My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 231: Ready To Talk

Leonard sat at his desk, elbows braced against the smooth mahogany surface, the glow of the computer screen bathing his face in cold light. A stack of documents lay neatly arranged in front of him, contracts that needed reviewing, reports that demanded his signature, numbers waiting for analysis. Yet not a single word registered in his mind.

His eyes skimmed over the lines, but all he saw was the twins’ innocent faces and the words they had blurted out that morning.

"Mom and Uncle Felix were doing it in the kitchen..."

The phrase looped in his head, over and over, a merciless echo.

Leonard exhaled sharply and leaned back in his chair, one hand raking through his hair until his usually composed style looked disheveled. His other hand clenched around a piece of paper, crumpling it in his fist until the edges cut into his palm. Heat flooded his chest, not the kind of heat that stirred desire, but the kind that burned with frustration.

Damn it, Katherine...

The mental image formed in an instant. Katherine in the kitchen, tilting her face up, lips parted just slightly, her expression soft with anticipation. Felix leaning down, closing the distance, his hand perhaps braced against the counter near her hip, claiming the space that should have been, once had been, Leonard’s alone.

The image was so vivid that it was almost real. Leonard’s pulse kicked up, his jaw locking. A wave of anger chased after the heat, settling deep in his chest like a storm that wouldn’t break.

Nothing could erase the image of her smiling at Felix, of her kissing him, especially not with the twins as accidental witnesses. That knowledge cut deeper than he wanted to admit.

The sound of footsteps passing by his office door snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts. He shoved the crumpled paper aside, straightened in his chair, and tried to look composed as Becca came in to ask a question about a meeting.

"Yes," Leonard replied shortly. "Reschedule it. I’m occupied."

Becca blinked at the iciness in his voice, muttered a quick "Of course, Mr. Ford," and left.

The rest of the morning followed the same pattern. Questions were met with short replies. Meetings were dodged with excuses. By lunchtime, the entire office seemed to notice the sharp edge in his demeanor, the way his presence felt like walking into a storm cloud.

Leonard himself hardly noticed. His focus had narrowed, his mood poisoned.

Because how could he?

The image kept replaying in his mind like a cruel loop. Katherine, laughing softly, her hand resting on Felix’s forearm at breakfast. Her eyes warm. Too warm. Felix leaning in, murmuring something only for her, and the way she smiled—open, unguarded. Leonard had told himself it was nothing. Just friends. Just a coincidence. She could smile like that with anyone, couldn’t she?

But no, he’d seen something else there. Something undeniable.

He had been trying to silence it all morning. His brain had put up every defense it could think of: Maybe he’d misread it. Maybe he was letting fear write fictions in his head. He’d done it before, seen shadows where there were none, let his doubts take shape and walk beside him like truth.

But then the twins had said it, hadn’t they?

They kissed.

Gggrrraahhh!

The rest of the day unraveled. He barked orders with little patience, gave curt answers, ignored small talk altogether. A meeting ran late, and he hardly absorbed a single word. He didn’t care. His mind was elsewhere, stuck in that image of Katherine smiling at Felix.

By the time evening fell, Leonard was exhausted, not from work but from the weight of his own thoughts.

Driving back to the apartment building, the city lights blurred through his windshield. His grip on the steering wheel was too tight, his jaw aching from being clenched. He pulled into the underground garage, parked in his usual spot, but didn’t move.

For a long moment, he sat in silence, the hum of the cooling engine the only sound. He leaned his head back against the headrest, closing his eyes. His chest rose and fell unevenly.

Since when are they this close?

Was it happening behind my back all along?

Did she really choose him... over me?

The questions spiraled, dragging him down into places he didn’t want to go.

And then, out of nowhere, another name slipped through his mind. Lara.

His eyes opened abruptly, brows furrowing.

She said they need a little talk.

He didn’t need to be a genius to know where that kind of conversation was heading. She wasn’t asking to talk about the weather or work.

It was about Felix. Or Katherine. Or both of them, because, let’s face it, those two were the only real link between them.

They never knew each other before this.

He scoffed quietly, fingers tightening on the steering wheel even though the engine was off. If it wasn’t about them, what the hell else would it be?

"Pathetic," Leonard muttered under his breath, angry at himself. He shook his head, as if to dislodge the thought, and shoved the car door open.

The night air was cool against his skin as he stepped out, locking the car with a sharp click. He straightened his coat, squared his shoulders, and started toward the elevator.

"Leonard."

The voice was soft, sweet, and achingly familiar.

He froze. Then slowly, he turned.

There she was. Lara Johanssen.

She stood a few paces away, poised with effortless elegance. A tailored coat hugged her figure, her hair cascading over her shoulders in glossy waves that caught the dim overhead light. Her lips curved into that same smile he remembered, warm, knowing, tinged with mischief.

She really came like what she said.

At the time, he hadn’t taken her seriously.

She must really want to talk, then. If she was this desperate to come.

He watched her for a second longer, trying to read past the smile. There was something in her eyes—too still, too focused.

He took a slow breath and stepped toward her. Her smile didn’t waver, but it didn’t deepen either. It hovered there, like the space between them.

"Lara Johanssen," he said finally, voice lower than he meant.

Her eyes flicked over him, studying, measuring.

"I told you I’d come."

Her eyes locked onto his, and for a second, time seemed to stutter.

"Ready to talk now, big man?"