In Episode 3, we focus on Nora Radford. Who is this wealthy upper class older woman? Why did she pay such special attention to Anna, and why is she so elusive about their relationship?
Beginning
Our favorite reporter, Vivian, apologizes to Anna for not being to Rikers on time. She has trouble getting there because she’s getting more and more pregnant by the day. According to Anna, that’s not a valid excuse. She’s in prison.
Anna self proclaims that she is fluent in seven different languages, has a photographic memory, is a mathematical genius, and has a talent for business.
“I’m f*cking gifted, brilliant.”
Vivian thinks there is more to the story that involves Anna’s ex-boyfriend, Chase. So she asks if Chase was deeply involved with Anna’s business plans. But Anna is adamant that she did it on her own–no help. Her and Chase built their businesses parallel to one another, but not together. She would never let a man take anything away from her.
Middle
Vivian interviews Nora, which is where we get the insider glimpse into how things really went down between Chase and Anna.
They both lived with Nora for a while back in 2014. At first, Nora was constantly doting on Chase and giving Anna the cold shoulder. Chase feeds into it just as much, trying to brown nose himself to get Nora’s money for Wake.
Chase sets up meetings with well known architects, art curators, and investors for Anna to pitch her Anna Delvey Foundation elite club idea. But they all punt her around, unwilling to commit unless there are other big names on board first. Anna decides he needs Nora, a rich person willing to vouch for her among the other elitists.
Anna finds a way to nudge herself into Nora’s inner circle. On a shopping trip to Bergdorf Goodman, Anna meets the members of Nora’s girl’s club, including a Forbe’s 100 top female CEO, a fashion editor, a Broadway star, and a real estate founder. She overhears the real estate founder mention 281 Park Avenue as a stunning location being up for lease. This is exactly where Anna needs to be.
She is able to validate the dreams of owning her business when she discovers Chase has been lying to her this whole time. After faking a work conference in Berlin, Anna tracks him down to his hiding place in Ohio.
Apparently, he’s not the son of immigrants (he was adopted by a white family), and he has completely run out of the $3 million investment money he had, blaming it on Anna’s lavish lifestyle.
He quotes John Lennon about accomplishing their dream together to get Anna back on his side. She agrees, but we already know the wheels in her head are turning. She decides to get ahead of things.
End
Anna starts feeding Nora information about Wake to turn her away from Chase. Her plan works. Nora realizes that Chase has been lying about Wake’s success, and stops her $2 million investment from going through.
Instead, Nora shifts her focus to Anna–who she now views as a young, female entrepreneur. She introduces Anna to all of her powerful connections. Anna is now able to build her dream team to make the Anna Delvey Foundation happen.
To put the nail in Chase’s coffin, she reminds him the quote he said to her was from Yoko Ono, not John Lennon.
But Anna leaves Nora’s place abruptly when Nora receives a call from her credit card company regarding $400,000 worth of fraudulent charges. (It was Anna). But it’s okay because she already got what she needed from Nora.
In the final scene, Vivian finally gets Anna’s defense lawyer to realize they are working for the same end goal. He lets her peek at the discovery files to get her hands on Anna’s business proposal.
