She tried to speak, but all that came out was a quiet, breathy, "Uhm…"
Lina raised an eyebrow, her stare deepening.
Isabella was about five seconds away from pretending to faint when she whispered, "He… he seems to like silence?"
Leonardo turned his head toward her, blinking slowly.
A pause.
Then... one corner of his lips twitched.
Lina, however, remained perfectly unreadable.
Isabella stood awkwardly, her cheeks glowing, convinced she had just dug her own grave with a velvet shovel.
"Good," Lina said, her voice finally warming just the slightest bit as she stood up and crossed her arms gracefully. There was a glint of satisfaction in her sharp blue eyes.
Isabella blinked, stunned.
Wait... did I just survive that?
She stood stiffly, her lips parted in surprise, her wide eyes even wider now. Her heart, which had been thudding like a hammer, finally began to slow down.
I'm alive?!
Lina gave a small approving nod. "Good. I like her."
Leonardo, who had been silently holding his breath, felt a flicker of relief pass through his chest.
His mother...impossible to read, impossible to argue with was finally pleased.
Lina stepped closer and circled Isabella once, examining her like a rare gemstone. "Facial features..lovely. Polite manners. Innocent personality. Looks good next to my vampire-like son."
Leonardo gave her a sideways glare at the jab, but Lina ignored him completely.
Then her lips curved into a calm smile. "Since I now have a new daughter-in-law, I'll be spending a few days here with her."
She raised her fingers with elegance and snapped them once.
A maid instantly appeared at the hallway entrance.
"Bring my luggage in," Lina instructed, her tone still as regal as a queen addressing her court.
Then she turned back to Isabella, her smile still in place. "I hope you don't mind, dear?"
Her voice was calm, soft even. But there was an underlying tone that said this is not really a request.
Isabella quickly shook her head, nervous but sincere. "N-No, of course not! I don't mind at all," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. In truth, she felt... better. A bit surprised, yes, but Lina didn't seem cruel like she'd first feared. And if there was no yelling or weird rules, she could manage.
Besides, she thought, she's so pretty… her perfume smells expensive... and her nails are perfect.
Meanwhile, Leonardo's expression twitched slightly.
His mother wanted to move in for a few days?
To "bond" with her daughter-in-law?
Am I the one who married Isabella or is it her?!
He clenched his jaw slightly, hiding the irritation under a blank stare. He wasn't scared of his mother, no..not exactly. But even the strongest men in the Moretti family knew better than to cross Lina. Especially his father, who always agreed with her before she even finished speaking.
And now… she was here to "spend time."
With his wife.
Leonardo sighed internally.
It was fine. Leonardo told himself that.
He didn't care.
He didn't like Isabella. She was just an innocent, wide-eyed girl with bunny cheeks and wandering thoughts who didn't even know his name until after the wedding. Letting his mother stay for a few days? Whatever. He'd survive.
After all, this was just a contract marriage.
But as they reached the second floor, things took another unexpected turn.
"Is Isabella staying on the second floor?" Lina's voice called out from behind them.
They both paused mid-step.
Leonardo turned his head slightly. "Yes," he said, short and firm.
But he should've known better.
Lina's heels clicked as she caught up, her beautiful face slightly pinched with disapproval. "You're married now, Leonardo," she said coolly. "But you're still acting like a stingy bachelor."
Leonardo didn't react, but a small nerve in his jaw twitched.
Lina's gaze shifted to Isabella, who stood frozen with wide, round eyes.
"Now learn to share your space with your wife," Lina continued, smoothing her hands over her elegant blue dress. "Take her to your bedroom."
She said it so effortlessly… so sweetly.
And then came the quiet threat—so elegantly wrapped in class, it was more terrifying than a direct order.
"If I find out Isabella is sleeping anywhere other than your room," Lina said with a gracious smile, "I will break your legs."
She gave her son one last approving nod and walked off, her long earrings swaying as she headed toward her own prepared room at the end of the hall.
Silence fell.
Isabella stood there like a frozen doll, her eyes comically wide. His room? she screamed inside her head. I'm going to sleep in his room?! With him?!
She didn't dare say it out loud. Her legs wobbled just thinking about it.
Leonardo looked down at her, face expressionless… but the fire in his eyes said he was absolutely going to kill someone the moment Lina left.
Without a word, Leonardo turned and began walking up the stair to the third floor.
Isabella blinked, standing there at the foot of the staircase, unsure. Wait… third floor? Wasn't that the forbidden space he had just written into the contract?
She looked down at her hands nervously, playing with her fingers as her mind raced. Should I follow him? He didn't say anything… What if it's a test? What if I get scolded?
Her eyes lifted toward the steps again, still hesitating.
Then his voice, deep and calm but filled with unmistakable annoyance, echoed down toward her.
"Now do you want me to invite you specially?"
She flinched slightly, her eyes widening.
"N-No!" she stammered, lifting her dress slightly and hurrying after him, her small feet tapping up the stairs quickly. "I'm coming!"
The third floor was… different.
The moment she stepped onto it, she felt it.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
The air was cooler, the lights dimmer. Everything had a sleek, expensive feel..walls lined with dark wood, soft lighting that glowed from hidden corners, and long hallways that seemed to stretch forever. No family photos. No warmth. Just polished elegance and shadows.
It felt like Leonardo himself.
He led her without a word to the far end of the floor and pushed open a large, dark-wooden door.
Isabella stepped inside, and her mouth parted slightly.
His room was huge.
Far bigger than she imagined.