My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 65: All Clear
The heavy gates of Claudio’s estate creaked open as Leonard’s black SUV rolled into the familiar driveway. As the car came to a halt, the porch lights flickered on automatically, illuminating the tall figure standing by the door—Paula.
Her arms were folded across her chest, lips pursed in a look that hovered somewhere between disapproval and amused resignation. Her eyes locked onto Leonard as he got out of the car, brushing windblown strands of hair from his face.
"You didn’t mention the amusement park adventure would go on until nightfall," she said dryly, arching an eyebrow.
Leonard exhaled a half-laugh and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah... Sorry about that. Things got a little out of hand. We lost track of time."
Paula eyed him for a beat, clearly waiting for more, but before she could say anything, Julio burst from the car door with uncontainable energy.
"Mom!" he shouted, running toward her.
Paula’s face softened instantly as she knelt to catch her son in a tight embrace.
"You would not believe what happened today!" Julio exclaimed, voice bright with excitement. "We helped Nathan! He got lost, and we helped him find his mom!"
At that, Paula’s eyes flicked back toward Leonard.
"Nathan... as in your friend Nathan?"
Julio nodded eagerly, already beginning to recount the story with dramatic gestures.
Leonard chimed in, his tone sharper than he intended. "Where’s Claudio?"
Paula blinked, caught off guard. "In his study. Why—"
But Leonard was already halfway down the hallway, his long strides echoing against the polished marble floor.
He didn’t knock. He never did.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Claudio, seated behind his massive desk, didn’t even flinch. His fingers continued to type with rhythmic precision—until he looked up.
"You know," Claudio said without missing a beat, "I really should consider installing a guard to prevent unannounced entries. Especially from my well-mannered little brother."
Leonard ran a hand through his hair, pacing briefly before planting himself in front of Claudio’s desk. "Please, Claudio. Not now."
Claudio leaned back in his leather chair, folding his hands across his chest. "I take it this has something to do with why you were hours late and nearly gave Paula a heart attack?"
Leonard didn’t answer. His eyes scanned the wall of bookshelves, eyes darting over volumes, frames, and old leather-bound albums.
"You still have the photo albums, right?" he asked, already stepping toward the shelves.
Claudio raised a brow. "Which one are you looking for?"
"One with us. When we were kids."
Claudio stood, mildly curious now. "This one, maybe?" He pulled down a thick green album, its spine cracked with age. He handed it to Leonard, who took it with slightly trembling fingers.
"What’s this about?" Claudio asked. "Why do you need—"
Leonard didn’t answer. He set the album down on the nearby table and flipped through it, his breaths coming faster, more shallow.
And then he saw it.
A photo of himself, maybe six or seven years old, standing beside Claudio in front of their childhood treehouse. His arms were crossed defiantly, a stubborn frown tugged at his mouth, and his nose scrunched the way it always did when he was upset about something trivial—like Claudio getting the last chocolate chip cookie.
Leonard stared at it.
At his younger self.
And then he laughed. A short, breathless sound that was equal parts stunned disbelief and sudden clarity.
He sank into the nearest armchair, pressing the heel of his hand against his mouth.
It was all there. All of it.
The resemblances. That was why it felt familiar when he looked at them—especially Nathan. It was like looking at his younger self. The allergy to peaches, the way they both said they didn’t have a father...
The pieces were screaming now, not whispering.
"What am I even doubting anymore?" he muttered to himself, chuckling again, almost brokenly. "It’s so obvious."
Claudio approached cautiously. "We were cute," he said, gesturing at the photo, "but I don’t recall our childhood being worth this kind of... epiphany."
Leonard looked up at him, and his eyes were no longer blank or lost.
They were blazing with something fierce. Something raw.
"I have kids, Claudio," he said quietly. "Twins. With her."
Claudio blinked, stunned. "Wait... what?"
Leonard stood, gripping the album in one hand. "Nathan and Maya. They’re mine. I saw it. I knew it when I looked at them, but I didn’t want to believe it. Or maybe I did and was too scared to say it out loud."
Claudio opened his mouth, but Leonard was already walking past him.
"Leonard—hold on, wait—what are you even talking about?" Claudio asked, following him toward the door.
Leonard turned just once, his hand on the doorknob.
"I’m going to fix everything, brother." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
He didn’t wait for Claudio to respond. He turned and left, his footsteps heavy but filled with purpose.
Paula looked up from the foyer as Leonard passed, her brows rising. "Leonard?"
He didn’t stop. "Tell Julio I’ll call tomorrow."
The front door slammed behind him.
The night air hit him hard—cool, sharp, like the rush of reality meeting adrenaline. He climbed into his car, the leather seats creaking beneath him. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white.
His mind was a storm.
There was joy—pure and strange, the kind that filled the cracks in his soul—but it was tangled with guilt so sharp it cut through the excitement. All the milestones he missed. All the moments he wasn’t there for. All the years Katherine must have suffered alone.
God, what have I done?
His foot pressed the gas pedal, the car surging forward.
But underneath it all, through the guilt, through the panic, there was something else.
Hope.
A glimmering, dangerous hope that maybe it wasn’t too late.
Maybe he still had a chance to make things right.
And Leonard clung to it with everything he had.
Tonight had changed everything.
And he was no longer a man running from his past.
He was a father, racing toward a future he never knew he lost.
