For the first time in months, Zeraida walked out of an audition room feeling genuinely satisfied with her performance. The casting directors had watched her monologue in complete silence, their eyes fixed on her every movement until the final line echoed through the soundstage.
"Zeraida!" Rhea called out, hurrying after her down the long studio corridor while clutching her digital tablet tightly against her chest.
Zeraida stopped near the glass exit doors, turning to face her manager with a raised eyebrow. "What is it? Did they leave something behind?"
"You got it," Rhea breathed, out of breath as she caught up to her. "The role of Serena Vale. The supporting female lead."
For several seconds, Zeraida simply stared at her manager in total disbelief, her pulse quickening in her chest.
After three long years of soul-crushing rejections, background roles, and insignificant commercial appearances, this project was fundamentally different.
