Chapter 5 The First Step Of Revenge

The sound of that voice cut through my haze, snapping my mind back to clarity.

I quickly stood up, only to have my wrist locked in a crushing grip that sent a jolt up my arm.

Harsh light flooded the room as the overhead lamps flicked on, forcing me to squint against the sudden glare.

Once my vision steadied, Daniel's face came sharply into focus-cold, sculpted, and unforgiving, his eyes trained on me with the predatory patience of a hunter sizing up prey.

I struggled violently, trying to wrench myself free. "Let go of me! What on earth do you think you're doing?"

A thin, mocking smile tugged at Daniel's mouth as he spoke, his tone edged with ice. "Alexandra, you're impressively bold. Slipping in here, putting your hands on me, and now, you're pretending as if nothing happened?"

Shock rippled through me, and I finally looked around, only then realizing this wasn't the room Jenifer and I had reserved.

I had walked into the wrong room earlier.

Heat crept up my neck as I rubbed the back of my head, forcing an awkward laugh. "I-I drank too much. I must've mixed up the rooms. I'm really sorry."

Daniel's lips tugged into a thin, derisive smile. "The moment your scheme fell apart, you decided to blame the drinks for everything?"

The words jolted me, and with the buzz of alcohol still clouding my judgment, I shot back without restraint, even though the man standing in front of me was powerful, "You don't honestly think I'd ever be into you, do you? Don't flatter yourself. Narcissists like you are a complete turn-off. Even if every other man on the planet disappeared, I still wouldn't be with you."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop the moment my words landed, Daniel's expression hardening into something glacial. "Are you trying to provoke me?" he demanded, his voice low.

A dangerous edge crept into his voice as his eyes narrowed. "Say that again."

I didn't back down. Lifting my chin, I met his stare head-on. "You're a narcissist, and I don't like you at all!"

Just as I finished, I tried to wrench my wrist free, but his fingers closed with sudden strength, dragging me sharply toward him.

Thrown off by the force, I felt my footing slip, and I crashed straight into his chest.

Out of pure reflex, my free hand shot up and hooked around his neck, clinging to him to keep from falling.

We were far too close, the posture intimate.

Barely a breath separated our mouths, and the air between us blurred as our breathing tangled.

For reasons I couldn't explain, the scent clinging to Daniel felt familiar, as though I had smelled it long ago. But I had only met him for the first time this morning.

Right then, the ringtone vibrating from Daniel's pocket shattered the moment.

A flicker of clarity crossed his face as he reached for the device with one hand, easing himself out of the moment.

The instant he saw Emily's name glowing on the screen, the frost in his gaze thawed, replaced by a softness.

Standing close to him, I couldn't miss the small, tender voice drifting through the speaker. "Daddy, I want to see the lady from earlier today."

Those few words alone were enough to make my heart soften.

Casting a brief look in my direction, Daniel spoke into the phone with quiet indulgence. "You barely know her, and you already like her so much?"

"I don't know why," Emily murmured. "But I keep thinking about how she smelled and how she talked, and I can't fall asleep. I miss her already."

Daniel's voice lowered, patient and steady. "You'll feel better in a day or two. I'll ask the butler to tell you a story tonight."

"No, I don't want anyone else-I want her. Daddy, can you take me to see her?" Emily replied, her stubbornness evident.

A trace of authority edged into Daniel's voice as he said, "Emily."

Unease twisted through me; I was afraid his sternness would scare Emily.

Almost immediately, muffled sobs drifted through the receiver. "Fine... then I won't talk to you anymore!"

For a split second, concern crossed Daniel's face. After a brief pause, he softened his voice. "You'll see her tomorrow morning, I promise. For now, you need to go to sleep, alright?"

Emily stopped crying, her tone turning cheerful. "Don't forget your promise, okay? I'll go to bed now. Goodnight, Daddy."

Once the call ended, the warmth drained from Daniel's eyes, replaced by a cold, measuring stare as he looked straight at me.

"Come with me tomorrow to see my daughter," he said flatly. "Name your price."

Exasperation prickled under my skin, and a dry, mocking laugh slipped out before I could stop it. "Mr. Edwards," I said in a cold voice, tilting my head. "Just because you ask me to do that, you think I'll obey? Why would I do that?"

In all honesty, Emily had already worked her way into my heart. Every time I thought about her, it stirred memories of my own child, memories I usually kept tightly sealed.

We had only met once, yet she missed me so much that she couldn't sleep at night. Simply hearing that made my heart melt; there was no way I could refuse her.

Still, Daniel's domineering attitude left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I wanted no further entanglement with him-especially not with his obvious determination to dig into my background.

Daniel's expression turned glacial at my words. "I'm running out of patience. Even if you want to raise your price, you shouldn't push it."

Only dry amusement lingered in the laugh I gave. Without another word, I straightened, turned on my heel, and walked away without once looking back.

By the time I returned to the dining room, Jenifer was already there, waiting for me.

The moment she spotted me, she frowned in concern and asked, "Alexandra, where did you disappear to? You were gone for ages."

Unwilling to confess that I'd stumbled into the wrong room and run into Daniel, I waved my hand dismissively. "I just went to the restroom."

"Is that so..." Jenifer's brows knitted together, worry tightening her expression. "I've got bad news. When I went to get the perfume, it was taken away by someone else."

My heart skipped. "Taken away? By whom?"

Jenifer's voice rose with indignation. "That person was unbelievably arrogant! She said she's the fiancée of the Jones Group's CEO. I think her name is... Lilah Harris! Do you know her?"

Slowly, I let my lips curve upward, a faint chill flickering through my eyes.

Lilah...

How could I possibly not know her?

Still venting, Jenifer continued, guilt and anger tangled in her tone, "This is on me for being careless. Your perfume was way too good-I only meant to try a little. Then, Lilah caught a whiff of it and insisted on buying it. When I refused, she outright snatched it!"

After a beat, she said anxiously, "I looked her up afterward. She is already one of the most celebrated perfumers in the country. Alexandra, you've only just come back to the country. Breaking into the industry here won't be easy if you offend her..."

A soft, amused laugh slipped from my throat.

If Lilah actually had the nerve to come after me, that would only make things easier for me.

I wanted to see how much longer she could remain arrogant.

Reaching out, I gave Jenifer's arm a reassuring squeeze. "No need to worry. Since she dared to snatch our perfume, I'll make her pay for it. As for the perfume, I can make another one anytime. It's not worth losing sleep over."

Glancing at the clock, I added with quiet composure, "It's late. Let's go home."

Jenifer gave a small nod, lowering her voice. "Let's keep this from Mr. Lewis for now. Otherwise, he'll definitely scold me for losing the perfume."

I offered an easy smile. "Alright."

Probably because of the alcohol, I slept better than expected, sinking into a rare, uninterrupted rest.

Morning light found Jenifer and me already on the road, Jenifer driving as the Apex Group's headquarters rose into view.

On the surface, I'd been invited to officially join the company and expand my perfume business domestically.

In reality, that barely skimmed the truth-this was simply the opening move of my revenge.

Once inside the office, I sat across from Brenton Davies, the project manager of the Apex Group, going over onboarding procedures and future project plans.

Just then, a sharp, disdainful female voice echoed from the doorway. "Someone who has only been in the industry for about three years thinks she can join the Apex Group so easily? And she's handed a flagship project like Heartstring Moments right away? She must have slept with some big shot to get that!"

That voice... I recognized it all too well.

It had haunted me for countless nights.

Lilah was here.

At that moment, the office door was shoved open.

Confidence oozed off Lilah as she sauntered in, wrapped in an impeccable designer outfit, her makeup flawless, with two assistants hovering behind her.

Fixing her eyes on the room, she demanded, "Mr. Davies, where's the newcomer you hired?"

With a faint lift of her chin, she continued, "I want to see her."

Rising unhurriedly, I met her stare head-on and offered a polite smile. "Hello. I'm Alexandra Harris. I hope we'll be working well together from now on."

"Alexandra Harris?"

The moment my name landed, Lilah's composure cracked. Color drained from her face as she took a step back instinctively.

Her voice tightened as she blurted, "What did you just say your name was?"

Her assistant dragged her gaze over me with blatant contempt before curling her lips into a sneer. "Lilah, just look at her. That face alone proves she can't be your missing sister. She just has the same name as her."

Relief washed over Lilah at once. She straightened and regarded me with open disdain. "You nearly gave me a heart attack," she scoffed. "It's just disturbing to have someone this straight-up hideous share the same last name as mine."

Amusement curved my lips, my tone staying calm. "Since when did a surname become your personal property? And is tearing down other people's looks just your way to hide your own insecurity, Miss Harris?"

Lilah's face twisted in rage instantly as she snapped, "You disgusting freak-how dare you speak to me like that? Do you even know who I am?"

Unfazed, I met her glare without blinking. "I know exactly what I'm seeing now-a clown embarrassing herself in public."

Lilah's teeth ground together at my words, her stare sharp enough to cut. "Alexandra Harris, right? Fine. We'll see how long you'll last in Atokton. If you survive here, I'll eat my hat!"

Pivoting sharply, she fixed Brenton with a cutting stare and said, "Your judgment has really gone downhill. You'd grab some nobody off the street and hand her Heartstring Moments? If you let her touch that project, you'll drag the entire company straight into the ground. You'd better reconsider!"

Calm as ever, Brenton didn't rise to the provocation. He adjusted his posture and answered, "I stand by my decision. There's no need for you to concern yourself with this."

With a practiced flick of her wrist, Lilah reached into her designer bag and produced a crystal-clear perfume bottle, the glass catching the light.

"Before you decide anything," she said, lips curving with smug certainty. "You might want to smell this."

After a brief hesitation, Brenton accepted the bottle and released a careful mist into the air.

At once, a cool yet intricate fragrance unfurled through the office, crisp layers blooming one after another.

Surprise flashed across Brenton's face, then melted into unmistakable appreciation, and before he realized it, he leaned closer, breathing it in again, unable to hide his fascination.

His voice shook slightly as he looked at Lilah. "Did you make this?"

"That's right," Lilah replied smoothly, lifting her chin with a proud expression.

Eyes shining with excitement, Brenton leaned forward. "This is extraordinary. I completely underestimated your talent in perfumery before. If you could join the project, it would surely succeed!"

At his enthusiasm, satisfaction bloomed across Lilah's face, the corners of her lips arching higher.

Without saying a word, I stepped in, took the bottle, and let the scent settle against my senses before speaking calmly. "Thank you for the generous compliment, Mr. Davies. I'm honored you think so highly of the Lunar Blossom perfume I created."

Brenton's smile froze in an instant. "W-what did you say? You're saying... this was made by you?"

Meanwhile, Lilah's confident composure cracked, panic flashing briefly through her eyes.