Chapter 28

I had a really good sleep that night.

For the first time in so long, I could sleep next to my mother again, her presence wrapping around me like a shield, giving me the kind of comfort I hadn’t realized I’d been missing all these years.

When morning came, I led my parents to the dining room, where we met Zephyr’s entire family. They all seemed a bit anxious—especially Eleanor.

It made sense. My parents recognized her as Rowan’s maternal grandmother. They had met her several times before my wedding, and things hadn’t exactly ended well.

"Mom, Dad… Eleanor is the one who helped me ruin Rowan’s business," I explained gently, hoping to ease the tension between them.

Before either of them could respond, Ashley came running toward us, holding a plate of cake. Her small face lit up with excitement as she stopped in front of my parents.

"Hello! I’m Ashley!" she chirped happily. "This is for you. My mom says we should always give a welcoming cake to our staying guests."

I watched as my mother’s cold expression softened almost instantly. She crouched slightly to meet Ashley’s gaze.

"Well, thank you, sweetheart. That’s very kind of you."

My dad smiled faintly as he accepted the plate. "It’s not every day we get served by such a charming young lady. Thank you, Ashley."

Ashley beamed before running back to Layla, who was watching everything unfold with a quiet smile.

I let out a small breath of relief and discreetly gave Layla a thumbs-up. Sending Ashley as a little diplomat had worked perfectly.

Thanks to her cheerful presence, breakfast turned into something surprisingly pleasant.

The tension that had lingered between my parents and Zephyr’s family slowly faded, replaced by light conversation and an easy warmth I hadn’t expected.

The day passed quicker than I wanted it to.

I wished I could hold onto these moments longer, but reality soon crept back in. My audition was approaching, and I needed time to prepare.

"Are you sure you want us to leave so soon?" my mom asked, her tone careful, as if she wanted to make sure I truly meant it.

"I know both of you are busy," I said softly. "I don’t want to bother you any further. Besides… I have an audition in a few days."

"Audition?" Her eyes lit up with both surprise and excitement. "So you’ve decided to come back?"

I nodded. "Mhm. Zephyr helped me pick a new movie that suits me."

Her smile softened as she reached up to stroke my hair. "He really is something, isn’t he?"

"He is…" I admitted, unable to hide the genuine smile on my face. "I’m glad he accepted me as his mate."

"Ridiculous," she scoffed lightly, though her expression was full of affection. "Any Alpha would be lucky to have a mate like you. Zephyr is the lucky one."

I let out a soft laugh, though part of me still couldn’t quite believe that.

It had never crossed my mind that I could be considered a perfect mate for someone like him.

I hadn’t done anything for him… not really.

Yes, I had started rebuilding my life, but he had been the one guiding me every step of the way, supporting me without ever asking for anything in return.

That was why this audition mattered so much.

I had to do well—not just for myself, but to prove that his faith in me wasn’t misplaced.

"Don’t worry too much about it," my mom said, noticing the hesitation on my face. "I know my daughter is an excellent actress. You just need to believe in yourself."

"I’ll do my best, Mom."

"Oh!" she suddenly said, as if remembering something important. She reached into her purse and pulled out a sleek credit card. "Here. Use this for whatever you need."

I blinked, immediately raising my hands. "Mom, that’s really not necessary. I can manage."

"Nonsense." She pressed the card firmly into my hands. "Your father and I have worked like mad for years. Everything we have will be yours eventually anyway."

"Mom, don’t say things like that!" I protested.

She waved it off casually. "You’re our daughter, Samantha. Let us support you."

I hesitated. "I appreciate it, I really do… but I want to prove I can stand on my own."

"And you will," she said firmly. "But even the strongest people need a safety net. This isn’t about dependence—it’s about knowing we’re here for you."

After a moment, I finally accepted it. "Okay… but I’ll only use it if absolutely necessary."

"Good girl." She smiled and gently patted my cheek. "Now come here and give your mom a hug."

I laughed softly before pulling both of them into a tight embrace. "Thank you… for being here."

"Always," they said at the same time.

Not long after, we walked them to the landing pad.

This time, they didn’t need to rent a helicopter. Zephyr had offered them access to his private one and even told them they could visit anytime.

As the day moved on, the audition finally arrived—and for once, my mind wasn’t consumed by thoughts of my divorce.

Zephyr and I arrived at the Luminix Studio building separately. I didn’t want anyone seeing me walk in with the CEO before my audition.

Since I hadn’t signed with any agency yet, he arranged for me to audition independently.

He believed it would be better for me to prove my talent first before officially joining Luminix Entertainment Group.

"Mrs. Cole, you’re here," Gina Petrova greeted me warmly as soon as I stepped into the building.

"Mrs. Petrova." I smiled. "Will you be in the audition room today?"

"Yes," she replied. "Actually, Mr. Lloyd asked me to become the vice director of the movie you’re auditioning for."

I blinked in surprise. "Then… maybe we should keep some distance? I don’t want anyone to misunderstand."

Gina chuckled. "Oh, Mrs. Cole… everyone already knows you’re not a rookie."