My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 122: Like Parents

Warmth pressed against Katherine’s cheek. Not the kind that came from sunlight or comfort—but the lingering, restless heat of her daughter’s skin. Her eyelids fluttered open, a dull ache settling in her neck and shoulders from having fallen asleep in a sitting position all night.

Her gaze adjusted to the dim morning light filtering through the curtains. For a moment, her surroundings felt blurry, as if caught between the remnants of a dream and reality.

The dream...

It was so vivid. A memory, really. From years ago—when the twins were just babies, fragile and new to the world. Both had gotten sick for the first time. She’d panicked. She could still remember the way her hands trembled, her chest tightening, the helplessness clawing at her like a wild animal.

But Felix had been there. He wasn’t their father, but he stood by her as though he was. And somehow... that had made all the difference. The fear back then didn’t feel quite as paralyzing because she wasn’t facing it alone.

Katherine exhaled slowly, brushing a stray hair from her face. Funny... she mused. Back then, it all felt so overwhelming. Now? Now it’s just... parenting. Hard, but manageable.

She shifted her gaze toward Maya, still curled under her blankets, her face flushed but peaceful. Katherine reached out, brushing her fingertips softly over her daughter’s forehead. Still warm, but not worse. Her chest eased slightly.

A glance to her right revealed Nathan, still fast asleep in his own bed, one arm flung out dramatically. A small smile tugged at Katherine’s lips.

But... something nagged at her. Her brows pulled together. Where’s Leonard?

She hadn’t seen him when she first woke up. He’d been here all evening. She would’ve noticed him leaving, wouldn’t she?

Carefully, she stood, easing herself off the chair without waking Maya. Her joints protested the sudden movement, but she ignored it, tiptoeing toward the door.

As soon as she stepped into the hallway, the faint sound of sizzling hit her ears. Her nose twitched—bacon. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

What on earth...

Katherine padded down the hall, peeking around the corner into the kitchen. Her eyes blinked in surprise.

There, standing in front of her stove, spatula in hand, was Leonard. His sleeves were rolled up, tie loosened, hair slightly messy as though he’d run his fingers through it a hundred times. He flipped a strip of bacon expertly, then stirred something in a pan beside it.

At that moment, Leonard glanced over his shoulder, immediately catching sight of her. "Oh—morning," he greeted, surprisingly casual, like this was the most normal thing in the world. "Hope you don’t mind. Figured I’d make breakfast for everyone."

Katherine blinked, still processing. "You... what?" Her voice came out half-dazed, half-incredulous.

He chuckled softly, turning back to the stove. "Yeah... figured it’d help. Plus, your kitchen’s very... intuitive." He gestured vaguely at the cabinets, as if complimenting their arrangement.

Katherine crossed her arms loosely, leaning against the doorway with one brow lifted. "Well... knock yourself out," she replied, amused. "Help yourself."

"I already did," Leonard quipped, flipping another piece of bacon with an annoyingly charming grin.

She shook her head, lips twitching in reluctant amusement. Without another word, she turned and made her way to her bedroom. Her phone was still on her nightstand—untouched since last night. She hadn’t even glanced at it when they rushed home. All her focus had been on Maya.

Unlocking it, she immediately opened the contact for the twins’ kindergarten. The moment the call connected, her tone shifted into responsible-mother mode. "Hi, this is Katherine Anderson. I’m calling to inform you that Maya won’t be coming today. She’s running a fever... No, Nathan will still attend... Yes, thank you..."

The call wrapped up quickly. Sighing, she dropped her phone to her side and padded back toward the kitchen.

Leonard looked up as she entered, his hands still busy tending to breakfast. He raised an eyebrow as she waved her phone lightly. "School," she explained. "Let them know Maya’s sick."

"Good," he nodded, scraping some scrambled eggs onto a plate.

Katherine eyed him, folding her arms again. "I didn’t know you could cook."

A laugh rumbled from Leonard’s chest, low and genuine. "Well... I wouldn’t call it gourmet. But yeah, I picked up a few things. Figured I should learn how to feed myself at some point."

"Scrambled eggs and bacon, huh?" she teased, leaning against the counter. "Impressive."

"Hey. Baby steps." His lips curled into a grin. "Can’t win ’em all."

She chuckled softly but then paused, a thought creeping in. "Actually... speaking of winning..." Her tone shifted a little—half playful, half serious. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

Leonard immediately straightened, eyes lighting up with what might have been... anticipation? "Anything," he said quickly, too quickly. "What do you need?"

Katherine blinked, caught off guard by the eagerness in his tone. She cleared her throat. "Um... Well. I was wondering if you could help today. Either stay with Maya or... maybe take Nathan to school. I mean—"

But she didn’t get to finish.

Leonard set the spatula down with a soft clink, turned, and fixed her with a look. "Katherine." His tone was even, but there was something firm beneath it. "I have to say... I’m kinda disappointed you phrased it like that."

Her brows shot up. "Huh?"

He crossed his arms, his gaze unwavering. "You don’t need to ask me to help. This isn’t a favor. I’m their father. This is my responsibility."

For a moment, Katherine just... stared. Her throat tightened unexpectedly—not out of anger or discomfort, but... something softer. Something that tugged at her chest in ways she wasn’t prepared for.

A small, crooked smile tugged at her lips. "Right..." she murmured, rubbing the back of her neck. "Guess... guess you’re right."

Leonard softened then, his posture relaxing. "I’ll take Nathan. You stay with Maya. You’ve handled this before. I wouldn’t even know where to start with taking care of a sick kid."

She laughed—really laughed this time. "Yeah... yeah, you’d probably freak out over a cough."

"Exactly." He grinned, flipping the last strip of bacon onto a plate. "See? Look how reasonable I am."

Katherine shook her head, a reluctant warmth spreading in her chest. "Well... thanks."

"No need to thank me." His eyes softened, voice quieter now. "This is... how it should be."

Her fingers brushed against the edge of the countertop as she turned away, heading back toward her room to freshen up. But before she disappeared fully from view, she cast one last glance over her shoulder.

It felt... surreal. Strange. New.

But not... bad.

Not bad at all.