Chapter:00006

I opened my eyes to a familiar ceiling…the faint crack near the corner, the peeling paint I always meant to fix. I was back in my small, cramped apartment.

I sat up slowly, and memories of last night rushed in without mercy. The heat. The intensity. My own moans echoing in my head.

I covered my ears, mortified.

How could I lose myself like that, with a stranger?

A stranger I now belonged to.

My phone vibrated on the nightstand, snapping me out of my thoughts. I grabbed it and squinted at the screen, my heart stuttering when I saw the email notification.

You have been selected to audition for the role of Second Lead in the upcoming drama, "Second Chance at Love."

You are expected at Vante's Hotel by 1:30 PM today.

I read it once.

Then again.

And again.

I jumped to my feet and screamed, the sound bouncing off the walls.

This was real. This was actually happening.

I glanced at the time. 12:00 PM.

Great. I'd officially developed a terrible habit of waking up late. If I were still working for Serena, I would've been on my feet by 6 a.m. sharp

But things are different now.

For the first time, I wasn't just existing on the sidelines of someone else's story. I was slowly stepping into the center of my own.

A genuine smile tugged at my lips, one that didn't feel forced for once.

I rushed into the bathroom, got ready as quickly as I could, then grabbed my helmet and hopped onto my scooter. Minutes later, I was weaving through traffic, straight to the hotel.

Once I arrived, an attendant led me to the audition hall. The moment I stepped inside, my confidence wavered. The room was packed…faces I recognized from television and magazines, mixed with unfamiliar ones just like mine.

Everyone wanted this role.

I have to get it, I told myself.

Dante had created this opportunity, and I couldn't afford to waste it.

Hours passed before my name was finally called.

When I walked in, three people sat behind a long table, two men and a woman. Their sharp eyes assessed me even before I spoke.

“What’s your name, young lady?” one of the men asked, glancing at his clipboard.

“I’m Skye,” I paused, grounding myself. “Skye Vaughn.”

The other man raised an eyebrow, his pen pausing. “Vaughn?”

I nodded firmly. I saw the look they exchanged. I knew what they were thinking. That name carried weight I shouldn't have, but uncle Loid had insisted I take it. For better or worse, it was mine now.

“Alright, Skye” the woman said, leaning forward. “Act as if you’ve just lost your mother, as if she just died right in front of you.”

I nodded again.

The moment I closed my eyes, the memories surged forward, the night my parents died in that car accident. It was still painfully vivid, as though it had happened yesterday.

The blood pooling beneath them.

My mother's eyes, wide and unblinking.

My father's stillness.

My face tightened, my body trembling as if I were reliving it all over again.

"Mom….." The word slipped out softly.

My knees hit the floor. "Mommy!" This time, my voice broke.

Tears spilled freely as I wrapped my arms around empty air, clutching it as though she were still there.

"Please... you can't leave me" I sobbed. "You can't die on me."

The pain felt real, as if she were truly slipping away in my arms.

"Cut." one of them said.

I stopped sobbing, but the tears refused to obey.

They kept spilling as I wiped my face and forced myself to stand.

When I looked at the judges, all three of them were staring at me, silent and stunned.

"Are you alright Skye?" the woman asked softly, dabbing at the corner of her own eyes.

I nodded. I hadn't expected my performance to stir that kind of emotion even in myself.

They leaned toward one another, speaking in hushed tones I couldn't make out. My heart pounded as I waited.

Finally, one of the men looked up. "You may go. We'll contact you."

I nodded once more, offered a small bow, and stepped out of the room.

I hope I impressed them.

Outside the hotel, the air felt different, lighter, I was reaching for my helmet when a car horn blared behind me.

Startled, I turned.

The window of a black car rolled down, revealing a man who looked to be in his early thirties.

"Miss Skye Vaughn?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied cautiously.

"My name is Salvador. Sir Dante assigned me to pick you up and take you somewhere."

I studied him for a moment before glancing back at my scooter. "I can't just leave this here," I said.

“No worries, I’ve got you,” he replied. He stepped out of the car and walked over. To my surprise, he lifted the scooter effortlessly, tucking it into the trunk as if it weighed nothing.

Then he opened the back door for me. I smiled politely and slid inside.

He closed the door, returned to the driver's seat, and started the engine. Moments later, we were pulling away from the hotel.

It was already getting dark when the car pulled into a large estate.

The moment I stepped out. My mouth hung open in disbelief.

The house was massive…walls of glass reflecting the fading sky, sleek and imposing. It was easily ten times larger than the Vaughn mansion.

"This way, Miss," Salvador said, gesturing toward the entrance.

I nodded and walked forward. He pushed the door open for me, but once I stepped inside, he didn't follow.

I was alone.

The sitting room was vast, the ceilings impossibly high. Everything about the space screamed luxury, the plush couches, the grand staircase, the flawless finish of every surface.

But wait, Why am I even here?

"Good evening, Miss Skye Vaughn."

I turned to see a woman in her late fifties. She wore a modest gown with an apron tied neatly around her waist. Her posture was composed, her expression calm.

She approached me and spoke again. "Sir informed me of your arrival. Please, follow me."

"Wait," I said.

She stopped and turned back.

"Your name, please?" I asked politely.

“Oh, my apologies,” she said with a sincere smile. “I am the head maid. You can call me Evelyn."

I nodded.

She smiled warmly and gestured for me to follow.

We walked up the stairs and down a quiet hallway before stopping in front of a large door. She pushed it open, revealing a spacious, beautifully finished room.

Everything was white, from the walls, bedding, and curtains.

"This will be your new room," she said.

New room?

I frowned. "I don't understand."

She raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by my reaction.

"Didn't Sir inform you" she asked carefully, "that you will be living here with him?"

My heart skipped.

Living here?