My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 123: Two Men, One Door

"Cheer up, buddy," Leonard said, his eyes flickering to the rearview mirror where Nathan sat in his car seat, arms folded tight against his chest, cheeks puffed in a stubborn pout.

Nathan didn’t answer. He just stared out the window, lower lip jutting out like it weighed a ton.

Leonard sighed quietly, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel while waiting for the light to turn green. "I know... you wanted to stay home with Maya. But hey, she’s with your mom. She’s gonna be okay. Plus, you know, you gotta go to school. You’re the man today."

No response. Nathan’s reflection didn’t move.

Leonard tried again. "Come on, champ. You need to go, not only for youself but Maya, too."

Nathan’s pout faltered—just a little. He gave a reluctant side-eye to the mirror but said nothing.

Leonard smiled to himself. Gotcha. Cracked the wall a little. He cleared his throat, adjusting his grip on the wheel. "And... if you go now, I promise, pinky swear, I’ll come pick you up as soon as school’s over. Then straight back home to check on Maya. Deal?"

Nathan stayed quiet for a second longer, then finally mumbled, "...Promise?"

Leonard’s smile softened. "Yeah. Promise. You have my word."

By the time the car rolled to a stop in front of the kindergarten gate, Nathan had unbuckled himself, a shadow of his usual calm returning. His pout hadn’t completely left, but his little hand was already reaching for the door handle.

Leonard got out first, circling around to open Nathan’s door. He crouched down to Nathan’s level, resting one hand on the boy’s tiny shoulder. "You got this. Just a few hours, then I’ll come get you. And hey... Maya’s gonna want to hear all about your day, right?"

That finally pulled a smile from Nathan. A small one, shy, but genuine. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around Leonard’s neck. "Okay..."

Leonard blinked, startled for half a second—but quickly hugged him back, squeezing tightly. His heart squeezed too, maybe even harder than his arms did.

"Good man," Leonard murmured into Nathan’s hair. "Now go show everyone how awesome you are."

Nathan nodded, released him, and turned to head inside. Leonard stood by the gate, watching until the boy disappeared through the front doors.

Only when Nathan was fully out of sight did Leonard let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He ran a hand through his hair, chuckling softly to himself. "Damn... didn’t think drop-offs could be this emotional."

As he walked back to the car, he pulled out his phone, scrolling to Becca’s number. The phone rang twice before her crisp, no-nonsense voice answered.

"Mr. Ford?"

"Yeah. Just letting you know—I won’t be coming to the office for a bit." He opened the car door, sliding into the seat. "Handle anything urgent, push back anything that can wait."

There was a pause. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah. Just... family stuff." His voice softened at the word family. "I’ll let you know when I’m back."

"Understood, sir."

"Thanks, Becca."

He hung up, tossed the phone onto the passenger seat, and pulled out of the parking lot.

By the time Leonard returned to the apartment building, the morning rush had faded into the usual weekday lull.

As he rode the elevator up, he realized his pulse was quicker than it should be. His hand flexed against his side, rolling tension out of his knuckles. He wasn’t sure why—maybe it was the leftover nerves from drop-off, or maybe... maybe it was knowing who he was about to face.

The elevator dinged. He stepped out, crossed the hall, and lifted his hand to knock on Katherine’s door.

A beat.

Then the door opened—not to the sight he’d expected.

Not Katherine.

Felix.

Leonard’s brows lifted a fraction, his face changing into a polite expression. Felix, meanwhile, wore that usual carefully curated smile—pleasant, sharp at the edges, and polite enough not to be called anything else.

"Felix," Leonard greeted, voice even. "Didn’t expect to see you here this early."

Felix gave a small nod. "Morning. Yeah, I stopped by to check in." His eyes flicked briefly down the hallway, as though subtly confirming no one else was listening. "Kinda worry about the little princess."

Leonard shifted his stance, hands sliding into his pockets. "Still feverish, but stable. Katherine’s handling it." His lips tugged into a small smile. "She’s good at this."

Felix’s smile thinned slightly. "Yeah... she is."

Leonard cleared his throat, glancing past Felix. "Is she in?"

"Yeah. Come in." Felix stepped aside, holding the door open just wide enough. His posture remained loose but deliberate—as if both inviting and guarding the threshold at the same time.

Leonard stepped inside, offering a brief nod of thanks. His gaze swept the living room, instinctively checking for Maya’s door, then back to Felix.

Mission first. He turned toward the kitchen where Katherine was, leaning casually against the doorway. "Mission accomplished. Nathan’s at school." His voice softened a bit when addressing her. "Wasn’t easy, but I cracked him."

Katherine turned from pouring water into a mug, smiling warmly. "Thank you, Leonard. Really."

Leonard waved it off, but there was a subtle glow of satisfaction under his skin. "Anytime." He glanced at Felix, then arched a brow. "Shouldn’t you be at work by now?"

Felix didn’t miss a beat. "In a minute." His smile was light but firm. "Wanted to make sure everything’s fine before heading out."

Leonard hummed, folding his arms loosely. "Everything’s fine. No need to worry. I’m here, after all." His gaze was level, neither aggressive nor yielding—but there was weight beneath it.

For half a second, the air between them thickened.

Felix’s smile didn’t falter, but it cooled. "Of course."

Leonard mirrored it with a polite nod, his jaw tightening just a touch.

Neither man said anything else, but the silence between them was louder than any argument could’ve been.

It was as if the whole room understood what this meant—even if no one dared say it out loud.