Second chance seduction

Return to New York

Alice’s POV

*********************************

The city skyscrapers stretched before me, a beautiful display of lights and high ambitions. New York. A city of second chances and hard beginnings.

As I stepped out of the black SUV, I took a deep breath, calming the storm that was brewing inside of me.

It has been four years, four years of turning myself into the weapon that I needed to be. And now, it’s time to reclaim what was taken from me.

“Mom! "Look at this!” Paul’s excited voice jolts me from my thoughts and back to reality. He stood on the sidewalk, pointing his fingers at the massive screens that were flashing different types of advertisements above us.

His blue eyes—exactly like mine, opened wide in wonder. Beside him, Nicol turns in a slow circle, taking in the city’s magnetic energy. “It’s like a movie,” she whispers, gripping her tiny purse against her chest.

A small smile formed on my lips. “It was all real sweetheart. "Welcome to our new home.” Macon walked closer to me, his sharp eyes scanning over the street like a silent vigilante.

“We should head up. You have a lot to do.”

“Yes we do”, I replied to him, nodding my head as my expression changed. I could see the excitement brewing inside of Paul and Nicol as we stepped into the luxurious apartment building, the polished marble floors reflecting the shadow of the glowing chandeliers above.

The penthouse is modern and breathtaking. Windows cover the entire living room, which gives a breathtaking view of the city. Paul and Nicol ran ahead of me, their excited giggles echoing the entire house as they explored it.

“This is not just a new home, this is your battlefield”. Macon whispers quietly to me as he watches me set my bag down.

I turned my head, looking at my reflection in the floor-length mirror across the room, that naive girl who once loved Lucas and believed in love and loyalty was dead.

I was staring at a dangerous woman full of composure and control. I reached into my bag, pulling out an old picture I had of me years back— when I was still full of trust and hope in people.

Never again, I shot back to myself as my fingers curled tightly around the picture. I exhaled slowly, dropping the picture down on the table.

“Tomorrow,” I murmur, “I will finally take my first step to reclaim everything.”

**********************************

The conference room is shining with steel and glass, the scent of coffee and wood roaming in the air as my heels click softly against the polished marble floor.

I enter, exuding nothing but pure confidence with every step I take. I have prepared for this moment for so many years, rehearsing every possibility.

But immediately I looked up at the man standing across the room. Everything shattered; my composure, my confidence…

None other than

Alex Landon.

My father.

His eyes widened, and for a moment he looked like a deer caught in headlights, every bit of color draining from his face. The years have left their mark on him.

Silver strands woven through his dark hair, and the sharp angles of his jaws have now softened, a clear sign that time was taking its toll on him. He shifted his weight nervously, his hands trembling at his sides, the confident business executive demeanor I always knew shedding as the shock on his face was clearly visible.

“Alice,” he takes a deep breath, straightening up, as if saying my name makes me any less a stranger to him. I held my composure, forcing a polite, yet detached smile on my lips.

“Mr. Landon.”

Something changed in his eyes—hurt, regret— either way, I refused to care about it. He rejected me when I needed him the most. That fact is a stone in my chest, heavy and never changing.

He cleared his throat, the sound awkward and strained, his fingers curling tightly as if he was bracing himself for what was about to come next.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he says, his voice a mix of surprise and something softer, almost pleading. I could see the corners of his mouth shifting as if he was trying to fight a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

The tension in his shoulders was clearly visible as he shifted his weight from one foot to another, searching for the right words to voice out.

“I could say the same,” I replied coldly, walking in his direction. “I wasn’t aware Landon Enterprises was seeking new partnerships.”

His eyes locked onto mine, taking in the power I now have. I was no longer the girl he left behind.“You’ve done well for yourself,” he shot back, as if what he said was ever going to erase the silent nights I spent wondering if he could do such to his own daughter.

“I have,” I replied to him, my voice betraying no emotions. “And I intend to do even better.”

He exhales deeply, his expression changing into that of a pitiful little child. “Alice, I….”

“This is business, Alex. Not a reunion.” I held up my hand, not allowing him to complete his words as I cut him short.

Pain flashes in his eyes, a brief c***k in his composed demeanor, but I held myself against the rush of satisfaction that was threatening to show on my face.

“I did not come here to hurt him—- I came to reclaim what is rightfully mine.” He swallows hard, nodding once, his voice steady but laced with tension.

“Then let’s talk business”. Taking his time to find the courage to say those words. For the next twenty minutes, we exchanged numbers, business terms and expectations.

I tried to keep my voice steady, but deep down all this, there was a heavy storm rising inside of me. After what felt like eternity, the meeting finally drew to a close.

I stand up straight, stretching the folded lumps of my blouse. His eyes were still watching me, his gaze unyielding.

“I look forward to working together,” I say. “But I hope you’re prepared.”

A flicker of unease dances across his face. “Prepared for what?”

I let a slow smile creep into my lips, my eyes narrowing just for a second. “For the truth. It has a way of exposing even the strongest of people.”

His expression changed, a brief shadow crossing his face—a tightening around his eyes, parting his lips as if to say a word, but it just got stuck. His face reveals the doubts and fear lurking beneath the surface.

Good.

I took my things and turned, walking toward the door. "I could still feel his gaze burning deep into my back, his mind racing with so many questions. “Let him wonder. Let him doubt. The first seed has been planted.”

I whispered to myself as I stepped out into the hallway. Macon was waiting, his expression very hard to read. “How did it go?” He asked me, his face full of concern.

I exhaled, forming a slow, satisfying smirk on my lips. “Better than expected.”

“Then let’s make our next move.” Macon shot back, carrying a satisfying expression on his formerly worried face.

I turned around to look back towards the conference room, my father still sitting, frozen by everything I had just said to him.

This was just the beginning, I whispered to myself as I made my way into my SUV. “My revenge is finally happening”.