My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 196: Don’t Step Out

The silence in Felix’s hotel suite was so complete it rang in his ears. Not the kind of silence that came with peace, but the brittle, breathless kind that made your spine stiffen and your thoughts riot. His hand was still on the doorknob, chilled brass warming beneath his palm. But he didn’t move. He couldn’t.

Lara Johanssen had just stood on the other side of that door.

He hadn’t imagined her. That smile, glossed and knowing, soft as it was venomous. The audacity of her being here, in Singapore, at his hotel, left him too stunned to feel anything else at first.

Then the doorbell rang again.

It was longer this time. Not demanding, but persistent. A kind of coaxing that curled like smoke under the door. His body, rigid as stone, didn’t twitch. Then a second ring. A third. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back until it thudded softly against the wooden panel behind him.

Her voice followed, muffled and too familiar. "Felix... I know you’re inside."

He inhaled sharply through his nose. His body ached from the tension knotting at the base of his spine. His mind scrambled for options. Should he call down to the concierge? Demand she be escorted out? But the risk, the image of Felix Crawford causing a scene on foreign ground, possibly recorded or whispered about among colleagues and competitors was too high.

Felix clenched his jaw, jaw ticking with frustration. Damn it. Why was he still worrying about reputation at a time like this? What did it matter if the staff downstairs whispered about him tomorrow? Let them talk or speculate things. That... that woman was the real emergency.

He hit the back of his head softly against the door again, once, twice. Focus, he told himself. The only priority now was getting Lara away from his room. Cleanly. Quietly.

The worst thing he could do was open that door.

He said nothing. Not a word. He pressed his back flat against the door like he could disappear into it, silently praying she’d just go.

And finally, she did.

Felix didn’t relax until the sound disappeared down the hallway.

Still, he waited. Thirty full seconds before moving. Then he slowly brought his eye to the peephole.

Empty.

He let out a long breath, one hand raking back his hair, the other dropping to his side in a clenched fist. A low curse slipped from his mouth.

He turned sharply from the door and made his way to the minibar, pulling out a tumbler and pouring two fingers of whiskey. He held it in his palm without drinking, staring down into the amber swirl as if answers might form at the bottom of the glass.

How the hell did she know he was here?

He had kept the trip quiet. The itinerary wasn’t public. Only a handful of people knew about his accommodations and schedule. Felix thought immediately of Katherine, but no. She wouldn’t. Couldn’t. The idea was absurd.

But Lara... she always found a way. She always played the long game.

He set the glass down, untouched, and pulled his phone from his pocket. No messages. Nothing from Katherine either. Still, his fingers hovered over her name. He found himself scrolling back to the call from earlier.

He missed her.

The realization crept in like a tide. He missed Katherine so much. The quiet strength of her eyes. The space between them that had feel like home.

The clock ticked, pulling him back to the present. He needed to prepare for dinner. An important one. High-stakes. International partners, global initiatives, faces he couldn’t afford to frown in front of.

So he dressed. Tailored charcoal suit. Crisp shirt. He tied his tie with practiced hands, though they felt slightly less steady tonight. When he looked in the mirror, he saw the version of himself everyone expected: composed, confident, sharp.

But just beneath the surface, a storm churned.

***

The restaurant was on the 37th floor of a riverside tower, all dark wood and hanging lights, its glass walls offering a view of the city at dusk. Felix arrived right on time, slipping into place among executives and strategists with a nod and a handshake. He smiled when needed. He led the conversation, occasionally letting others shine. He was perfect.

Almost.

He didn’t touch his wine until the third course. Didn’t eat much either. His appetite had been lost somewhere between the memory of Lara’s voice and the way Katherine had lingered on the word "Talk."

Still, the meeting was a success. They signed the preliminary agreement. There were toasts. Handshakes. Laughter.

When he finally stepped out of the restaurant’s elevator, the city had come alive in lights. His phone was already in hand, his thumb hovering over Katherine’s name again.

He just wanted to hear her voice. Even a message.

Then it happened.

"Felix!"

The voice was too close, too bright, and before he could turn fully, arms flung around him in an embrace that was all wrong.

He stiffened, trying instinctively to step back, but the grip tightened. Her perfume enveloped him, sharp and expensive. It hit the back of his throat.

"God, I missed you, Felix!"

Her arms wound tighter around him, squeezing like she could anchor herself to his chest and never let go.

"Lara," he finally called.

But she didn’t loosen her grip.

Instead, her body pressed closer, as if she belonged there.

She pulled back just enough to look up at him, eyes wide, lashes fluttering like she hadn’t just ambushed him out of nowhere.

Felix stared at her, breath shallow. Surprise wasn’t the word. Ambush felt more accurate.

He should’ve stayed in the hotel.

He should’ve kept the lights off, turned off his phone, and waited for this storm to pass on its own.

You knew this would happen, he thought bitterly. You were right.

His eyes darkened as his gaze slid past her, back toward the elevator behind him.

You should’ve never stepped out of that room.