Leaving in anger

Hugo tried to convince himself that Tracey appearing next to Uma was just a coincidence. After all, it was a party, and everyone had the possibility of meeting each other. Besides Tracey, there was also Nicole Kidman, a top actress, and two other familiar faces whose names Hugo couldn't recall. They were all standing together, chatting happily, without anything unusual happening.

However, this was all very difficult for Hugo because first it was Martin, and now Tracy. Not long ago, Hugo had just been eliminated from the "The Firm" backup list. And then there was Tracey's meaningful gaze. Hugo found it hard to control his thoughts and not let his imagination run wild.

Taking a deep breath, Hugo temporarily suppressed his mixed thoughts and walked towards Uma and the others.

The first person Hugo saw wasn't Uma or Tracey, but Nicole. She greeted Hugo with a polite smile and waved gently. This gesture made the other people instinctively turn their heads to see who Nicole was greeting. Now, everyone saw Hugo approaching them.

Uma's expression stiffened for a moment, but she didn't dare to meet Hugo's gaze. She avoided his eyes, appearing somewhat conflicted. On the other hand, Tracey showed no signs of anything unusual. It was as if she was meeting Hugo for the first time, nodding politely along with the other actresses, including Nicole Kidman. That was all.

Hugo quickly reached Uma's side. By then, Uma had regained her composure, wearing an exuberant smile and a confident look in her eyes. She naturally stood on Hugo's left side. Hugo courteously bowed slightly and said, "Good evening, ladies. It seems I may have chosen the wrong moment to appear. I hope you won't blame my impetuosity."

"If no gentleman came to greet us, we would be disappointed," Nicole replied with a cheerful smile. Although tonight was her first time meeting Hugo, their first impressions of each other were very positive, so she expressed her friendliness. "Besides, having a gentleman like Hugo come and greet us would surely make many ladies jealous."

Nicole's words made the group of women laugh softly, each with their own charming and captivating demeanor. Tracey, standing in the middle of the group, didn't speak or make any special expressions. She was just like everyone else.

At this point, Uma took over the conversation and didn't let Hugo continue speaking. "I'm sorry, but I may need to be absent for a while. I hope you don't mind."

"No need to hurry. You have plenty of time, and we don't mind at all," Michelle Pfeiffer, who stood on Nicole's left side, said playfully. She seemed to be familiar with Uma and even winked at her, as if implying something. This made the others laugh softly, and Uma's face turned red.

"Well then, we'll take our leave. I hope you have a wonderful evening," Hugo politely bid farewell once again and then turned with Uma towards the direction of the main entrance. In a low voice, Hugo said to Uma, "Joe is waiting in the car. Hurry, we'll try to arrive in Santa Monica before eleven." The ballroom was playing soft background music, making it easy to hear conversations clearly.

However, Uma pulled Hugo aside and deviated from the original direction, heading towards the staircase. "What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Hugo didn't quite understand. "We've already wasted some time..."

"Hugo, you and Joseph can go find Alexander on your own. I want to stay here," Uma looked into Hugo's eyes and said firmly. The struggle she had just experienced had now turned into determination, reflecting Uma's bold, decisive personality.

Hugo looked at Uma, dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened. "If you're worried about Nicole and the others, I can go over and explain."

"No, it's not about them. I just want to stay here," Uma explained. "Hugo, if you want to attend your friend's party, go ahead, but I choose to stay." This place was filled with countless opportunities, and Uma didn't want to give them up, especially considering her enjoyable conversation with Nicole and the encounter with Michelle Pfeiffer, a top-tier actress. After much hesitation, Uma made this decision.

"But..." Hugo was getting angry, but Uma interrupted him. "I know you made plans with Alexander, but I'm not familiar with him, and it's not like I promised to go to his party. Why can't we do our own thing?" Uma didn't refer to him as "Alex", using the more formal and distant "Alexander". This slight change in address revealed her determination.

Uma's words seemed reasonable at first, but upon closer examination, they weren't quite accurate. This made Hugo frustrated. Initially, Uma agreed to go to Alexander's party with Hugo, and Sydney's party was just an unexpected occurrence. But now Uma had changed her mind. Moreover, "Didn't you promise just now? You said you would say goodbye to Nicole and leave?" Hugo couldn't understand. Just a while ago, he was dancing and kissing Uma, and everything seemed fine for the evening. It was the only thing that brought Hugo comfort amidst the chaos of "The Firm". Why had it turned into this now?

"Hugo, we can be together every day. A countdown doesn't mean anything," Uma persisted with her unchanged thoughts. Since she had made up her mind, Uma would stick to it, which had been vividly demonstrated in her interactions with Hugo. "I've said it before, I'm happy here, so I'm not worried. Of course, if you want to stay, that would be even better."

"That's impossible," Hugo's anger flared up. Tonight had already been frustrating enough, and now they were entangled in such a matter. "I said Alex is our friend, and we agreed to go with him first!"

Uma shook her head. "I don't want to argue with you anymore. Our perspectives are fundamentally different. You can't accept my thoughts, and I don't agree with your decision. So why can't you do as I say? I'm happy here, so let me stay. Isn't that a win-win situation? I'm not saying you can't go!"

"But you're my girlfriend!" Hugo said angrily. However, even after saying that, he didn't see any wavering on Uma's face. This made Hugo furrow his brow, and the color of his amber eyes deepened. He suddenly realized something, Joseph's words rushed into his mind, and Hugo blurted out, "Did Martin or Tracey say something to you just now?"

Hugo didn't want to speculate, but he couldn't control his thoughts.

Upon hearing these words, Uma paused for a moment, seemingly flustered, but immediately fixed her gaze unwaveringly on Hugo's angry eyes. "Don't change the subject. I want to stay here, and you know it has nothing to do with anyone else. Don't use your dirty thoughts to suspect me!" Uma was well aware of the "The Firm" incident, and the information about Tracey was merely some industry rumors. However, that was enough. Uma knew why Hugo had such doubts, so she refuted him.

Hugo remained silent, his eyes locked onto Uma's gaze without wavering. Although Uma's lips trembled slightly, she looked back at him without any fear. After about three seconds, Hugo let out a long breath. "I'm sorry, I was being too sensitive." After apologizing, Hugo's gaze softened slightly, but he still asked, "Uma, are you sure you don't want to go to Alex's party with me? Today is the last day of 1992..."

"No, I don't want to," Uma's answer was firm, with no room for negotiation.

Angry, Hugo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wanted to understand Uma's decision, but he couldn't, at least not in his current emotional state. He wanted to kiss Uma's cheek, but he couldn't as well. So, in the end, Hugo just hugged Uma lightly and hastily said in a low voice, "Happy New Year." Then he turned around and walked away.

Hugo's footsteps became resolute and compact due to his anger. With just a few large strides, he disappeared at the entrance, and his tense muscles were clearly visible from his back, revealing his troubled emotions. Uma adjusted her breathing and then turned around, walking back towards Nicole, Michelle, Tracey, and the others.

Joseph saw Hugo walking towards him alone and sitting in the passenger seat. He looked around but didn't see Uma. Before he could ask, Leonardo, who was sitting behind, voiced the question on his behalf, "Only you alone? What about Wonder Woman?"

Hugo fastened his seatbelt, let out a long breath, and replied, "Wonder Woman is out saving the world." Then he said to Joseph, "Let's go, Alex is still waiting for us."

Although Hugo didn't say anything, Joseph sensed a strong uneasiness. The image of Uma talking to Martin replayed in his mind inexplicably. But Joseph knew it wasn't the right time for a deep conversation, so he suppressed his thoughts and started the car.

Leonardo and Tobey sat in the back seat, looking at each other, unaware of what had happened. Seeing Hugo's low spirits, Leonardo opened the window and let out a howl, "Oh howl, we're going to a real party! Party! Party!"

Hearing Leonardo's excited voice, Hugo couldn't help but smile. He also opened the window and said to Leonardo behind him, "Your so-called real party is a party with alcohol, right!"

"Of course! Of course!" Leonardo's shouts and laughter scattered along the night. The fierce wind raged into the car through the window, calming Hugo's mind, which was filled with countless thoughts. All the worries and concerns were shattered in the storm and drifted away on Santa Monica Boulevard.