My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 166: Interrupted Peace

Katherine hadn’t returned to her desk right away. Instead, after pacing near the break room for a few minutes, she remembered one thing, none of them had eaten lunch yet.

Her hand absentmindedly grazed the edge of her desk as she reached for her phone and opened the food delivery app. She knew what the twins liked, Maya loved the sweet teriyaki chicken bento, and Nathan always requested extra gyoza. For Felix, she ordered a plain sandwich and black coffee. She herself wasn’t feeling hungry, but ordered a salad just in case.

Once the order was placed, Katherine wandered toward the office window, watching the city bustle below. The light shimmered off car hoods and tall glass buildings, but her mind was quiet for once. A pause in the constant hum of worries and tasks.

When the food arrived, she thanked the delivery man softly and balanced the bags carefully in her arms. She made her way to Felix’s office, adjusting the paper bag slightly as she knocked once before opening the door.

The first thing she noticed was the silence, warm and gentle, not heavy.

Felix was reclined slightly in his chair, head leaned back, eyes closed. A subtle crease was visible between his brows, as if he were pretending to rest but still listening. Nathan sat cross-legged on Felix’s massive desk, concentrating hard as he tried to balance a pen on the bridge of his nose. Two had already rolled off onto the polished surface, and he looked both determined and comically serious.

Maya, in contrast, was curled on the leather couch, one hand clutching a pale blue crayon and the other tucked under her cheek. Her sketchpad lay open on the floor beside her, a sleepy doodle of stars and smiling cats still visible.

A slow smile curved Katherine’s lips. Something in her chest tugged, a soft blooming of affection she wasn’t sure she should feel here, like this.

She cleared her throat softly.

Felix stirred immediately, eyes snapping open in that sharp, instinctive way of his. For a moment, he looked lost in transition, between rest and responsibility, peace and performance.

"Okay, okay, I wasn’t sleeping," he said quickly, straightening his spine.

"I wasn’t going to yell at you," Katherine chuckled, setting the food down on the edge of the desk. "I came to bring lunch."

Felix blinked once, then a faint look of relief crossed his face. "Oh. That’s... thoughtful."

"I figured we haven’t eaten anything all day," she said as she stepped further in, setting the bags on the table carefully. "The kids must be starving."

Nathan turned toward her, both pens clattering onto the table as he swung his legs.

"Food?" he asked, hopeful.

"Yes, food," Katherine confirmed, already crouching beside the couch to gently touch Maya’s shoulder. "Sweetheart. Wake up, it’s time to eat."

Maya stirred, her brow wrinkling as she let out a tiny sigh. "Mmm... I wasn’t sleeping."

"Of course not," Katherine murmured, brushing back her daughter’s bangs. "Come on, baby. I got your favorite." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

That did the trick. Maya opened one eye, saw the food bags, and sat up with a soft little yawn, crayon still clutched in her fist.

Felix, meanwhile, had reached over to scoop Nathan from the desk, effortlessly plopping him into the empty chair beside his own. "Come on, champ. Let’s eat before you start balancing forks on your nose too."

"I was getting really good," Nathan muttered, but grinned as he grabbed a set of chopsticks.

They all gathered around the table that had somehow transformed into a makeshift dining area. Katherine opened the bags and handed out the right containers. She poured juice into the kids’ cups and gave Felix his coffee, setting her salad off to the side.

For a moment, there was only the sound of wrappers rustling and quiet chewing.

Maya munched her chicken contentedly, swinging her legs as she sat beside Katherine. "Mommy, guess what. I dreamt I was flying. Like, with real wings!"

"Really?" Katherine asked, brushing crumbs from Maya’s chin. "Were you a bird?"

"Nooo," Maya laughed. "I was me. But like... super me."

Felix glanced at her, amused. "Makes sense. I don’t think anyone could handle two of you."

Maya beamed.

Nathan, mouth full of gyoza, looked up. "I want to fly too. But like... with a jetpack. A red one."

"Figures," Katherine teased. "You’d want something loud."

Felix chuckled, watching the interaction. There was a certain glow in his eyes that hadn’t been there when the day started, like something softened in him. His jacket had long been shrugged over the back of his chair, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly mussed.

It was strange, Katherine thought, how he looked so out of place and yet so perfectly right in this scene.

"I’m glad they’re with us today," he said, low, more to her than the twins.

She met his gaze. "Me too."

Just as Maya reached for her juice, the door burst open with such force that the handle clanged against the wall. All four of them turned.

Standing in the doorway was the woman Katherine had spotted that day, the elegant, model-gorgeous one with the striking heels and dangerously bright smile.

Lara Johanssen, Felix said that was her name.

"Oh, Felix!" she said brightly, striding inside as if she owned the air in the room. "I thought if we can have lu-"

She paused.

Her eyes swept over the room, pausing on Maya who blinked at her juice box, on Nathan who froze between bite, and then on Katherine who had already stood from her seat, lips parting slightly in surprise.

Felix had not moved. But the color drained subtly from his face.

His expression was one of pure, blindsided disbelief.

Katherine slowly turned to look at him, heart twisting. His hands had clenched into the sides of his seat.

Nathan looked confused. Maya looked curious.

And the woman?

She crossed her arms across her chest, her gaze cutting sharply as she turned her full attention toward Katherine.