Richard drummed his fingers on the steering wheel thoughtfully for a moment before responding.
"You know what, that might actually be exactly it," he said, nodding slowly as the idea took shape. "Maybe that's her entire plan - she's going to go and literally purchase an invitation from someone on the guest list who is willing to sell theirs or swap it with her. It's not unheard of. People do it all the time with exclusive events. That could genuinely be what she's counting on."
At that moment, something shifted in Penelope's expression, and slowly, a smile began to spread across her face - not a warm smile, but the kind of cold, satisfied smile that came from someone who had just realized that the person they considered a threat was actually walking straight into a wall they couldn't see yet.
