My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 188: A Picture Worth a Thousand Questions

The morning came, but Nathan lay still, arms tucked under his head, eyes open and staring at the ceiling.

He hadn’t slept much. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the picture again that Julio had pulled from the drawer. His mother, Katherine, dressed in a beautiful white gown, smiling beside Uncle Leonard. They had looked happy. Really happy. And there was something about the way they together like that. Like he had once belonged there.

Maya stirred beside him, pulling the covers up to her chin. She blinked slowly and turned her head to glance at him. Their eyes met, and for a long second, neither said a word.

"You still thinking about it too, right?" Maya whispered finally.

Nathan nodded. His lips pressed together tightly. "Yeah."

"Was that really... Mommy?"

He didn’t answer. He just sat up slowly and let the blanket fall away. The cold floor met his toes as he swung his legs down. Maya followed suit.

In the hallway, they could hear the muffled clatter of dishes and the faint murmur of adult voices. The house had awakened. But the children hadn’t yet moved to join it.

Julio, who had been curled on peacefully, sat up with a wide yawn and scratched his head. "Good morning," he mumbled, before he noticed the serious faces of his cousins.

"What? What happened?" he asked, his voice still husky with sleep.

Nathan looked at him. "That picture from yesterday. The one we found in the drawer."

Julio’s eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! The wedding photo!"

Maya bit her lip. "But Mommy never said she was married before. Why wouldn’t she tell us?"

Julio frowned. "Maybe she forgot?"

"You don’t forget a wedding," Nathan said, standing up. He walked slowly toward the door, pausing just before he touched the handle. "She didn’t forget. She just didn’t tell us."

Breakfast was laid out across the long dining table. Warm buttered rolls, soft scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, and fresh fruit were all arranged neatly, and the smell of brewed coffee floated in the air like a blanket. Normally, Nathan would’ve rushed to sit, excited for the bacon. But today, he hesitated.

Katherine was there, helping Maya and Julio settle into their seats. Leonard was already seated across the table, sipping from his coffee cup. When his eyes flicked up and met Katherine’s, she quickly looked away, focusing instead on placing juice cups in front of the kids.

At the far end of the table, Claudio and Paula sat together, speaking quietly between themselves. Paula occasionally glanced at Julio with a soft smile, and Claudio seemed more reserved, his hand wrapped around his coffee mug.

Nathan took it all in.

The way his mom smiled, tight, like a rubber band about to snap. The way Leonard seemed... distant, not quite his usual teasing self.

Nathan sat beside Maya. He stared at his plate, poking at a slice of melon.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Katherine asked, brushing a hand over his hair.

"Yeah," he murmured.

"You look tired. Bad dreams?"

"Not really."

Katherine paused a moment longer, watching him. Then, gently, she leaned down and kissed the crown of his head before moving to sit at the end of the table.

Across from him, Leonard didn’t say much. He just ate in silence, occasionally glancing at the twins or passing a plate without being asked. When he looked at Katherine, it was always brief, almost hesitant.

Nathan chewed slowly, his brain working harder than his mouth.

If they were married before... why was Uncle Leonard never around until now? Why didn’t his mom ever say anything?

He kept his eyes low, but his ears were open.

Katherine tried to make light conversation with the twins. Leonard responded only when spoken to, and even then, with short answers.

Julio, as usual, was the loudest at the table.

"Uncle Leonard, did you used to live here all the time?" he asked innocently, stuffing a strawberry into his mouth.

Leonard blinked. He set down his fork. "Not really. I moved around a lot."

"Oh. Did you and Aunt Katherine ever live together? Like before?"

Nathan’s breath caught.

Katherine laughed, too quickly. "Julio, sweetie, eat your food."

Julio pouted. "I was just asking."

Maya looked at her plate. Nathan looked at his mom.

She wouldn’t even look back.

Later, after the table had been cleared and the adults had gone off to handle "boring stuff," as Julio called it, the kids retreated to the backyard.

There was a shaded corner behind a flowering hedge, hidden from view. It became their secret clubhouse that morning.

Julio crossed his arms. "I still say they were married. You saw the dress! You saw them together!"

"But Mommy never told us," Maya said quietly. "She wouldn’t lie."

Nathan sat with his back against the fence, his knees pulled up to his chest. "She didn’t lie. She just didn’t say anything. That’s different."

"Why wouldn’t she say anything?"

Julio flopped onto the grass. "Maybe it was a secret wedding! Like a spy movie!"

Nathan shook his head slowly. His voice was quiet, but clear. "If they were married... then that means..."

He trailed off.

Maya looked at him, puzzled. "Means what?"

He swallowed. His hands were clasped tightly together. "If they were married, that means Uncle Leonard... he might be... our dad."

The words hung heavy in the air.

Maya blinked.

Julio sat up, his jaw dropping. "No way. Really?"

"It makes sense," Nathan whispered. "Don’t you think we look like him a little? And when he talks to Mommy, it’s like he wants to say something but doesn’t."

Maya slowly touched her cheek, her fingers brushing the soft curve just below her eye. Her mind was spinning, trying to piece things together. She shifted slightly on the floor and glanced at Julio, then Nathan.

"So... why wouldn’t they tell us?" Julio asked.

"I don’t know," Nathan murmured. His chest ached a little. "But I’m going to find out."

His fingers curled tighter in the grass, determination blooming quietly behind his serious eyes.

He wasn’t a baby anymore. He could feel it, something was being kept from them. And whether or not they thought he was old enough, Nathan had decided.

He would find out the truth.