My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 210: Promises That Last Forever

Rain slid in silver sheets down the windowpanes, blurring the world outside into soft gray smudges. The living room smelled faintly of warm milk and laundry detergent, the quiet hum of the heater filling the pauses between the occasional squeals of the twins. Felix stood awkwardly just inside Katherine’s apartment, his hair damp from the drizzle outside, his shoes leaving faint prints on the entryway mat. He had a bag in one hand, inside, a few plush toys he’d picked up on a whim, and the other hand stuffed into the pocket of his jacket like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.

The twins were just over a two years old. Nathan sat on a play mat in the middle of the living room, chubby fingers clumsily stacking colorful rings before knocking them over again, watching them roll away with wide, serious eyes. Maya, on the other hand, was on a mission, she toddled unsteadily toward Felix the moment she spotted him, cheeks flushed pink, curls bouncing as she clutched a toy block in one hand like it was treasure.

Katherine was at the dining table, papers spread around her like a makeshift barricade, phone cradled between her shoulder and ear as she typed something on her laptop. Even from across the room, Felix could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she’d bite her lip when listening, the faint crease that appeared between her brows. She glanced up just long enough to give him a small nod of greeting before returning her attention to the call. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Felix crouched down, slipping off his jacket and setting it over the back of the couch. "Hey there, troublemaker," he murmured to Maya, who had stopped just short of toppling into him and was now holding the block up toward his face as if offering it in trade. "For me? Thanks."

Maya gave a triumphant little squeal and dropped it into his palm, then reached for his shirt, tugging insistently until he sat cross-legged on the floor. Nathan, noticing the new arrival, abandoned his rings and began crawling toward Felix with a determined grunt.

"This is... chaotic," Felix muttered under his breath, though there was a faint tug of amusement at the corner of his mouth.

"You’ll get used to it," Katherine called absently from the table, not looking up from her screen.

Felix placed the block carefully beside him and let Nathan crawl right into his lap. The boy’s small hands immediately went for the buttons of Felix’s shirt, fumbling and pulling with surprising strength for his size.

"Whoa there, champ. You trying to make me look unprofessional?" Felix teased, gently prying Nathan’s fingers away and replacing them with one of the plush toys from his bag, a small brown bear with floppy ears. Nathan examined it seriously before stuffing one of its ears into his mouth.

Maya plopped herself down beside him, thrusting another block into his other hand. "Bild," she commanded.

"Build?" Felix repeated, raising an eyebrow at her imperious tone. "You’re bossy for someone who still needs help walking."

Still, he started stacking blocks on the mat. Slowly at first, then faster as Maya began handing them to him one by one, each block making a soft thump as it settled on the next. Nathan watched the growing tower with wide-eyed fascination until, predictably, Maya leaned over and smacked it down. Blocks scattered across the mat, rolling under the coffee table.

Felix stared at the wreckage, mouth open in mock offense. "I spent, what, thirty seconds building that?"

Maya giggled, clapping her hands. Nathan laughed too, a warm, belly-deep laugh that made Felix pause. It was a sound that did something strange to his chest, loosening something tight there.

From the kitchen doorway, Katherine was watching now, her call finished. She leaned against the frame, arms folded loosely but her expression softer than he’d seen it in weeks. There was a small smile she wasn’t aware of tugging at her lips, and for a moment, Felix thought about saying something, omething about how this felt almost like... family.

Instead, he wiped a smear of mashed banana from Nathan’s cheek with the edge of his sleeve, grimacing. "You’re a mess, kid. You both are."

"They’re one," Katherine pointed out as she walked toward them. "Mess is their natural state." She knelt down, picking up a few blocks before setting them back in the bin. "You don’t have to stay long. I know you’re busy."

"I’ve got time," Felix said automatically, though it wasn’t entirely true. There were emails piling up on his phone, meetings he should’ve been preparing for. But somehow, sitting here on the floor surrounded by blocks and baby laughter felt more urgent.

The twins began to fuss not long after, tiny whines building into impatient cries, the unmistakable signal that it was nap time. Katherine started to stand, but Felix surprised her by lifting a hand.

"I’ll do it," he offered.

Her eyebrows rose. "You?"

"Why not?" He reached for Nathan first, carefully gathering the boy into his arms. Nathan’s head flopped against his shoulder, his little fist clutching at Felix’s shirt. Maya, not wanting to be left behind, started to wail until Felix murmured, "Hold on, princess, you’re next."

He settled into the armchair by the window, rocking Nathan gently. His voice dropped to a near whisper as he told a made-up story about a castle, a bright red kite, and a promise that the wind would always bring it back home no matter how far it flew. Nathan’s cries quieted within minutes, his breathing evening out.

When Felix laid Nathan down in the crib, Maya was already reaching for him, her cheeks blotchy from crying. He scooped her up, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Your turn," he said softly. "You want a story too?"

She gave a sleepy hum, and he started another tale, this one about a little bird who learned to fly but always came back to the same tree, because that’s where the people who loved her were. By the time he finished, her lashes were fluttering shut.

Katherine had been watching from the doorway, leaning lightly against the frame.

Felix looked down at the twins, now both asleep, and then back at her. For a moment, the only sound was the rain tapping softly against the glass.

"I’ll always be here for you," he said quietly, his gaze steady. "No matter what happens between us. That’s a promise."