My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 96: The Taste of What’s Lost

Utensils clinked softly, a pot simmered gently on the stove, and the quiet shuffle of slippers moved across the cool kitchen tiles—Leonard stood silently, soaking it all in like a man who had wandered too long through silence.

He stood just outside the kitchen entrance, arms folded loosely across his chest, watching Katherine.

She was cooking. For him.

His gaze followed the way her shoulders moved as she stirred the sauce, her hair now tied in a loose ponytail that had started to fall apart from the steam. She wore a simple top and slacks, nothing glamorous, but to Leonard, she looked almost surreal—like a dream he had been too afraid to reach for.

She had offered to cook. No hesitation, no bitterness in her tone. Her voice was calm. Steady.

She didn’t have to. But she did.

And who was he to refuse something so rare?

He hadn’t tasted her cooking in years. Not since the early days—when she still smiled easily at him.

Katherine turned slightly, reaching for a plate. Leonard caught himself smiling—a small, wistful pull of his lips.

She glanced back suddenly and caught his eyes, making him straighten. He cleared his throat and turned his gaze elsewhere, pretending to study the drawings stuck on the fridge with magnets.

"Leonard," she called a few minutes later. "It’s ready."

He walked toward the dining table, where Nathan and Maya were already climbing into their seats, faces lit with excitement. He slid into the seat across from them.

"Smells good, Mommy!" Maya chirped, bouncing a little.

Katherine didn’t respond, already moving to the sink, focused on cleaning up the mess left behind. Leonard’s eyes lingered on her a second longer before he turned to the plate in front of him.

He picked up his fork and took a bite.

Creamy tomato pasta, perfectly seasoned, just the right balance of tang and sweetness. His eyes closed briefly. It was warm. Familiar. Like being pulled into a forgotten memory.

"Mmm!" Maya’s voice broke through his thoughts. "It’s yummy, right?"

Leonard nodded, smiling gently. "Yeah. It’s the most delicious pasta in the whole world."

"I knew it!" she beamed. "Mommy always make yummy pasta!" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Leonard chuckled softly, twirling more noodles around his fork. "I kinda missed this, actually."

Nathan blinked, tilting his head. "You ate Mommy’s pasta before?"

Leonard glanced over at him. "Yeah. Quite a few times, back then."

Katherine’s voice floated in from the sink. "Funny. Don’t remember ever seeing you eat it."

Leonard looked over at her, his expression full of guilt for a moment, then softened. "You just... happened not to see. I always ate what you made."

She didn’t say anything, just placed a cleaned pot on the drying rack with a loud clink. Her back remained turned.

Maya leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Uncle Leo, did you eat Mommy’s food a lot before?"

Leonard looked down at his plate, then over at Katherine again. Her posture was stiff, but he could tell she was listening.

"Yeah," he answered quietly. "She used to cook for me. A lot. And it’s my fault I didn’t appreciate it enough."

Katherine turned then, just briefly, her eyes meeting his. Then she disappeared down the hallway.

Leonard sat in the thick silence left behind, the twins now distracted by their juice boxes.

He finished the meal slowly, savoring every bite. When his plate was finally empty, he stood, gathered the utensils and the glass, and brought them to the sink.

He didn’t expect to see her again so soon, but as he rolled up his sleeves and turned on the tap, soft footsteps approached behind him.

"Leonard," Katherine said, sounding mildly surprised.

He turned his head and froze.

She had changed into pajamas—loose, cotton pants and a soft gray to—and was rubbing a towel against her damp hair. Her face was pink from the hot shower, her skin fresh and bare. There was something disarming about how natural she looked. How human.

"You don’t have to do that," she said, nodding toward the dishes in his hand.

Leonard returned to scrubbing. "It’s the least I can do. You cooked for me."

She leaned on the counter with one arm. "Is it really that good?" she asked, voice dry, teasing. "Funny. You never even touched it back then."

Leonard didn’t turn around, but his voice was soft. "Like I said. You just didn’t see. I always ate it. Maybe not in front of you, but I did."

There was a quiet pause.

Katherine let out a soft breath. "Still not a good excuse."

"No, it’s not," he agreed. "But it’s the truth."

When he turned the faucet off, she was still standing there, towel now hanging loosely from her fingers. Her hair was damp, strands sticking to her temples.

"Your hair’s still wet," Leonard said, taking a step closer.

"It’ll dry on its own," she replied casually.

He shook his head, took the towel gently from her hand, and began dabbing at her hair.

Katherine blinked up at him, frozen in place. "What... what are you doing?"

"You need to dry it properly," he murmured. "You’ll catch a cold."

The towel moved slowly, carefully, as if he feared he’d break her. His fingertips brushed her scalp now and then, and the faint scent of her shampoo filled his nose —lavender and something else he couldn’t name, something that reminded him of late nights and soft touches long forgotten.

She looked up, and their eyes met.

The air shifted.

Katherine’s lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something. Leonard froze, caught in the gravity of her gaze. The closeness, the warmth, the silence—all of it wrapped around them, taut and fragile.

Then—

"Mommy! Uncle Leo!"

The twins’ voices rang out from the hallway. "We’re done brushing teeth!"

The moment broke.

Leonard stepped back, dropping the towel on the counter as if it burned.

Katherine took a small breath, brushing her hair behind her ear, looking everywhere but at him. "They should get ready for bed."

"Yeah," Leonard said, his voice low.

The twins ran in, giggling and tugging on Katherine’s arms.

Leonard gave them each a kiss on the head, then moved toward the door.

"I should go," he said, looking back once.

Katherine, still standing at the kitchen threshold, nodded but didn’t speak.

Leonard hesitated. Then, with a soft voice, he said, "Goodnight."

She looked up finally, her eyes a little wide, her body still as if she hadn’t quite returned to herself yet. "Goodnight."

He turned the knob and stepped outside, the door clicking gently behind him.

Inside, Katherine remained in the same spot, her hand brushing her damp hair where his fingers had just been.