As the car came to a stop at the wide stone steps, a servant in a clean black suit immediately opened the door.
Leonardo stepped out first, straightening his jacket, his face as calm and unreadable as ever. The lights reflected off his broad shoulders, making the silver of his cufflinks glint.
Isabella hesitated for a moment. The garden, the lights, the peaceful night air..it all felt too beautiful to belong to the same man who stared like a machine and carried her over his shoulder without blinking.
"You plan to sleep in the car?" he asked flatly, not even looking at her.
She startled slightly, quickly opening the door and stepping out.
The night breeze brushed her skin, and she instinctively looked up, lantern-style lights hung from the trees above, glowing like quiet stars. Her gaze drifted around once more, taking in the glowing path, the gentle swaying flowers, the silent house waiting like a secret.
It was beautiful. Almost too beautiful.
Leonardo walked up the steps and entered the villa without so much as a glance behind him. The large double doors swung open as if the house itself obeyed his presence.
Isabella’s eyes widened. "W-Wait!" she called out softly, hurriedly gathering the folds of her wedding dress in both hands as she chased after him. Her voice was too quiet, almost carried away by the evening breeze.
He didn’t stop. Didn’t even turn his head.
Of course he didn’t hear her, her voice was as small as she felt in that moment.
Panicking that she might be left alone outside, she picked up her pace, her footsteps pattering quickly against the stone floor as she ran to catch up.
And just as she reached the doorway—
He stopped.
Suddenly. Without warning.
Isabella had no time to slow down. She collided straight into his broad back with a soft thud.
Thump!
"Ah—ouch!" she gasped, stumbling back a step as her forehead smacked into his shoulder blades. She instinctively rubbed her forehead, wincing, her eyes instantly turning glassy from the sharp sting.
Her nose scrunched, and her bottom lip trembled slightly.
It hurt.
She didn’t cry but her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and she blinked rapidly, trying to pretend it was nothing.
Leonardo slowly turned his head to glance at her, one brow twitching up ever so slightly as if to say—Seriously?
She looked up at him with her wide, watery brown eyes, still holding the hem of her wrinkled dress, lips pressed into a small pout of pain.
She looked like a kitten that had walked headfirst into a wall.
"...You walk like a ghost," he muttered under his breath.
And then, he turned back around and kept walking.
Isabella stood there for another second, still rubbing her forehead.
"Not my fault you stopped like a wall," she whispered under her breath, then pouted and quickly followed him inside.
And servent watched with neutral expression...as he closed door behind them. The women boss married seemed different from what he heard? She seems inocent.. rumours can’t believed right?
He had expected someone different someone spoiled or strategic.
But what he saw just now?
She looked like she’d never stepped out of a storybook. Small. Startled. Innocent. Her expression hadn’t even held defiance. it was pure confusion and softness.
Rumors... he thought silently as he closed the heavy doors behind them with a soft click. They can’t always be believed
Isabella stepped inside the luxurious villa, her eyes going wide with awe. She couldn’t help it—her mouth parted just slightly in wonder.
The ceilings were so high.
The floor was smooth marble with golden inlays.
Everything sparkled. Every curtain looked like it was made from starlight.
This... this is a thousand times bigger than my old place, she thought, overwhelmed. Her mind flashed back to the tiny, dimly lit house she grew up in, with creaking doors and a shared, flickering lightbulb. This place felt like a dream she’d never dared to dream.
But as she walked deeper inside, she noticed something else.
Maid after maid. Guard after guard.
They were all peeking at her, pretending to work but clearly curious. Their gazes slid toward her like whispers, like she was some rare thing they weren’t sure how to react to.
Isabella ducked her head shyly, her cheeks warming as she hugged the front of her dress. Are they judging me? Do I look weird? Maybe my hair’s messy...
Before she could overthink further, a heavy silence fell over the hall.
Leonardo had stopped. He turned slightly, and with just one sharp glare cold and sharp...he scanned the staff like a winter storm rolling in.
The staff immediately snapped back into motion. Heads down. Steps quicker. No more stares.
"Follow me," Leonardo said without looking at her.
Isabella startled and quickly nodded, gathering her skirt and hurrying after him. He walked up the wide staircase to the second floor, his long legs taking two steps at a time. She scrambled to keep up, trying not to trip over her dress again.
At the top of the stairs, he entered a room with dark wood walls, warm lighting, and velvet curtains. It was spacious and clean, smelling faintly of sandalwood.
He turned to face her once she stepped inside, blinking once at the sight of her staring curiously at everything like a lost kitten.
His voice dropped, deeper now, serious.
"Since you’re married to me, I’ll take responsibility for you," he said. "However... there are rules."
Isabella immediately nodded. Her brown eyes were clear and calm. As long as I have a place to sleep and food to eat, she thought happily, I can do anything.
More importantly, her uncle wasn’t here. She could sleep peacefully now. No banging bottles, no broken locks, no bad eyes watching her.
The thought alone made her lips curve into a soft smile of relief.
Leonardo’s eyes narrowed.
She looked... happy?
He frowned. What part of his warning had made her look like a bunny discovering a patch of sun?
"Answer," he said flatly.
Isabella blinked and nodded again.
He exhaled sharply. "Words."
Her eyes widened. "Y-Yes!" she quickly said, hands pressed to her sides.
"Good," he said, then turned to the desk and opened a drawer.
He pulled out a set of neatly stapled documents and handed them to her.
Isabella blinked again, confused. "What’s this?"
"Read it."
She took the papers with both hands and began to scan the pages slowly. Her lips moved silently as she read. After a moment, her eyes widened just a little.
It was a contract.
A very detailed contract.
—They would act as husband and wife only in public.
—In private, they were to live as strangers.
—She would be provided with a place to live, food, clothing, and a small monthly allowance.
—She was not allowed to make boyfriends or have romantic interactions.
—She was strictly forbidden from entering the third floor...his private space.
—And she was not allowed to leave the villa without permission and escort from his guards.
Isabella’s eyebrows raised slowly.
This... wasn’t a marriage.
It was a business agreement.
She bit her lip lightly. I guess that’s fair... I mean, it’s not like he loves me or anything.
Still, she couldn’t help but whisper, "...Not even a peek at the third floor?"
Leonardo gave her a sharp look.
She quickly nodded. "I-I was just asking."