Chapter 431 - 427: She’s Not Alright

Susan Mason glanced nervously at the door to the lounge and raised a finger to her lips, shushing Lily Sterling. "Lily, be careful. If Teacher Lowe hears you saying that, it’ll be a disaster."

She leaned in closer, lowering her voice so only the two of them could hear. "I heard he’s extremely well-connected. If newcomers like us, without any backing, accidentally offend him, we could get blacklisted."

George Lowe had been in the business for decades and was well-established in both entertainment and financial circles. In this industry, seniority is everything, and everyone showed him a certain degree of respect.

Lily Sterling knew this, of course, which was why she didn’t dare say much more about George Lowe. Right now, her only goal was to protect Susan Mason.

"I know," Lily Sterling nodded. "I’m just trying to give you some advice, right? I really think Jett Hughes would be a better fit."

Hearing this, Susan Mason looked troubled. "But Teacher Lowe already said he’d help me. If I suddenly go to Jett Hughes, won’t that be a slap in the face to Teacher Lowe? What if he gets angry?"

Lily was momentarily speechless. Susan’s concern was valid, after all.

But then Susan slapped her thigh and said cheerfully, "Ah, why am I even thinking about this? I can just ask Teacher Lowe for advice first, and if that doesn’t work out, I’ll go ask Jett Hughes. They’re both seniors, so they definitely know more than I do. I’m sure I’ll learn something if I consult them both."

Before Lily could react, Susan Mason had already stood up. "Lily, I’m going to go prepare for my scene. I’m looking forward to our scene together!"

"Susan..."

Lily called out to her, but Susan Mason either didn’t hear or pretended not to, pushing the door open and hurrying away.

"Lily, what’s wrong?"

Yuna noticed Lily’s expression was off, as if she were worried about something. She couldn’t help but walk over and ask, "Why the long face?"

Lily Sterling glanced at Yuna, then shook her head gently. Her grip tightened slightly on her milk tea cup. After a moment, she abruptly stood up. "I’m going to go check on the set."

"But you don’t have any scenes this afternoon, and it’s really hot outside," Yuna said, surprised. But Lily Sterling had already left the lounge without a backward glance. Seeing this, Yuna quickly grabbed a bottle of sunscreen and an umbrella and ran after her. "Wait for me..."

On set, preparations for the next scene were underway when Lily Sterling arrived.

Heather Keaton was there, too.

When she saw Lily arrive, she came over to greet her. "Lily, don’t you have the afternoon off?"

Seeing Heather Keaton was like finding an anchor in a storm. Lily hurried over to her and whispered nervously, "Heather, I need to talk to you about something."

Heather Keaton frowned at her expression. A woman’s intuition made her blurt out, "Did that old perv George Lowe harass you?"

Lily Sterling quickly shook her head, pulling Heather Keaton to an empty corner to quietly tell her what had just happened.

As soon as Heather heard, her expression turned certain. "He one hundred percent has bad intentions. Lily, I’m telling you, our industry is full of lecherous old men. You have to be careful from now on. Avoid being alone with any man."

Lily said urgently, "I know, Heather, but what about Susan right now?"

’What if she really goes to see George Lowe alone? What if something happens?’

Unlike Lily Sterling, who was genuinely worried for Susan Mason, Heather Keaton’s expression was perfectly calm. She looked at Lily and asked, "Lily, do you really think Susan Mason doesn’t know what George Lowe’s intentions are?"

The question stunned Lily.

"Heather, what-what do you mean by that?" Lily asked, her face filled with horror. "Are you saying Susan knows..."

Heather Keaton shook her head. "I’m not saying that. But we’re all adults, and this isn’t her first day in the industry. There are some things she’s probably well aware of."

Lily Sterling stood with her mouth half-open, her expression complex and her eyes filled with utter disbelief.

Seeing her expression, Heather Keaton couldn’t help but sigh softly. "Lily, your innocence and kindness are precious qualities. But the entertainment industry is a cesspool. As much as I hate to say it, there are some cruel rules, both spoken and unspoken, that you’ll eventually come to understand. People’s hearts are complicated, especially when faced with desire. Resorting to any means necessary is the norm."

The words sent a shiver down Lily’s spine, raising goosebumps on her skin.

’This is horrifying! George Lowe is in his sixties or seventies!’

Heather Keaton rested a hand gently on Lily’s shoulder. "I don’t want to assume the worst of her, either," she continued. "But if she’s doing this willingly, then your impulsive attempt to ’help’ is just ruining her plans. Not only will she not be grateful, she might even resent you for it."

An image flashed through Lily’s mind: the scene of her running into Hope Miller outside George Lowe’s room that night.

’That’s right. Some people do willingly throw themselves at him.’

’But Susan...?’

"But what if she really doesn’t know?" Lily murmured. "Are we just supposed to let a lamb walk into the tiger’s den?"

She refused to believe that Susan was the same kind of person as Hope Miller.

Heather Keaton shook her head gently. "I don’t know, because I don’t know her. But if I were you, I wouldn’t get involved in this."

Lily Sterling stood frozen in place. Heather’s words were a heavy blow, each one clashing with her own worldview. She needed time to process and understand.

A pang of sympathy hit Heather Keaton. She patted Lily’s shoulder gently. "It must be tough, having to force yourself to accept all these worldview-shattering realities."

But this was all just the surface of the entertainment industry, the part that most people were aware of and secretly complied with.

The longer you were in the business, the deeper you sank, and the more you saw.

The things that were unknown, that were darker and couldn’t be brought into the light, were things Lily Sterling probably couldn’t even begin to imagine.

「Scene Three, stand by! Actors to your marks!」

A loud shout from the floor manager pulled the dazed Lily Sterling back to reality.

"I have to go shoot my scene. It’s too hot out here; you should go back to the lounge and rest, Lily," Heather Keaton said with a final smile before heading onto the set.

Lily Sterling turned her head. Over on the set, Susan Mason was talking to that old lech, George Lowe. She looked perfectly fine—so fine it seemed she didn’t need anyone to worry about her at all.

"Lily, quick, put on some sunscreen! The UV index is really high today. You can’t just stand out here like this." Seeing that the two had finished talking, Yuna immediately came over and was about to apply sunscreen for Lily.

Lily Sterling barely managed to snap out of her daze, raising a hand to gently stop Yuna.

Yuna looked up at her, confused. Lily hesitated, a struggle warring within her for a moment. Finally, she shook her head and said, "Let’s not stand out here. Let’s go back."

Her strange behavior was genuinely worrying, but Yuna was completely baffled. "Lily, are you okay?"

Lily looked at her, but she found she couldn’t bring herself to say the two words, "I’m fine."

She wasn’t fine. She was dealing with things, things she couldn’t fully comprehend herself.