My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 246: The Ringing Bell

The apartment felt almost too still. Katherine had never realized how much the absence of sound could weigh until now.

The twins’ voices broke the silence first, high but uncertain, almost as if they were afraid of shattering something fragile.

"Uncle Leonard?" Maya called, her tone soft but quivering with eagerness.

From somewhere down the short hallway came a steady reply, calm but faint. "I’m here."

Relief swept over the twins’ faces in an instant. Their shoulders sagged, the tension leaving their small bodies as though someone had released a string wound too tightly inside them. With matching gasps, they darted forward, their shoes tapping lightly against the wooden floor as they hurried toward his room.

Katherine followed a few steps behind, her hands clasped in front of her, watching the scene with a swirl of emotions, relief that Leonard was conscious and speaking, worry that his voice carried an exhaustion she couldn’t ignore, and a flicker of guilt for dragging the twins into the weight of all this.

The bedroom door was ajar, and when they pushed it open, the sight that greeted them made their little feet slow. Leonard sat propped up against pillows, his skin paler than usual, with dark shadows etched beneath his eyes. His hair, still damp from a shower earlier, clung slightly at his temples, though the sheen of fatigue made him look as though he hadn’t truly rested at all.

The twins scrambled to his bedside almost at once, one on each side, their small hands gripping the blanket tightly as though it might anchor him in place. Their wide eyes searched his face with desperate sincerity, every tiny flicker of his expression magnified in their gaze.

Maya, with her ever-serious expression, pressed her little palm to his forehead. The coolness of her touch made Leonard close his eyes for a second, a fleeting softness passing over his features. "You’re still warm," she said quietly, her brows knitting together in concern.

A tired smile tugged faintly at his lips as he lifted one hand, brushing it gently over Maya’s hair, smoothing down the stray strands. Then, with equal care, his fingers ruffled Nathan’s head before dropping back onto the blanket. "I’m fine now," he murmured, though the fatigue in his voice betrayed him. "Thanks to you two... and your mother... for being here."

Nathan tilted his head in that sharp, observant way of his. His gaze darted briefly across the room before he asked, "What about Uncle Felix?"

The air stilled. Katherine’s heart skipped, her eyes flicking quickly to Leonard, who had gone quiet for a beat too long. His lips quirked, curving into the faintest wry smile.

"Yes," Leonard said finally, voice low but steady. "Thanks to him too."

Felix had been leaning against the doorway, hands tucked casually in his pockets, his posture deceptively relaxed. At Nathan’s question, he straightened slightly, his expression calm until the corner of his mouth lifted in that infuriatingly nonchalant way he always seemed to manage.

"It’s nothing," Felix said easily, his voice carrying a lightness that didn’t quite hide the edge beneath. "I came here to guard Katherine anyway."

The words dropped into the room with weight, layered and deliberate. Katherine felt the tension coil in the silence that followed, a sharp thread woven between the two men.

Leonard’s smirk deepened, though the fatigue in his body was plain. "Guard her?" he repeated, his tone edged, faintly mocking, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Felix’s gaze didn’t waver. "That’s right," he said, his tone deliberately light as though he were explaining something obvious. "Katherine has enough on her plate without worrying about... unnecessary trouble." His eyes flicked briefly, deliberately, toward Leonard before softening again when he looked at Nathan and Maya. He even added a small smile, the kind meant to reassure children.

Nathan tilted his head, studying him, clearly sensing something but not daring to interrupt. Maya, on the other hand, glanced between the two men, her young eyes too curious, too perceptive.

Leonard caught that look, and with ease, he adjusted. The faint smirk he wore curved into something smoother, warmer. "Well," he said started, "it’s kind of you to take that responsibility, Felix. But let’s not forget..." He shifted slightly, his voice lowering just enough to slip in the bite, "...Katherine isn’t exactly defenseless."

Felix chuckled under his breath, straightening. "Of course not," he replied easily, the edge in his tone disguised by a half-smile. "Still, I’d rather not take chances when it comes to her safety. You never know when something or someone might slip through the cracks."

Katherine tensed, but both men’s faces remained infuriatingly calm, pleasant even, as though they were merely engaging in small talk.

Leonard leaned back, his posture deceptively at ease, though his eyes sharpened. "A noble sentiment," he said, his voice smooth. "Though I wonder if your time could be better spent elsewhere. Surely a man like you has... other commitments."

Felix only shrugged, a soft chuckle escaping as though brushing off the jab. But his eyes never wavered from Leonard’s.

The air seemed to crackle faintly, unspoken rivalry sparking between them. Katherine’s pulse quickened. She stepped forward instinctively, placing a gentle hand on the twins’ shoulders, grounding herself in their presence as much as she was anchoring them.

"All right," she said softly, forcing a calmness into her tone. "That’s enough. Let’s not forget who needs rest right now."

The twins looked between the adults, confusion flickering in their expressions, but they didn’t speak. Instead, they leaned closer against Leonard, as though proximity itself might shield him.

And then, sharp, sudden, the doorbell rang.

The sound cut clean through the charged atmosphere, startling them all. Katherine straightened immediately, her eyes darting toward the hallway.

"I’ll get it," she murmured quickly, her voice low but steady, before slipping out of the bedroom.

Her footsteps echoed softly as she walked to the front door. The stillness of the apartment seemed to press heavier now, each sound amplified. She reached for the handle, pulling it open with ease-

And froze.

Standing on the other side was Claudio. Beside him, Paula. And slightly behind them, Julio, clutching his backpack strap with both hands.

Their eyes widened in near unison, surprise mirrored across their faces as they took in Katherine framed in the doorway. For a beat, no one spoke. The silence thickened, taut with unspoken questions.

Katherine’s breath caught in her chest. She hadn’t expected this.

Claudio’s expression hardened almost instantly, his brows furrowing, his sharp gaze raking over her as though piecing together too many questions at once. Paula’s lips parted in surprise, though her eyes softened quickly, flicking from Katherine to the inside of the apartment visible behind her shoulder. Julio’s small face registered only shock, his wide eyes darting between the adults.

"...Katherine?" Paula’s voice broke the silence first, quiet but laced with disbelief.

Katherine opened her mouth, then closed it again, unsure how to even begin. Her fingers tightened on the edge of the doorframe, her knuckles whitening.

Claudio’s jaw flexed. "What," he said slowly, carefully, "are you doing here?"