Facing the reporters' sharp questions, Hugo was clearly well-prepared. These issues had already been repeatedly brought up during the early stages of promotion. Even though both parties had already clarified the matter in front of the media, journalists who thrived on chasing rumors were naturally unwilling to let go of such a potential scoop. Thus, Hugo calmly looked toward Demi and Bruce's direction and said with a smile, "If what you were expecting was for Demi to personally meet me at the entrance, then obviously my relationship with Demi must be absolutely terrible."
Hugo's completely unexpected answer stunned the reporters, while Uma suddenly burst into laughter. She hadn't anticipated Hugo would respond this way. Unable to stop herself, she glanced at Hugo's side profile. The smooth curve of his jawline, now framed by the arc of his smile, was strikingly beautiful. She could clearly see the light in Hugo's amber eyes flickering with delight, brighter than the North Star itself—so dazzling it made Uma's heartbeat falter for an instant.
"I didn't get the chance to greet my colleagues after stepping onto the red carpet because you all haven't stopped questioning me. Hopefully, there won't be any headlines tomorrow claiming I was shunned by the entire cast," Hugo cleverly shifted the subject. Using humor, he silenced the reporters.
The reporters wanted to claim that Hugo and Demi hadn't exchanged a word on the red carpet. But Hugo explained this was because the reporters themselves had been relentlessly pursuing the scandal, leaving him no time to speak with Demi—or, to be precise, with any of the cast members. This counterargument, phrased so deftly, left the reporters with no comeback.
Hugo's bright eyes never left Nicholas, the one who had asked the question. Initially, seeing Nicholas' optimism for A Few Good Men, Hugo had thought Nicholas had "turned over a new leaf." But now it was clear this wasn't the case at all—Nicholas was still trying every possible angle to dig up a story.
At the same time, Nicholas gazed intently back at Hugo, curiosity written all over his face. He hadn't expected Hugo's answer, and yet Hugo kept surprising him again and again. This fascinated Nicholas—so rather than being disheartened by Hugo's rebuttal, he grew all the more eager, as though drawn into Hugo's sparring glance.
The two silently locked eyes in a battle of wills. But obviously, Hugo didn't have the time to continue this standoff with Nicholas. Calmly withdrawing his gaze, he then took Uma with him as he strode toward Demi, warmly embracing both her and Bruce in greeting. By doing so, he used direct action to dispel the reporters' doubts.
In truth, Demi did not like Hugo much in private, and Bruce even less so. But in front of the media, appearances had to be maintained. Both sides cooperated, leaving the journalists with no words to add.
Although the reporters still felt reluctant, they understood they had already gotten plenty of material tonight. It was more than enough. As for deeper digging, they could save that for after the film's release. The cast would inevitably embark on a major publicity tour—there would be no shortage of chances.
With the red carpet interviews over, the main creative team entered the theater, awaiting the opening of A Few Good Men.
Hugo and Uma were chatting with Kevin Bacon when Joseph suddenly appeared, politely saying, "Excuse me, may I borrow Hugo for a while?"
"Looks like I've got more work to do," Hugo chuckled, saying goodbye to Uma and Kevin before stepping aside with Joseph. "Where did you disappear to just now? I didn't see you after we finished the red carpet." As Hugo's agent, Joseph usually followed him through the carpet, stepping out of frame during photos and rejoining afterward.
"I ran into something unexpected," Joseph replied, scanning the surroundings to make sure no one was nearby. Lowering his voice, he said, "I saw Sydney Pollack." The director of The Firm, no less. "At first I thought he was simply here to watch A Few Good Men. After all, wanting to personally gauge your performance wouldn't be surprising. But then, right after that, I saw Ron Meyer."
"What?" Hugo's brow furrowed. Ron was an agent—A Few Good Men didn't have any of his clients in the cast. Why would he show up at tonight's premiere?
Joseph nodded. "I think Ron came here for Sydney."
No wonder Joseph looked so cautious. Sydney was preparing The Firm, and plenty of actors already had their eyes on it—including Brad Pitt. Now with Ron entering the picture, it felt like a pack of wolves closing in on prey.
"Don't overthink it. Maybe he isn't here because of me at all. Maybe it's just because The Firm is a great script?" Hugo didn't want to sound self-important. Hollywood was a small circle, and in the early '90s, the number of film projects in development at any one time wasn't all that many. The chances of running into the same people repeatedly were high. Just like Hugo and Brad—three encounters in a single year.
Joseph frowned. "That's what I told myself at first, too—to avoid complicating things unnecessarily. But then I saw someone else, someone you'd never expect."
Hugo looked at Joseph, puzzled. There were countless people he hadn't fully pieced together in his memory yet. It could be any number of people or things he hadn't anticipated. So Hugo wisely kept silent rather than guess.
Joseph didn't expect him to answer. He said directly, "Allegre." That truly was unexpected. "I saw Allegre pestering Ron. Ron had to calm him down with great effort before Allegre finally settled."
In that instant, all the clues connected. Allegre had deliberately targeted Hugo on the A Few Good Men set. Later, when punished, he had made those ambiguous remarks that could be easily misinterpreted. Not long ago, after Tracy met with Ron, she had spoken to Hugo in those suggestive tones. Now it all became clear: what she had been hinting at was precisely this—Allegre would show up at the premiere to stir up trouble.
Allegre had likely come to confront Ron. Joseph had heard that since Allegre left the A Few Good Men crew, he hadn't been able to find work. So Allegre must have come seeking revenge against the man pulling the strings behind the scenes. Perhaps he even threatened Ron: if Ron didn't arrange a job for him, he would expose him right here at the premiere.
But then—why would Tracy know about this? Did Ron tell her? And how did this connect to the Universal Pictures project they were scheming about? And if Tracy knew, why tell Hugo? Was it to push him into conflict with Ron? Was it out of lingering affection? Or was there another motive altogether?
"But…" Hugo started to ask why Ron would do this, and why Tracy had hinted at it. But before he could finish, Joseph's look warned him to stop. Following Joseph's gaze, Hugo turned his head and there came Bruce Willis, with Demi by his side, walking toward them.
Another problem, right on cue.
In truth, Hugo actually liked Bruce quite a bit. He admired the Die Hard series starring Bruce, but what he appreciated most was Bruce's way of dealing with life. Although Bruce in his youth was a bona fide troublemaker, with age he had gained a rare sense of tolerance and magnanimity. Later, in 1998, Bruce and Demi chose to divorce, yet even afterward the two remained very close friends. They often traveled together and continued to cheer each other on. Such a gift that comes only with time was something not everyone could possess.
It was just that, in this lifetime, it seemed the awkwardness between Hugo and Bruce had been predestined before they even met.
Compared to Demi's unwilling and dismissive glare, the smile on Bruce's face looked far more sincere. It was clear that, more than Bruce himself, Demi was the one who still cared most about the Hudson Hawk role being taken away.
Bruce gripped Hugo's hand and gave it a strong squeeze. The force of the action hero's strength immediately pressed into his palm. Though Hugo wasn't as physically strong as Bruce, he wasn't weak either. With a smile on his face, he pressed back with equal strength. He didn't overpower Bruce, but neither was he crushed—a result that genuinely surprised Bruce.
The two shared a brief exchange of looks before releasing each other's hands. Bruce's smile toward Hugo grew even more genuine. "Buddy, I've heard your performance this time was outstanding. I really have to congratulate you. The negative impact of Hudson Hawk has finally blown over, and I don't need to feel sorry anymore. After all, that script was adapted from my original novel."
This was a fact Hugo hadn't known: the source novel for Hudson Hawk was actually Bruce's work. That made things all the more complicated. One could say Hugo had stolen a role Bruce had set his heart on. Yet ironically, the film turned out to be a colossal failure, which only deepened the awkwardness between them.
A rush of tangled thoughts flickered through Hugo's mind, but he quickly smiled. "Every project is a new beginning, isn't it?" That single sentence carried many meanings: comfort for Bruce, a way of leaving the Hudson Hawk matter behind, and gratitude for Bruce coming to offer congratulations.
Bruce clearly couldn't have agreed more, nodding with a cheerful grin. "And about Tracy—you don't need to keep dwelling on that either. Sure, she was wrong at the start, but you got your revenge later, didn't you? Looking forward is what matters most. Every day is a new beginning. It's the same principle as with a project."
Bruce was obviously a bit thick-skinned. To speak of such secrets so openly in public left both Demi and Joseph visibly stunned. But for Hugo, the impact was far greater: Tracy had first wronged his predecessor, and then his predecessor had struck back in revenge. That was what had ultimately caused their final break.
Now, the past began to reveal faint clues. On one hand, Tracy had treated Hugo with coldness, even anger, repeatedly obstructing his career. On the other hand, she also seemed conflicted. Whether it was the complex look in her eyes when they crossed paths at the A River Runs Through It audition, or her recent deliberate hint that Ron and Allegre were connected—these revealed her inner contradiction.
But what exactly had Tracy done wrong? How had his predecessor retaliated? And under what circumstances had they finally severed ties completely? Hugo still had no clear answers.
Suddenly, Hugo wondered: could it be that his own detached, calm, and even indifferent demeanor after crossing over had infuriated Tracy? Had Tracy thought he was already cutting her off completely and thus, step by step, she had been pushed into outright opposition?
If that were really the case, Hugo couldn't help but feel both amused and helpless.
....
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