• ° • ° • °

"Selena?" I gasped, still in disbelief.

The Selena? The iconic fashion designer and Victoria's Secret supermodel, hailed as the world's top fashion influencer?

The woman turned, flashing a smile that radiated both confidence and charisma. She was a vision: a blonde with tan brown skin, her long, lithe body moving with feline grace. Those piercing blue eyes? Exactly like Lucas's. Her real name, Magnolia Walker, came to mind, but it had long been eclipsed by her stage name-Selena. Yet, aside from the eyes and their shared perfect facial features, there was little resemblance between the two. Her arched eyebrows, hawk-like gaze, and seductive smile set her apart. She was every bit the goddess the world believed her to be, clothed in a see-through, black lace bodycon dress that left nothing unnoticed.

She approached me with deliberate, steady steps, and I suddenly felt small under her intense gaze. My body flushed with warmth as her eyes scanned me, head to toe, as though evaluating every inch of my existence.

"I finally meet you," she said, extending her hand. Her grip was firm, her fingers long and perfect, glittering with moon-shaped nails.

"Ella, right?" she asked, with a smile that seemed more amused than welcoming.

I nodded, feeling slightly overwhelmed. "It's an honor to meet you, Miss Selena."

She chuckled softly, as if amused by my formality. "Sisters don't talk like that," she teased, showing off her pearly white teeth in a grin. "We're family now. You better get used to calling me Selena."

Before I could respond, she turned to Lucas. "Don't you have work to do?"

"I'm helping her," Lucas replied, though his glance at the clock betrayed his own impatience.

Selena raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Then what am I here for? You going to dress her up?" she mocked.

Lucas shrugged. "Doubt you'd let me even if I tried."

Their banter revealed the sibling-like dynamic between them, though I was still too star-struck to fully process it.

"In case you didn't get the hint, get out," Selena growled. Despite her tone, I couldn't help but hear the seductive purr beneath it.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her before turning to me. With a final glance, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Selena wasted no time, grabbing my hand and leading me toward the corner of the room. I was struck by the sound of her heels clicking on the floor as she fiddled with a series of buttons on the wall. To my amazement, the walls began to shift, revealing shelves stacked with endless rows of makeup and racks full of luxurious outfits. My jaw practically dropped at the sight-it was as if I had stepped into a dream.

"This is my bedroom," Selena said, her eyes sparkling with pride. "I do a lot of shoots here, so it's more convenient to stay with Lucas. Besides, my place isn't as fabulous as this."

I shook my head in disbelief. "I had no idea you two were related," I admitted, still trying to wrap my head around the situation.

"Not exactly siblings," she clarified. "We're blood relatives, but I'm the illegitimate one. That's why I ended up in the entertainment industry instead of becoming his assistant or whatever."

Her bluntness took me by surprise, but it only added to the list of things I hadn't expected.

"I'm... sorry, I didn't know," I stammered, still processing the revelation.

"Yeah, it's a long story," she shrugged, tossing various dresses over her shoulder as she spoke. I caught a few in my hands, though a scarf fell over my head, obscuring my view.

"I'm technically the eldest Walker. Lucas's mom had trouble getting pregnant, so the family... improvised. I didn't get brought into the fold until after she had Lucas, and by that time, I couldn't care less about the whole family legacy nonsense. I moved out when I was fifteen and focused on my career." She continued rifling through the wardrobe, her tone casual. "Lucas tracked me down a few years ago, once he got into his whole business thing."

She tossed another outfit at me, and I found myself completely buried under a heap of fabric. Selena laughed at the sight, pulling pieces off me with a gleam in her eye. She circled me with a few hangers, holding up various dresses against my body before beaming with satisfaction at a black one. I couldn't see what it was, thanks to the scarf still tangled in my hair, but her excitement was palpable.

"Alright, let's go grab something to eat. I'm starving, and I'm definitely going to lose my appetite at dinner tonight," she declared, freeing me from the mountain of clothes.

I hesitated. "But-"

"No buts," she said with a mischievous grin, pulling me toward the door.

Honestly, how could I refuse her? This woman was practically a goddess, and soon, she would be my sister-in-law.

We ended up in a restaurant, where she indulged in crawfish while I stuck to mushroom ravioli. But Selena wasn't done there-soon, we were hopping from the mall to the dessert shop, her energy seemingly boundless. She navigated the cosmetics aisles like she had an internal map, picking out products with the expertise of someone who had mastered her craft.

By the time we made it back to the penthouse, it was nearing three in the afternoon. We had less than four hours until the dinner, but Selena seemed unfazed. After being greeted by the house staff, she dragged me back to her room, handed me a white bathrobe, and without further ado, began her transformation of me.

As I sat in the plush chair, I tried to relax. She insisted I keep my eyes closed, and I felt her hands gliding over my face, brushing on foundation, applying serums, and sculpting my features with precision. I lost track of time as she worked her magic, her fingers twisting my hair into intricate styles, her brushes dusting me with perfection. Every few minutes, I felt another layer of glamor being added, a masterpiece in progress.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she stepped back, clearly satisfied.

"This is my masterpiece. You're going to shock the world tonight," she declared with a fierce grin.

I took that as permission to open my eyes.

When I turned to the mirror, I barely recognized the person staring back at me.

It was me, but elevated to a level I had never seen before. I was transformed.

• ° • ° • °