Elizabeth finally agreed to reveal her secret identity, and Soren wasted no time. He immediately dialed Mr. James, the chief director of Weekend Party, to pass along the news. “We’ve confirmed that Asher and Elizabeth will be joining, Mr. James,” he said.
Mr. James’s response was casual, bordering on indifferent. “Alright. Got it.”
He couldn’t wrap his mind around why the owner of Silver Elephant kept pushing for a newcomer.
At first, the TV station had hesitated to include Elizabeth. As a newcomer without a track record, and with rumors swirling that she was faking a romance with Asher, the showrunners were wary. Even though the rumors had been debunked, some stubborn netizens still clung to them.
With both of them on the show together, viewers would inevitably think the producers were just chasing buzz.
“Weekend Party” didn’t need help in the popularity department, but it was more concerned with preserving its reputation and staying away from any controversies.
Still, Soren pushed for Elizabeth, even going so far as to say that if they changed the cast, Asher would back out too. The station had no choice but to agree.
Soren couldn’t help but smirk, amused by Mr. James’s nonchalant response. He was curious to see how Mr. James would react once he learned about Elizabeth’s secret identity.
With a sly grin, Soren casually added, “By the way, Elizabeth isn’t just the lead actress. She’s also the famous screenwriter Katrina Sophia, and this drama is her creation.”
“Katrina… What? Wait, Katrina Sophia?” Mr. James, mid-sip, was so stunned he nearly dropped his coffee, setting the mug down hastily.
Oblivious to the hot coffee that splashed onto his hand, Mr. James’s eyes went wide as he asked, “Wait, are you telling me this actress is Katrina? Mr. Rodgers, this is a joke, right? Everyone says Katrina is a middle-aged person. How could she be a stunning young actress?”
Soren stifled a chuckle, his voice steady. “I wouldn’t joke about something like this, Mr. James. I consider you a friend, which is why I’m sharing this bombshell with you.”
“I really appreciate it,” Mr. James responded, gratitude in his voice, before hanging up.
A feeling of disbelief settled over him.
Stepping out of his office, Mr. James couldn’t help but tell everyone he ran into that good would be rewarded with good. He attributed his newfound good fortune to his past generosity and was optimistic that the next episode would break records.
Katrina’s screen debut! She was starring in her own creation, playing the lead role alongside Asher. Any one of those facts could be enough to make headlines.
After his excitement settled, Mr. James still felt it wasn’t enough. He pulled out his phone and posted on social media, “We’ve got a heavyweight guest on Weekend Party. This time, the ratings are bound to skyrocket.”
Elva opened Twitter and saw Mr. James’s post. Recalling what Bart had mentioned earlier, she commented, “Who’s coming?”
Mr. James had worked with Sandra on several other shows and had developed a strong personal rapport with her. So, he privately messaged Elva, “Asher Burton’s drama crew is coming to my show. Both Asher and the lead actress, Elizabeth will be there.”
The show hadn’t aired yet, so he kept Katrina’s secret identity under wraps but couldn’t help bringing up Elizabeth.
Elva, assuming the major guest Mr. James had mentioned was Asher, didn’t give it much thought.
She simply handed her phone to Sandra and said, “Elizabeth will take part in Weekend Party.”
“Elizabeth?” Sandra paused, then took the phone from her.
She squinted at the screen, her voice sharp as she said, “I want to go too.”
Elva was momentarily stunned. Sandra’s sudden change of heart meant she had to patch things up with Bart, who she had just rejected.
Before Elva could react, Sandra handed her the phone and walked briskly toward the door, calling out to Bart as she hurried to catch up. “Hold on a moment, Bart!”
Bart paused, his irritation still clear on his face.
Elva caught up with Sandra, mentally bracing herself to make things right. “Bart, Sandra was in a bad mood earlier and said some things out of frustration. Please don’t take it personally. She knows she was wrong and wants to apologize. We really want to be part of the show.”
