My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 163: A New Monday

The city’s morning light spilled across the windshield as Katherine drove, the skyline blushing with early sunrays that glinted off building windows and blinked through green lights overhead. Her fingers flexed slightly against the steering wheel as she exhaled, watching the road but not truly seeing it. She had just dropped the twins off at kindergarten. Their tiny backpacks—one with a rainbow keychain, the other with a Star Wars patch—bounced on their backs as they walked through the school gate, hand in hand.

Only this time, it had been Nathan who clutched Maya’s hand tightly, pulling her gently forward. Katherine had noticed that. Noticed how his other hand kept brushing the side of her arm as if checking she was still beside him.

Last night, they’d slept curled together in the same bed. Maya had fallen asleep almost immediately after their bath, her body exhausted from the events of the day. Nathan had brushed his teeth in silence, his eyes darting to his sister every few seconds, before crawling into bed right beside her. He hadn’t said a word. Just rested one arm across her middle, just like he’d done at Claudio’s.

And when Katherine peeked into the room around midnight, he was still there, curled around her like a guard.

Now, with the car humming quietly and traffic light, Katherine let out another long breath and turned into the underground parking lot of the office building. Her body ached a little. Too many emotions packed into one weekend.

She swiped her badge at the security post, parked in her usual spot, and slipped out of the car, heels tapping softly on the concrete as she made her way to the elevator.

Her reflection caught in the chrome walls. Tired eyes. Hair pinned up neatly, but looser than usual. The faintest smudge of concealer beneath one eye that she hadn’t bothered to reapply. She forced her posture straight, exhaling once more as the doors slid open.

The office was quiet still—early enough that the usual buzz hadn’t yet begun. Fluorescent lights overhead warmed slowly as she walked down the corridor, nodding briefly at the receptionist, who blinked in surprise.

"You’re early, Miss Anderson."

"I always do," Katherine murmured with a soft smile.

She passed the break room and slipped into her corner office, shrugging off her blazer and draping it over the back of her chair. Her desk was neat as always, and the silence was comforting.

But it didn’t last long.

A knock at the table broke the calm.

"Morning," came Felix’s voice.

Katherine looked up. He was holding two coffee cups, one of which he set gently on her desk.

"You look like you could use it."

"Thanks," she said, wrapping her hands around the warm paper cup.

Felix lingered around, watching her for a moment.

"So," he began casually, but Katherine already saw the curiosity in his expression. "How was Julio’s party? The twins must’ve been thrilled."

Katherine offered a faint smile. "It was fun. Until Maya fell in the pool."

Felix’s entire expression shifted. "Wait—what?"

She nodded, lifting the coffee to her lips. "She slipped. It was just for a second, but... it was scary."

He stepped in fully now, closing the door behind him. "Is she okay?"

"She is now. Thank God." Katherine met his gaze. "Leonard jumped in. Pulled her out."

Felix looked stunned. "Wow. I mean... yeah, of course he would. Still, that must’ve scared everyone."

"It did." Her voice lowered. "Nathan saw it. Julio was crying. Claudio and Paula were blaming themselves. But we handled it. She got checked by a pediatrician. She’s fine."

Felix nodded slowly, his expression still tight. "You think they should take swimming lessons?"

Katherine let out a small laugh. "That’s exactly what Leonard said."

"He’s not wrong."

She nodded, sipping again from the cup. "We’ll figure something out."

A pause stretched between them. Felix shifted on his feet.

"You know," he said after a moment, tone softer, "I don’t say it often, but... you really do everything. For them."

Katherine looked at him, brows slightly raised.

"I just mean," he clarified quickly, hands raising defensively, "they’re lucky. You held it together yesterday, from what it sounds like. Most people would’ve lost their mind."

Katherine gave a faint smile, but her voice held a distant edge. "I almost did. But then again, Leonard was there."

That made Felix pause. His mouth opened slightly as if to say something more, but he stopped himself.

She turned back to her desk, organizing some folders. "Anyway, we’re fine. I just needed to get busy."

"Right," Felix said slowly. "Busy."

Katherine didn’t look up.

A silence followed before Felix finally cleared his throat. "Alright. I’ll let you work."

He turned toward his office door.

Katherine didn’t look up until the door clicked shut behind Felix. The silence he left behind seemed to settle deep in her bones. With a quiet breath, she turned her attention back to the folders on her desk. She needed to stay focused. Work was the only thing keeping her grounded.

She then started to flipped through reports, replied to emails, highlighted lines, scribbled notes in the margins. The hours passed in a quiet blur, her focus narrowing to the rhythm of work. It was almost mechanical—the way her hand moved, the way she shut out everything else. She barely noticed when the light outside shifted, hinting at noon.

Her stomach growled, a soft protest she ignored. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

She was just reaching for the next file when her phone buzzed against the desk.

She glanced at the screen.

Miss Darling (Twins’ School)

A pang of anxiety tugged at her chest. It wasn’t like Miss Darling to call during school hours unless it was important.

Katherine quickly picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi, Ms. Anderson. This is Penny Darling from Brightleaf. I’m so sorry to bother you at work, but I thought I should call directly."

"Hi, yes, Miss Darling." Her voice sharpened with concern, even though she tried to keep it steady. "Is there something wrong?"

"Please come as soon as possible. There’s been an incident with Nathan."