Episode 28

On her second attempt, she slightly improved her performance, just enough to pass. Still, she fell significantly short of Elizabeth's. The disparity prompted a closed-door discussion between the director and screenwriter about next steps.

While Stewart wasn't deeply involved, he took a moment to encourage Elizabeth, approaching with a warm, admiring smile. "You did a great job," he said. Elizabeth's gaze briefly flickered to the cola in his hand; her smile was faint and distracted.

Breaking the silence, Stewart earnestly added, "I truly mean it. It's not merely about the cola."

Just then, Elijah drifted in, a frosty sneer on his face. "Her acting didn't seem all that remarkable to me."

Stewart knew Elijah wasn't just another critic; he was the project's financial backbone. Stewart disliked Sandra's dependence on such backing, and despised Elijah's susceptibility to charm, but he wouldn't jeopardize the project over pride. He took a deliberate gulp of his cola, choosing tactful silence and avoiding further engagement.

Sandra strolled up, her eyes darting to the drink in Stewart's hand as if it were a revelation. "Oh, look at that! Ms. Elizabeth was kind enough to buy Mr. Lopez a cola," she declared, with mock surprise. She hadn't anticipated Elizabeth giving the drink Elijah had taken to someone else. To a casual observer, it might seem like she was blatantly cheating in front of Elijah.

Noticing Elijah's mood sour, amusement flickered across Sandra's face, though she maintained a poker face. She smirked. "If I'd realized a mere can of cola could sway you, Mr. Lopez, I'd have gotten one for you too, like Ms. Elizabeth. Elijah, care for one? I can have someone fetch it."

Elijah dismissed the offer with a scoff, glancing at Elizabeth with a sardonic smirk. "I avoid that sort of rubbish," he retorted sharply. "You frequent such refined places, Ms. Elizabeth. So much for being picky—you seem fine with whatever comes your way."

Elijah's comments, ostensibly about the cola, were a dig at Stewart, insinuating that following her recent divorce discussion, she'd quickly fallen for a lesser-known celebrity. How utterly pathetic, he implied.

Internally, Elizabeth shrugged off his barb with an eye roll. Elijah's acting skills far surpassed Sandra's; he was a true professional. His public aloofness towards her was clearly a strategy to avoid marriage rumors, protecting Sandra from being labeled "the other woman." He seemed to be going to great lengths to care for his beloved.

This scenario, however, also worked in Elizabeth's favor. More chatter about her status as a forsaken affluent wife might benefit her. Genuine relationships weren't defined by superficial labels. Moreover, if he pretended they were mere acquaintances in public, he had no grounds to criticize her.

Determined to protect Stewart, Elizabeth retorted sharply, "Mr. James, if you find my choices so unbearable, why involve yourself in this audition where Ms. Sandra and I compete?"

Elijah's irritation grew as Elizabeth defended Stewart, palpably chilling the air. "Compete?" he sneered, dismissing her words as laughable.