The room descended into an uneasy quiet. It seemed Elva had conveniently ignored the fact that Elijah had accompanied Sandra to help her secure the role from Elizabeth, not the reverse. “Elva, please, that’s enough,” Sandra interjected, extending a hand towards Elva in an attempt to quell further disruptions. However, her voice dwindled into a murmur, her strength faltering mid-sentence.
Suddenly, she clutched her chest, her legs giving way beneath her as she slowly collapsed to the floor.
“Sandra!” The concern was evident on Elijah’s face as he rushed to her side and cradled her in his arms.
Quickly, Elva dialed emergency services.
Amid the commotion, Elva managed to locate a reclining chair for Elijah to gently position Sandra, then she turned and fixed Elizabeth with an intense glare. “If anything happens to Sandra, you’ll be held responsible!”
Sandra spoke up softly. “Elva, this isn’t Ms. Elizabeth’s doing. It’s just my delicate health.”
She lifted her gaze to Elizabeth, offering a faint smile. “Ms. Elizabeth, I’m sorry if I startled you. My health is fragile, and emotions often overwhelm me. You shouldn’t blame yourself. This isn’t your fault.”
Elva’s glare, however, bore into Elizabeth with blatant accusation. “How can you say it’s not her fault? If she hadn’t competed with you for the role, would you have drained yourself with relentless rehearsals and commitments? If anything serious happens, how could someone like her possibly make amends?”
The tension in the room was palpable. With the influential actress and the CEO of the Norris Group on one side and an inexperienced newcomer on the other, the air was thick with unspoken judgments.
Even Stewart could only give Elizabeth a sympathetic glance, his head subtly shaking as if advising her to endure the moment.
Ruby, unable to hold back any longer, stepped forward to voice her thoughts, but Elizabeth stopped her with a gesture.
