Watching You Burn In Regret novel Chapter 119

The woman sent to pick Seren up had a sharp, professional look—short hair, black-framed glasses, and a tailored suit that seemed to sharpen every gesture she made.

Seren recognized her right away. It was Jeannie, a production manager she'd met years ago, back when Seren was still trying to make it as an actress.

"Seren? You're the artist from The Antiquarian's Gallery?" Jeannie's assessing gaze, magnified by her glasses, swept over Seren from head to toe.

She'd expected someone older, a seasoned gentleman perhaps, not Seren. After all, The Antiquarian's Gallery had quite the reputation—surely the artist they sent would be someone established, not a young woman barely out of her twenties.

Jeannie's memory of Seren was vivid. They'd crossed paths before, and not under the best circumstances. At the time, Seren had been a complete nobody, barely scraping by on the fringes of the industry. Jeannie had been the one tasked with casting for a racy, intimate scene—something most up-and-coming actresses refused, fearing it would haunt their careers forever. The A-listers wouldn't touch it, the B-listers sneered at it, so the job inevitably fell to someone like Seren: attractive, distinctive, and, as many would hope, desperate.

But Seren had turned it down flat, every single time Jeannie called to try and persuade her. Seren had the look, the presence, exactly what the director wanted, but she wouldn't budge. Jeannie had actually admired her for it—so young, so pretty, but with a spine and standards most in the business abandoned long ago.

Her impression of Seren had been pretty positive—until the rumors started. Suddenly, word was out that Seren had cozied up to Mr. Powers, a wealthy businessman left paralyzed after a car accident. The story in the circles was that Seren was just another gold-digger, angling for status and security.

"Yes, that's me," Seren replied politely.

For those three years, Seren really had held onto her principles. She hadn't just refused steamy scenes—she'd declined all sorts of questionable gigs: lingerie ads, endorsements for sleazy products, anything that felt degrading. There weren't many takers for those jobs, and if she'd been willing to cross that line, she could have made a decent living. But her upbringing simply wouldn't allow her to sell herself that way.

Jeannie, a veteran in the business, knew better than to pry further. She hid her surprise behind a cool mask, said little more, and led Seren to the break room to wait for further instructions.

But as soon as Seren was out of sight, Jeannie couldn't resist sharing a juicy bit of gossip with the crew. After all, what woman can resist a little chatter when there's a scandal involved?

Seren barely had time to settle into her seat before she got up again to ask about the schedule. She wanted to have an idea of what to expect.

No sooner had she opened the door than she caught the tail end of a conversation, voices laced with mockery.

"That's Seren, right? Used to be some nobody actress, then landed herself a rich crippled guy—Mr. Powers, wasn't it? Didn't even have a proper title, just followed him around. Bet he's tossed her aside by now."

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