Dove's POV

Dylan Miller

His eyes, the color of honey, pierced through me as he tilted his head, checking me out from head to toe before I could respond. I realized I hadn't mentioned that Raining Blaze's lead vocalist was a notorious flirt. Unable to stop myself, I smirked as I waited for him to finish sizing me up.

Dylan stepped towards me, a seductive smile playing on his face. "Who are you, pretty lady?" he questioned.

My smirk intensified. "The woman you were talking about earlier," I replied, the confidence brimming in my voice.

"Dove Stanley?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in interest.

"Yes," I answered.

"Oh, my dear God, please grant me the honor of escorting you to Charles' office personally!" he exclaimed, completely forgetting his earlier plans of going for an evening walk. I chuckled softly.

"You were going for an evening walk, weren't you, Mr. Miller?" I said, unable to keep the twinkle out of my eye. He shook his head.

"Oh, but nothing is more important to me than helping a damsel in distress," he said, feigning a dramatic tone. I couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

"How sweet of you, Mr. Miller," I said, giving him a knowing smile.

"Please, call me Dylan," he corrected me, his voice low and serious.

"Sure, Dylan," I responded.

Dylan held out his arm for me to take, and I linked mine with his. "Let's go," he said, leading us towards Charles' office. Leaving an indignant Layla Cole behind, we proceeded down the elegantly decorated hallways.

The interior of the building was more luxurious than anything I'd ever imagined. As we walked, I caught Dylan's eyes wandering over me for what seemed like the hundredth time. I gave him a quick glance before returning my attention to the surroundings.

The offices themselves were awe-inspiring, with large, well-lit rooms and grand, gilded furniture. It reminded me of those Wattpad stories where the CEOs of fancy companies had luxurious offices. Everything from the marble floors to the crystal chandeliers screamed high-end.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" I asked, when he glanced at me for the thousandth time.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just surprised to see that Dove Stanley, the legendary lyricist, is so young and beautiful," he admitted, sounding genuinely apologetic. I chuckled.

"What were you expecting? An old hag?" I said sarcastically, but he chuckled along with me.

"Well, not exactly an 'old hag,' but a mature woman in her 40s," he explained.

"How are you so good at writing at such young age?" He asked.

I shrugged.

"I don't know; writing just comes naturally to me," I replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck. Truth be told, I'm a pretend narcissist; I don't want to be narcissistic, but the people around me pushed me to be one.

"A prodigy, I see," he observed, rubbing his chin as he pondered something.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are there no other staff members around here?"

"Ah! Everyone but Layla is on a half-day today. On Saturdays, they're off, except for Layla, who works overtime to get paid extra wages." I nodded in understanding.

"Here we are, Dove! This is Charles's office," Dylan said, gesturing towards the large, impressive door in front of them. "Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure how Tristan and Vinter will react to you being our new lyricist. Tristan seemed cool with it, but Vinter is a bit... well, let's say he can be unpredictable. But I want you to know that I'm glad you're our new lyricist. It's better than having an old hag write our songs, right?"

I chuckled, "I get your point. And yes, I'm looking forward to working with all of you as well."

Without delay, Dylan knocked three times on the door in front of them before opening it to let me in. The room beyond was even more luxurious than I had imagined. It smelled of expensive furniture and polished wood, and the walls were adorned with artwork that would make even the most elite collectors envious.

"I'm sorry in advance if Vinter acts rudely," Dylan whispered to me. I chuckled; it was going to happen, but I was also looking forward to seeing how it all played out.

As we finally entered Charles' office, Dylan made his grand entrance. "Charles! I've escorted the damsel to your office, just like you asked!" he exclaimed, his hand extended triumphantly into the air.

Charles looked up from his work as two more people joined him, and I recognized them immediately. I had only ever seen their faces on screens, but I knew who they were. I gasped inwardly as I saw the two men turn to face us, feeling my breath catch in my throat. They were even more breathtaking in real life than I could have imagined, and I was taken aback by the intensity of their auras.

Vinter Harris...

As I stared into his amethyst eyes, I felt my soul laid bare before him. For once, I felt vulnerable, like an open book in front of someone I had never spoken to.

My heart pounded in my chest, threatening to burst through my ribcage. I could feel his gaze on me, and it felt like he was looking at my very being. His surprise at the connection between us confirmed that he too felt it. The soulmate bond between us was palpable.

He was dressed in a fashionable three-piece suit that I couldn't help but admire. While an unusual choice for indoor attire, his status as a fashion icon meant that he could pull off even the most daring styles. His dark ebony hair, shoulder-length and tied back in a man bun, added to his glamorous appeal.

As I shifted my attention towards the other men in the room, I noticed the other member of the band—Tristan, and my eyes later ended on Charles Perez.

"It's good to finally meet you, Mr. Perez," I said, extending my hand to the older man. I estimated him to be in his late 30s, a bit older than me.

"Likewise, Miss Stanley," he replied, taking my hand and shaking it.

"Please, no need for the honorifics, sir; I'm much younger than you," I said.

"Only if you call me Charles instead of Mr. Perez," he chuckled.

"Of course!" I exclaimed, my voice still filled with enthusiasm. "I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable around me as your new employee!" I added with a bright smile.

Vinter muttering to himself that I'm a "smooth talker" was loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room. Tristan, the shining light of the group, approached me with a warm smile. He's a well-known celebrity, with his sparkling greenish-blue eyes and shiny silver-blonde hair. He has an infectious enthusiasm, as if every song he sings is a celebration of life itself.

"Hello, Miss Stanley," he said, his voice laced with warmth. "It's an honor to meet you."

I grinned. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Rios. Who could resist the chance to meet the most famous band in the world? You guys are truly the talk of the hour!"

"Well, so are you, Miss Stanley!" Tristan said, flashing a bright smile in my direction. "And that is exactly why Charles here wants to hire you, isn't that right?"

"Indeed it is," Charles confirmed with a nod.

"I object to this hiring," Vinter spoke up, his tone firm.

"Vin, we've discussed this already," said Dylan, in an effort to calm the situation. "It's for the benefit of our group. Isn't it enough that you still get to produce music for us?"

Vinter's gaze turned to his best friend, Dylan, a hint of anger in his eyes. Dylan had always been more of Vinter's soulmate than I was.

"No, I refuse to accept that!" Vinter said, his tone intense. "I won't sing or produce songs written by someone else, least of all a narcissistic person like her!"

"You can always keep telling yourself that, Mr. Harris, but I'm still a better writer than you'll ever be," I said with a sly smile, enjoying the fact that I was getting a rise out of him. Turning my attention towards Charles, I added, "Actually, I had never really considered working for any particular agency; I prefer to be a freelancer. But, Hope Records really piqued my interest in working as a hired lyricist. That said, if you are still on the fence, Charles, I am willing to walk out of that door."

"No, there are no internal confusions going on," Charles said with a determined expression. "I emailed you with a solid decision about hiring you as Raining Blaze's new lyricist!" He glanced at Vinter and narrowed his eyes. I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as I saw my soulmate's reaction.

"This is fucked," Vinter swore, throwing his hands up in the air. He quickly stormed out of the room, with Dylan trailing behind him.

"Hey, Dylan," I said, stopping his best friend before he could follow my soulmate. I could tell he was hesitant, but I was prepared to handle the situation.

"Do you mind if I go and search for him?" I asked Dylan, trying to sound as confident as possible.

"Sure... okay," Dylan agreed, still looking at me with confusion. I smiled at him.

"I apologize for Vinter's behavior," Charles said with a sigh, rubbing his forehead.

"It's no big deal," I assured him with a chuckle. "I'll go check up on him." As I looked over at Tristan, who was unusually quiet, I wondered what he might be thinking about.

I left the room and made my way to the terrace, trusting my intuition. I wasn't surprised to find Vinter there, smoking a cigarette. I uttered a small tsk of disapproval.

"You're going to ruin your beautiful voice if you keep smoking so much," I said as the smell of burned tobacco stung my nostrils. I scrunched my nose and kept a safe distance from him, the man I had been yearning to see all this time.

"Mind your own business," he retorted.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Oh, well you seemed so agitated. I thought maybe...," I replied, my voice trailing off as he stepped closer to me.

"That's not what I asked," he said, his gaze piercing mine. "You and I both know what I'm asking about." He threw the half-burned cigarette away and moved towards me with conviction.

"I just wanted to visit my dearest soulmate," I replied with a cheeky smile. As I looked up at his towering figure, I couldn't help but feel my heart skip a beat.

"You've known all along that I was your soulmate, haven't you?" he asked with a hint of frustration in his tone. I raised my hand to touch his cheek, but he pushed it away.

"I was searching for you for years!" he exclaimed, his voice rising. "Where were you all this time?" he continued in a loud tone.

"How long will you continue to play the victim, Vinter? Hasn't it become a habit by now? You've never seen me, but you surely must have an idea about my existence. After all, 'Dove Stanley' is quite a famous name in these parts. Didn't it ever occur to you that this person might be your soulmate? Don't you think that if I hadn't approached you first, you could have approached me instead?"

"Could it be that you never wanted to find me because you were afraid of spending your entire life with one person?" I asked, and his eyes widened in surprise for a brief moment.

Vinter turned away from me, refusing to engage. "Stop with the mind games," he said with a sigh.

"You are the one playing games with yourself," I replied gently, hoping to ease some of the tension between us.

To answer his question, I said, "I'm here because I want you to return to your old self. I miss the old you, the one who put all of his feelings and emotions into his music. I'm here to help you get back to that place - to push you back onto the right path."

"Do you think your childish mind games will work on me?" Vinter asked with a sneer. I couldn't help but chuckle at his attempt to assert dominance.

"Oh, my love, it's already working. You just threw away your half-burned cigarette," I said with amusement, noting the slight blush that crept across his face. "Tell me, how often have you done that before?" I asked, relishing in my victory.

Vinter opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He was at a loss for words, realizing that he had lost the argument.

"I hate you," he said bitterly, his voice filled with anger and pain.

"I never said that I loved you," I replied with a smirk, though my heart ached at the thought of not being able to express my true feelings. How could I not have fallen in love with him? It was fated from the beginning. And yet, I had to keep my distance, knowing that it wouldn't end well if he knew what I truly felt.

I smiled as I placed my hand behind his head and brought him closer, our foreheads touching as we maintained eye contact.

"Listen, I'm not here to make you fall in love with me or to force you to love me," I said. "I'm here to help you, and that's what matters most to me." I took a moment before continuing. "You can believe whatever you want about me, but I want you to know that I'll always be here to support you. I do my best to be a kind person.

"You have an inflated sense of self-importance," Vinter said, stepping away from me. "Nothing about you is nice, Dove." I let out a small laugh. Despite his stubborn nature, I couldn't help but feel drawn to him.

"If that's what you believe, so be it," I said with a small smile. "But it seems like your friends seem to be warming up to me."

"Because they haven't witnessed your cynicism," Vinter replied. "But I see the devil inside of you, the demon who enjoys playing mind games with others." With those words, he turned to leave. I knew this was coming, but it's still difficult to handle. Difficult to digest, difficult to breathe, and difficult to process.

My past is a dark abyss disguised as a whimsical world, and my present is a cruel reality shrouded in the guise of a utopian existence.

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