My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 127: A What?

The city lights blinked against the dark canvas of the night sky as Felix stood by the large floor-to-ceiling window of his penthouse. One hand rested in his pocket, the other holding a glass of water he hadn’t taken a sip from in the past ten minutes.

His dinner sat unfinished on the table behind him. The fork rested lazily on the edge of the plate, forgotten. No matter how delicious the meal had been, Felix found his appetite slowly slipping away.

His gaze stayed fixed on the view, but his mind was somewhere else entirely.

Katherine... and Leonard... under the same roof.

His jaw tightened slightly, the muscle ticking. He exhaled, running a hand through his hair with a sigh that carried more weight than he intended.

No. He had no right to feel this way. They were there for Maya. For the twins. Katherine was doing what any mother would do, and Leonard... well, Leonard was their father. As much as Felix despised the man’s past choices, he couldn’t deny Leonard’s determination to be present now.

Still...

His hand tightened around the glass slightly.

It didn’t sit right with him. Not even a little.

The shrill ring of his phone jolted him out of his thoughts. His brows furrowed as he glanced at the screen. It was a call from security—an unusual hour for it. He immediately picked up.

"Yeah?" Felix asked, voice firm, shoulders straightening.

A respectful voice answered on the other end. "Young Master. I apologize for disturbing you this late... but..." There was a brief pause, as if the guard wasn’t quite sure how to phrase it. "There’s a woman at the gate... requesting to meet you."

Felix frowned, standing straighter. "A woman? Who?"

"She claims she was sent by... Mr. Crawford, sir. Your father."

Felix blinked. His grip on the phone tightened. "...My father?"

"Yes, sir."

A long, tense silence filled the line. Felix pinched the bridge of his nose. A familiar dull headache was already beginning to bloom behind his eyes.

"Fine," he sighed. "Let her in."

"Yes, sir."

The line disconnected. Felix let his phone fall to his side, staring blankly at the window now, though the cityscape beyond blurred.

What the hell is my father doing now...?

His father had pulled a lot of unexpected moves over the years, but this one... this felt different. It wasn’t business-related—if it were, his father would’ve called directly. The fact that someone had shown up unannounced, claiming to be sent by him...

Felix sighed heavily. "God... I don’t need this tonight." He set his glass down and rolled his shoulders back, mentally preparing himself for... whatever this was.

A few minutes passed before the sharp chime of the doorbell echoed through the penthouse.

Felix walked over, every step steady, controlled, masking the unease knotting his stomach. His fingers brushed the doorknob, and with one deep breath, he opened it.

There, standing at the threshold, was a woman.

A beautiful woman.

Tall, poised, with an elegance that seemed practiced but natural. Her honey-blonde hair fell in soft, perfect waves past her shoulders, catching the light with every subtle movement. Her eyes—icy blue, sharp yet sparkling with something playful—met his directly. She wore a form-fitting cream blazer over a satin blouse, paired with tailored trousers that screamed expensive. A designer luggage stood at her side, its leather handles looped over her wrist.

The first thing she did was smile. A smile that was both disarming and practiced.

"Hi," she greeted, her voice smooth like silk but edged with confidence. "Felix Crawford?"

Felix blinked once, his posture stiffening. "Yeah..." His brow furrowed. "That’s me."

The woman’s smile widened. "Wow..." She took a small step closer, her gaze scanning him from head to toe—not shy about it either. "You’re even more handsome in person than in the photo your father sent me."

Photo... what?

Felix’s expression twisted in confusion. "Sorry... what?" His hand tightened on the doorframe, lips pressing into a thin line. "Who... are you exactly?"

"Oh—" She laughed lightly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, her diamond-studded earrings catching the light. "Didn’t your father tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Felix asked, his tone edging sharper now.

She extended a manicured hand toward him. "Lara. Lara Johanssen."

Felix didn’t take the hand immediately. His brain was too busy trying to compute what was happening. "Lara... Johanssen," he repeated slowly.

Felix didn’t shake her hand.

He stared at it, at the delicate gold rings circling her fingers, at the confidence in her posture. The name echoed in his head like a stone dropped into still water—Lara Johanssen. He couldn’t remember his father ever mentioning her. Not in passing, not even as a footnote in one of his longer, meandering stories. The name held no weight in his memory, no spark of familiarity.

"Yes." She dropped her hand with a casual flick when he didn’t shake it. Her other hand moved to rest on her hip, cocking slightly as her lips curved. "Your future fiancée."

Silence.

For a moment, Felix thought the world outside the windows stopped turning. His breath caught in his throat. His fingers went slack against the doorframe.

"What—" His voice came out strangled. Then sharper, louder. "WHAT?"

Lara chuckled softly, as if this were all amusing to her. "Oh, Felix. Don’t look so surprised. Our fathers made an arrangement years ago." Her perfectly manicured nails brushed imaginary lint off her blazer. "It’s only natural they’re following through."

Felix gaped. His mouth opened but no sound came out for a full three seconds. "You—you must be joking." His hands went to his hips as he stepped back slightly, as if needing physical distance just to process this.

Lara casually dragged her luggage over the threshold with a soft roll of its wheels, as if she owned the place already. "No joke," she said breezily. "I mean... technically, it’s an arrangement. Not a contract. But my father said I should come here... get to know you... see if there’s a spark." She winked, flashing him a grin. "And well... from the looks of it... there might be."

Felix just stared. His lips moved again, but all that came out was a faint, horrified, "...What..."