Take everything
1370 Words
Nyxa~
Leone didn’t look away from me. “So… what do you want to do now?”
I didn’t think about it this time. “I want to destroy every single thing that put me through hell while I was here.”
He smirked and shook his head. “Why am I not surprised?”
“I also came back to get everything in order,” I continued. “My life, my business… and what happens next.”
“And Vaughn?”
“I’ll deal with him myself.”
“You’re serious,” he said.
“I didn’t come all the way back here to play around.”
A small pause followed before he leaned back slightly. “Alright then. How do you plan on doing it?”
I picked up my glass, taking a small sip before setting it back down. “Not by going after him directly.”
“Good,” he muttered.
“I’m going after everything around him first,” I continued. “The people he depends on, the deals that keep him stable, the companies tied to his name. Once those start slipping, everything else follows.”
Leone nodded slowly. “That’s going to take time.”
“I have time.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “You’ll need precision. One wrong move and he’ll notice.”
“He won’t,” I replied simply.
That made him look at me again. “You sound very sure.”
“I am.”
Another pause. Then—
“So where do I come in?”
I grinned at him and he smiled back. Of course he was going to offer to help.
“I need access,” I said. “New York is your ground. You know who matters, who pretends to matter, and who can be used.”
A small smirk pulled at his lips. “You haven’t changed.”
“I have,” I replied. “I just don’t waste time anymore.”
He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. “So we work together.”
“Yes.”
“And we take Vaughn down.”
“Yes.”
Leone exhaled quietly, shaking his head. He already knew this was going to get messy. “He’s not going to see it coming. Also, one pressing question. Liora looks so much like you than her father. I know it's not my business to pry but–”
“He’s not supposed to. Also, she is Vaughn’s. There was this one night that we both got so drunk at a dinner party and he apologised for the whole thing with Elena. It was a drunken decision and that's the result.” A short silence followed before he spoke again. “When do we start?”
I glanced at him. “We already have.”
That got his attention. “Meaning?”
I didn’t answer immediately. I just gave a small shrug. “You’ll see.”
He stared at me for a second, then let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah… you’ve definitely changed.”
***
By the time we left the restaurant, the day had already started winding down. Leone insisted on dropping me off, and for once, I didn’t argue. The drive was quiet, but not uncomfortable.
“You’re not going to tell me what you’ve already done, are you?” he asked after a while.
“No.”
“Thought so.”
I glanced at him briefly. “You’ll figure it out eventually.”
“I’m sure I will.”
The car came to a stop in front of my building, and he looked up at it before turning back to me. “Nice place.”
“I like it.”
He nodded once. “I’ll come by tomorrow.”
“For what?”
“To start, see you, whatever you think is a valid excuse or reason, you'll see me at your place,” he said simply.
That made me smile. “Alright,” I replied before stepping out of the car.
The apartment was quiet when I stepped in. Way too quiet. I dropped my bag on the counter and slipped off my shoes before walking further in, glancing around briefly. Everything was exactly how I left it. Clean and organised
Just the way I liked it.
I barely had time to settle before my phone rang. I didn’t need to check to know who it was.
“Where are you?” Lilith’s voice came the moment I picked up.
“Home.”
“Good,” she said. “We just landed.”
That made me pause slightly. Did Lilith go against the plan and bought the next plane ticket?!
“What the heck?! That wasn't the plan!”
“Yea whatever. Like you and Liora could ever stay away from her for that long. Get over it already,” she replied. “Come downstairs.”
I didn’t waste time asking anything else. I grabbed my keys and headed back out immediately. The elevator ride felt longer than it actually was.
By the time I stepped out of the building, I spotted them almost instantly. Lilith was standing by the car, looking exactly the same as always, like time hadn’t even touched her.
And right beside her—
Liora.
For a second, I just stood there and then she saw me.
“Mama!”
Her voice carried across the space as she broke into a run, her tiny legs moving as fast as they could. I didn’t even think. I moved forward immediately, dropping slightly as she reached me and wrapping my arms around her the second she collided into me.
“Hey baby…” I murmured, pulling her closer.
“I missed you,” she said, her small arms tightening around my neck.
“I missed you too,” I replied quietly. I pulled back just enough to look at her properly. She seemed to be just fine and she really did look like me. Hair, eyes and all.
“Did you behave?” I asked.
She nodded quickly. “Yes.”
Lilith snorted from where she stood. “That’s a lie.”
I glanced up at her. “I figured.”
She walked over, pulling me into a quick hug. “You look exhausted but…Like you're glowing? Were you engaged in some “activities” Lilith asked as she wiggled her brows.
“I am and for the love of god, don't say that in front of my kid!”
“Whatttt! I was just curious,” she said with a grin. I shifted Liora slightly in my arms. “How was the flight?”
“Long,” Lilith replied. “She slept through half of it though.”
“I’m not sleepy,” Liora added immediately.
“I can see that,” I said, a small smile slipping through. Lilith looked between the two of us before crossing her arms. “So this is New York again.”
“It is.”
“And you’re sure about this?”
“Yes.”
She studied me for a second before nodding once. “Alright then.”
That was enough. I turned back toward the building, adjusting Liora slightly on my hip. “Let’s go inside.”
Later that night, after everything had settled down, I stood by the window with my phone in my hand. The city was quiet from up here.
And calm. It was deceivingly calm. No one would even believe this was the very same place that dragged me and that man through the headlines at any given chance.
I stared at the screen for a moment before dialing a number I hadn’t used in a while.
It rang once.
Then twice and it connected.
“Everything’s in place?” the voice on the other end asked.
“Yes.”
“And New York?”
“I’m here.” A short pause followed before the response came.
“Good. Then we proceed.”
I ended the call without another word. Slowly, I lowered the phone, my gaze drifting back to the city. This time, there would be no mistakes.No hesitation or any f*****g mercy.
I came back to take everything.
- Writer
