My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 187: A Picture of Secrets

The silence in the room felt different now.

Nathan sat on the edge of the soft rug, his little knees tucked to his chest as he stared at the photo Julio had just placed on the floor. It stood between them like a question too big for their age to answer.

Julio leaned forward, one hand braced against the carpet, the other pointing at the faces frozen in the picture frame. "Look," he whispered, his eyes narrowed, not in mischief this time but in actual focus. "That’s Uncle Leonard... and Auntie Katherine."

Maya crept closer, her nightgown brushing the floor, her thick curls bouncing with every step. She sat beside Nathan and tilted her head, squinting at the image. Her brows furrowed. "They’re wearing funny clothes."

Julio huffed. "It’s not funny clothes, it’s wedding clothes. Like my parents picture."

He pointed again, jabbing the glass with his finger. "See? Mom’s dress was white too. And Dad wore that black suit. It’s the same."

Nathan followed his line of sight. The photograph was old, at least it looked that way. Her mom was in a gown that shimmered even in the low light, her smile soft but almost... tired? Uncle Leonard stood beside her, tall and sharp in a black tuxedo, his face calm but handsome in a way that made Nathan wonder if he’d always looked that serious. Their hands weren’t touching. But they stood close. Very close.

Julio’s voice lowered as if he was saying something sacred. "Isn’t this mean they got married?"

Nathan opened his mouth but didn’t speak. He glanced at Maya instead, waiting for her reaction.

Maya scrunched her nose, lips pursed in confusion. "Maybe... maybe they were just playing dress-up?" she said slowly. "Like pretend-wedding. Like when I wore Mommy’s scarf and Natgab put socks on his hands and we said we were prince and princess."

Julio gave her a look like she had just said something ridiculous. "No, this is real. They don’t do pretend in pictures like this."

"But..." Maya looked to Nathan now, eyes wide, hoping he had the answer. "But Momm never say anything. Or Uncle Leonard."

Nathan was quiet. He reached out and touched the photo. It felt warm, like it had soaked in the room’s heat. "Then why they not married now?" he said softly, mostly to himself.

No one answered.

Before any of them could think further, a quiet cough broke the stillness behind them.

All three children stiffened.

Turning slowly, Nathan saw Theor standing in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes soft with amusement and a touch of surprise. The old butler looked like he’d just woken up, his shirt sleeves slightly rolled up, and his silver hair a little tousled.

"Well," he said, his voice calm and low, "I suppose this is the famous midnight explorer club?"

Julio gasped and tried to stand in front of the table, blocking the photo. "We didn’t break anything!"

Theor chuckled. "No, you didn’t." He stepped into the room, his shoes soundless on the plush carpet. "But you did break curfew."

Maya glanced at Nathan, her lips pressed tightly together. "Are we in trouble?"

"Mm," Theor paused, as if considering. Then he leaned forward slightly, hands resting on his knees to meet their eye level. "Not if you follow me back to your room like very good spies who were almost not caught."

Julio hesitated. "But—"

"No ’but,’ young master," Theor said, more gently than sternly. "This office isn’t for playing. Especially not in the middle of the night."

The children shuffled awkwardly, none of them meeting Theor’s eyes now. Nathan got to his feet first, brushing his palms against his pajama pants. Maya followed, sticking close to him. Julio took one last look at the table before turning away.

They padded back out the way they came, their footsteps softer than before. The hallway felt colder now, the shadows deeper.

Theor walked behind them, calm and silent, his presence strangely comforting. He didn’t ask what they saw. He didn’t mention the photo. But Nathan felt the heaviness in his own chest like he’d just uncovered something he wasn’t supposed to.

Halfway to the room, Julio leaned closer to whisper to Nathan. "Do you think they used to be in love?"

Nathan didn’t answer. He just stared straight ahead.

Once they reached the room, Theor opened the door and stepped aside to let them in. "Back to bed now," he said, offering a small smile. "And let’s keep the exploring for daytime, shall we?"

Julio yawned and nodded, already climbing into bed. Maya hesitated at the doorway and then turned to Theor. "You won’t tell Mommy, right?"

Theor tapped the side of his nose with a wink. "This stays between us."

Nathan was the last to step inside. As he turned toward the bed, he paused at the doorway, his small hand resting on the frame. Slowly, he turned his head to glance back, down the hallway they had just come from. The door to Winston’s office stood silently closed now, like a secret held tight in an old chest.

His mind was full of questions he didn’t have words for yet.

Why didn’t his mother ever talk about it?

Why didn’t Uncle Leonard smile in that photo?

Were they happy?

Were they in love?

Why did everything feel like it was hiding something?

He curled up next to Maya in bed, his body warm but his thoughts restless. He could hear Julio’s quiet breathing on the other side and the faint creak of Theor’s footsteps leaving the hall.

Beside him, Maya mumbled in a half-sleep, "Maybe it’s just a dream picture."

Nathan didn’t respond.

He stared at the ceiling, watching the shadow of tree branches sway gently across it. The old wood creaked somewhere far away, and the clock ticked steadily.

The image stayed behind his eyelids whenever he blinked, his mother in a white dress, standing beside a man who wasn’t his father. And yet... there was something in her eyes. Something important.

And Uncle Leonard looked like he didn’t know how to breathe.

Nathan didn’t understand it all.

But he felt it deep in his small, serious heart, that something was missing.

That something had happened.

And somehow... he would find out what it was.