Chapter 7

Elena's POV

I had deliberately kept my scent subdued. After years of living as a shadow next to Pheisar, I hadn't drawn any attention.

"She's been waiting outside for three hours. Maybe... just let her try?"

Director Kieran frowned but didn't say anything.

"Elena, please come in," the assistant said.

My heart tightened violently. I hadn't stepped into a recording studio in years. "Can I really do this?"

But the moment I held the script, all self-doubt and anxiety vanished.

These weren't just lines; this was my soul speaking.

I thought of Selene's malicious provocation. I thought of Pheisar's condescending eyes that never truly looked at me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

When I opened them, I was no longer the subservient Elena. I was the Siren, trapped in the deep sea, vowing to tear the sky apart.

"Dearest brother... are you content to rot in this mire? But I am not you. I will never let this abyss become my tomb."

My voice was low and husky, with a gritty texture, yet the final tail of the sound curled into a spine-tingling seduction.

Director Kieran, who had been about to leave, snapped his head up and stared at me as if seeing me for the first time.

As Pheisar's friend, Kieran had seen me at a few parties.

In front of him, I had always been the useless she-wolf trailing behind Pheisar.

I ignored his shock, completely lost in the character.

"Hah, the Moon Goddess? What is the Moon Goddess's will?"

"To confine my people to this lightless sea, to let our bloodline perish—is this what you call justice?"

My voice soared abruptly, like a cornered lone wolf howling at the moon.

The raw power of the sound made the air in the recording booth slightly tremble.

I poured every ounce of my strength into that last line.

The years of suppressed pain, resentment, and longing for freedom exploded in that moment.

"I'm finished."

I pulled myself out of the character's emotion. The commanding presence instantly retreated, and I was back to being the seemingly docile Elena.

I had been away from this field for too long. Facing Kieran's long silence, the confidence I had just built started to crumble. I subconsciously gripped the script, cold sweat forming on my palm.

"Elena."

Finally, Kieran spoke. His voice was no longer tired, but energized with the thrill of finding a treasure.

"You are the Abyssal Siren I've been searching for! You were excellent. No, you're perfect."

He stood up, his eyes shining. "You can come back after 2:00 PM to sign the contract. I look forward to working with you very much."

I looked up in disbelief, meeting his approving gaze.

A huge wave of joy filled my chest, and my eyes felt warm.

"Thank you, I promise I will cherish this opportunity and won't let you down."

Since the signing was scheduled for 2:00 PM, I didn't go back to the hotel. I decided to walk around nearby and grab some lunch.

I was immersed in the ecstasy of "finally having a career again."

At 2:00 PM, I returned to the studio on time.

The assistant who had handled my morning audition saw me. He looked unusually awkward and pulled me into a small conference room.

"Elena, I'm really sorry," he stammered. "Director Kieran just asked me to inform you... the signing is canceled."

I froze, my mind blank, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. "Why? Kieran said this morning that I was the perfect 'Abyssal Siren.'"

"It's... because someone swooped in," the assistant said, seeing my pale face and taking pity on me. He lowered his voice. "It was Alpha Pheisar. He brought someone himself. They're inside the studio talking right now."

Pheisar?

The name hit my heart like a heavy hammer.

The assistant sighed, sounding helpless. "Pheisar directly added ten million to the investment. His only demand was to give the role to Selene. You know what that kind of money means for an effects-heavy blockbuster like 'Tides of the Moon'... Director Kieran couldn't refuse."

So that was it.

I felt all my blood freeze.

I couldn't help but walk toward the closed studio door.

As a werewolf, even through the thick soundproofing, if I concentrated, the conversation inside stabbed my eardrums like needles.

It wasn't a business negotiation as I had imagined; it was more like a unilateral sentence.

"Pheisar, are you insane?" That was Kieran's voice, filled with suppressed fury. "I confirmed the role with Elena this morning. You bring Selene here now and force a change by throwing money at me. Did you even consider how Elena would feel?"

Hearing this, I held my breath, my nails digging deep into my palms.

"She's been with you for so many years. Honestly, what you're doing to her is completely unfair."

There was a brief silence inside.

Then, came Pheisar's familiar, cold voice, "This is Selene's wish."

"What about Elena?" Kieran countered.

"Elena is only twenty-two. She's a healthy werewolf. She'll have plenty of time and opportunity to voice other roles," Pheisar's voice was utterly flat. "For Selene, missing this chance would be a permanent regret."

On his scale, my dream and my dignity were worthless compared to Selene's "regret."

Kieran was clearly enraged, his voice rising. "Aren't you afraid Elena will leave you?"

"She can't," his voice was low and absolutely certain. "She's a lone wolf, abandoned by her pack. No relatives, no friends. In this survival-of-the-fittest world, where else can she go but by my side?"

In his eyes, I was a parasite who would die without him.

My love, to him, was nothing more than an act of dependence made out of desperation.

I couldn't bear to listen anymore.

I turned and rushed toward the elevator, desperate to leave this suffocating place.

Just then, the studio door behind me was pushed open. Pheisar and Selene stepped out.