Chapter 3

3 Over the weeks, I used my powers to transform my physical form. The day I opened the door in my robe to a hotel waitress, she nearly dropped her tray. The shock and awe in her eyes were palpable. A month ago, I had been a skeletal figure, my features gaunt. Now, I had Ashley's beauty back, enhanced with a supernatural allure no human could possess. Even with her professional training, the waitress stammered. "Y-your… your coffee, ma'am."

I chuckled. "Leave it there." My voice, like a plucked string, sent a shiver down her spine.

As she backed away, her eyes lingered. This guest… so breathtakingly beautiful. And she'd been here all month! Strangely, she seemed to have forgotten what Ashley looked like when she first arrived.

Back in my suite, I called a renowned director, Benjamin Carter. By looking at a person's face, I could see their life story. He was about to start filming "Eternal Tides," a big-budget period drama, Olivia's ambitious foray into television. Ethan was financing it, Olivia was starring, and Carter, an award-winning director with powerful connections, even Olivia treated him with deference.

My call was direct. "I want the role of Seraphina, the second female lead."

Carter scoffed. "Who is this? Some wannabe starlet with delusions of grandeur? In my world, even A-listers audition."

Oh? Olivia hadn't gotten the part through connections?

"You have a son," I said languidly. "Ten years old, living abroad. Shall I tell your wife which school he attends?" The child, naturally, wasn't his wife's. He owed his success to his wife, whose family background was so formidable even Ethan wouldn't cross her. If this secret came out, Carter would vanish from the face of the earth.

A long silence followed. I heard his ragged breathing, the sound of suppressed fury. Finally, he spoke, his voice hoarse. "You'd better be stunning. This role needs to outshine Olivia." He deliberately set the bar high. Few in the industry could surpass Olivia's beauty.

"Next week," I said, giving him an address. "We'll sign the contract."

I smiled. "Don't try anything funny, Benjamin. Not only are you powerless against me, but should anything happen to me, an email with all the details will be automatically sent to your wife's phone." It was a bluff, of course. He had no power against a demon.

Carter gritted his teeth, gave me a different address, and slammed the phone down.

I sipped my coffee, a satisfied smile playing on my lips. Humans certainly knew how to enjoy themselves.

Perhaps the threat bothered him more than he let on. He wanted to see who I was, this person who held his life in her hands. He came himself, contract in hand, to sign me.

The moment he saw me, the shock and awe were unmistakable. A demon, traversing time and realms, drawn to the wicked souls of humans, held a fatal allure for them. I was the most beautiful poison, one they would willingly swallow.

Carter's hostility seemed to dissipate. "I've never seen you before," he murmured. "You'd be a sensation." Such exquisite, captivating beauty, like a creature born from the most fragrant and decadent flower. A unique presence the industry had never seen. She would cause a stir. Carter suddenly felt that Olivia, in comparison, was utterly mundane.

"Is that so?" I smiled, signing the contract. "You don't resent me threatening you?"