Second chance seduction

The Past

Alice’s POV

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

I sat at my desk, the city lights casting shadows against the glass windows of my apartment, a quiet reminder of how successful I had become,

The thick heap of documents before me carried the weight of my past and my future—papers which detailed the inner workings of Landon Enterprises, the empire that should have been mine.

I traced my fingers over the company’s symbol, my mind a different mix of thoughts concerning Alex Landon— the man who rejected me, the man I now had to destroy piece by piece.

My father.

Macon leaned his back against the door, his arms crossed on his chest as he watched me carefully with his piercing gaze.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked.

I exhaled deeply, tightening my grip on the documents “More than ever.” He walked closer to me, placing his hands on my shoulder.

“This is the right time to strike. "You have enough power now. "Use it to your advantage.” I knew what he meant. This was the time to finally let Alex know the truth—the truth about my stepsister.

Nina, the woman who destroyed my marriage. The same woman he had chosen to trust over me.“This was the perfect time to make him despise her just the way he did towards me”, I replied to Macon, forming a sly smirk on my lips.

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

The next day, I walked into the tall skyscraper building that housed the Landon name, my high heels clicking against the polished marble floors.

A receptionist greeted me after taking what seemed to be forever, her eyes carrying a hint of recognition, but I didn’t care about that, this wasn’t a social visit.

Alex was already seated in the conference room when I arrived, carrying the same shocking and unreadable expression he had the other day. He still looked older than I remembered, as if the years that had gone by took away the arrogance he once had.

“Alice,” he said, standing to welcome me as I made my presence known. “I was not sure if you would still want to do business with me after everything.”

I slid into the chair across from him, setting down the folder I was holding with deliberate ease.“I didn’t come here to do business, I came here because there is something you need to know about your sweet little daughter.”

He raised his wrinkled eyebrows in concern, studying me for a moment.“Go on.” I leaned forward, making sure he would hear every bit of what I said, my voice filled with venom. My voice was calm but laced with venom.

“Nina.”

Hearing the name sent a ripple through his body as he froze on hearing the name.“What do you want to tell me about her ?”

I curved my lips into a slow, bitter smile.“She’s the woman who destroyed my marriage.”

The silence that followed was extremely loud. Alex’s face turned pale as he tightened his fingers around the glass of water before him.

“Nina would never do such a thing. "That’s not possible.” Alex shook his head in disbelief.

“Oh, but she did,” I shot back. “She was never a sister-in—law to him, Alex. “She was Lucas’s mistress. The reason I walked from a life I fought so hard to create.”

"Alice, it is wrong to just make things up in your head. Especially going as far as accusing your own step-sister as the mistress to your husband, I unde-----"

I scoffed loudly, interrupting Alex's words. I knew he was going to find it extremely hard to believe. That was why I came up with the proof.

I dug my hands into my Hermes purse and fetched a photo out of it. It was a photo of Nina and Lucas lying carelessly on my matrimonial bed, naked.

Somehow, Macon and I had returned to the house where it all began and, after so much back and forth, we were able to get a CCTV footage of the scene.

Watching it all over again felt like a nightmare, but I had to do it. It was a step I had to take in order to prove to Alex the kind of daughter he had.

A wolf in sheep's clothing.

As he reluctantly received the photo, I watched the look on his face change from disbelief to shock.

His breathing turned shallow, his grip on the photo tightened, his entire body shook in fear. “Why didn’t you tell me this when you came to me that day?” Alex stuttered.

I lifted my shoulders, acting completely untouched by whatever he had said. “How would I have told you when all you did was ever reject me?”

His silence already confirmed what I always knew: he never had a good reason for rejecting me those years ago. Alex’s rage was clearly visible on his face, his knuckles turning white as he folded his hands into fists.

“I always favored and trusted her over you,” he murmured under his breath. “I never even took you as my daughter because of her. I gave her everything, even business. ”

I sat back, watching, the sly satisfaction clearly visible on my face as the realization settled in. I had already fulfilled my plan to come here.

“And that was your greatest weakness, wasn't it? You trusted the wrong daughter”. He looked at me then, his eyes filled with immense regret.

“Why are you telling me this now, you’re …. "You’re telling me this now because….?” I shifted my head towards him.

“Because it’s time you finally see who truly deserves to carry the Landon name.” A muscle in his jaw twitched, as he opened his mouth to argue. Instead, he stretched his hands, reaching for the folder I had brought along with me and flipped through the contents.

They all had the financial records, evidence of Nina’s games and manipulations, all carefully compiled with every single detail. Minutes passed for what took forever before he finally exhaled sharply and pushed the folder away from him.

“I will need to make some changes. "Nina does not deserve to run this company or get another cent from me.” He spoke, his voice filled with regret yet serious at the same time.

“Are you sure of what you are about to do ?” I locked my eyes against his, feeling a sense of satisfaction and relief inside of me. His eyes met mine, carrying an uncertain expression on his face.

“I will meet with my lawyer to make some changes… my inheritance will go to you Alice”.

The words hit me harder than I expected. This was what I always wanted. This was part of my revenge plan. Yet, a tiny part of me wondered why it took so long for him to finally see my worth.

“I don’t need anything from” I said, faking an uncaring happiness at what he had just said. Alex took a while before he finally spoke again, “Alice, please, I want you to accept it, see it as my way of apologizing for all I did to you.”

“I….I want to meet my grandchildren”. I know you have kids for Lucas. Please accept this and let me meet them”.

I swallowed hard, my carefully guarded walls falling apart at his request. Paul and Nicol. My babies. The only good that ever came out of my painful past with Lucas.

Macon’s warning kept ringing in my head—Don’t ever let your guard down Alice. But I never planned on doing so.I was still in control. And if allowing Alex into the lives of my children would drive my revenge further, then so be it.

“Fine.” I shot back as I nodded in agreement with his request.

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

Later that evening, I watched from a distance as Alex sat with Paul and Nicol in the living room of my apartment. The twins, always curious as usual, looked at him with a rather picking interest.

“Mum told us you are our grandpa”.

”Are you not?” Paul asked, shifting his head slightly. Alex smiled, a softness i never thought he had among his features.

“Yes. "And you two are very cute and lovely.” Nicol looked closer at him carefully. “But mummy never talks about you.”

I bit my lip, but Alex only nodded. “She has reasons for that, my little cute grandbabies.” The boys exchanged looks between themselves as Nicol spoke again.

“Are you going to be staying with us now?”. Alex turned his head, looking towards me, his expression unreadable. “That depends on your mummy, my love.”

I folded my arms as I watched from a distance with pain and bitterness. This was not a family reunion, it was a very calculated move I made. But yet, I saw Paul smiling sheepishly at his grandfather, Alex.

I felt an unfamiliar ache in my chest, as I watched everything unfolding right in front of my eyes.

“Actually,” Alex continued, turning his back to me, “there’s an event I will be hosting at the Landon estate this weekend. I…I would love for you all to come.”

Landon estate—the place where every memory I ever had was treated as a forgotten child. A place filled with painful ghosts of betrayal. But this was finally my opportunity. To finally take back everything that is mine.

“We’ll be there.” I shot back, giving him a reply to his rather uncomfortable request. Macon caught my eyes from across the room, his expression filled with a dangerous and unspoken warning.

I ignored it.

This was all I was waiting for, to get closer to them and destroy them bit by bit, and I would never miss this chance for anything in the world.