His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.

Chapter 777 Winter

Bella sat in the chair across from the three executives, her hands clasped in her lap, her back straight. Her heart was pounding, but her face was calm. She had learned long ago not to let people see her nerves.

The office was small but elegant. Dark wood furniture that looked old and expensive, a thick carpet that muffled every footstep, and a window that overlooked the campus courtyard, where students were walking between buildings. The afternoon light was soft and golden, casting long shadows across the desk.

The three executives sat across from her. They had been evaluating her presentation, taking notes, whispering to each other while she stood at the front of the lecture hall. Now they had called her here. She did not know why.

"Sir?" she asked, her voice steady even though her chest felt tight.

The executive in the center, a man in his fifties with kind eyes and graying hair, smiled at her. It was a warm and reassuring smile. Nothing like the serious faces they had worn during her presentation.

"Bella, come," he said, gesturing for her to relax. "We won’t take much of your time. We know you have class."

Bella nodded, but she didn’t relax. Her hands stayed clasped in her lap. Her back stayed straight.

"We liked your idea," the executive continued. "Your presentation was clear, well-researched, and easy to follow. The way you explained the technology, the way you connected it to real-world applications. It was impressive. Very impressive."

He paused, looking at her over the rim of his glasses.

"But that’s not why we asked you here."

Bella’s brow furrowed. Her heart, which had been slowing down, started pounding again.

"Mr. Moretti—" the executive paused, exchanging a glance with his colleagues, "—told us about your capabilities."

Bella’s eyes widened.

Leo. He had told them her hacking skills.

The executive chuckled, noticing her expression. "He told us about the work you did on William Sir’s company security project. I visited his company during our last deal, and I was impressed. Very impressed. The system was impressive and unique. I asked who built it, and William just smiled and said, ’My granddaughter.’"

Bella’s cheeks flushed.

"That security system is one of the best I’ve ever seen," the executive continued. "And when Mr. Moretti told me the fun fact that you were doing all that while dressed as a man—" He laughed, a hearty, genuine sound that filled the small office. "Well, I had to meet you myself."

Bella’s blush deepened. She looked down at her hands.

"So," the executive said, his voice growing serious, "we have a project. One we are sponsoring. It’s led by a college student, about your age. She’s been working on it for over a year. Robotics. But not the kind you see in factories. This is for hospitals. Patient care. Rehabilitation. Helping people who have lost mobility, who need assistance, who cannot do things on their own anymore."

Bella looked up.

"I think you would be perfect to help her," the executive said. "Your skills, your mindset, your approach. The way you think about problems, the way you find solutions. They align with what this project needs. I’ve called her here as well. She should be arriving soon."

Bella sat quietly, processing his words. She had never worked on robotics before. She had never even thought about it. But the idea intrigued her. Helping people. Building something that mattered. Using her skills for something other than exposing frauds and catching stalkers.

As if on cue, someone knocked on the door.

Three sharp raps, even and precise.

The executive called out, "Come in."

The door opened, and a girl walked in. She was beautiful and striking.

She wore all black. A fitted black shirt tucked into black trousers. A black jacket that fell to her thighs. Black shoes that made no sound on the carpet. Her dark hair was pulled back in a high, sleek ponytail. Not a single strand out of place. Her face was symmetrical, her features sharp and elegant. High cheekbones. A straight nose. Full lips pressed into a neutral line. Her skin was fair, almost pale, like she spent more time indoors than out. Her eyes were dark, deep and completely unreadable.

She looked cold and expressionless.

The executive gestured toward her. "This is Winter."

Winter’s dark eyes swept the room, taking in the executives, the desk, the windows, the bookshelves. Her gaze was quick but thorough. Then her eyes landed on Bella.

Bella stood up, extending her hand. "Hi, Winter. I’m Isabella. You can call me Bella."

Winter looked at Bella’s hand. Her gaze was assessing, analytical. Like she was cataloging every detail. The shape of Bella’s fingers. The way she held herself. The slight tremor in her hand that Bella couldn’t quite hide. The color of her nail polish. The small scar on her knuckle.

Then Winter took her hand.

Her grip was firm, cool, and professional. She did not squeeze too hard or too soft. It was exactly the right amount of pressure, which felt somehow more unsettling than if she had crushed Bella’s fingers.

"Winter," she said. Her voice was low and smooth. Just as expressionless as her face.

She released Bella’s hand after exactly two seconds.

Then she looked at Bella’s face. Not her eyes. Her face. Her cheekbones, her jaw, the curve of her lips. A quick, sweeping glance that took in everything and gave away nothing.

Bella felt like she had been scanned. Like Winter had taken a picture of her and filed it away in some mental folder.

"Winter is one of our top students," the executive said, breaking the silence. "She’s been working on this robotics project for over a year. We think your skills could complement hers."

Winter said nothing. She just stood there, her dark eyes fixed on Bella, her expression unreadable.

Bella smiled, trying to break the ice. "I’d love to hear more about your project. Robotics for patient care sounds fascinating. I’ve read a few papers on the subject, but I’ve never had the chance to work on anything like it."

Winter blinked once slowly.

"Robotics," she said, "is about precision. About eliminating human error. About creating systems that don’t fail. That don’t get tired. That don’t make mistakes."

She paused.

"Most people don’t understand that. They think robots are about replacing humans. They’re not. They’re about doing what humans cannot do reliably."

Bella nodded slowly. "I think I understand."

Winter tilted her head, studying her. Her dark eyes moved across Bella’s face again.

"We’ll see," she said.

The executives exchanged glances.

The one in the center cleared his throat. "Well, why don’t you two exchange contact information? Discuss the project further? See if it’s a good fit?"