When Leonardo left the room, Isabella stayed still, listening to the sound of his footsteps fading. Only when the door shut softly did she move.
Slowly, she pulled the ring out from beneath the blanket. Her fingers were trembling, and her injured arm ached, but her eyes were fixed on the sparkling little band. Her lips curved into a soft, fragile smile.
Her ring.
The same ring her father once promised to give her when she was grown up. The one with the hidden "I" that only lit up in the dark. So many memories filled her chest that it felt warm and heavy at the same time.
But then a fear crept in.
What if Leonardo tried to take it back?
What if he used it to hurt her again, like before?
Her smile faltered.
Without wasting time, she grabbed the small ring box from the table and gently placed the ring inside. Her movements were slow and clumsy with one sore arm, but she didn’t stop. She lifted her pillow and, with a soft wince, pushed the box underneath it.
Once it was safely hidden, she let out a relieved sigh.
A proud grin lit up her face.
"Great job, Isabella," she whispered under her breath, patting her own shoulder mentally like she’d just won a battle.
But her smile slowly faded.
Her eyes looked around the room, searching for something.
Her tablet.
It wasn’t here.
A pang of sadness hit her chest.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"Mr. Tablet... is no more," she whispered sadly, her voice small, like she was saying goodbye to an old friend.
Her heart felt a little heavier.
Still, she laid back on her pillow, feeling the faint bump beneath her head where the ring box was hidden. A smile returned, just a little one.
Even though she was hurt... even though she had lost things... at least she saved this one piece of her past.
And that was enough for now.
After that, a soft knock came on the door, and two maids gently stepped inside with a small trolley to clean the room.
Isabella quickly sat up a little, wincing as her injured arm throbbed.
"Be careful," she said softly, her voice not loud, but gentle and clear.
The maids paused and looked at her—surprised for a second, maybe not used to someone speaking to them so kindly in this mansion.
One of the younger maids gave her a shy smile and nodded quickly, "Yes, ma’am... we will."
The other one also smiled and began working quietly, handling things gently as if not to disturb her rest.
Isabella leaned back again, resting her head on the pillow.
She looked at the maids carefully, her eyes following every movement they made as they cleaned the broken glass near her bed. Isabella sat quietly, her lips pressed into a soft line, making sure none of the shards hurt them. Only after they finished and gave her a polite nod did she relax a little.
Once the maids left, the door creaked open again.
Jay walked in with quick steps and a worried face. The moment he saw her sitting up, he frowned.
"Isabella! Lay down. You must be in pain," he scolded lightly as he hurried over to her side.
Before she could protest, he gently held her hand, his eyes scanning her face for any sign of discomfort. But Isabella looked at him with a small smile, her usual soft glow returning.
"It’s okay, Jay Jay... I’m fine," she whispered sweetly. "I’m used to it..."
Jay’s brows knit tighter. "Used to be?" he asked, his voice firmer now.
"I mean..." She paused, then blinked a few times, trying to fix her words. "It’s only for a while, right? The pain... it’ll go away soon." Her tone stayed gentle, but the way her eyes avoided his told a different story.
Jay sighed and didn’t say anything for a moment. He just sat beside her and held her hand a little tighter.
"Don’t do that next time," he said, his voice a little sharp.
"What?" Isabella asked, blinking at him, confused.
Jay looked at her like she was some kind of alien sitting on bed. "...Why are you so kind, Isabella?" he asked with a long sigh, like her kindness was exhausting him.
Isabella tilted her head, still not understanding.
"Don’t run your little brain too much," he muttered and gently helped her lie back in a more comfortable position, adjusting the pillow behind her.
"Oh, I have big brain, Jay Jay," Isabella said proudly, puffing up her cheeks like a tiny boss.
"I know, I know," Jay chuckled. Yeah, she was smart—after all, she ran her own digital shop and even designed a whole website. But her soft heart was what left him speechless. He looked at her again and sighed, shaking his head. "How can someone be so kind?"
"No, I’m bad girl," Isabella said with sad smile, afterall she Broke dark web.
Jay stared at her like she was trying to convince him the sky was green.
"...You’re joking, right?" he asked slowly.
Isabella looked at him with her innocent doll eyes. "No, serious. Bad girl."
Jay blinked, then said with a snort, "If you’re a bad girl, then I’m a unicorn."
Isabella burst into a soft giggle, her cheeks puffing slightly as she covered her mouth. "You are a unicorn, Jay Jay... because your hair is all pink-pink like a cotton candy unicorn," she said, playfully pointing at his head.
Jay gasped dramatically and clutched his heart like she just broke his pride. "Isabella!!!" he called out, eyes wide in fake betrayal. "How dare you attack my handsome charm like that!"
She laughed even more, her eyes sparkling with joy, and for a moment the pain in her arm didn’t matter. "But you’re the prettiest unicorn, okay?" she added quickly, patting his hand like she was calming a sulking baby.
Jay rolled his eyes but smiled. "Fine, fine... only if I get sparkles too."
"Deal," Isabella grinned. "Unicorn Jay Jay with sparkles and a golden horn!"
He gave a fake sigh, "I knew befriending you would lead to chaos..."