My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 47: Then Who?

"WHAT A JERKASAURUS!"

Katherine flinched and yanked the phone away from her ear the second Irene’s voice exploded through the speaker. The shriek was loud enough to make her wince, her arm jerking like she’d been electrocuted.

"God, Irene..." she muttered, casting a quick glance down the hallway as if afraid the sound had disturbed the entire neighborhood.

From the slightly open bedroom door, Katherine paused in the doorway, phone tucked between her cheek and shoulder.

Nathan and Maya were fast asleep, each in their own tangle of blankets and limbs. Nathan lay diagonally across his bed, one arm dangling off the side, mouth slightly open. Maya was curled tightly around her favorite stuffed dinosaur, the quilt half-slid to the floor, one knee poking out.

Katherine smiled, quiet and warm.

"—and then she had the audacity to say I used a fake product on her! Me!" Irene’s voice stormed back into her ear.

Katherine blinked, as if waking from a trance.

Oh. Right. Irene was still throwing her tantrum on the line.

Katherine retreated quietly, stepping out of the bedroom and closing the door with utmost care. She let out a long sigh before bringing the phone back to her ear. "She said what now?"

"She accused me of using a knockoff foundation! Can you believe that? A knockoff. As if I’d use anything less than the best for a bridal client!"

Katherine padded back to her room, her bare feet making soft thud-thud sounds on the floor. She leaned back against the headboard, running her hand through her hair with a sigh. "You’ve got to admit, Irene, it’s kind of funny."

"It’s not funny when she’s threatening to leave a one-star review unless I give her a 50% refund," Irene huffed. "Katherine, I should totally make a TikTok about this. No—three! One with screenshots. One with a dramatic reenactment. And one just of me holding all the expensive receipts."

Katherine laughed, finally settling on the bed and grabbing her hairbrush from the nightstand. "You sound like you already planned the entire viral strategy."

"I did," Irene said proudly. "I’ll even use that dramatic classical music in the background, you know, the one that makes everything sound like a movie trailer. Maybe I’ll title it: ’This Bride Accused Me of Using Fake Ch*nel and This is How I Replied.’ Boom. A million views."

Katherine chuckled, gently brushing out the ends of her hair. "You’re so dramatic."

"I have to be. I’ve got a brand to protect," Irene snapped, but Katherine could hear the grin behind her words. "But enough about me. Let’s talk about you."

Katherine blinked, momentarily confused. "Me?"

"Yes. You. The beautiful, hardworking single mom who is definitely not just coworkers with her hot, broody boss. Any updates?" Irene asked, her voice rising with anticipation.

Katherine frowned slightly and set the brush aside. "Updates?"

"You know what I mean. Improvement. Movement. Action." Irene dragged out the last word dramatically. "Are we going on a date yet? Has he confessed his undying love? Did he ask you to be the stepmother of his houseplants?"

Katherine let out a short laugh and shook her head, muttering, "You’re ridiculous."

"I’m serious!" Irene whined. "Please tell me something happened. I need this. My entire day has been ruined by foundation-fraud accusations, and I deserve a little romantic satisfaction through you."

"Nothing’s happened," Katherine said, lips twitching as she tried not to smile. "Okay? So chill."

Well.... things had happened. Small things, loaded things. Things with Felix.

And Leonard.

She rubbed a finger against her temple.

Nope. Not going there tonight.

She could already hear Irene’s scream. If Katherine so much as hinted at Felix and Leonard in the same sentence, there’d be squeals, rapid-fire questions, wild theories, and at least one threat to drive across town in pajamas just to interrogate her in person.

No, thank you.

There was a long groan from the other side of the line.

"Seriously? What is this man waiting for? An engraved invitation? A comet? A letter from the stars?" Irene sighed dramatically. "This is emotional terrorism."

"Whoa, whoa," Katherine laughed, her tone teasing, "Why are you acting like I’m okay with all of this?"

Irene didn’t miss a beat. "Aren’t you?"

Katherine blinked. The air in her room suddenly felt warmer. She shifted her position on the bed, pulling her legs up and hugging her knees to her chest.

"I mean... I don’t know."

"Oh, please," Irene said, groaning again. "I’m not blind. Felix has definitely got a thing for you. The way he looks at you like you’re a chocolate cake and he’s on a diet? Woman. That’s not friendly appreciation. That’s yearning. And don’t get me started on you."

Katherine stayed silent.

"Katherine."

"Irene—"

"Don’t tell me you’re still thinking about him."

Katherine’s heart thudded in her chest. She pressed her lips together.

"You saw your ex once. Once. It was accidental. It was a blip. Why are you letting that jerk rent space in your head again?" Irene demanded, her voice softening at the end.

"I’m not," Katherine replied, her voice quiet, unsure.

"Liar."

Katherine dropped her forehead to her knees and whispered, "I don’t know. I just... don’t know."

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

Then, Irene said more gently, "Of course you know. If not... then who?"

Katherine didn’t reply.

Her mind drifted. She thought about the way Felix had looked at her—the warmth in his eyes, the gentle brush of his fingers against her back, the softness in his voice when he said her name. The way he made her laugh when no one else could. The way her heart fluttered when he smiled— that rare, genuine smile that he seemed to only show her.

But she also remembered the fear.

Fear of hoping for too much. Fear that it might not be real. Fear that someone like Felix could one day turn cold and distant.

Katherine let out a quiet sigh and lay back down, curling into the mattress. She closed her eyes, but the unease lingered.

She’d been here before, hadn’t she? Too close to someone, only to find that warmth fading into indifference.

But this time, she couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe—just maybe—she was about to find out if she could finally let herself believe.

Or if it was all just another illusion.