond of vague answers," Leo said, his voice low.

"And yet you are still my husband, hubby," Bella said teasingly, her eyes sparkling.

"That," Leo murmured, stopping directly in front of her, his voice dropping lower, "was clearly my first mistake."

Bella’s mouth fell open in exaggerated offense, her eyes widening. "Your first mistake?"

Leo leaned slightly closer, his gray eyes glinting with amusement. "Perhaps my biggest one."

Bella narrowed her eyes at him but the smile she was desperately trying to hide ruined the effect.

"You’re terrible, hubby." Bella said with a fake sad smile, her lips twitching.

"But still you haven’t left me, bunny." Leo said, chuckling, his voice warm.

"Unfortunately," Bella sighed, her expression dramatically defeated.

"Liar," Leo said, his voice soft.

His answer came so naturally that Bella couldn’t help laughing softly.

Then Bella looked into his gray eyes.

"So..." Bella said, her voice trailing off.

Leo tilted his head. "So?"

She hesitated, suddenly aware that she had his complete attention.