First meeting
The finishing pose of the Black Swan dance. Yes, I'm a ballerina. As the final notes lingered in the air, I felt a strange weight on me. Someone was watching throughout the show—not like the other audience members, but with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. I pushed through the curtain backstage, desperate to change out of my costume and wipe off the thick makeup that felt heavy on my skin. But before I could make my way to the dressing room, someone stepped into my path.
"Good afternoon, Miss Rena." Oh my... I didn't hide my admiration for him. My heart raced at the sight of him.
"Good afternoon, Mr..." I let my voice hang, unsure of his name. He locked his gaze with mine, brown eyes piercing through me. He was tall, with black wavy hair that fell perfectly into place, framing a handsome face that seemed almost too perfect. He could make me crawl to him if he wanted to. I quickly shook those thoughts from my head and tried to focus. When he spoke, his voice was like velvet. Oh god, how could someone be so captivating?
"My name is Rhys Arlen. You can call me Rhys."
I nodded, forcing a smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Rhys." I looked away, then back at him, curiosity burning. "Mr. Rhys, I believe you have something to discuss with me, right?"
He smiled and nodded. "Yes, you're right, Miss Rena."
I giggled, sensing that men like him didn't come backstage to be polite after a performance without a motive. "If you want, Mr. Rhys, we can discuss what you want to talk about in my room."
"Brilliant," he said, his voice smooth, as he followed me with his assistant trailing behind.
Once inside, I gestured to the chair opposite mine. "Please, take a seat." He sat down, his posture relaxed yet confident. "Miss Rena, I'm obsessed with your dancing. I'm here to ask if you'd like to be the face of our new perfume." His tone dropped to a whisper. "Maybe after that, you'll be more than just the face."
My brows knitted in confusion, the implications of his words swirling in my mind, but I pushed them aside. "Well, Mr. Rhys, I'd love to, but you need to discuss this with my manager," I said, smiling. "My dad."
A hint of an evil smile crossed his lips, disappearing just as quickly. He was so weird but also exactly my type. God, if he wasn't an angel, I'd gladly burn in hell with him. I found myself lost in a fantasy, admiring his handsomeness until he snapped his fingers in front of my face, pulling me back to reality.
"I'm sorry, I..." I was too nervous to finish my thought, stumbling over my words. He smiled and leaned closer. "No worries, amore. I'll see you tomorrow in your dad's office. I believe you already accepted my offer. I'll leave the convincing to you." With that, he was gone, leaving me speechless. Did he just call me amore? What in the world was going on? He didn't even give me a moment to process. I just nodded, still reeling as he walked out.
My mind raced, knowing my dad would flip out. He never accepted offers for publications, dramas, or films. He always refused.
A knock interrupted my thoughts. Liana barged in without waiting for permission, her energy filling the room. What was wrong with everyone today? "I saw a handsome man leaving your room. Is he your secret boyfriend? No, I don't think so. Did he offer you anything? OR HE IS A SERIAL KILLER THAT FOLLOWS YOU?! Nah, I don't think so. Maybe he is just some stupid guy, but omg, he is so handsome. Do you know if he is single? Or..."
"Liana, stop talking. Please, you're giving me a headache!" I cried, exasperated.
She laughed, flopping onto the couch. "Oh honey, I'm not giving you a headache. I'm the headache personally."
"Glad you know that, sweetie." I smiled, shaking my head at her antics.
"Then what are we doing tonight?" she asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Trying to convince Dad to accept the offer to be the face of Adora perfume."
Liana raised an eyebrow, her little evil smile spreading. "Hmm, tsk tsk tsk. I know you very well, and you never disobey your father, but here you are, thinking about how to convince him because of a handsome man." She spun around me, her gaze playful. "Hmm, tall, wavy brown hair, small waist, let me see, a beautiful chest and—" she slapped my ass, "and a big beautiful booty."
"And what is this supposed to mean?" I asked, laughing.
"That man will fall in love with you in two months. Leave your father to me. I know how to convince him to accept this. After all, I'm your stepmother, honey." I laughed hard. Yes, Liana was my stepmother, and she was in her forties but had more energy than I could muster.
I looked at her playfully. "And how are you going to do that, stepmother?" She grabbed her boobs with a flourish. "Don't you think this piece of art is enough?" I hugged her, grinning. "Let's go home, sexy lady."
After a hot, relaxing shower, I sank into bed, all I could think about was that handsome, playful man. I was falling hard just because he talked to me once. What am I, a teenager? I slapped my forehead, trying to distract myself until dinner time.
Later that evening, we sat at the dining table, and laughter filled the air until Dad's voice cut through it. "I heard that you want to be the face of that brand of perfume. Is that true?"
Nervousness settled in my stomach, but Liana winked at me. "Um, yes."
"Okay, tomorrow at nine o'clock in my office."
I nodded vigorously. My dad was strict, and I'd learned not to cross him. I still couldn't fathom why this energetic woman had fallen in love with him.
After he left, I turned to Liana. "How did you do that??"
She smiled slyly. "Honey, I'm a woman. We have superpowers. We can make men do anything for us. We just need to know how to use it." She winked.
I couldn't believe this woman. "I'm grateful you're here. You're my hero. You need to teach me how to use my power."
"You will know how to use it when it's the right man for you, sweetheart."
"How about divorcing my dad and being my mistress?"
"How naughty your mouth is, Rena. If your dad hears you say those things, he will kill me."
"Naah, he wouldn't. I've never seen him deeply in love with anyone before you."
"I know. I know I'm just perfect. Look at this beauty, and maybe you are my lost daughter that I've never had. There's no way someone could be as perfect as me."
We laughed, and I felt grateful to have her in my life.
The next day, I walked to my father's office, wearing a white dress that hugged my figure just right, covering half my thighs. My wavy hair cascaded down my back, and a little mascara brought out my brown eyes, paired with pink gloss that shimmered on my lips. I wore a silver necklace shaped like a heart and delicate silver earrings that sparkled like stars. In simple English, I felt stunning. My white skin glowed, and I believed that if he saw me today, he'd forget his own name.
I knocked on my dad's office door and stepped inside. He sat on the side couch, clad in a black suit that accentuated his well-defined physique. I smiled back at him, but I could sense the confusion in his gaze. He was probably piecing together my reactions to that guy I'd met just once. I settled onto the other couch, and we began discussing the contract and how things would work. Dad tried to make everything comfortable for me, but I could tell he was still trying to gauge my feelings.
After two hours, we finally modified all the terms of the contract. Rhys stood, shaking my dad's hand before turning to me. "I hope for a good and long collaboration, Miss Rena and Mr. Albert. See you soon."
I nodded, still in a daze. After he left, I attempted to make a quick exit, but Dad stopped me.
"Rena, come back, you little..." He pointed a finger at me. "You made Liana convince me just because he's handsome, right?"
"Daaaddd, that's not true! It's just that I've never been the face of anything in my liiffee."
Dad narrowed his eyes. "I'll try to believe you, but if one day I find out you're in a relationship with this person, you're going to stop dancing ballet."
I bit my lips nervously. "Don't worry, Dad, that would never happen. He's not even my type." I tried to massage his shoulders to calm him down, knowing he wasn't shouting, but I could see the tension in him.
That evening, as I practiced, my thoughts drifted to Rhys. Oh god, why did you give this man such perfection? Every leap, every pirouette felt heavier with the weight of my thoughts about him. I spun across the floor, my body moving in rhythm with the music, but my heart was a chaotic mess.
"I'm sure you're lost in your fantasy about Rhys," Liana said, breaking my focus.
I stopped mid-dance, turning to face her. "When did you..."
"The second you started smiling and dancing like you were partnered up. You have this stupid grin on your face, one I've never seen before, even with all the opportunities you've had," she teased.
I sighed, frustration creeping in. "I don't even have the right to think about being with him. Dad told me if he ever finds out I'm in a relationship with him, he's going to make me stop dancing."
Liana waved her hand dismissively. "He's just worried about you; he didn't really mean it. You don't understand your dad, hun."
"Yes, yes, but you did it with your piece of art, right?" I countered, an eyebrow raised.
She laughed, a musical sound that filled the room. "Yes, absolutely." I giggled, appreciating her energy.
Rhys's POV:
In the morning, I woke up feeling fresh and happy. Finally, I had found the perfect face for my new perfume brand. She was like a lost piece of the ocean, and this perfume was designed to suit her. Many might think I was in love with her, but no, I didn't do love. Yet, I couldn't help but admire her beauty.
After a long shower, I took a moment to savor the water cascading down my body, washing away the remnants of sleep. "I'm alive again," I sighed, stepping out of the shower.
I dressed in my sharp black suit, my hair neatly styled, and slipped a watch onto my wrist. Stepping outside, my driver waited, opening the door for me. We headed straight to the company.
"Sir, Miss Rena is waiting for you in your office. It's been half an hour," my assistant informed me as we arrived.
I made my way to my office, the anticipation building. "Good morning, amore," I greeted her as I stepped inside.
She looked up, her face lighting up with a smile that set my heart racing. "Good morning, Mr. Arlen."
Why did she insist on calling me by my last name? I shook off the thought and took a seat across from her. "Miss Rena, should we talk about the scenario for the publication, or would you prefer to chat a little first?"
"Directly to the scenario, please," she replied, her tone firm yet playful. I sighed inwardly; she was a tough one, but that only intrigued me more.
"Then, Miss Rena, the scenario will be you alone in your room, crying because you failed in your training multiple times. Suddenly, you receive a message that makes you smile. You hear a knock at your door; when you open it, you find a package. Inside, there's a perfume bottle shaped like a black swan. After you spritz a little, you return to your training and nail the dance, performing it perfectly on stage."
"Oh god! I love it! I can picture every scene. Are you a screenwriter or something?" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
I felt a wave of relief wash over me. "Glad to hear that you loved it. You just have to work with your facial expressions—" My words halted when I saw her eyes welling with tears. "Miss Rena, are you okay? Why are you—" She burst into laughter, shaking her head. "And here you can see how good I am at acting, Mr. Arlen."
"Oh my... I didn't realize you had such talent," I admitted, astonished.
"Mr. Arlen, don't forget I'm a ballerina. Every dance we do is a performance, not just simple movements. We have to control our emotions and express ourselves through every gesture."
"I suppose my view was rather superficial; I'm sorry," I said, genuinely humbled. "No need to apologize, Mr. Arlen," she smiled, her expression softening in a way that made my heart skip.
"Shall we head to the set?" I suggested, feeling the electricity between us.
Her smile broadened as she twirled once, her movements graceful and captivating. She truly was a golden treasure, and I found it hard to tear my gaze away. "Lead the way, Mr. Arlen," she said, her voice light and playful.
"This way," I replied, starting to walk as she moved effortlessly beside me, her steps perfectly timed. She was like a leaf floating on water, and I couldn't help but admire the way she carried herself.
"Fall in love, Mr. Arlen?" she teased, a knowing smile on her lips.
I blinked, clearing my throat. "Sorry to disappoint you, Miss Rena, but sadly, I'm very professional. I do not do love."
Her smile widened. "Then I understand that you're single, right, Mr. Arlen?"
"That's not what I meant, but yes, I am. Are you going to take the opportunity?" A smirk played on my lips.
"Sadly, Mr. Arlen, I do not take opportunities. Opportunities take me over," she quipped, her tone light and playful.
I laughed, finding her charming. If she were just a girl at a bar, I'd have swept her off her feet without hesitation. But this was different.
We finally arrived at the company set, where everything was ready for the first shot. It was just a practice day, but with her skills, I knew we could get everything done in one go.
"Miss Rena, shall we?" I asked, excitement bubbling up as we prepared to dive into our collaboration
