His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker. Chapter 898 How rich are they?

Age had gradually made Nonna’s world smaller, and although she was surrounded by people who loved her, there were still many hours when she preferred simply to sit quietly with her memories. She would think about the past, about the people she had loved and lost, about the years that had passed so quickly. There was a peace in her solitude, a quiet acceptance of the life she had lived.

Yet whenever little footsteps approached her, her face would brighten.

"Big Nonna!"

And she would turn toward him with a smile that erased all the weariness from her features.

"Come here, my little big boy."

Eli would run straight into her arms, his small body crashing against hers with all the enthusiasm that a four-year-old could muster. She would hold him close, breathing in the scent of his hair, feeling the warmth of his small body against hers.

Bella often watched them from a distance, her heart filling with a strange, peaceful warmth. There was something beautiful about the bond between the old woman and the little boy, a connection that transcended age and time. They understood each other in a way that words couldn’t explain.

She had once believed happiness would arrive only when life gave her the things she had dreamed about. She had thought she needed a child of her own, a baby she had carried, to feel complete. She had spent so many nights crying over the impossibility of that dream, wondering if she would ever be truly happy.

Now she understood something different.

Sometimes happiness didn’t arrive in the form you imagined. Sometimes it came in the way you never expected.

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"Oh, so he was adopted by rich people?" the middle-aged man asked, his eyes flashing with sudden greed as he leaned closer.

Another man nodded eagerly, his voice low and conspiratorial.

"Yes, yes, I’m sure. I heard it from Joe himself. That little brat has been adopted by some extremely rich people. Apparently, they live in a huge house, and the boy has even started going to a private kindergarten. Do you know how much that school costs?" He gave a low whistle, shaking his head. "More money than we’ve earned in our entire lives."

Jack’s eyes widened slightly. A flicker of interest passed through his expression, something that had been dormant for a long time suddenly stirring awake.

The other man noticed his expression and immediately grinned, sensing that he had hooked his friend’s attention.

"You should go and ask them for money. Think about it, Jack. They have plenty of it. They won’t even notice a little money disappearing from their pockets."

Jack hesitated, his brow furrowing.

"But... they’re rich people."

"So?"

"Rich people have bodyguards, you know." Jack lowered his voice nervously, glancing around as if someone might be listening. "What if they throw me out? Or call the police?"

His friend rolled his eyes, letting out an impatient sigh.

"You’re worried about bodyguards?"

Jack swallowed hard, his throat dry.

"I don’t want to end up in trouble."

The other man leaned closer, his voice dropping to a sly whisper.

"But you’re his father."

Jack went silent.

Those words seemed to change something in his expression. His eyes slowly narrowed as he looked toward his friend, a new thought taking root in his mind.

"That’s right," the other man continued, tapping his fingers against the table rhythmically. "No matter how rich those people are, you can still say you’re Eli’s father. They adopted him, didn’t they? That means they took someone else’s child. And if his real father suddenly appears asking for help..."

A greedy smile spread across his face, slow and calculating.

"They’ll probably pay just to keep the matter quiet."

Jack’s hesitation slowly disappeared.

He had never cared much about Eli before. When the boy’s mother had been alive, she had spent years keeping him away from Jack and protecting him from his temper. She had known what kind of man Jack was, and she had done everything in her power to shield her son from his influence. After her death, Jack hadn’t even bothered to ask where the child had gone. As far as he was concerned, Eli had been nothing more than a burden.

But now things were different.

Now he had heard that the little boy belonged to a wealthy family.

Jack leaned back slowly, his eyes gleaming with avarice.

"How rich are they?"

His friend chuckled, a low, knowing sound.

"Rich enough that you should stop asking questions and start thinking about how much you can get."

Jack’s eyes gleamed. He could already picture the money, the comfort, the easy life that was suddenly within his reach.

"But what if they don’t believe me?" he asked, a trace of doubt in his voice.

His friend smiled, slow and confident.

"Then you’ll remind them that you’re his biological father."

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Meanwhile, Bella had been happier than she had been in a long time.

Even though Eli still hadn’t started calling her Mom or Leo Dad, neither of them pressured him about it. They were simply happy that he was comfortable enough to call her "Beautiful" and Leo "Tall Uncle." To Bella, those names were precious in their own way.

She especially loved getting him ready in the morning.

That morning, Eli stood patiently in front of her while Bella adjusted his little kindergarten uniform, carefully straightening his collar and smoothing his shirt. His tiny shoes were put perfectly, his little socks were properly pulled up and his neatly packed backpack sat beside him.

"Okay, turn around," Bella said.

Eli obediently turned.

Bella adjusted the straps of his backpack and smiled.

"You look so handsome."

Eli immediately looked proud.

"I know."

Bella laughed.

"Oh, you know?"

"Yes. You told me yesterday."

"That doesn’t mean you have to believe everything I say."

"But you always tell me I’m handsome."

"Because you are."

Eli nodded thoughtfully.

"Then I am handsome."

Bella couldn’t help laughing as she gently fixed his messy hair.

"There. Perfect."

Eli looked at himself in the mirror and gave a tiny satisfied smile.

"Beautiful, can we go now?"

"Yes, my big boy."

He immediately turned around.

"Not baby."

Bella laughed.

"I know, I know. Big boy."

She took his little hand and walked downstairs with him, carrying his lunch box while he happily carried his backpack.

Leo had already left for work, but he had made sure the security arrangements were in place before they left. Several trained bodyguards accompanied them discreetly, keeping enough distance that Eli wouldn’t feel surrounded while still making sure nobody unfamiliar could approach him.

When they reached the kindergarten, Bella stepped out of the car with Eli’s small hand tucked securely inside hers. She gently adjusted the strap of his little backpack before they began walking toward the entrance, completely unaware of the man standing a little distance away near the roadside.