Episode 110
But Sandra wasn’t about to let the moment slip. Tilting her chin subtly in Elizabeth’s direction, she asked with feigned innocence, “Oh, I just noticed Ms. Campbell earlier. Did you three happen to come together?”
Billie paused, her expression unreadable, but Kailee bristled, gripping her aunt’s arm tightly. “She’s here?” Kailee snapped, her annoyance sharp as glass. “Aunt Billie, no wonder when I asked Elijah for an invitation, he said he’d already given it away. It must’ve gone to Elizabeth!”
Kailee’s irritation boiled over. She had begged Elijah for an invitation to the banquet, only for him to claim he had none to spare. Left with no choice, she’d turned to Billie, who then brought her as a companion. Now, realizing Elizabeth had been given Elijah’s invite, Kailee’s pride smarted like a wound.
Unbothered by Kailee’s spiraling thoughts, Billie patted her hand in a gesture of appeasement. “Didn’t I bring you here myself?” she said calmly.
Sandra, watching the exchange with veiled satisfaction, interjected with a small gasp. “Oh, so Elijah gave her the invitation? How surprising. I saw her arrive with Mr. Rodgers. I hear they’re working on a new drama together and have grown quite close.”
Kailee’s scoff was immediate. “Using an invitation from our family to show up here with another man? What a joke! And it must be a second-rate drama. Does she think she can waltz into a place like this and be taken seriously? If anyone from the Norris family’s circle sees her in the showbiz, it’ll be Elijah’s reputation on the chopping block.”
Her indignation bubbled over into venom, her tirade sharp enough to sting everyone in its vicinity—including Sandra. Though Kailee’s words unintentionally lumped her into the same category of disdain, Sandra let it slide, her pleasant mask unbroken.
“That’s not entirely fair,” Sandra replied, her tone measured, with just the right touch of humility. “If she gets the right roles and manages to win a few awards, opinions might shift. I’d be happy to help her network—after all, I know a screenwriter who rivals Katrina in reputation.”
Her strategy was subtle—positioning herself as potentially helpful while sowing seeds of doubt and discord.
Kailee’s laugh was derisive. “Win awards? Please. She’s been playing house for years. What acting chops could she possibly have? If she’s here, it’s to use the Norris name to score favors. Nothing more.”
Sandra swirled her wine lazily, her lips curving into a faint smile. “Well, sometimes the right project can mask a lack of experience.
