Devilish secretary - Chapter 309

Chapter 309: Chapter 309 Audition
Meanwhile, in the softly lit apartment Lia and Rayan shared, the atmosphere was unusually still. Lia had fallen asleep on the couch, her head tilted slightly, one hand resting on her stomach as the television played on mute in the background.

Rayan sat beside her, unmoving, his eyes fixed on her sleeping face. Something about her peaceful expression didn’t sit right with him tonight. And after hesitating for a moment too long, he gently picked up her phone from the coffee table where she’d left it.

He knew it was wrong.

But something inside him was nagging.

He unlocked the phone, her password hadn’t changed and began to scroll through her contacts. At first, it was normal. A few girl friends. Makeup artists. Then he started noticing more names, ones he didn’t recognize. Male names. Nicknames. First names with no last names. Several had hearts beside them. A few were saved with emojis. None of them were his.

His jaw clenched as he scrolled further, his thumb moving faster, his chest tightening. Why did she need so many male contacts? And more importantly—why was she still talking to them.

Then his eyes stopped.

Lilith.

Her name was still saved in Lia’s contacts.

He tapped on it.

No messages.

But the profile photo was just a solid black background. No selfie. No quote. No smile.

Rayan stared at it for a long time.

He put the phone down slowly, his expression unreadable now. A strange silence settled over him, heaviness without words. his gaze slowly shifting toward Lia. Her breathing was soft and steady, her head tilted slightly as she slept in fragile stillness. But his eyes weren’t on her face. They dropped lower—to her stomach. His chest rose and fell with something heavy as he looked at the small swell under the thin blanket. His baby. Their baby. The thought alone was enough to loosen the tightness in his chest, just for a moment. The child wasn’t at fault. That tiny heartbeat had done nothing wrong. That life forming quietly inside her was innocent. It didn’t ask to be born into chaos. It didn’t know about past betrayals or buried guilt. And that single thought… softened him.

His shoulders eased as he leaned back slightly, his eyes fixed on her stomach like he could see through the skin and into the future. A future where he might be holding a child with his eyes. A tiny version of himself. A second chance at being someone better and yet, the guilt sat quietly at the edge of his thoughts.

Because while part of him wanted to protect what was his… another part of him still looked for something that no longer belonged to him.

Lilith’s black profile photo flickered in his mind.

Rayan closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply.

***

Lilith stood in front of her mirror that morning, a soft thrill running through her veins like electricity humming beneath her skin. She hadn’t felt this in a long time—nervous excitement. A silent storm of possibility.

She wore a simple but striking black dress, fitted to perfection, ending just below her knees. Her heels matched her dress. Her makeup was minimal, enough to highlight her sharp features, her glowing skin, the natural flush on her cheeks. Her hair was neatly tied into a bun, a few strands framing her face delicately. She didn’t overdo anything.

She glanced at herself once more before grabbing her file, script, and a bottle of water. The cab arrived on time, and she climbed in, her eyes half-lidded as she looked out the window.

The address Nina had sent her was about 30 kilometers away, tucked in the outer part of the city where studios and production houses often rented private spaces for casting. The drive was smooth, but her mind didn’t rest. She wasn’t nervous about the performance—no. She was ready.

What unsettled her more was the fact that life had brought her here. She never wanted to be part of the entertainment industry.

When she first transmigrated into this world, acting wasn’t even on the list. But here she was.

When she arrived, the street was loud and crowded. Too crowded. She stepped out of the cab, her heels clicking against the pavement.

Her eyes scanned the area. There were easily over a hundred people gathered—most of them women. Beautiful. Dolled up. Each one in perfect makeup, stylish dresses, with assistants adjusting their hair or fixing their expressions before cameras. Laughter echoed, perfumes mixed in the air, phones clicked for selfies and social posts. It was a world of sparkle and noise.

And Lilith hated crowds.

She stood still—alone and entirely unbothered. No assistant. No stylist. No photographer following her. And yet… something about her made heads turn. Perhaps it was the way she carried herself. Like someone who had already won something long before the rest had even arrived.

She took a deep breath, adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, and walked through the entrance gate like she belonged there—

Because she did.

The audition hall was filled with tension. Just outside the main casting room, chairs were arranged in neat rows, each marked with a number. Lilith found her seat—90.

There were already dozens of women seated before her, chatting, adjusting their makeup, some flipping through scripts nervously, others rehearsing their lines under their breath. Despite the crowd, Lilith looked unbothered.

She sat quietly, one leg crossed over the other, phone in hand, calmly chatting with her human doll.

Alexander was, as always, half-concerned and half-possessive.

“Entertainment industry isn’t clean, Lili,” he said through text. “It looks glamorous from outside, but you’ll meet people who want to use you. Who smile while stabbing you.”

Lilith smiled faintly at his message.

“Let them try,” she replied with a soft smirk, her fingers moving slowly on the screen. “I’ll smile too—right before I bury their career.”

But even as she texted him, a subtle chill crept up her spine. She felt it. That gaze. Not curiosity. Not admiration. Something meaner. Like someone watching her with resentment wrapped in silk.

Lilith slowly raised her head.