My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 73: A Little Knock

Katherine sat on the edge of the bed in her hotel room, her ankle propped up on a pillow as she gently rotated it, wincing at the dull ache that radiated through the joint. A twisted ankle. Just perfect. Of all the things to happen tonight.

She sighed heavily and tilted her head back, staring up at the decorative ceiling molding with a scowl. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, but surprisingly, Leonard wasn’t the root of her frustration at this moment—it was this damned ankle. And her heels. And possibly her own poor choices.

"Stupid shoes," she muttered under her breath, kicking the offender off with mild vengeance. One heel skidded across the plush carpet, while the other toppled on its side near the minibar. "Stupid ex-husband."

She winced again as she shifted her leg and hissed softly. "Stupid, stupid everything."

Her dress clung uncomfortably to her skin, her hair had come loose from its neat pins during her fall, and a part of her soul just felt tired—drained, emotionally and physically. She forced herself to get up, carefully limping toward the bathroom. A hot shower might help soothe the tension in her muscles, even if it wouldn’t untangle the mess of thoughts swirling in her head.

Steam filled the marble bathroom as Katherine stood beneath the rainfall showerhead, letting the hot water run over her back and shoulders. She closed her eyes, trying to center herself. But even with her body relaxed, her mind refused to follow.

Leonard’s face—those eyes that had looked at her with something dangerously close to regret—kept slipping into her thoughts. His voice lingered, especially the way he had said her name. Not as a stranger. But as someone who had once known her.

She scrubbed her skin harder, as if she could wash him out of her memory completely.

After wrapping herself in a robe, she padded back into the room and reached for her phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up, and her heart gave a small jolt.

3 missed video calls from Felix.

"Oh no," she whispered, guilt prickling her. Of all the nights for her to miss his call...

She tapped the phone, ready to call back, her thumb hovering over the screen when—

Knock knock.

Her head whipped toward the door. She frowned.

Who would be knocking at this hour?

She hesitated for a second, then limped quietly over and checked the peephole. A woman stood there, wearing a blazer over a sleek blouse and skirt. Her hair was tied back neatly, and she had a leather folder in hand.

Katherine blinked in confusion.

She opened the door just a crack, still wrapped in her robe, and kept the chain latched. "Can I help you?"

The woman smiled politely. "Hi. You must be Miss Anderson. I’m Becca." She adjusted the folder in her arm. "Leonard Ford’s secretary."

Katherine’s eyebrows shot up. "I’m sorry... What?"

Becca offered a small smile. "Mr. Ford asked me to come check on you. He said he saw you trip earlier and... well, figured you wouldn’t want him showing up personally."

Katherine stared blankly for a moment. This was... absurd. "So he sent you?"

"Yes," Becca confirmed. "He was genuinely concerned, and I think he thought this would be less uncomfortable. I hope I’m not intruding."

Katherine unlatched the door and opened it wider, still cautious. "Well, I’m... fine. Really."

Becca tilted her head. "Are you sure? He said you twisted your ankle. If needed, I can call for a doctor."

Katherine couldn’t help the dry laugh that escaped her. "I tripped, not fell from the second-floor balcony."

Becca chuckled softly, but there was still concern in her eyes. "Still. We just wanted to make sure."

The ’we’ wasn’t lost on Katherine. It stirred something unexpected inside her.

"Well, thank you," Katherine said, brushing her damp hair behind one ear. "But really, I just want to rest."

Becca hesitated, then nodded politely. "Of course. I understand."

Katherine gave her a smile, then began closing the door. "Good night, Becca."

"Good night, Ms. Katherine."

The latch clicked back into place. Katherine leaned her back against the door, frowning slightly, more bemused than anything else.

Becca. Leonard’s secretary.

A woman Katherine had never met once during their entire marriage.

Not once. And yet here she was now, standing at her hotel door, sent by the man who once couldn’t bother showing up for dinner on time, let alone send someone to check on her.

She moved slowly back to the bed, easing herself down and propping her leg up again, her ankle throbbing faintly. Her eyes drifted toward her phone on the nightstand, but her thoughts were still tangled in the absurdity of the encounter.

Leonard. So now he was the considerate type. Sending his secretary—his secretary, of all people—to check on her like she was some fragile antique.

Did he think this would impress her?

She groaned and dropped her head into her hands. Becca probably thought the whole situation was insane. What must she have been told? That her boss had a secret ex-wife and twin children he never knew about? That he’d fallen back into her life like some dramatic telenovela twist?

"Ridiculous," Katherine muttered aloud.

This entire night had been ridiculous.

She reached for her phone again, and this time, she didn’t hesitate.

Only one voice that always, always made her feel like herself again.

Felix. And of course her kids, too.

She clicked on the call icon and held the phone to her ear, already feeling a tiny wave of calm settle over her at the sound of the dial tone.

Maybe he was asleep. But she knew if he answered—

"Come on, pick up," she whispered.

Because Felix had a way of grounding her, of making her laugh even when everything felt like it was falling apart. He never pushed her to speak before she was ready.

He was steady. Reassuring. Present.

And right now, more than anything, she needed that.

She needed him.