My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 49: Just the Two of Us

The soft rustle of linen and the faint chime of glasses greeted Leonard as he stepped back into the VVIP dining room. He adjusted the cuffs of his shirt absently, running a hand through his slightly tousled hair as he crossed the threshold. But when his eyes landed on the table, he stopped in his tracks.

There was only one person there.

Katherine.

She was sitting upright, her expression somewhere between amused and confused, her fingers curled around the edge of her glass. Her eyes darted toward him as he pointed toward the empty chairs.

"Wait—" Leonard tilted his head, brow furrowed. "Where’d the stupid couple go?"

Katherine’s lips parted, and for a second she looked like she was about to laugh. But she caught herself, covering her mouth politely with her fingers before answering with a calm, practiced tone.

"Paula said she forgot she had to pick up her friend from the airport. So she and Claudio left in a rush." She gave a small, apologetic shrug. "She said she was going to be late."

Leonard blinked at her. "Seriously?"

Katherine nodded, a flicker of amusement still dancing behind her eyes. "Seriously."

He exhaled slowly and dragged a palm down his face. "God. Of course."

He took a step toward the table and paused, looking at the now-empty seats again with a weary expression. Leonard hesitated, his hand halfway in the air before he let it fall. His eyes drifted to Katherine, and a familiar unease crept in.

He didn’t want to jump to conclusions or accuse his soon-to-be sister-in-law of anything, but something wasn’t sitting right. This was the second time in a day that things hadn’t quite added up.

Earlier, when Leonard had shown up at Claudio’s place, Claudio hadn’t mentioned a word about Katherine coming over. And when she showed up—with Paula, no less—he didn’t even look surprised. Not a flicker of it. If anything, it was like he’d been expecting them. Like the whole thing had been planned. And of course it had. They planned everything. The thought settled in Leonard’s chest like a stone.

It was becoming more and more obvious—Claudio and Paula were both on board with this whole arranged marriage thing.

Earlier, when he’d dropped by Claudio’s place, there’d been a weird moment—Claudio had acted surprised to see Katherine there, said he forgot she was coming over. Brushed it off like it was nothing. But now, with this happening again, Leonard couldn’t help but wonder if something was being kept from him.

Leonard let out a slow breath and sank back into his chair. He rested his elbow on the table, rubbing his thumb against his temple, trying to push away the creeping frustration.

Before he could gather his thoughts, Katherine suddenly stood, her chair scraping lightly against the floor. "Well then," she said, smoothing the front of her skirt. "I think I’ll go home now." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Leonard blinked and looked up, startled. "What?"

"You don’t have to worry about it," she added quickly, already reaching for her clutch and phone. "I can get myself home. You don’t need to feel obligated."

Leonard raised an eyebrow. Something in her tone wasn’t irritated or dramatic—it was measured. Detached, even. Like she was giving him an easy out.

"Please," Leonard said, more gently this time. "Sit back down. We’ll leave in a minute... but before that—" he paused and met her eyes, "—I need to talk to you."

Katherine slowly sank back into her chair, clutching her purse in her lap.

There was a beat of silence. The background music had shifted into something slower, softer—an old jazz standard with a lazy trumpet that filled the space between them.

Leonard leaned back, resting his arm on the table. His expression had lost some of its frustration and now held something more hesitant. Vulnerable, even.

"So I’m guessing my father already talked to you," he said finally, "about this whole arranged marriage thing."

Katherine’s fingers toyed with the edge of the napkin in her lap. Her lashes lowered. "He did. That day. When we bumped into each other outside his study? That’s when I met your father."

Leonard let out a dry laugh. "Of course he did."

She lifted her gaze to him again, more steady this time. "He told me about the promise he and my father made... that if something ever happened to my parents, he’d make sure I was taken care of."

"Yeah," he said, voice edged with disbelief. "In the form of marriage. Really crazy, when you say it out loud."

Katherine didn’t reply right away. Her fingers were still fidgeting with the napkin, but her face was composed, quiet. Then she gave a soft, almost ironic laugh. "I guess you hate the idea that much, huh?"

Leonard looked at her, brows raised. "Don’t you?"

She tilted her head, her lips quirking at the corner. "That’s not an answer."

He exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don’t hate you, Katherine. Don’t get me wrong. This just... isn’t how I imagined ending up with someone."

Leonard opened his mouth again, as if ready to say something more, but before the words could form, Katherine’s phone buzzed against the table. She glanced at the screen, her expression briefly tightening before she muttered, "Sorry," and picked it up.

Leonard leaned back, watching her with a curiosity as she answered the call. "Yup?" she said. She nodded, listening intently, her fingers tapping lightly on the edge of her glass.

Katherine’s eyes flicked over to him briefly, her expression unreadable. Then she turned away again, her attention still fully on the call. "Ok, I got it," she replied. "I’ll be there as soon as I can."

She ended the call and her eyes met his briefly. "That was my friend," Katherine said. "She needs my help with something. I need to go."

She stood up, smoothing the fabric of her dress. "Guess I’ll see you around, then," she said, her voice light, almost polite in a way that didn’t match the moment.

She gave him a small nod, the kind that was meant to be both a goodbye and a signal that there was nothing more to say. Without another word, Katherine turned and walked toward the exit. Leonard watched her retreating figure, his eyes following every step she took.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized one thing.

For better or worse, this was just the beginning.