Alora thought Rafael had spotted her. But his gaze slid right past her, and he carefully tucked the blanket around Tessa, completely unaware she was there.

A bitter, self-mocking smile curved Alora's lips as the truth hit her: the difference between being loved and being ignored was glaring. That kind of clarity made her unwavering devotion feel like one colossal joke. She swore she'd never be that foolish again.

Alora didn't glance back at Rafael—who was gently letting go of Tessa to join the line across the street. She just turned and walked the other way.

Leaving Rafael behind was the start of her pursuit of a dream career in voice acting.

She'd always adored the animated series Rebirth—especially the character, the Deep Sea Siren. When auditions for the role were announced, Alora sent in a recording as instructed. Soon after, she was invited to a studio audition the next day.

From now on, she wanted to shine in the field she loved. She had no desire to look back—or to reclaim any lost love.

The next morning, Alora arrived at the studio for her audition. The Deep Sea Siren was such a coveted role that nearly fifty voice actors showed up to compete. They drew lots to decide the order, and Alora pulled the last spot. That meant waiting over three hours.

Alora was nervous. The panel was led by the famous director Charles Quinn, a man known for his impossible standards and brutal critiques. The last person to leave the room in tears was a voice actor Alora actually respected. If someone that talented didn't make the cut, what chance did she have?

Even so, becoming an outstanding voice actor was her dream. She wasn't about to back down.

The moment she received the script for the Deep Sea Siren, she immersed herself in the character, shedding the last of her anxiety. She became the captive siren who refused to bow to fate—the one who challenged the heavens themselves.

“Unlike you, brother, I won't hide in the depths like a coward!”

By that morning, Charles had auditioned over forty voice actors—some of the most respected names in the industry, with impeccable voices and delivery. And yet, something was still missing.

After a morning of fruitless auditions, he was exhausted and numb. There was no point in dragging it out. It would only mean more disappointment and another wasted day.

Just as he was about to dismiss Alora without giving her a real shot, her voice cut through the fog in his head.

At first, he was slouched in his chair, eyes closed, totally checked out. But Alora's voice made him sit up. When he recognized her as Rafael's girlfriend, he was thrown.

The rumor mill had always painted Alora as Rafael's arm candy—pretty, sure, but no real talent. Who would've guessed she had skills like this?

Before he could recover from the shock, Alora's voice pulled him in again.

“What is destiny?” she challenged. “Is keeping my merfolk tribe imprisoned in the abyss destiny? If destiny is unjust, then I'll defy it. I'll overturn the heavens and rewrite the rules of this world!”

Alora had one of those faces—innocent and charming, like a flower blooming under moonlight. At past parties, Charles had only ever seen her sitting quietly beside Rafael, looking like a well-behaved girl. Or maybe just Rafael's shadow.

He never imagined that when she was absorbed in a voice role, she could unleash this kind of explosive power. Her voice captured all the arrogance and nobility of a mermaid princess, with a lively, feminine allure that was entirely her own.

Charles closed his eyes, entranced. It was as if the proud, coldly elegant Deep Sea Siren had appeared before him—tail swaying, head held high.

She was exactly the Deep Sea Siren he'd been searching for.

“Alora.” Charles's voice finally broke the silence.

Alora's palms were slick with nerves.

“You did an amazing job. Come back after two o’clock to sign the contract. I look forward to working with you,” Charles said.

Alora stared at him, stunned. Then, like dawn breaking across her face, her eyes lit up with brilliant light.

She pulled herself together fast. “Thank you, Mr. Quinn. I'll cherish this opportunity and give it everything I've got!”

“Good.”

Charles's assistant looked just as shocked, eyes wide. Charles was known for being brutally critical and almost never praised anyone. But Alora's talent? It deserved every word.

The studio was a long way from the luxury hotel where she was staying, so Alora decided not to go back. Instead, she planned to grab a bite at a nearby food court and come back early to sign the contract.

Her heart overflowed with joy and excitement at finally being acknowledged. She had no idea that Tessa Guzman was also dead set on snagging the role of the Deep Sea Siren.

Tessa had been a year ahead of Alora in college. Before going overseas, she'd already made a name for herself in voice acting. Confident in her skills—and as Rafael's cherished love—she thought competing with newcomers for a role was beneath her.

She and Charles had a mutual friend, so she knew his standards were impossibly high. She was sure none of the actors auditioning today would meet them.

She planned to call Charles once auditions ended and offer to step in. That way, she'd secure the role and make it look like she was doing Charles a favor.

Just as she was about to dial, a text came in from her friend: Alora had been chosen as the voice of the Deep Sea Siren.

The news sent a surge of rage through Tessa. She nearly shattered her phone in fury.

With the character's massive popularity, voicing the Deep Sea Siren promised acclaim and a whole new wave of fans. How dare that little upstart Alora think she was worthy of a role like that?

“Rafael...” Tessa murmured.

Tessa was in a hospital room with Rafael at her side. After finishing his call and returning to her, she wrapped her arms around his, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her lips curved into a pout.

“I heard Charles is casting for the Deep Sea Siren. You know how much I love that character.”

“I really want to voice her,” Tessa pleaded softly. “I don't have much time left. I don't want to leave this world with regrets. Rafael, can I voice the Deep Sea Siren?”

“Don’t cry, Tessa.”

Tessa Guzman tipped her chin up in defiance, tears brimming but refusing to fall—fragile as crystal on the verge of shattering. It stirred something fiercely protective in Rafael Holmes. The sight of her like that tugged hard at his heart. He couldn’t let her down. Not now. Not ever.

Brushing the tears from the corners of her eyes, Rafael soothed her patiently. “I’ll call Charles right now.”

Charles picked up almost immediately. Assuming Rafael was calling about Alora Moore’s recent audition for Deep Sea Siren, he answered cheerfully. “Rafael, why are you keeping a star hidden?”

“You don’t have to worry. Your…” He was about to assure Rafael that he’d keep an eye on Alora, recognizing her remarkable talent. But before he could finish, Rafael cut him off. “Tessa wants to voice the Deep Sea Siren.”

“What?”

Charles froze, caught completely off guard. When he recovered, he said quickly, “The voice for the Deep Sea Siren has already been cast. It’s Alora.”

“Alora’s voice and performance are perfect for the Deep Sea Siren. I can’t just replace her.”

Alora…

At the sound of her name, Rafael’s mind drifted back to the suite last night. She’d looked so defeated, blood on her forehead. Were her injuries still hurting her? He remembered her eyes—so full of disappointment and sadness she couldn’t hide—and his chest twisted painfully.

But Tessa might not have much time left. He hardened his resolve. “Tessa will be the voice actor for the Deep Sea Siren.”

“Rafael, you—”

Charles started to argue, but Rafael added, “I’ll invest an additional ten million.”

Charles shut up fast.

He’d listened to Tessa’s voice samples. She was talented, sure, but her vocal depth and range didn’t quite match Alora’s. He hated compromising. Yet animated films cost a fortune, and an offer like that was hard to turn down.

“Fine. I’ll go with Tessa.”

Charles usually stayed out of personal business, but Alora’s audition had been outstanding. He valued talent—genuinely—and couldn’t help saying, “Rafael, I already finalized everything with Alora this morning. Switching to Tessa is going to make her feel cheated.”

“She’s your girlfriend, after all. Honestly? This feels unfair to her.”

Rafael didn’t answer right away. He knew how much Alora had loved voice acting long before they were together. She used to watch the Rebirth animation with him, going on and on about how captivating and incredible the Deep Sea Siren was. She’d been thrilled at the chance to voice that character in an animated film.

And now that chance was within her reach… The thought of her pain, of her crying if she lost it, made his chest tighten until he could barely breathe.

But he couldn’t change his mind.

“This is what Tessa wants.”

After a long pause, he said with finality, “I don’t want Tessa to have any regrets.”

“Alora’s only twenty-two. She’ll have plenty of chances to voice the characters she loves. But if Tessa misses this one, it’ll be a permanent regret.”

On the other end of the line, Charles’s brows furrowed deeply.

He strongly disagreed with what Rafael was doing. “But Rafael, you’re taking a role that rightfully belonged to Alora and handing it to Tessa.”

“Aren’t you worried you’re going to make Alora angry?”

“That she might hold a grudge? Pull away from you?”

“Once someone’s heart goes cold, it doesn’t warm up again easily. Rafael, aren’t you afraid Alora might leave you one day?”

Alora leaving him…

His heart wrenched at the thought, an uneasy feeling crawling under his skin. He instinctively rejected the idea. Alora would never leave him.

As Charles kept pushing, Rafael cut him off sharply. “Alora won’t leave me.”

“She has no family. No friends. I’m all she has. How could she possibly leave me?”

Rafael didn’t like what Charles was implying. He hung up without another word.

Charles stared at the darkening screen and let out a helpless sigh.

Everyone in their circle said Alora was blindly devoted to Rafael—more loyal than the most faithful pet—and that she’d never leave him.

But hearts change. Nothing in this world stays the same forever.

He had a feeling his friend would regret this one day.

---

Charles’s assistant told Alora to come to the conference room to sign the contract. After lunch, with time to kill before the appointment, Alora sat in the hallway and scrolled through her phone.

She came across a post from Tessa—one that was visible only to her.

“If I want it, it’s mine. Hello, Deep Sea Siren.”

The photo showed two hands intertwined, with an image of the Deep Sea Siren beside them. The woman’s hand was unmistakably Tessa’s, wearing a custom diamond ring Rafael had once ordered for Alora. The man’s hand—elegant, long-fingered—wore the matching ring. She recognized it as Rafael’s.

She and Rafael had already broken up. So no matter how much Tessa flaunted their relationship, it shouldn’t have mattered. But paired with the Deep Sea Siren image, the post sent a clear message: Tessa was claiming the role.

Charles had just finalized the role with her. So why was Tessa posting this?

“Miss Alora, I’m sorry.”

The assistant’s voice cut through her confusion.

His face was flushed with embarrassment. “I just got word that we won’t be able to sign the contract with you.”

“The Deep Sea Siren role has been reassigned. It was an investor decision.”

The investor, obviously, was Rafael.

“It’s okay.”

Alora knew it wasn’t the assistant’s fault. She tried to force a polite smile, but her heart ached, full of frustration and resentment. She couldn’t make herself smile.

The assistant saw the sadness and disappointment in her eyes.

He’d also heard that the investor who pushed Alora aside was supposedly her boyfriend.

What kind of boyfriend didn’t support his own girlfriend? Instead, he was helping someone else. It was baffling.

“I’ll get going. I hope we can work together another time.”

Alora’s eyes welled up. Not wanting to break down in front of him, she turned quickly and headed for the elevator.

Of course, fate had other plans. When she reached the ground-floor lobby, she ran straight into Rafael and Tessa.

Tessa clung playfully to Rafael’s arm. “Rafael, thank you for letting me voice the Deep Sea Siren. You’re so good to me. I’ll be good to you, too.”

“Hmm.” Rafael’s response was noncommittal, his gaze dark and unreadable.

It was obvious he was there to accompany Tessa to sign the contract.

Tessa snuggled closer, and he naturally laced his fingers through hers—just as Alora stepped out of the elevator.

He went rigid, taking a half-step back from Tessa Guzman. “Alora…”

“Rafael, I earned the role of the Deep Sea Siren on my own talent. How could you just hand it to Tessa?”

“How could I?”

Alora had been fighting to keep her emotions in check, but seeing Rafael with Tessa? That shattered her control. Then her gaze snagged on the locket around Tessa’s neck—the keepsake her parents had left her—and helpless fury flooded her eyes.

“And this locket…”

“My parents left this to me. What gives you the right to give it to Tessa, Rafael? By what right?”

“Alora!”

As Tessa’s eyes filled with tears and her body swayed like she might collapse, Rafael looked at Alora with unmistakable disapproval.

“Can’t you be reasonable?”

“Voicing the Deep Sea Siren has been Tessa’s lifelong dream. She only has six months left. Why do you have to compete with her over everything?”

There it was again. The ‘unreasonable’ label.

A bitter laugh tore from Alora’s throat. Her eyes were red-rimmed, glistening with unshed tears.

“Rafael, voicing the Deep Sea Siren was my dream too!”

If she’d gotten this opportunity through some backdoor deal and Rafael had handed it to Tessa, maybe she wouldn’t be this angry. But she’d earned it with her own skill. He had no right to hand it over.

“Alora, you’ll have other chances. Tessa doesn’t have much time…”

Alora cut him off with a bitter laugh. “Tessa doesn’t have much time left…”

“So because she’s sick, it’s okay for her to wear the dress I sewed by hand?”

“Because she’s ill, it’s fine to give her the keepsakes my parents left me?”

“Just because she’s sick, everything I own should rightfully become hers?”

“Tessa’s life matters, but mine counts for nothing?”

“Is the world supposed to revolve around her just because she’s sick?”

“Rafael, if you’re so fixated on Tessa and want to take care of her, that’s your business. But you have no right to use my things to please her—or to mess with my life!”

Rafael’s pupils contracted sharply, catching the anger flickering in Alora’s eyes.

He never imagined Alora would look at him with such hostility—as if all the love she’d once had for him was fading, as if she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Panic and unease welled up inside him.

“Alora…”

A dull ache spread through his chest. Just as he was about to speak softly to Alora, Tessa’s hoarse, pained voice cut in. “Alora, I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t know I’d end up taking your role. I only wanted so badly to voice the Deep Sea Siren. It’s my last wish…”

“I’m sorry…”

Tessa lifted her chin, eyes closed defiantly as if holding back tears. Two silent streams slipped down her face. She looked noble, proud—a tear-streaked rose that made people want to do anything just to see her smile again.

Then she coughed, frail and delicate, and a trace of bright red appeared at the corner of her lips.

“Tessa!”

Seeing her not only crying but showing signs of distress, Rafael forgot all about placating Alora. He turned, anxiously steadying Tessa’s wavering form.

“Are you in pain? Let’s get you back to the hospital!”

“I don’t want to go back.”

Tessa weakly clasped his hand, her enchanting eyes filled with a chilly brokenness and hope. “I want to sign the contract…”

“I can’t miss the Deep Sea Siren. It’s been my dream all along…”

“Okay, we’ll sign the contract first.”

Worried she might fall, he carefully picked her up in his arms. Even when met with Alora’s cold, disdainful eyes, Rafael felt deeply uncomfortable.

But he knew Alora was only looking at him like that because she was angry. She was easy to please. Give her a little attention, and she’d throw herself into his arms willingly. Often, he didn’t even need to do anything—she’d console herself, eyes full of him once more.

No one could ever love him more than Alora did.

Alora would never leave him. But Tessa truly had limited time. He didn’t want her last moments to be unhappy.

As Tessa continued to cry silently, he couldn’t help but frown and chastise Alora. “Alora, you went too far today!”

“I’m the one who gave the role to Tessa. This has nothing to do with her.”

“Move back in tonight!”

“And stop constantly targeting Tessa, let alone mentioning breaking up!”

Rafael’s words clearly showed he didn’t agree with breaking up with Alora. Hearing the implication, Tessa quietly clenched her fists.

But she was adept at managing her expressions. No matter how much she wanted to tear Alora apart inside, she still looked at Alora with sincerity and kindness.

“Alora, please don’t fight with Rafael anymore.”

“I know you misunderstand me a lot, but my relationship with Rafael is truly innocent.”

“I never wanted to take anything from you, and I don’t want to destroy what you and Rafael have. I hope you both can be happy.”

She claimed she never wanted to take anything…

Alora knew Tessa was exceptionally skilled at lying through her teeth.

She claimed she didn’t want to take anything, yet she hijacked the wedding Alora had planned and even insisted on wearing the dress Alora had sewn herself.

She claimed she didn’t want to take anything, yet she shamelessly took Alora’s parents’ keepsakes.

But with Tessa’s shamelessness and Rafael’s immense bias, arguing was pointless.

She no longer argued angrily. She only offered a sarcastic smile. “Yes, you and Rafael are very innocent.”

“Innocently kissed. Innocently got married.”

“Why not innocently go to bed too?”

After saying this, Alora didn’t linger. She abruptly turned and walked toward the exit of the hall.

“Alora!”

Rafael’s face turned stormy, the cold aura around him chilling to the bone.

He never intended to sleep with Tessa.

Her accusations and jealousy were outrageous!

“Rafael, my stomach hurts…”

Hearing Tessa’s plaintive voice, he ignored Alora.

Holding her tighter, his voice full of concern, “Tessa, let’s go upstairs and sign the contract now, then head straight back to the hospital.”

“No need for the hospital. It’s just a stitch in my side. A little massage from you will make it all better.”

Tessa’s voice grew softer and more suggestive. “Come on, just give me a little rub, won’t you?”

“Alright.”

From a distance, Alora heard Tessa’s playful voice.

She wanted Rafael to massage her stomach.

With that kind of intimacy between them, could it really be just a simple massage?

She imagined Rafael and Tessa entangled in a heated embrace, and it felt like a knife twisting in her heart.

She didn’t hate the way she felt, even though it cut her to the bone.

Because she knew that stopping loving Rafael was like carving infected flesh from her body.

Even after it was cut away, the wound would still ache.

But as long as she kept moving forward and didn’t look back, that pain would eventually lessen.

In time, she would be reborn.

---

Even though Alora missed out on voicing the Deep Sea Siren, she didn’t wallow in self-pity or despair.

She went to several auditions afterward.

It was like some personal challenge—every time she secured a notable role, she’d be told before signing that she was being replaced.

Without exception, it was always Tessa who replaced her.

Still, during this period, she did land some work.

Even if they were only minor roles, she tackled them with enthusiasm and dedication.

Tessa tried to undermine her at every turn, hoping she would sink into disgrace and despair. But Alora was determined to rise above it.

The hotel she was staying at offered a buffet breakfast.

After washing up in the morning, Alora headed downstairs to the hotel dining area—only to find Rafael’s cousin, Isla Lane, standing right there at the door!