His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker. Chapter 873 Tell me something

Next year was the most difficult of Bella’s life.

From the outside, she seemed to have everything. Her platform had grown beyond anything she had once imagined, helping thousands of students find opportunities and build brighter futures. She was invited to conferences, recognized for her work and admired by countless young people who saw her as an inspiration.

But success could not fill every empty place in her heart.

There was one dream that remained painfully out of reach. She wanted a baby. Not because anyone expected it of her or because society told her she should. She simply longed to become a mother.

She dreamed of tiny fingers wrapping around hers, of sleepless nights spent rocking a baby to sleep, of hearing a little voice call her Mama and of watching a child she and Leo created together grow up surrounded by love.

Yet month after month, nothing happened.

The treatments and medications continued. The hospital visits became routine. Every appointment carried a small spark of hope that quietly faded before they reached home.

Leo never once complained. Instead, he held her hand through every consultation, every blood test, every disappointing result. Whenever Bella broke down in tears, he would gather her into his arms and gently stroke her hair.

"Bella," he would whisper softly, "I’m already happy. I don’t need anyone else. Having you is enough for me."

He meant every word. If he had to choose between Bella and the possibility of children, he would choose Bella a thousand times without hesitation.

But Bella couldn’t accept it so easily. She would force a smile for him, nodding as though she believed him. Yet late at night, after Leo had fallen asleep, she sometimes rested a trembling hand over her stomach and silently cried into her pillow.

She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t jealous of other mothers. She simply grieved the future she had imagined for so many years.

The empty room they had once joked would become a nursery remained empty. Tiny baby clothes she had secretly bought year ago stayed carefully folded inside a box at the back of her wardrobe. Every time she opened it, she would gently run her fingers over the impossibly small fabric before quietly closing it again.

Leo noticed.

One evening, he found her sitting on the floor with that little box in her lap. Without saying a word, he sat beside her.

Bella leaned against his shoulder, tears silently slipping down her cheeks.

"I’m sorry," she whispered brokenly.

Leo frowned. "What are you apologizing for?"

"I can’t give you the family you deserve."

His heart clenched painfully. He immediately turned toward her, cupping her face with both hands. "Bella, I already told you many times." His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt. "You are my family."

She looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

"You are my home." He gently kissed her forehead. "I never married you because I wanted children. I married you because I wanted you. If one day we’re blessed with a child, I’ll be grateful. If that day never comes..." He rested his forehead against hers. "...I’ll still wake up every morning thanking life for giving me you."

Bella burst into tears and threw herself into his arms. She knew Leo meant every word. She believed him completely but despite all his love, her own heart still quietly longed for the little miracle she had dreamed of holding one day.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

After countless disappointments, Bella had quietly stopped expecting miracles. She no longer counted the days. She no longer let herself become excited before appointments. She smiled whenever Leo reassured her, laughed with her family as if nothing had changed, and poured all of her energy into her work but deep inside, a small part of her heart had grown tired.

That afternoon, she sat alone in the garden, resting comfortably on a white wooden chair beneath the shade of an old tree. The breeze gently played with her long brown hair as she gazed absentmindedly at the clear blue sky.

Her laptop lay open on the small table beside her, displaying unfinished codes for her new project but she hadn’t typed a single code in almost twenty minutes. Her thoughts were somewhere far away.

"Surprise!"

Two warm hands suddenly covered her eyes from behind.

Bella didn’t even flinch. Instead, a soft laugh escaped her lips.

"...Jay Jay."

The man behind her immediately grinned from ear to ear. "You recognized me that quickly?"

Bella reached up and lightly touched one of his hands. "I’d recognize this noisy person anywhere."

Jay laughed loudly before removing his hands. "How rude." He walked around and leaned against the table with his usual carefree smile.

At that moment, another familiar figure approached.

"What are you two doing?" Jace asked casually as he walked over, carrying two cold drinks. His expression remained as calm as ever, though the corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile when he saw Bella.

Jay immediately stole one of the drinks from his hand. "Thanks."

"I wasn’t offering it to you."

"You are now."

Jace sighed helplessly.

Bella watched the two of them with amusement. Some things never changed.

Jace sat down in the chair opposite Bella, crossing one leg over the other. "So... what are you doing out here all alone?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders lightly. "Nothing."

Jay dramatically gasped. "No way." He pulled up another chair and sat beside her. "Bella bell can’t possibly be doing nothing." He leaned forward suspiciously. "Tell me something..." He pointed at himself proudly. "...and I’ll tell you something."

Bella looked at him before laughing softly. "There really isn’t anything. I’m just..." She glanced toward the open garden. "...a little bored."

Jay narrowed his eyes dramatically. "Hmm... I don’t believe you."

Bella tilted her head innocently. "You don’t?"

"No." He folded his arms. "Whenever you’re quiet like this, you’re either secretly planning something..." He raised one finger. "...or overthinking."

Bella smiled without answering.

Jay immediately pointed at her. "See! I knew it!"

Jace calmly took a sip of his drink before looking at Bella. "So... which one is it?"

Bella looked at both of them and couldn’t help smiling a little wider. "Maybe..." She said softly. "...a little bit of both."

Jay exchanged a quick glance with Jace. The cheerful smile on Jay’s face faded just enough for concern to appear in his eyes. He knew Bella well. He knew when she was hiding something behind that gentle smile. He had seen it too many times over the years, the way she would deflect and change the subject when something was weighing on her heart.