His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.

Bella was really enjoying herself.

The cafeteria was crowded, the air thick with the smell of coffee and fried food and something sweet baking in the back. Students filled every table, their voices overlapping in conversation and laughter. Trays clattered, chairs scraped, and somewhere across the room, a group of boys were arguing loudly about a football game.

It was chaotic. It was noisy. It was everything Bella had never experienced.

She sat across from Mira and Karl, a tray of food in front of her that she had barely touched. She was too busy looking around, taking it all in. The colorful backpacks, the messy hair, the tired eyes of students who had probably been up all night studying.

Mira had led her through the line, explaining how the meal plan worked, which stations had the best food, which tables had the best light for studying. Karl had followed behind them, quiet, his hands in his pockets, his dark eyes scanning the room like he was looking for someone.

Now they were seated near the window, the afternoon sun warm on their faces.

"This is amazing," Bella said, her voice full of wonder.

Mira smiled, pushing her glasses up. "It’s just the cafeteria," she said.

"It’s not just the cafeteria." Bella looked around again, her eyes bright. "It’s everything. The noise. The people. The chaos." She laughed, shaking her head. "I’ve never had this before."

Mira tilted her head, curious. "Never?" she asked.

"I was homeschooled," Bella said simply, and she didn’t add anything afterward.

Mira just nodded, her expression kind.

Karl, who had been staring at his tray without eating, looked up. His dark eyes fixed on Bella’s face, and she felt his gaze. She had felt it all morning. In the lecture hall, during the break, walking across campus. He was always looking at her. Not glancing. Looking. Like he was trying to figure something out.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Bella finally asked, her voice light but direct. "All the time."

Karl’s cheeks flushed. He looked down at his tray, then back up at her, his jaw tight.

"I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable," he said, his voice quiet. "But I was trying to see if you’re genuine. Or if you’re just like Krystal."

Mira’s expression suddenly shifted, her smile fading. "Karl," she said, her voice warning.

"What?" Karl’s eyes narrowed. "I’m just being honest."

"Krystal is always like that," Mira said, her voice tight. "She just has that attitude with everyone. It’s not personal."

Karl rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "Whatever."

The silence stretched. Bella looked between them, her curiosity burning.

Krystal. The name felt heavy, loaded with history she didn’t understand. She wanted to ask who Krystal was, why Karl hated her, why Mira defended her. But something in their faces told her this wasn’t the time.

So she changed the subject.

"Tell me more about the campus," she said, her voice bright. "What’s the best place to study? Where’s the hidden gem that no one knows about?"

Mira’s face relaxed, grateful for the shift. "There’s a small library in the east wing. No one ever goes there. It’s quiet, and the chairs are really comfortable," she said.

"A hidden library?" Bella’s eyes lit up. "I need to see it."

"I’ll show you," Mira said. "After class."

Karl was quiet, but his gaze had softened. He was still watching her, but now there was something else in his eyes. Curiosity, maybe. Or wonder.

Bella didn’t mind.

She picked up her fork and took a bite of her food, smiling as Mira launched into a story about a professor who had accidentally locked himself in the storage closet.

⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

When classes finished, Bella walked out of the building with her bag slung over her shoulder after saying goodbye to Mira and Karl.

She spotted the car immediately. The familiar black sedan waiting at the curb, the driver standing by the door. He nodded at her as she approached, opening the back door for her.

"Thank you," she said, sliding inside.

The drive home was quiet, the city passing by in a blur of buildings and trees and people. Bella leaned her head against the window, watching the world move.

She was tired. Really tired. But it was a good tired. The kind of tiredness that came from doing something meaningful.

When the car pulled into the driveway of the estate, Bella gathered her bag and climbed out. The house was quiet, the late afternoon light streaming through the tall windows, painting the floors in shades of gold.

Bella sighed, dropped her bag on the floor, and fell onto the couch like a starfish. Arms and legs spread wide, her face buried in the cushion.

The maid, a young woman with kind eyes and a warm smile, paused in the doorway, a duster in her hand. She giggled softly.

"Ma’am, you look very tired," she said. "How was your first day?"

Bella turned her head, her cheek pressed against the cushion. "Yes, yes, I’m very tired! AUNT CLARA!" she shouted toward the kitchen. "I want your special cold orange juice!"

From the kitchen, Aunt Clara’s laughter echoed. "Coming, dear!" she called back.

Bella smiled, turning back to the maid. "My day was good. Really good." She paused, her eyes bright. "I made two friends."

The maid’s face lit up. "That’s wonderful, ma’am," she said.

"It is, isn’t it?" Bella stretched her arms above her head, her body sinking deeper into the couch. "Their names are Mira and Karl. Mira has these big glasses and the kindest smile. Karl is... complicated. But I think he’s good. I think they’re both good."

The maid nodded, listening.

"We have classes together. Computer science. We’re in the same program." Bella laughed as she told them about her whole day.

Aunt Clara appeared in the doorway, a tall glass of orange juice in her hand. The ice clinked against the glass, and the color was a deep, rich orange, flecked with pulp. She handed it to Bella, who sat up and took it gratefully.

"Special orange juice," Aunt Clara said, patting her head. "Just the way you like it."

Bella took a sip, the cold liquid sliding down her throat, sweet and tart and perfect. "Thank you, Aunt Clara," she said.

"Tell me more about your friends," Aunt Clara said, settling into the armchair across from her.

Bella cradled the glass in her hands, her legs tucked under her. "Mira is the one who helped me on exam day. She’s sweet. A little shy, maybe. But she called me her friend, Aunt Clara. She called me her friend."

Aunt Clara’s eyes crinkled. "And the other one? Karl?" she asked.

Bella’s smile flickered. "Karl is... intense. He was shouting at Mira this morning. I thought he was being mean, but I think he was just worried about her. About someone named Krystal."

"Krystal?" Aunt Clara asked.

"I don’t know who she is. But Karl doesn’t like her. And Mira defends her." Bella shrugged. "It’s complicated."

"Friendships often are," Aunt Clara said softly.

Bella nodded, taking another sip of her juice. "But now they’re my friends. And I’m going to figure it out."

Aunt Clara smiled, standing up. "I’m sure you will, dear. Now rest. You’ve earned it."