Cynthia spun a pen in her hand, her gaze fixed on Yvonne with a flicker of interest.


    "You may begin," York said after he finished reviewing her portfolio.


    Yvonne''s portrayal of the Harengon was certainly cute and naive, but her fox-like eyes were simply too distracting.


    Who had ever seen a Harengon with the eyes of a fox? It would pull the audience right out of the story.


    Before Yvonne could even finish her scene, York cut her off with a polite smile. "That''s enough."


    Yvonne knew she didn''t have much of a chance. Unfazed, she thanked everyone and prepared to leave the stage.


    The auditions for the female roles were nearly finished, with the male actors up next. The actors auditioning this time were also highly suited for their roles.


    Director Vasquez had always had a sharp eye for casting.


    He had the actor auditioning for the male lead perform a scene opposite the female lead.


    York turned to look at the audience, about to call up one of the actresses who had auditioned for the lead role, when Cynthia suddenly spoke up, pointing at Yvonne.


    "You, Ms. Jones, could you please read with this actor?"


    Yvonne stopped in her tracks,staring nkly for a moment before nodding and returning to the stage.


    York was also taken aback. There were several A-list actresses who had auditioned for the lead role; even for a simple scene reading, the part wouldn''t normally go to Yvonne.


    But since Cynthia had spoken, York couldn''t openly disagree with her.


    Yvonne temporarily took on the role of the female lead to perform opposite the actor auditioning for the male lead.


    The female lead was named Jane. She was innocent and carefree in her youth, but after a cmity wiped out her entire n, she became consumed by revenge and transformed into a notorious viiness.


    vel.


    The male lead was a fox, Xavier. He was gentle, righteous, and proud. He unintentionally saved Jane, sparking a tumultuous love-hate rtionship between them in the end, Jane was redeemed by his love and sacrificed herself to save humanity, dying in his arms.


    York had chosen the most pivotal scene in the entire drama for the audition: the final moment when Jane dies in Xavier''s arms.


    Even though Yvonne was just a scene partner, she couldn''t afford to drag the actor down, so she poured her all into the performance.


    She hadn''t expected to audition for the lead role, so she wasn''t perfectly familiar with the lines, but she delivered the emotion wlessly.


    No one understood the feeling of sacrificing for the greater good better than Yvonne. And no one knew the despair of facing death better than she did.


    That despair wasn''t a fear of dying, but the fear of never seeing her family and loved ones again—the fear that her death would bring them sorrow.


    The actor opposite her was an A-list movie star, perhaps slightly less famous than Thomas, but a true powerhouse of acting talent.


    As he held her, his tears streamed down his cheeks, falling one by one onto


    Yvonne''s face. They were cold, yet they felt searing hot to her.


    In that moment, Yvonne felt as if she were back in the car, just before the explosion.


    She had stared desperately at the


    sealed windows, her vision blurred with tears. Through them, she thought she saw Bet. What was she thinking then? Oh, right. She was thinking how wonderful it would be to die in his arms.


    Yvonne gripped the actor''s hand, her eyes welling with tears, yet a faint smile touched her lips. She choked out her final line, "To leave this world wrapped in your embrace - I amplete."