Second chance seduction

The hidden game

I walked into the cold room with my twins by my side but the courtroom was filled with tension which made heat run through my spine

Lucas's facial expression towards me made me feel uneasy

His piercing gaze which lingered on me for a long time made me reminisce on all our sweet and bitter past. But I didn't let that get to me.

I shifted uncomfortably on my chair with my gaze lingering on the mediator while trying to forget all the chaos that was going on inside my heart.

The judge went through our files before giving us consent to speak, but I was sweating uncontrollably with my hands shaking and I was in a hurry to leave the atmosphere.

I want full custody of the twins. I said with a steady voice despite my mind being filled with scary ideas.

Lucas can have supervised visitation, that's the best I can offer him

Lucas raised his eyebrows in disbelief, and a familiar smile came on his face, supervised? Alice? He called my name with surprise in his voice.

Do you think that I am some kind of danger to them? He said while leaning forward. I met his eyes without blinking. Yes, you are a danger to them! You Lucas? You are a man who left his family when they needed him the most.

So pardon me if I don't trust you. His jaw tightened and for some moments I saw a flash of something behind his eyes, maybe it was anger, or even regret? I couldn't tell which one it was. But it didn't matter anymore. None of it mattered.

That's you being inconsiderate, he hit back with anger in his eyes. I did not know about them, I felt my heart pounding hard against my chest.

But I pushed the emotion away, that's because you didn't care to know, you weren't there, Lucas. You left us and that's all I needed to judge you as a father.

Lucas stared at me with shock all over his face and too silent to speak. The judge cleared her throat trying to pull us back into the room.

‘‘I think what Miss Landon is saying,’’ my lawyer interrupted us smoothly, is that our main concern is the emotional stability of the children.

The father’s absence raises serious questions.

Lucas scoffed. You are painting me like some kind of villain. I was never given a chance, that's because you didn't ask, I snapped louder than I meant.

You moved on, with my step sister. You didn't just leave me you betrayed me, you betrayed our children before they were born

Do you think you still deserve a chance? A sharp silence filled the courtroom. The judge finally spoke. ‘‘Mr Forx, do you have any evidence to support your claim that you were unaware of the twins' existence?

Lucas' lawyer stood up and handed a sealed file to the judge. ‘‘Your Honor, we have provided medical records and travel logs. My client was overseas at the time Mîsš Landon gave birth there was no communication and no contact.

I felt a sting behind my eyes but I refused to let it show. That’s what betrayal feels like people building arguments around their absence like it justifies everything.

Still the judge said slowly, abandonment cannot be ignored. This case will require deeper investigations. I and my fellow judge will assign a court-appointed child psychologist to evaluate the impact of both parents on the twins.

I held Nicol’s hand under the table and she squeezed back. Lucas looked at me again but this time the anger on his face had disappeared, he only put on an emotional face that he was trying to mask but failed.

I will fight for them Alice, he said quietly. I won't lose them to you. I didn't reply to him, I just stood up, gathered my kids, and walked away because if I stayed a little longer I would crumble

And I couldn't afford to

Not now.

Not when the real game had just begun. The court session ended, and I walked into the hallway, feeling the cold air hit my skin. It was like stepping out of a pressure cooker, but the tightness in my chest didn't ease. Not even a little.

Macon was waiting for me outside, his eyes were scanning my face for signs of pain. His worries were noticeable, but I didn’t want to talk about it. Not right now. Not when my world felt like it was not working out.

“You know, Alice,” he began to speak while taking a careful step closer. “Lucas is actually trying. He’s been working on himself. You can hate him all you want, but he loves them. And they love him.”

I shook my head, while folding my hands. “I don’t need your opinion on this, Macon. I can deal with it.”

He exhaled, clearly frustrated but trying not to show it. “You need someone to tell you the truth. You’re letting your anger control everything. You’re pushing him away, and it’s only hurting you.

That night, after dinner, Paul and Nicol rushed into the apartment with excitement on their faces. “Mommy, Daddy took us to the zoo today!” Nicol announced, her voice full of joy. “He let us feed the giraffes! We had so much fun!”

Paul nodded his head in agreement, his eyes shining with excitement. “Next time, we’re going to a baseball game!”

I forced a smile, but my stomach twisted with pain. “That sounds wonderful, sweetheart.”

Nicol crawled into my lap and curled up closely, her tiny hand resting on my chest. “Mommy, why can’t Daddy live with us?”

I felt the lump form in my throat, and for a second, I couldn’t speak. How was I supposed to answer that? I glanced at Macon, who was sitting across the room, watching us carefully.

“Because sometimes grown-ups make choices that change things,” I said, forcing my voice to sound calm and peaceful. “But that doesn’t mean he doesn't love you.”

Nicol seemed satisfied, but Paul was already distracted, searching through his bag for something. I breathed a sigh of relief, but deep down, I felt like a fraud.

Nina pov

I sat at the bar with a martini in my hand, it was a poor distraction from the storm of anger growing inside of me. Alice.

That damn woman had the audacity to come back into our lives after all these years. After everything I did to make sure Lucas was mine.

She had always been the honored one. The one Alex always cherished. And now she was back stronger, smarter, and more dangerous than ever.

Even Worse, Lucas couldn’t even look at me the same way anymore. His focus was on her, and I hated it.

Emma, who was sitting beside me, seemed to notice the change in my mood. “What’s going on, Nina?”

I glanced at her while my grip tightened around the glass. “I won’t let her ruin everything I’ve worked for. She can’t just walk in and take him back. Lucas is mine.”

Emma smiled, and she thought of an opportunity. “What if we make sure Alice never gets that chance?”

I leaned in with an increased interest. “Go on,” I whispered, my heart pounding with tension.

Emma’s smile widened. “I know just the person who can destroy her. Someone who can put her back in her place once and for all.”

Her words hung in the air, cold and dangerous. I stared at Emma, feeling a rush of dark excitement running through my spine. “Tell me everything.”

Her eyes were filled with joy, and she leaned closer, whispering something so wicked it sent chills down my spine.

My mind raced with possibilities, This could be the weapon we need, this could be the best way to hunt down Alice.

But as I opened my mouth to respond, my phone buzzed. A message from Macon.

It was simple, just a few words, but the message was enough to send dread creeping into my chest:

“Be careful. Lucas is about to make a move.”