My Billionaire Ex Beg For A Second Chance-Chapter 253: Get To You

Felix hadn’t planned to stay long. He never did when it came to visits at his parents’ house these days.

He had barely crossed the threshold when he saw her.

Lara.

She was sprawled lazily on the living room sofa as if she owned the place, one leg crossed over the other, her glossy hair spilling over her shoulders in practiced waves. A crystal glass dangled from her fingers, the pale liquid inside swirling with each careless flick of her wrist. She looked up at him the moment he entered, and that smug little smile, the one he had once mistaken for charm, spread across her lips.

"Well," she drawled, her voice smooth as syrup, "look who decided to grace his parents with his presence. Or should I say... with mine?"

Felix’s jaw tightened. "What are you doing here, Lara?" His tone was flat, clipped. He didn’t bother hiding the irritation in his voice.

Her smile widened, sharp and feline. "Visiting, of course. Your parents have always been so much warmer to me than you are. I wonder why that is?"

He ignored the jab, setting his coat neatly on the back of a chair. He hadn’t come here for her. He had come to check in, to show face, to give his mother the reassurance that he hadn’t completely drowned himself in work. And yet here was Lara, uninvited, unwelcome, but clearly comfortable. She always had a way of worming her way into places she didn’t belong.

Felix stayed standing, refusing to sit down opposite her. "I’ll ask again. Why are you here?"

Lara tilted her head, her earrings catching the light like tiny shards of glass. "Why so hostile? You used to welcome me with such a warmth when I dropped by."

"That was out of courtesy," he answered flatly.

Her lips curved into something sly. "And yet... some things never change. You, for example. Always so stiff. Always pretending you’re in control, even when you’re not."

Felix’s eyes narrowed. "Get to the point."

She swirled her drink, watching the liquid spin. "Fine. If you want bluntness, I’ll give you bluntness. I know about Katherine. About Leonard. About the past you like to pretend doesn’t exist."

Felix stilled. The air between them thickened instantly. He didn’t speak, didn’t even blink, but his silence was telling enough. Lara’s smirk deepened, sensing she had struck a nerve.

"Oh, don’t look so shocked," she went on, her tone mocking. "Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? The way she looks at him? The way he looks at her? Please. It’s written all over their faces. Husband and wife once, wasn’t it? And those twins..."

She leaned forward, setting her glass down on the table with a deliberate clink. Her voice dropped, dripping with poison.

"Don’t insult me by pretending they’re yours. I saw them in your office, Felix. Those eyes, those expressions, Leonard’s children, clear as day. Not yours. Never yours."

The words slid under his skin like shards of ice. He didn’t move, didn’t let her see the weight of it, but he felt the muscle in his jaw twitch. Lara saw it too, and her smile turned cruel.

"You can play father all you want, but eventually..." She dragged out the word, savoring it. "...they’ll want the real thing. Step-fathers are always second best. Always. And Katherine?" She gave a soft, derisive laugh. "She’ll go back to him, you know. For the sake of the twins. Because nothing beats a complete family. Not even you, Felix."

The sneer in her voice was the final spark. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Felix moved, slow and deliberate. He closed the distance between them until he was standing directly over her. Lara tilted her chin up defiantly, but he could see the flicker of unease in her eyes.

His voice was low when he finally spoke. Cold enough to freeze.

"You don’t get to talk about them."

Lara’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but she quickly masked it. "Oh? Did I touch a nerve?"

Felix leaned closer, his expression carved from stone. "Stay. Out. Of my business. Stay out of Katherine’s life. Stay away from the twins. Whatever twisted game you’re playing, it ends here."

She gave a mocking laugh, though it wavered slightly at the edges. "Or what? You’ll banish me? Threaten me? You forget, Felix, I know you. You won’t raise your voice. You won’t cause a scene. You’ll just grit your teeth and pretend you’re above it all."

Felix straightened slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. "You’re right about one thing. I don’t need to cause a scene. I don’t need to shout. But believe me when I say this, if you so much as breathe in their direction again, you’ll regret it."

The quiet intensity in his voice left no room for argument. It wasn’t a bluff. It wasn’t posturing. It was a warning, sharp as glass.

For the first time, Lara’s confidence cracked. Her hand, still resting on the glass, trembled ever so slightly. She tried to mask it with a scoff, rolling her eyes, but the tension in her posture betrayed her.

"You’ve changed," she muttered.

Felix gave a humorless smile. "No. I just stopped letting you get to me."

And with that, he turned and walked away.

His footsteps echoed down the hall, steady and unhurried, but inside, his chest was tight. He didn’t look back, didn’t give Lara the satisfaction of another glance. He’d wasted enough time letting her twist his world into something ugly. Not anymore.

As he stepped outside, the cool evening air hit his face, clearing his head. He drew in a deep breath, his expression grim but resolute.

Lara was wrong. About many things. But most of all, she was wrong about him being "second best." He wasn’t going to give her the power to decide what he was to Katherine or the twins. That choice wasn’t hers. It never would be.

For once, Felix felt certain of one thing. This was the last time Lara would ever be allowed to meddle.

And he intended to make sure of it.