Audition

(FLASHBACK)

POV: Seraphina

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Two years earlier.

The casting office smelled like stale coffee and desperation.

I sat in the waiting room, my back straight, my hands folded in my lap. Around me, other actresses flipped through scripts, whispered lines to themselves, adjusted their makeup. They were all beautiful. All hungry. All convinced that this role would change their lives. I was no different.

Midnight Shadows. A psychological thriller about a woman who escapes an abusive relationship and builds a new life. The role was perfect. The role was me. I just couldn't tell anyone why.

"Seraphina Blackwood?" I stood. My legs were shaking. My heart was pounding. I'd done dozens of auditions in the past year, but this one felt different. This one felt like it mattered.

The audition room was cold. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead. Three people sat behind a long table—the director, the producer, and the casting agent. They all looked tired. They all looked like they'd seen a thousand girls walk through that door. They hadn't seen me.

"Seraphina Blackwood," the director said, glancing at my headshot. "You've done some modeling work, I see." "Yes, sir." My voice was steady, even though my hands were trembling. "I've also done a few independent films. Small roles. But I'm ready for something bigger."

"Are you?" He raised an eyebrow. "This is a demanding role. The character goes through a lot of trauma. Are you prepared to go to those dark places?" I met his gaze. "I've been to those dark places," I said. "I know what it feels like to be invisible. To be powerless. To be so desperate for someone to see you that you're willing to do anything."

The room went quiet. The producer leaned forward. "Tell me about it."

I took a breath. I hadn't planned to say this. I hadn't planned to say any of it. But the words came anyway.

"I spent four years being bullied," I said. "Four years of being told I was nothing. Four years of making myself small so I wouldn't be noticed. And then one day, I decided I was done. I stripped myself bare in front of everyone and told them to look. To really look."

I paused. The memory of that day was still raw, still sharp. "It didn't fix everything," I continued. "But it changed something. It changed me. And I've been chasing that feeling ever since."

The director was silent for a long moment. Then he smiled. "That's exactly what this character needs. Not someone who's read about trauma in a book. Someone who's lived it."

I read the scene. The words were raw, brutal, honest. They felt like they'd been written for me. When I finished, the room was silent. Then the director nodded. "We'll be in touch."

I walked out of the audition room with my heart in my throat. I didn't know if I'd gotten the part. But I knew I'd given them something real.

The waiting room was empty now. I walked toward the exit, my heels clicking against the tile floor. And then I saw him. Leaning against the wall by the door, scrolling through his phone. Sandy brown hair. Hazel eyes. A smile that seemed effortless.

Xander Vance. I recognized him immediately. He was the lead in Midnight Shadows. If I got the part, I'd be acting opposite him.

He looked up. Our eyes met. And for a moment, the world stopped.

He was beautiful. Not in the sharp, dangerous way that Damian was beautiful. Xander was soft, warm, approachable. He looked like he'd never hurt anyone in his life.

"Hey," he said, pushing off the wall. "You're Seraphina, right? I saw you audition." My throat tightened. "You watched?" "Couldn't help it." He smiled. "You were incredible."

I didn't know what to say. I wasn't used to praise. I wasn't used to anyone looking at me like I was something special.

"I'm Xander." He extended his hand. "I'm playing opposite whoever gets the part. I was hoping it would be you."

My fingers brushed his. His hand was warm. Safe. "I hope so too," I said.

He smiled again. "I have a feeling we're going to be working together."

And for the first time in a long time, I felt something I'd almost forgotten. Hope.

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