Chapter 177: A Secret Invitation
The discussion about Michelle came to an end, and the ultimate beneficiary was the Sorelli family we represented.
I felt both surprised and not so surprised by this outcome.
Those assets belonging to the Sorelli family were taken away by Gale on the spot, with the tacit approval of the four major families.
Michelle, who had schemed and planned everything so carefully, became a joke.
After the meeting, a group of people surrounded me, seeking treatment, wanting to make friends, inviting me to visit—I dealt with them while signaling Cole to catch Michelle.
Lucas had Alfred assist Cole, but even so, Michelle still escaped.
She had planned her escape route in advance. According to the venue's surveillance footage, I saw that as soon as she walked out of the conference hall, she was immediately picked up by four people completely covered up, their appearance and gender impossible to identify.
They moved quickly—out of the venue, into a waiting car, the whole process took less than two minutes. When Cole and Alfred arrived and tried to stop the car, the driver was extremely aggressive, ramming forward recklessly. If Cole hadn't pulled Alfred back in time, Alfred would have been hit.
This incident cast a faint shadow over our victory.
Amelia also took advantage of the chaos to run away. Beckett was taken by the Woods family, leaving behind a bunch of useless people from the Gambino family, who we dealt with easily.
Because my identity was unexpectedly exposed, the plan to return to Starstream City had to be postponed.
For three days straight, visitors kept coming. On the third evening, I had just seen off some guests and was resting on the sofa when the doorbell rang again.
"Who is it?" I asked.
Adrian walked to the video doorbell and looked, then answered, "Cressida."
I rubbed my temples, "Let her in."
Cressida's eyes were slightly red. She was wearing a white lab coat with many wrinkles, and had no luggage with her—it looked like she had come straight from Starstream City.
"You're looking for me?" I spoke first. "Have a seat."
"Are you really the Miracle Surgeon?" She stared at me, the persistent feelings in her eyes on the verge of collapse.
I awkwardly touched my nose, "Yes."
Clearly Cressida had a crush on the rumored me, but somehow I felt like I was the one who had betrayed her.
"No wonder, every time I praised the Miracle Surgeon, you never objected, and you weren't worshipful or dismissive like others." Cressida glared at me hard. "Goodbye!"
She seemed to have come only to hear my admission. The moment she turned around, tears flowed from her eyes.
I suddenly remembered accidentally overhearing her arguing with Roger, when she said she had liked the Miracle Surgeon for at least ten years—those ten years were almost all of her youth.
"Cressida," I called out to her, "you probably haven't booked a hotel yet. If you don't mind, I'll arrange one for you, and we can go back to Starstream City together in a couple of days."
Cressida, with her back to me, wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Do you think I'm ridiculous?"
I felt that even if I denied it, it wouldn't comfort her. The atmosphere was tense when Karen arrived.
"Bella, stop working so much. You should relax once in a while and treat yourself well." Karen said excitedly that she'd found a fun place and would take me there tonight to open my eyes.
I nodded in agreement and hesitantly invited Cressida, "Will you come?"
Cressida sniffled, "Yes!"
Around nine in the evening, the car stopped in front of a brilliantly lit, gorgeous building.
Luxury cars gathered in front of the magnificent golden doors—you could tell at a glance this wasn't a place ordinary people could come to.
"Is this the famous Velvet Oasis?" Jacqueline's mouth dropped open as she looked around curiously.
Julie, arm in arm with her, asked curiously, "We passed through two security checkpoints driving in. I heard this place has a membership system with extremely high barriers—you can't get in without a membership card or invitation."
I'd never been here, but I'd heard of this rule. "Karen, how do we get in?"
"Look!" Karen pulled out a gray-green card from her pocket with gold floral patterns on it. "I have a membership card!"
"Your family has no influence, how could you have a membership card here?" Cressida couldn't help questioning.
"Don't worry about that. Just follow me. Trust me, the card is real, we won't be kicked out." Karen said with a grin. "Let's go! Tonight we won't go home until we're drunk!"
We walked into the club. Karen's membership card was high-level. When she swiped it at the front desk, the card had five million dollars in pre-deposited funds for us to spend. The lobby manager bowed and showed us the way. "Ladies, would you like a booth in the main hall or a private room?"
He was all smiles, as if we were his gods.
We looked at Karen—she was in charge tonight.
"Main hall!" Karen's eyes lit up as she inquired, "I heard there's a performance tonight? You'd better get us a spot with the best view."
The lobby manager said, "No problem! Ladies, please follow me. I guarantee you'll have a great time watching and playing tonight! Our club has all kinds of services!"
Crystal chandeliers hung high from the hall's dome, the lighting soft yet luxurious. The marble floor was mirror-bright, and the air was filled with a faint scent of champagne and cedar.
On the distant stage, a band was playing lazy, seductive jazz. The female singer's voice was husky and alluring. A few distinguished guests sat scattered below the stage, quietly enjoying their drinks, no one making noise.
The booth area was screened off with light-colored gauze and woven rattan dividers for good privacy. The lobby manager brought us to a spot with a clear view of the entire stage. About twenty yards away was a bar where a bartender was performing flair bartending, bottles flying through the air in beautiful arcs.
Jacqueline whispered in amazement, "Oh my god, this is so luxurious."
Julie teased her with a smile, "What? Is this your first time at a place like this?"
"Who says it's my first time!" Jacqueline bluffed, then admitted quietly two seconds later, "Can't help it, I'm the only heir in my family, and my parents watch me very strictly."
Julie patted the back of her hand. "I heard there are top bands performing here, plus private dance floors and cocktail bars."
Jacqueline was excited. "I looked it up before coming—apparently there are also magic shows, pole dancing, and really risqué strip shows!"
I listened to their chattering discussion, but my heart sank. When the others weren't paying attention, I lowered my voice and asked Karen, "How did you get a membership card here?"
Karen said in my ear, "Actually Stephen gave it to me. He asked me to bring you here discreetly. He said he has a gift for you."
"What gift?" I asked, puzzled.
Karen shook her head, "I don't know either."
She discreetly slipped a room card into my hand. "The gift is here. I'm just the messenger. Whether you go or not is entirely up to you."
Karen paused, then added softly, "I don't think Stephen means any harm."