POV seraphina Lark
"He's genuinely a boring actor to watch—no class, zero facial expression, and fucking ugly to the core. How is he still getting big gigs in the industry? You're way better than him at acting. I just don't get it."
Lyra stared angrily at the massive billboard of Rafael Lee.
"I heard he's from a rich family. So it's probably Daddy pulling strings to get him those big commercials and movie roles. Nepotism at its finest."
"He's handsome," Freya chimed in. "Totally my type—from head to toe. I wish I could just kidnap him and keep him to myself."
We were in a limousine, on our way to the resort we booked before arriving in Bali, Indonesia. We got in earlier than I expected, and I was already stressed—mostly from Lyra and Freya's nonstop rant about some actor. It always got annoying when they started arguing about celebrities like they weren't celebrities themselves.
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[Scene Break: The Resort]
I jolted awake at the sound of screaming outside. Groggy, I stepped out to see what the fuss was about.
Turned out my friends were already having a field night while I was passed out. A bonfire was lit, and they were sitting in a circle—with some new faces I didn't recognize. I checked the time.
11:23 PM.
Damn. How long had I been sleeping?
"Hey! Come over here! What are you doing just standing there?" Freya called out.
I walked over, muttering under my breath, "Damn, hot guys."
"Let's play Truth or Dare," Luna said, eyeing me with that mischievous grin I hated. That look never meant anything good.
"I don't like where this is going," I mumbled to myself. Luna's games were always chaotic.
"Let's start with introductions," Amira suggested sweetly. "We'll go around the circle—starting with the guy in the white polo and ending with Seraphina. Just say your name and why you're in Bali."
"Hi, I'm Preshant Khan. I'm here on vacation with my friends," the guy said. One by one, everyone went around until it got to me.
"I'm Seraphina Lark, and I'm here with my girlies—on vacation, of course."
The game of Truth or Dare went surprisingly well. Fun. Chill. No drama.
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[Scene Break: One Month Later]
It's been a month since our Bali vacation. Everyone's gone back to their usual lives and work.
I'm currently flying to the Republic of Korea for a movie shoot. The trip has been exhausting—but I took my private jet. I didn't want to be recognized.
The celebrity life is complicated—one moment you love the fame, the next you're suffocating from the paparazzi. It's a love-hate relationship.
I landed safely and headed to one of my houses in Korea. Yeah, surprising, right?
Okay, maybe now's the time for a proper introduction.
I'm Seraphina Lark. Actress. Entrepreneur. Four-time Oscar nominee, two-time winner. I've broken records, including one in the Guinness Book. Oh—and I'm the youngest female billionaire ever to make the Forbes list of the most influential and powerful women in the world.
And of course, my girls are on that list too. We're known as the Top Five Dawgs of the industry. It's always our names topping the charts—then everyone else comes after. Funny how that works, huh?
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Let me know if you want me to continue with the second half (the call with Lyra, the flashback to Rafael, etc.)—I can clean and polish that too right away!
Perfect! Here's the continuation of your Chapter One (Polished) starting from the part with the call to Lyra and leading into the Rafael twist:
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After taking a long shower, I hopped on a WhatsApp video call with the girls. We talked for hours—laughing, venting, teasing. Eventually, we said our goodnights since everyone had other things to do.
Lyra came over to spend the night at my place. I know what you're thinking: How is that possible? Well, surprise—Lyra is Korean and lives here in Seoul.
She showed up with ramyeon (Korean noodles), and we ate like starving college students. Midway through eating, she asked casually,
"So… do you know who your co-actor is for this movie?"
I blinked. "Funny enough, I have no clue. I'm meeting everyone tomorrow for the first time."
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Later That Night
As I looked over my shoulder, I saw Lyra already asleep.
That's when my mind drifted—to him.
Rafael Lee.
The guy I was dared to kiss in Bali by Freya. The same guy Lyra and Freya were arguing about in the limo, totally unaware of what had gone down that night.
What they didn't know was that I slept with him that very night. And we never said a word to each other for the rest of our stay.
He's been stuck in my head ever since.
He's a big shot actor in Korea, and I've done everything to avoid crossing paths with him. I didn't want complications. But the memory of that night? Unshakable.
It was my first—and only—one-night stand.
And damn, it was good.
Maybe it was because I'd been celibate for two years? Or maybe it was him…
That sexy back, those broad shoulders, the abs and biceps that screamed danger. And his voice—God, his deep voice could make me weak without even trying.
Everything about him turned me on.
I hated this feeling.
Was it love? Lust?
I didn't know. And that uncertainty made it worse.
With a frustrated sigh, I turned off the lamp and went to sleep.
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The Next Morning
I groaned as my alarm blared like it was trying to murder me. I reached out to snooze it and realized Lyra wasn't beside me.
Where the hell did she go?
I showered quickly and headed to the kitchen.
"Damn, you look good!" I said, admiring her outfit as she leaned against the counter.
"You're looking stunning too," she replied, smirking.
We had breakfast and parted ways—Lyra to the courthouse (yep, she's a prosecutor, president's daughter and an actress… talk about a triple threat), and me to Phoenix Studio for our script reading and actor introductions.
My manager had everything arranged and even drove me himself. I'd accepted the role because I wanted something fresh—something that reminded me of my debut film. That film had pulled in a billion dollars on its first day of release and was filled with action and a badass female lead.
Since then, I'd mostly done rom-coms and comedies. But this? This was different.
Diverse characters. A strong storyline.
Exactly what I needed.
I arrived at the studio, met the director and crew, and got along with everyone easily.
Script reading hadn't started yet. Everyone was still waiting for the male leads to show up.
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[Author POV]
Seraphina excused herself to use the bathroom when her phone rang.
It was her manager.
"The male lead's here. They're waiting on you."
She rushed back. She hated keeping people waiting.
As she stepped into the room, her eyes caught the back of a tall figure—broad shoulders, familiar build.
Her heart skipped.
She squinted, trying to place him.
And then… he turned.
Time froze.
Rafael Lee.
The man she swore she'd never see again.
Their eyes met.
Both of them froze—shock written across their faces.
Seraphina blinked in disbelief.
"Oh… shit," she whisperd