Stella had just recovered from her cough when, upon Yvonne’s offer, began choking on her breath
again. Yvonne’s thoughts moved at an extremely quick pace, and she was unable to keep up. She saw
the reaction on Stella’s face and knew that she was unable to accept it. She smiled and said, “Alright,
alright. I was just joking!”
Stella’s face flushed bright red. She instinctively wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind.
She simply stood where she was, looking lost.
Yvonne found her posture adorable and couldn’t help but reach out to pinch her cheeks. “Why are you
so easy to bully?”
She sighed. “It’s precisely because you’re easy to bully that that man Weston can have his way with
you…”
All along, she had been trying to find ways to help Stella, but her ideas had always been trampled by
her family members when she shared her thoughts with them.
Weston was simply too powerful, and there was hardly any way she could interfere. Lucas and the rest
had many ongoing collaborations with Weston. A tiny movement from her was all it would take to
trigger huge consequences.
Yvonne’s initial recklessness tapered off upon hearing their thorough analysis of the situation. What
was left was a deep sense of helplessness of being unable to help Stella as much as she wanted.
Seeing the guilt on Yvonne’s face, Stella smiled comfortingly at her.
Yvonne looked at her for a moment before saying, “Oh yes, do you have anything on tonight?” Stella
hesitated to answer as she recalled Weston saying he would be fetching her from work today.
Yvonne held her arm. “I’ll bring you out, alright? You’re either cooped up at home or at work all day, and
it’s making you soft. It’s better if you go out there and meet new people.” Stella’s eyes lit up slightly
before saying, “Sure.” If she wanted to consider entering showbiz, it was imperative that she interacted
with all sorts of people.
Weston’s reluctance for her to enter the industry was most likely him being afraid that she would one
day become independent and no longer yield to his control. She thought long and hard about it the
entire day today and surmised that the only way she could escape from Weston’s clutches was to climb
up the ladder. For ordinary people like her, entering the entertainment industry seemed to be a shortcut
to achieving that.
Yvonne did not expect Stella to agree so readily. Her eyes lit up with excitement, “I’ll call my friend right
away to arrange something for tonight. I’ll bring you the best entertainment spot
in Fern City. What do you think?”
Stella nodded. There were many well-known entertainment hideouts in Fern City. Men, for instance,
loved going to Lowe Garden both for business and pleasure. There were many avenues for pleasure,
and beauties abounded in such places. It was why that place was given the moniker the “mini
entertainment circle.” Young people had their favorite hideouts too. Aside from artistic-sounding
establishments which were in fact great places for flirtatious pursuits, The Dog House was probably the
most popular nightclub around.
The identity of the owner of The Dog House was shrouded in mystery, and most people only knew that
he invested money into the club at the beginning. Thus, the nightclub categorized its customers
according to their consumption level. Be it the typical wage earner or a rich heir, this was a place
favored by many as an abode of relaxation and enjoyment.
Popular bands of the day frequently played on the main stage, and sometimes, even well known
celebrities were invited to put on a performance. There was also a dance floor right by the side which
everyone could join in.
There were no rules and restrictions like the ones everyone had to face during the day. All they had to
do was let their hair down and enjoy the night. Stella had never been to a place like that before. Her
parents were university professors and had brought her up in a conservative and traditional family
culture.
The moment she entered the doors of the place, loud music boomed from the speakers. Her pace
degraded as she began to hesitate.
Yvonne noticed that she had slowed to a stop and nudged her gently. “What’s the matter? Do you feel
unwell?”
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