When There Is Nothing Left But Love

We eventually located the front counter of the nightclub but were promptly ignored by the staff. While we were there, we heard a patron making enquiries if there were girls available to spend the night with. The staff member merely handed him a card. It was all rather cloak-and-dagger.

Rather naively, I whispered to Hannah, “What’s that?”

Hannah explained, “It’s a card with a number on it. It’s the same in other bars or clubs. Due to the wide variety of characters that flow through sordid places like these, the nightclub caters to a similarly wide range of demands. That guy we just saw at the front counter should have been a new patron. He may have come from overseas, been here on business, or was simply here to try something new. There was a phone number on the card. I’m guessing that there’s a woman waiting upstairs for the customer to call the number on her card. I suppose it’s pretty much self-service from then on.”

I didn’t understand. “What do you mean? What will he do upstairs?”

Hannah said patiently, “The units above this nightclub are all apartments occupied by women. The staff at the nightclub connect these women with their clientele. Plainly put, it’s a brothel.”

I frowned. “Surely Rebecca can’t be in such pressing need for money, can she?”

Hannah shrugged listlessly. “I wouldn’t have thought so, but after what we just witnessed outside, it’s hard to say for sure. One thing we can be certain about is that she’s no longer in contact with Mr. Quinn. He’s getting married to a K City socialite named Jordyn Bloom. I heard that she’s a sophisticated woman who just returned from studying in Granatano. She’s only in her early twenties and is a young and pretty lady. It’s a pity that her parents pushed her to marry so quickly. Who knows how it’ll turn out!”

I asked doubtfully. “Is he

after Jordyn found out about Joe’s playboy ways, she made a fuss and wanted to terminate the engagement. Jordyn only went

of conflicting emotions stirred uneasily within me. I’d been jealous of Rebecca ever since I came to know Ashton. I could not deny that I’d been incredibly anxious about which one of us Ashton would choose, Rebecca or me. Even though I had defeated her, I could not find it in me to rejoice after seeing Rebecca’s predicament. Perhaps I had also never really believed that Ashton would leave me for Rebecca. Besides, my identity as a member of the Moore family had

was peculiar how one’s family background could make such a vital difference to one’s bearing and attitude towards life. Anyone who

go back! There’s nothing much for us to look at here. No matter what caused such desperate straits to befall her, it’s none of

then egged me on, “Aren’t you curious at all

“Nope. There’s no point in

gain from gloating over it? No matter what Rebecca was doing now, wasn’t my business with her already entirely relegated

pursue the matter. “Fine.

usually rather meek and timid, but today she was exhibiting a wildly uncharacteristic side of her. She was spontaneous and seemed to be especially

it had anything to do with Chandler. Now that Hannah knew there would always be someone supporting her unconditionally, she felt absolutely liberated