Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Isabella dragged herself to the breakfast table, even though every part of her wanted to stay in bed. She knew she didn’t really have a choice.

Her face was gloomy as she took her seat, barely acknowledging anyone around the table.

“Good morning,” she muttered.

She didn’t raise her head or make eye contact with anyone. Her attention remained fixed on her plate, even though she wasn’t particularly interested in the food sitting in front of her.

Leonardo, on the other hand, had been expecting a completely different reaction from Isabella. He had been waiting to see some excitement, maybe even a little smile.

He glanced toward Miss Payne, silently asking if she knew what was wrong, but she simply shook her head.

She had no idea either.

The meals arrived shortly after, and everyone began eating. The soft clinking of cutlery against plates filled the dining room, but Isabella barely seemed to notice.

She simply shoved the food into her mouth, spoon after spoon, eating more out of obligation than appetite.

Leonardo watched her for a while before finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“Did you see the basketball court I made for you?”

The rattling of cutlery stopped.

Isabella dropped her fork onto the plate with a sharp clatter before finally lifting her head.

“You didn’t have to waste your time doing that,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t even like basketball.”

Leonardo leaned back in his chair, completely unfazed by her response. “Oh, yes, you do,” he replied confidently.

Isabella gave him a long side-eye.

“I am your prisoner. You don’t have to prepare surprises for me. It does nothing but annoy me,” she replied bluntly.

Leonardo’s fingers tightened around the spoon in his hand. For a brief second, the smile on his face disappeared, but he quickly replaced it with an amused one.

He turned his head toward Marco, who was standing a short distance away.

“Go tell the men to take down the entire court.”

Marco hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Isabella scoffed. “You can take my room too while you’re at it. I should probably be locked in some kind of cage with chains all over me or something.”

Leonardo slowly lowered his spoon onto the table.

Then he stood.

The sudden movement made everyone around the table go silent.

Even Isabella swallowed hard as Leonardo began walking toward her. He stopped beside her chair and leaned down, his face close enough for her to feel his warm breath against her shoulder.

“Yeah, maybe you don’t need the room anymore,” he murmured.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

“You could just move into mine. You know…” He paused deliberately. “That could easily be arranged.”

Isabella went completely still.

She tried to push herself up from the chair, but Leonardo’s hands settled firmly on her shoulders, keeping her in place.

“See you later, Bella.”

Before she could even respond, he leaned down and planted a quick peck on her cheek before straightening up.

Then he walked away with Marco as if nothing had happened.

Isabella remained in her seat, completely stunned.

Miss Payne watched him disappear before shaking her head and beginning to clear the table.

“You know he’s only trying to make sure you’re comfortable,” she said gently.

“I’d be more comfortable in my own bed, in my own house,” Isabella replied, finally standing.

She turned toward Miss Payne and offered her a small smile. “Thanks for the food, Miss Payne.”

She spent the rest of the morning slumped in her room. Even through the window, she could see the men dismantling the basketball court below. She rolled her eyes and yanked the curtains shut.

After a long stretch of mindless television, boredom crept back in, and with it, the memory of her unfinished mission hit her: find out what Leonardo was hiding behind that locked door.

Curiosity immediately replaced her boredom.

She wandered down to the living room and lingered there, scanning for Miss Payne. No sign of her. She checked the kitchen next, still nothing. While helping herself to a plate of fresh cookies, she asked, keeping her tone light, "Where's Miss Payne?"

One of the chefs glanced up. "She went to pick up some groceries."

A smile crept across Isabella's face. Perfect.

She lingered in the kitchen a while longer before slipping out and heading upstairs, her eyes darting side to side, checking for cameras, for anyone watching. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she moved.

Door after door, none of them budged. She crouched low in front of the last one. "Let's see how good my lock-picking skills really are," she muttered, pulling a pin from her hair and working it into the lock. Twist after twist earned her nothing but a bent pin.

Defeated, she turned to leave and nearly walked straight into the housekeeper.

"Who has the keys to these doors?" she asked.

The housekeeper paused before answering. "Only the boss carries those keys."

Isabella raised a brow. “So this room just stays locked all the time? How do you people clean it?”

The housekeeper hesitated for a moment before answering carefully.

“We deep-clean the rooms during the weekends when he leaves the keys with us. But there are some doors we are not allowed to open.”

Isabella’s eyes immediately went to the particular door Miss Payne had stopped her from entering earlier. “Like this one?”

The housekeeper gave a small nod.

“So basically, he gives you the whole bunch of keys, even the key to this door, but you’re still not allowed to open it?”

Silence immediately fell between them.

The housekeeper’s expression remained unreadable, but Isabella could tell she had touched on something she probably shouldn’t have.

Isabella forced a casual smile.

“Oh, I know I ask a lot of questions.” She gave a small shrug. “I’m just bored and looking for a little excitement.”

“Excuse me, ma’am,” the housekeeper said politely.

She turned and walked away without giving Isabella anything else.

Isabella sighed as she watched her leave.

She slowly made her way down the stairs, but there was a small smile on her face now. She had gotten something. If even the housekeepers couldn't get past that door, then whatever was behind it had to matter. And Isabella intended to find out what.

So she played the long game. She smiled through breakfast, laughed when it was called for, drifted quiet when it wasn't. Never once did she snap back at Leonardo. She kept her temper locked down all week, every bit of it building toward the weekend.

The change unsettled Leonardo more than he expected. It should have felt like good news, the fire finally gone out of her, but he knew better than to believe it was that simple.

"Keep an eye on Bella. She's been acting strange," Leonardo said to Miss Payne after breakfast one morning.

"Maybe she's finally accepted her fate," Miss Payne offered.

Leonardo chuckled softly and glanced through the open doorway toward the dining area.

Isabella was sitting there, eating happily, looking completely innocent.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“You see that girl over there?” he asked, nodding toward her. “She’s stubborn to the bone. ‘Acceptance’ isn’t even in her vocabulary.”