Aubrey's hand froze mid-pour, and for a moment, the room was so silent that Ellen could hear the faint hum of the refrigerator. Slowly, Aubrey turned to face her. "What do you mean?" she asked, her tone guarded, as if she were trying to figure out whether Ellen was serious or just playing some sort of game.
Ellen maintained eye contact without wavering, refusing to back down. "You know exactly what I mean," she replied. "You're not sick. You just wanted Mason's attention, and you thought this little act would do the trick."
Aubrey's eyes narrowed, and for a brief moment, something almost like panic flashed across her face before she quickly masked it with indifference. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice sharp, but there was a slight quiver to it that didn't go unnoticed by Ellen.
