My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 42: Coffee and Chaos

Katherine let out a long yawn, barely covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she flipped the last pancake off the pan and onto a plate. The smell of buttery batter and warm syrup filled the air, cozy and comforting. She picked up the plate, placing it on the breakfast table next to the others she had already prepared. "Breakfast is ready, kids!" she called out, her voice trailing into a second yawn.

She leaned a hand on the counter and blinked a few times, trying to shake off the fog in her brain. God, she barely slept last night.

And whose fault was that? Felix, of course.

She could still hear the echo of his voice as he held her hand and said, "I can’t be without you."

Katherine let out a tiny groan and rubbed her temple. It was unfair—not only did he drop a confession bomb like that on her, but he also had the audacity to leave immediately after, like it was nothing. Like he didn’t just shatter every wall she’d carefully built over the years.

She kept telling herself it was just a friendly sentiment—a token of gratitude from a close friend and loyal boss. But she wasn’t a teenager anymore, and she wasn’t naive. There was weight behind those words. She’d seen the way Felix looked at her. Felt the tremble in his hand when he held hers.

She wasn’t stupid.

The patter of small feet jolted her out of her daze, and Maya and Nathan came rushing in, already dressed for school, their cute little backpacks bouncing as they ran.

"Pancakes!" Nathan exclaimed, climbing onto his chair.

"Smells so good!" Maya chirped, taking her seat beside her brother.

Katherine smiled, albeit tiredly. Their energy was infectious and managed to cut through the grogginess that clouded her.

"Eat up, you two," she said, brushing some syrup onto their pancakes. "Big day ahead."

"Are you okay, Mommy? You look sleepy," Maya pointed out, squinting at her.

"I’m fine, sweetheart. Just... didn’t sleep much last night," Katherine replied with a tight smile.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur—lunches packed, backpacks checked, shoes found, kisses on cheeks. After dropping the twins off at school, Katherine finally found herself alone in the car. The silence settled over her like a blanket, and her earlier thoughts crept back in.

Felix.

Why did he have to say that? Why now?

She let out another sigh and another yawn. She’d barely touched her coffee earlier that morning, and now her brain was practically begging for caffeine.

"Okay," she muttered to herself. "I need coffee. A real one."

She pulled into a small parking lot of a random but charming cafe she spotted down the street. It had a rustic sign that read Brew Haven in handwritten script and hanging flowerpots by the windows. She stepped inside, letting the aroma of roasted beans and vanilla wrap around her like a hug.

There was a short line, so she joined it and rubbed her arms, still fighting the chill of her lingering drowsiness. As she stood there, she glanced toward the pastry display and then up at the handwritten chalkboard menu.

Her fingers tapped against her phone absently as she debated her order.

"Should I get one for Felix?" she mumbled under her breath.

Almost immediately, she shook her head. "No. He made me lose sleep. He doesn’t deserve coffee."

Okay, she admitted to herself, now I’m just being petty.

Still, she frowned. She knew he liked his coffee black with a touch of cinnamon—who even liked that combination? But it was Felix, and for reasons she refused to explore, she remembered.

Finally, it was her turn.

"Hi, can I get a medium caramel latte with an extra shot, please?"

"Sure thing. Name?"

"Katherine."

She stepped aside and waited, rocking slightly on her feet, swaying to the soft acoustic music playing in the background. When her order was ready, she gave the barista a quick thank you and made her way to the condiments station.

She popped the lid off her coffee cup and reached for the sugar packets. Her fingers were still fumbling with a creamer when she heard the door chime behind her.

Trying to balance everything in her hand, she tilted the cup to stir in the additions, then placed the lid back on. Still distracted, she lifted the cup to her lips for a sip and turned toward the exit.

And then—bam.

She walked straight into someone.

The impact made her stumble slightly, and her coffee sloshed up, the lid popping off and the hot liquid splashing out.

"Oh my god!" she gasped, her eyes widening in horror as she looked down at the poor soul who was now half-covered in her caramel latte.

It didn’t hit her clothes, thank goodness, but no, God, it landed squarely on a very expensive-looking grey suit sleeve. She saw the coffee dripping down a very masculine, very taut forearm.

A low grunt of pain followed, and she froze. "I am so sorry! Are you okay? Did it burn you? I didn’t see—I wasn’t paying attention."

Her voice was rushed, almost breathless, as she reached for a napkin, frantically trying to dab the mess she had made. Her hand hovered awkwardly over his arm.

"Please, let me—I mean, I didn’t mean to—"

She trailed off, finally lifting her eyes.

And she froze.

It was him.

Leonard.

Katherine screamed internally.

Really? Him? Now?

Of all the coffee shops in the city, of all the hours in the day, the universe had to pick this moment.

Her exhale caught in her throat as she stared at him, napkin still clenched in her hand, half-raised like a white flag of surrender. His expression had been unmistakable at first, a flash of annoyance tightening his jaw, as if the mere sight of her brought back every unresolved word between them.

But then—something shifted.

His eyes, once narrowed, softened. The tension in his shoulders eased. And then, shockingly, impossibly, the corner of his mouth tugged upward.

Was that a smile?