Claire took a deep breath, steadying herself as she stood before the board members. The weight of Leon's gaze bore into her, unsettling yet electrifying.
"Focus, Claire. This is just an audition." She muttered to herself.
She lifted her chin, pushing away the distracting thoughts, and smiled at the judges, introducing herself. "Good morning, My name is Claire."
The director, an older man with graying hair and sharp eyes, nodded. "Welcome, Miss Claire. For today's audition, we are going to give you scripts from different plays, you have five minutes to read them and tell us which scene you will be performing"
Claire nodded as she reached and took the scripts.
Leon watched how her brows knitted and her tongue poked out as she scanned through the various scripts with utmost consideration as if her life depended on it and he found her reaction cute.
After five minutes, Claire exhaled and handed back the scripts. "I'll be performing the monologue from Falling Stars—the confrontation scene between the heroine and the prince."
The director nodded approvingly. "Very well. You may begin."
Claire closed her eyes for a brief moment, sinking into character. When she opened them again, it was as if she had transformed into someone else.
Her voice trembled, laced with raw emotion. "You think this is a game, don't you? That my heart is something you can claim, toss aside, and reclaim at will?" She took a step forward, her voice rising. "Do you even know what it means to love, to trust, to stand before someone and bare your soul, only for them to shatter it?"
Her breaths came out in shaky gasps. Her eyes burned—not with forced tears, but with genuine emotion.
Leon leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable, but something in his gaze darkened.
Claire continued, voice quieter now, but still piercing. "You say you love me. But love isn't a word—it's an action. And your actions have only ever brought me pain."
A thick silence followed.
The director's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he scribbled something on his notes. The other judges exchanged glances.
Then, Leon spoke. "Again."
Claire's heart skipped a beat. She turned to him, startled.
The director hesitated. "Mr. Yu—"
"Again," Leon repeated, his voice calm but firm. His eyes locked onto Claire's. "But this time, I want you to really show what betrayal feels like."
Claire's fingers curled. Was he testing her?
A challenge gleamed in his eyes, daring her to rise to the occasion.
Fine.
She squared her shoulders, inhaled deeply, and this time, she let everything out—not just acting, but the real pain buried inside her.
She thought of her father, who cast her and her mother aside. She thought of her mother's death and her mother Luna who was on her sick bed. She thought of the nights spent wondering why she wasn't enough. She thought of the dangerous game she was playing with Leon—the lines she had to blur, the emotions she had to suppress.
This time, when she spoke, her voice wasn't just a performance. It was real.
"You say you love me," she whispered, voice breaking, "but love isn't a word—it's a promise. And every time I reached for you, you were never there. Love is an action, and your actions have only ever brought me pain"
The weight of her words lingered in the room.
Leon's fingers tightened around the pen he was holding.
A long silence followed before the director cleared his throat. "That was… remarkable, Miss Claire."
The assistant director nodded. "Yes, very well done."
Claire exhaled slowly, steadying herself.
Leon was still staring at her, his expression impossible to read.
The director smiled. "We'll inform candidates of our decision within the week. Thank you for your time."
Claire bowed slightly. "Thank you."
As she turned to leave, she felt Leon's gaze following her.
She didn't dare look back.
The moment Claire stepped outside, Laura ran up to her. "Oh my God, Claire! How was it?"
Claire sighed, pressing a hand against her chest. "It was intense."
Laura frowned. "You look shaken. What happened?"
Claire hesitated. "Leon… he was one of the judges."
Laura's jaw dropped. "Wait—Leon Yu? Your Leon?"
"He's not my Leon," Claire muttered.
Laura folded her arms. "Girl, at this point, even the gods know he's yours."
Claire ignored that. "He made me redo the scene."
Laura gasped. "What? Was he messing with you?"
Claire shook her head. "No. It wasn't like that. It was… a challenge.I think he wanted me to put all my emotions into it"
Laura smirked. "And you nailed it?"
Claire let out a slow breath. "I think so."
Just as she was about to relax, a deep voice interrupted them.
"Claire."
Her eyes widened as her heartbeat sped up.
She turned sharply, finding Leon standing a few feet away, hands in his pockets.
Laura's eyes widened, then she cleared her throat. "Uh, I'll just… go over there." And she practically ran.
Claire swallowed hard. "Mr. Yu," she greeted formally.
But as she looked at him, she felt something… different. The way he gazed at her, the way he spoke—it wasn't as sharp as before. It was softer. Gentler.
And it was making her melt.
'Why do I keep feeling like this?' she thought. He isn't even trying to do anything.
She braced herself, hoping—praying—that he wouldn't bring up what she had said the night before, at least not here.
Leon's gaze lingered on her. "You surprised me in there."
Claire's fingers curled at her sides. "I didn't intend to."
He took a slow step forward. "You made it feel so real"
Her breath caught.
Leon's eyes studied her, unreadable yet intense. "That wasn't acting."
Claire felt exposed, like he was peeling away her layers and seeing parts of her she didn't want to show.
She lifted her chin. "Isn't that the mark of a good actress?"
Leon's lips curved slightly. "Perhaps."
A pause.
Then he nodded slightly. "Good work today."
Claire's heart lurched at the simple praise and a blush escaped on her cheeks but she tried to school her expression and hide it.
"T..Thank you..sir" she stuttered and Leon smiled at her nervousness around people.
Leon turned to leave, his presence lingering even after he disappeared into the distance.
But the moment he was gone, hushed whispers turned into outright snickers around her.
A group of women standing nearby exchanged knowing glances. One of them, a tall woman with perfectly styled curls, smirked. "Why was Mr. Yu even talking to her?"
Another giggled. "Oh, isn't it obvious? People like her are the ones who open their legs for roles."
A third girl sneered. "She wasn't even that great. He probably just likes them desperate."
Laughter rippled through the group.
Claire's nails dug into her palms, a flicker of anger rising in her chest.
Laura, who had just returned, scoffed loudly. "Oh, please. If anyone in this room is desperate, it's you bunch of talentless mannequins waiting for a miracle to happen."
The group of women glared, but Claire placed a hand on Laura's arm, stopping her.
Then, with an eerie calmness, she turned to face them directly.
"You think I got here by sleeping with someone?" Claire's lips curled into a smirk. "Then I must be really good at it, considering Mr. Yu made me redo the scene instead of handing me the role."
The smirks faltered.
She took a slow step closer, voice dropping just enough to send a chill down their spines. "But you know what's funny? If that's your first thought, maybe it's because that's the only way you know how to get ahead."
Silence.
One of the girls crossed her arms. "Oh, please. As if we don't know the truth."
Claire raised a brow. "And what truth would that be?"
The girl let out a mocking laugh. "Leon Yu is married. So if he's got his eye on you, it's probably because you're his mistress—his desperate little bed warmer trying to get a role out of it."
A few of the others giggled. "Poor thing probably thinks she's special."
Claire stared at them with a mocking smile on her face hearing their words.
Laura snapped. "You b—"
But Claire held up a hand, silencing her.
Then she smiled. It wasn't warm—it was ice-cold.
"Well," she said slowly, tilting her head, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see who's really talented and gets the role."
Her voice carried a quiet confidence, one that made the other women shift uncomfortably.
Claire's smile widened slightly. "And when that happens, let's see if you still think it has anything to do with a man."
The women stiffened, faces turning red with anger and embarrassment.
Claire tilted her head. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than entertain insecure little girls."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, Laura following behind.
Laura huffed. "Ugh, I hate them. Do they ever get tired of tearing people down? I mean they're insulting you when you're literally his wife" She grumbled.
Claire chuckled and exhaled sharply, shaking off the lingering sting of their words. "Let them talk. The best revenge is proving them wrong."
Laura whistled. "But damn, that was satisfying, putting people like them in their place."
Claire smirked. "I thought so too."
But as they left the audition hall, Claire couldn't shake off one lingering thought—why did Leon's simple words or praise affect her more than they should?