My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 34: Lingering Dreams

Katherine jolted awake with a sharp gasp, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. Her eyes flung open, scanning the room as if expecting to find something... or someone. It took a few long seconds before she realized it was just her bedroom. Morning light seeped through the blinds, painting pale lines across the floor.

She sat up abruptly, pressing her hand against her damp forehead. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, thudding so loud she swore she could hear it echo in her ears. The dream—no, the memory. It was the first time in a while that Leonard had appeared in her dreams. And not just any memory, but that one. Their very first meeting.

Her fingers absentmindedly rubbed her temple as she stared ahead blankly. Why now? Why would her subconscious pull that moment out of the depths after all this time? Maybe it was because of last night.

Yes. Last night had been real. She had seen him again. Leonard Ford, in the flesh, not a figment of her imagination. Not a relic from the past.

And then there was Felix.

Katherine’s brows furrowed slightly as she recalled the last few minutes before she got out of his car. The way his face had leaned toward hers. The look in his eyes—intense, longing, conflicted.

Her heart thudded again, though not from fear this time. It was like he had every intention to kiss her. But at the last second, he—what? Chickened out? Thought better of it? Changed his mind?

Should she be mad? Or relieved? She didn’t know. All she knew was that she had felt something when he leaned in. Something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in a long time. And then it vanished just as quickly, leaving her stunned and frozen in that moment.

She reached for her phone beside her bed and blinked in surprise. "9:00 a.m.?" she mumbled aloud. That was probably the latest she’d woken up in years. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Thanks, champagne," she said to herself dryly as she stretched. Her muscles were stiff, her head still a little fuzzy from the night before.

At least she didn’t have to rush. The twins were with Irene, and Katherine had planned to pick them up later around noon. That gave her some time to clear her mind. She couldn’t afford to spiral. Not now. Not with the twins.

She pushed the covers off and rose from the bed, making her way to the bathroom. The cold tile under her feet jolted her slightly more awake. She twisted the knob and let the water run hot before stepping into the shower. As the steam filled the room and water cascaded over her skin, she tried to wash away the tangled emotions clinging to her.

Two men.

Two memories.

Two wildly different versions of her past and present colliding unexpectedly.

The water didn’t help much, but at least it calmed the ache behind her eyes.

By the time noon rolled around, Katherine was dressed and feeling more human. She grabbed her car keys from the hook near the front door and stepped out. The drive to Irene’s was a short one, the kind she could do half-asleep. But today, she stayed alert, her mind running back and forth over everything that had happened.

Leonard.

Felix.

Why did the universe have to throw both men at her in one single night?

She pulled up in front of Irene’s cozy brick house and parked. Before she could even knock, the door flung open and two small bodies launched themselves at her.

"Mommy!"

"Mommy’s here!"

Their tiny arms wrapped tightly around her legs as she bent down, catching them in a warm embrace.

"Hey, my loves," she said softly, pressing a kiss to each of their cheeks. The simple joy in their eyes nearly melted away the chaos in her chest.

Irene appeared behind them, her face lighting up with a warm smile. "You’re just in time for lunch. Food just arrived. Chinese. I ordered your favorite garlic noodles."

Katherine smiled, though her face betrayed a certain tiredness. "Perfect. I could use something comforting."

Inside, the house smelled of savory sauces and fried dumplings. Katherine followed Irene into the kitchen, helping her open containers and set plates. The twins busied themselves with their toys nearby.

Irene glanced at Katherine with a knowing smirk. "So... how was the party? Any wild stories to share?" Her tone was playful, but there was curiosity dancing in her eyes.

Katherine let out a sigh that came from somewhere deep in her soul. She rested the chopsticks she had been unwrapping on the counter and leaned against it.

"Yeah," she said with a sour face. "It was definitely crazy."

Irene chuckled. "That bad, huh? Or that eventful?"

Katherine didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes drifted toward the twins, now giggling over who got to be the dragon in their pretend game.

Irene watched her closely, sensing the heaviness. "Kat, what happened? You look like you’ve been through a war zone."

Katherine ran a hand through her still-damp hair and shook her head. "Leonard was there."

Irene blinked. "Leonard? The Leonard?"

Katherine nodded slowly.

Irene’s face soured immediately, as if she’d bitten into a lemon. Her eyes narrowed, lips thinning, and the warmth that had momentarily flickered in her concern cooled into something far sharper.

"Please tell me you didn’t talk to that jerk," she said, folding her arms like a mother preparing to scold a child. "Please, for the love of all things holy, tell me you didn’t give him the time of day."

Katherine exhaled, brushing her fingers through the tangled ends of her still-damp hair again. Her silence stretched between them like a taut wire.

"Kat..." Irene’s voice dipped low, warning and exasperated. "You didn’t, right? You’re gonna tell me you just saw him, maybe accidentally locked eyes across the room, and then you turned and walked the hell away. Or better yet, poured your drink on his overpriced shoes and left like a damn queen."

Katherine gave her a look, tired and dry. "Nothing much happened."

Irene groaned and flopped back onto the couch, throwing her hands over her face. "God, Kat. Nothing much? That’s not reassuring! Nothing much should’ve been you storming out of there like a storm cloud, or at least flipping him off from across the bar!"

Katherine moved to the arm of the couch, sitting lightly. "I’m not going to make a scene."

"Why not?" Irene sat up, arms flailing. "Come on, Kat. You see your ex—the lying, cheating, gaslighting ex—and instead of throwing a drink, you have a polite chat?"

Katherine didn’t respond right away. Irene was still muttering about this and that. But Katherine’s thoughts had already begun to slip inward, sinking under the noise into something quieter.

Irene was half right.

Why hadn’t she just walked away?