If this were the old Stella Lockwood, her legs would have gone weak with fear. But the current Stella Lockwood was different. In her original pursuit of the Best Actress award, she had endured every imaginable hardship. She had trained in various martial arts and even attempted all sorts of extreme sports.
Once, for a role, she had forced herself to push through and completely overcome her acrophobia. The character was a special police officer, and in a duel with a criminal, she had to slide down a slanted glass window from a building more than ten meters high.
They could have used a stunt double for that scene, but in her pursuit of authenticity, she insisted on performing it herself. She was already famous at the time and had no need to take such a risk, but she did it. Ultimately, the film was nominated for a prestigious award, and she won Best Actress.
However, winning that award came at a great cost. During the shoot, a small nail tore a long gash in her leg. When she landed, her leg was covered in blood, but she still insisted on finishing the subsequent fight scene. It was this professionalism that moved the director and made him see her in a completely new light. From that point on, she shed her image as just a pretty face and became a star known for her actual talent…
"Are you trying to get yourself killed? I won't allow it."
When Serena Lockwood heard Stella Lockwood agree, her expression changed drastically.
Philip Lefevre froze, looking up at the high rock-climbing wall. 'With a safety rope, it might not be impossible,' he thought, 'but this is a free climb. How could a delicate, pampered young woman who has never known a day of hardship possibly make it to the top?'
Stella Lockwood's gaze was resolute. She rolled up her sleeves, walked over to the climbing wall, and looked up. "Serena, just let me try... Really, it's only about four or five stories high... I can do it..."
"You're just gambling with your life. I absolutely refuse," Serena Lockwood objected vehemently. 'If anything happens to Stella, how will I ever explain it to Grandpa?' "Let's go. We're going home..."
But Stella Lockwood pulled away again. "Serena, I promise you, if I feel like I can't make it, I'll call for help immediately... Look, with so many people watching from down here, nothing bad will happen... I have to get into this project... I *must*. Sis, your job is to make sure you get a good video of this..."
'This is my last chance. Even though I know that man is deliberately making things difficult for me, I can't back down.'
Serena Lockwood stared blankly at the girl, her eyes full of questions. 'What has made Stella so brave and determined?'
Stella Lockwood did a few warm-up stretches, then began grabbing the holds and climbing up, one step at a time.
Serena Lockwood started recording again. 'This footage is too precious,' she thought. 'I have to capture this.'
Seeing this, Philip Lefevre grew a little worried. He walked over to Sean Quinn and asked in a low voice, "Sir, should I climb alongside to protect her?"
'This is no joke. If she falls, it'll be a disaster.'
Sean Quinn said nothing. Instead, he walked forward and, keeping about a body's width away from Stella Lockwood, also began to climb. He wasn't using a safety rope either. His movements were as agile as a martial arts master scaling a cliff face; with just a few swift motions, he was right behind her.
Serena Lockwood stared in astonishment. 'Holy crap, this guy's skills are insane.'
Philip Lefevre was also stunned. 'The boss is actually going up to protect Miss Lockwood himself? Is she really that special to him?'
As for Stella Lockwood, she was able to climb steadily at first. But by the time she reached a height of about ten meters, her arm strength began to give out. This body, after all, had barely been trained; its upper body strength was lacking.
She glanced down. 'So high.' She looked up again. Still several meters to go. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and an image from ten years ago flashed in her mind: she was hanging in mid-air, about to be dropped to her death.
That time, it was her eldest brother who had grabbed the severed rope, risking his life to save her. He had been beaten by thugs until he was covered in wounds, and had even fallen from the second floor—all to protect the rope that held her.
Her fear of heights was born from that traumatic event. Afterward, she couldn't even stand on a balcony if it was above the ground floor. The moment she tried, her entire body would go weak.
And right now, she was going weak.
Her legs were trembling, and her hands felt powerless.
'It's over, it's over… What do I do? I'm going to slip…'