Reluctantly

Hugo walked down the stairs, surveying the hall but failing to catch sight of Uma. His mind was filled with tangled and complicated thoughts, making him feel the need for some fresh air. So he left the hall and headed towards the garden. Whenever he thought about Tracey, Hugo would feel a headache. It was difficult to meddle in personal matters, and the entanglement of emotions made it even harder to know where to begin.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh air outside provided some relief to Hugo's swollen brain. He had believed that he had enough understanding and preparation regarding his predecessor's affairs. However, now it seemed that within the original Hugo's 25 years, there were still many unknown things awaiting him. And all of it was the difficulty that Hugo had to face because this was now his life.

Hugo had only taken a few steps when he saw Joseph approaching with an expression of discomfort. Though Hugo was burdened with his own thoughts, he could easily discern the stiffness in Joseph's face. After all, they had spent almost every day together in the past year, and their understanding of each other was indeed extraordinary.

"What's wrong? Did you run into Baum?" That was the only thought in Hugo's mind. Martin Baum, Brad's agent, was nowhere to be seen tonight. Could it be that Martin had been showing off in front of Joseph?

Joseph glanced at Hugo, hesitated to speak, and then averted his gaze. This made Hugo furrow his brow, and he asked loudly, "What?"

Joseph didn't turn his head and continued to look elsewhere, shrugging his shoulders. "It's nothing. I didn't run into Baum, but...someone else did." Joseph didn't reveal who it was, leaving Hugo puzzled. In the past, Joseph would have kept it to himself, but now that they were friends, he had fewer reservations about certain things. So, after struggling with himself for a moment, Joseph couldn't hold back any longer and said, "It's Uma. Uma is having a great conversation with Martin now."

Hugo hadn't anticipated this situation, but he didn't panic either. "It's just a conversation, nothing more. Don't think too much about it. Besides, there's no deep-seated hatred between Martin and us. We're just competitors. As long as Uma doesn't talk to Brad, it's not a big problem." Hugo's humor earned him an eye roll from Joseph, who looked helpless.

Hugo spoke the truth. In the entertainment industry, there weren't many deep-seated grudges. Even if Brad turned to Hugo now, it would be normal in the industry. The only thing that felt uncomfortable was the emotional aspect. After all, less than ten minutes ago, Hugo had learned that he had missed the opportunity of "The Firm", and it was very likely that Martin had pushed Brad to win that opportunity. It was no wonder Joseph's expression was bad.

Although Hugo consoled Joseph, he still looked around for Uma's figure. It was evident that he still cared. Especially considering Tracey's current relationship with Brad, and Martin being Brad's agent, and connecting it with the storm of thoughts in Hugo's mind just now, it was not difficult to understand Hugo's current mood.

In fact, finding Uma and Martin wasn't difficult at all. They were standing next to the buffet table. Uma had a radiant smile on her face, appearing very happy. Martin also had a warm smile on his face, his eyes, filled with wrinkles, slightly narrowed, glimmering with a calculating gleam that made one wary.

Hugo and Joseph walked steadily toward them. As Hugo approached, Martin raised his champagne glass and said, "Ah, the flower protector has arrived. I guess my mission has come to an end."

Uma came forward and gave Hugo a big hug, her face beaming with a bright smile, showing her joyful mood. Hugo also cheered up, smiled, and said to Martin, "Thank you for your company. Is everything still going well tonight?"

Martin still wore his non-exaggerated smile and replied, "Of course, with Miss Thurman's company, it compensates for my inability to dance." He squinted his eyes slightly, glanced at Hugo, and said meaningfully, "I hope you have a pleasant evening too. Don't get too busy to neglect the beauty. Well, I'll take my leave now."

His words implied the victory of "The Firm", which made Joseph's fists clench involuntarily. Hugo also felt frustrated. He thought his outstanding performance over the past two months had gained him some initiative, but in reality, in the world of Hollywood, Hugo was still just a budding actor with no real power.

After watching Martin leave, Hugo looked at Uma, and a smile reappeared in his eyes. "How about it, is everything okay?" Uma nodded with a smile, and Hugo finally relaxed. "Then let's leave. The business is done, and we can stick to the plan and go to Alex's friend's party."

However, Uma unexpectedly hesitated and said, "Leave now? We've only been here for half an hour. Can't we stay a little longer?"

Hugo chuckled lightly, "I didn't expect things to end so quickly. We don't have any other business here, do we? If we hurry to Alex's place now, we can catch up with the party's countdown, and we can be with friends instead of staying here. Isn't that more enjoyable?"

Uma still hesitated, and her smile gradually faded. Biting her lip, she said, "But I made plans with Nicole. After I finish talking with Martin, I planned to join her. We've already agreed on it."

Suddenly, Hugo realized that while his business was over, Uma's affairs here seemed unfinished, which put him in a difficult position. "But you know, we made a prior arrangement with Alex, right?" Hugo furrowed his brow slightly, bit his lip, and carefully considered the situation. "Do you and Nicole need a lot of time?"

Uma nodded and asked tentatively, "Can't you skip going to Alex's place? Look, we're all here now, the atmosphere is great, and it would be fun to celebrate New Year's together. You've already explained the situation to Alex, and he'll surely understand. Can't we just stay here?"

Hugo looked at Uma with surprise. "I thought we had an agreement." Hugo felt that his tone was a bit abrupt. With the consecutive waves of events he had just experienced, he felt his patience dwindling rapidly. He paused for a moment to calm himself down before continuing, "Just like you made plans with Nicole, we had already made plans with Alex. We must keep our commitment to Alex because, after all, compared to Nicole, Alex is our true friend, right?"

Uma looked at Hugo with disappointment in her eyes, as if the pitch-black night had swallowed up the excitement and joy that had blossomed like fireworks just moments ago. Uma didn't respond immediately; she carefully pondered for a while before making a decision. "Okay, how about this? I'll go sit with Nicole and explain the situation, then I'll come back and leave with you, alright?"

That's fair. Hugo nodded, "That's necessary. After all, you also promised Nicole, so it's appropriate to explain the situation before leaving." Hugo looked into Uma's eyes and said gently, "Do you need me to go with you? After all, it's because of me that I interrupted your gathering. I should apologize to Nicole."

Uma immediately shook her head, forcing a smile and said, "No, there's no need. It would be awkward for a group of women to sit together if you join. I'll go sit for a while and come back quickly."

Hugo thought it made sense and agreed. Finally, he kissed Uma's forehead and watched her turn and walk toward the hall.

As Hugo turned around to call Joseph to wait in the front yard together, he saw Joseph's gloomy expression. He thought Joseph was still upset about "The Firm", so he patted Joseph's shoulder. "Forget it, don't think about it anymore. Even if we keep thinking, it won't change anything..."

Joseph frowned and looked at Hugo. "How could she do that?" Hugo stopped in his tracks and looked at Joseph. "She didn't even ask about the details of "The Firm", and despite knowing your situation, she still got so close to Martin. It makes me uncomfortable."

Hugo paused for a moment. He had too much on his mind just now, so he hadn't considered this point. Now that Joseph mentioned it, it made Hugo's mind go blank for a moment. But he shook his head, smiled, and said, "Don't be so sensitive. She didn't say anything with Martin; it was just a social occasion. She doesn't need to bear the responsibility for our failure, right?"

Joseph looked deeply at Hugo, with a lot to say, but in the end, he let out a sigh and remained silent. Matters of love were extremely sensitive, and from a friend's standpoint, giving one's opinion could lead to irreparable consequences, making the situation very awkward. However, not giving an opinion would disappoint the friend. After thinking it over, Joseph felt he had expressed his thoughts, and he was currently feeling very frustrated. He was too sensitive about "The Firm" issue, and it was likely that he would start blaming whoever he saw, so he didn't insist any further.

"So, where should we wait for Uma?" Joseph asked.

Hugo suddenly exclaimed, causing Joseph to stop in his tracks. "I didn't arrange a meeting place with Uma." They were in such a rush just now. "Forget it, let's go sit in the front yard. She'll see us when she comes out." Then Hugo and Joseph walked toward the hall, discussing quietly.

"Now, if we go to Alex's place, half an hour should be enough, haha. Alex will be thrilled to see us. Should we scare him a little when we arrive? Haha, and Charlize too. Let's sneak in and see if there are any scary masks..."