Clara stepped out of the elevator and into the crisp afternoon air, leaving the stifling "Dark CEO" vibes of Julian's office behind.
She pulled her phone from her clutch, her thumb hovering over the contact for Arthur.
In the original script, Seraphina hadn't just ignored Arthur—she'd treated him like a piece of background furniture.
To the original Seraphina, Julian's best friend was a mere acquaintance, someone she barely acknowledged with a nod if they happened to be in the same room.
Her heart, her obsession, and her entire world had been reserved solely for Julian.
And Arthur? He was the Male Lead. His heart was locked away for Daisy, just as Julian's was.
In the real novel, these two powerful men were supposed to spend every chapter competing to see who could rescue the "White Lotus" first, while Seraphina withered away in the shadows of her own unrequited love.
"Sorry, original Seraphina," Clara thought, her eyes glinting with mischief. "But dying for an iceberg who doesn't like you is so last season. Let's see how the 'Golden Boy' handles being more than just an acquaintance for once."
She hit dial. It rang twice.
"Hello?" Arthur's voice was warm, but laced with a confusion so thick you could feel it through the speaker.
He didn't even have her number saved—why would he? She'd never called him once in all the years they'd known each other.
"Who is this?"
"It's Seraphina," Clara said, leaning against her parked car.
There was a long, stunned silence. Clara could almost hear the gears of the "Male Lead" programming grinding to a halt. Arthur only loved Daisy.
He was supposed to be planning a romantic evening to help Daisy recover from her "trauma" at the fountain.
"Seraphina?" Arthur finally breathed, his voice sounding like he'd just seen a ghost. "I... I didn't think you knew my number. Is Daisy okay? Did something happen to her?"
"Daisy is perfectly damp and surrounded by heaters, Arthur. I was calling because I realized I never properly thanked you for saving her from that terrifying ankle-deep fountain. It was very heroic."
Arthur let out a forced, nervous laugh. "It was just a fountain, Seraphina. I was just doing what was right for her."
"Still. Heroism deserves a reward," Clara said, her voice dropping into a playful, smooth tone.
"Are you free for dinner tonight? I'm inviting you to that new French place. It's high time we actually had a conversation where I treated you like a person and not just Julian's shadow.
"Dinner? With... me?" Arthur sounded breathless.
His logic was failing. He was the Male Lead. He didn't go to dinner with the Villainess who usually looked right through him. "Julian would be—"
"Julian is busy snapping pens and scowling at the city, Arthur. Unless you're afraid the Golden Boy can't handle an acquaintance for one evening?"
"I'm not afraid," Arthur said, his voice regaining its confidence despite the obvious glitch in his tone. "I'll pick you up at seven."
Back on the 80th floor, Julian wasn't working. He was standing by the window, watching Seraphina's car pull away. His phone buzzed on the desk. A text from Arthur.
> **Arthur:** Hey man, strange update. Seraphina just called me. She... she actually invited me to dinner. I'm going to go just to see what she's planning. I think she might be trying to get to Daisy through me. I'll keep her occupied.
>
Julian's grip on his phone tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"Occupied," Julian muttered, his eyes narrowing.
He didn't believe Arthur's "noble mission" for a second. In the real story, Seraphina never even glanced at Arthur. So why now?
She's going to use Arthur to make me jealous, he thought, his jaw tight. She's going to act sweet to his face and then find a way to make Daisy look like a fool at the auction tomorrow. She wants to hurt Daisy by taking away her knight.
But beneath the paranoia, a small, irritating voice in the back of his head whispered something else.
She didn't even look at you when she left.
Julian grabbed his coat, ignoring the stack of acquisition papers. In the real novel, he and Arthur were supposed to be rivals for Daisy's heart.
But right now, Julian didn't care about Daisy's "delicate" sighs. He was preoccupied with the thought of his best friend sitting across from the woman who had spent her life obsessed with him.
"Levi!" Julian roared as he stormed out.
"Cancel my meetings."
"But sir, you have a gala with—"
"I'm not going!" Julian snapped. "The Villainess is up to something, and I'm the only one who can stop her from hurting Daisy's feelings again."