My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 40: Like You A Lot

The days had passed like usual, and surprisingly, things between Katherine and Felix had been going well. Not perfect, but better.

The awkward tension that once hovered over every interaction had begun to fade, replaced by something gentler, more familiar. Katherine found herself relaxing again around Felix—no longer stumbling over her words or second-guessing every glance. Still, she sensed a wall remained, faint but firm, mostly on Felix’s end.

Yet while she and Felix were slowly rediscovering their rhythm, it was a different story for the twins.

Dinner time had always been Katherine’s favorite part of the day. A warm routine, simple yet filled with stories and giggles and the clatter of cutlery. But lately, the usual cheerful chatter had dulled.

It had been a week since Felix last stopped by. And Maya and Nathan—usually a whirlwind of energy—seemed visibly downcast. The sparkle in their eyes dimmed, and the air at the dinner table had grown heavier.

Katherine sat at the head of the table, dishing out mashed potatoes as Maya, poking at her food, looked up with wide eyes. "Mommy, when will Uncle Felix come again?"

It was the same question she’d asked last week.

Katherine forced a small smile, the same one she wore every time. "I don’t know, sweetheart. Maybe not soon. He might be busy."

Maya’s shoulders slumped, clearly not satisfied with that answer.

Nathan, sitting opposite his sister, tilted his head with a furrowed brow. "But you’re his secretary. You’re supposed to know, right?"

Katherine blinked, surprised—then chuckled softly. She reached over and gently ruffled Nathan’s hair. "I did explain what my job was, didn’t I?" she said. "Yes, I am his secretary, but that doesn’t mean I know every little thing."

Still, the question lingered in her mind longer than it should have.

She didn’t know why Felix had stopped coming around. He hadn’t said anything. The only thing she knew was that it had started right after that night—after what almost happened in the car.

Even though they had talked, even though everything seemed to be back to normal, that subtle shift in the air between them had never fully gone away. There was a wall now. Thin, small, but undeniably there.

Katherine could always ask Felix to come by for the twins’ sake. She knew he wouldn’t mind. In fact, he might even be happy to. But she didn’t want to make it a habit. Felix wasn’t some man with nothing to do, at her beck and call.

She had her pride. And even if her heart softened at the sight of him, she couldn’t keep dragging him into her world. Not unless he wanted to step in himself.

She sighed quietly and turned her attention back to the table.

"Okay, guys. Let’s eat before everything gets cold," she said, picking up her fork.

Maya and Nathan began to eat, half-heartedly at first, but as they launched into stories from school, their moods gradually lifted.

"Then Ms. Lila said we could paint our feelings," Maya announced between bites.

"What color are feelings?" Katherine asked, smiling.

"Red for angry!" Nathan declared, his fork waving dangerously close to his face.

Maya nodded. "And blue for sad. And yellow for happy! I made a rainbow heart."

Katherine laughed. "A rainbow heart? That sounds beautiful."

Just then, the doorbell rang.

All three of them paused.

"Who could that be?" Katherine asked aloud, pushing her chair back.

She walked toward the door, wiping her hands on a cloth as she went. The hallway was dimly lit, and the soft sound of the evening news playing on low volume in the background accompanied her steps. She opened the door—and froze.

"Hi," Felix said casually, holding up a paper bag. The scent of sweet vanilla and sugar wafted from it. "I was wondering if I could have dinner here tonight."

Katherine blinked at him.

Then, her expression warmed into something surprised and soft. "I can’t believe you’re here... and is that Crème & Cloud? That place always has a line." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Yep," Felix replied, stepping inside. "Took me thirty minutes to get it, so I hope your kids still like sugar."

Katherine stepped aside to let him in, a quiet smile playing on her lips. "You’re lucky. We were just talking about you."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Hopefully not something bad."

"Depends on your definition of bad," she replied, teasing.

She turned around and called out, "Kids, come here. Guess who’s here."

The sound of chairs scraping against the floor was followed by the twins rushing into the hallway. As soon as they saw Felix, both of them lit up.

"Uncle Felix!" Maya shrieked.

Nathan wasn’t far behind. "You came!"

Felix knelt slightly as both twins barreled into him for a hug. He wrapped his arms around them, laughing. "Hey, hey, miss me that much?"

Maya nodded into his shirt. "I thought you didn’t want to see us anymore."

Felix pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. "What? Who told you that?"

"No one. But you didn’t come."

Nathan nodded solemnly. "We thought maybe you don’t like us anymore."

Felix’s face softened. He looked between the two of them, then glanced up at Katherine, who stood watching the scene, a faintly conflicted look on her face.

"Hey," Felix said gently. "How could I not like you? I like you both a lot."

Maya tilted her head, her curls bouncing slightly. "Really?" she asked, her voice small but hopeful.

Felix turned to her, a soft grin tugging at his lips. "Really," he said, his voice warm. "I wouldn’t dare lie to you."

He leaned forward and gave Nathan’s nose a light tap with his finger, making the boy giggle. Then he turned to Maya and did the same, tapping her gently on the tip of her nose. She giggled too, covering her face with her hands, cheeks flushed with delight.

"And I like your mother too." His eyes flicked to Katherine, and a brief silence passed between them. "A lot."

After he said that, Felix just smiled to himself and wrapped an arm around each twin. Katherine’s breath caught, her heart giving an awkward little skip.

She quickly looked away, biting the inside of her cheek to fight off the heat crawling to her cheeks.