"What's wrong?" Hugo turned his head, looking at Uma with gentle eyes.
Those gentle eyes were all too familiar to Uma. She tried desperately to read her own answer in Hugo's expression, but failed. This reminded her of the trust Hugo had in her. At the Golden Globe celebration, when Anthony had tried to slander her, Hugo had defended her without hesitation and he had never questioned her afterward.
Uma panicked and grabbed the newspaper, wrapping the damp seafood in it. "N-no…"
She avoided Hugo's gaze, her eyes locked on the seafood as she tried to completely cover it with the newspaper. But in doing so, she missed the look of disappointment in Hugo's eyes. That deep disappointment pierced his heart—it was the first opportunity he had given Uma.
Hugo closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. Then, as if speaking casually, he said, "By the way, at the last Golden Globes, didn't Michelle say you were auditioning for a project? How did it go? Did you get the part?"
Uma's heart skipped a beat. She lifted her eyes to meet Hugo's. He wore a faint smile, but the gentle warmth was gone, replaced by calmness, like a lake with no ripples. His amber eyes were so deep that it felt as though falling into them would trap you forever. They reminded her of the first time she had been intimate with Hugo—she had chosen to take the initiative because of these eyes, stepping forward toward a man she had previously felt no interest in.
"Oh… I missed that opportunity," Uma said, averting her eyes again. She couldn't face Hugo's gaze—the very same gaze she saw every day, now burning her from within. She could not look into those clear eyes. "You know… I'm just a newcomer. They probably wanted someone with more box office pull."
"Everyone goes through that," Hugo murmured, closing his eyes deeply. This was his second chance. He wanted to continue trusting Uma; he didn't want to overthink, didn't want his own assumptions to ruin everything. He told himself he should give Uma an honest opportunity rather than play guessing games. And so, he did.
"By the way, I saw the newspaper today," Hugo said, making Uma lift her head sharply. He seemed not to notice the panic in her eyes as he calmly added, "The one you're holding—the San Francisco Chronicle—it says you're about to star in The Firm. Is that true?"
Hugo watched her quietly. Storms churned in Uma's eyes. She couldn't believe it, feeling as though she were the one being betrayed. The calm Hugo had just shown had been an act. Uma felt a cold emptiness wash over her, mingled with panic.
The entire hall fell silent. Joseph and Kal, Charlize and Alex, all stopped what they were doing. Even their breathing was cautious, afraid to disturb the fragile peace, lest it erupt into a tempest.
"You're testing me!" Uma's voice trembled as she confronted Hugo, as if she were the victim.
Hugo blinked in surprise but then closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. "Yes," he admitted calmly. He could see the tumult in Uma's eyes, yet he found the situation almost laughable. Uma's reaction was as though she were the one betrayed. "I saw the news, but you never mentioned it. I wanted to hear it from you."
"You already saw the news. What more could there be to question? You're pretending to know nothing just to test me? Do you think I'm a fool? Are you mocking me? Did my reaction just now seem ridiculous to you?" Uma slammed the seafood onto the table. The bag of octopus tore, scattering fresh octopus across the dining table.
Hugo drew his gaze away from the mess and looked steadily at Uma. By now, his initial anger had subsided, replaced with calm. He wanted only one thing: an answer. Despair is the greatest sorrow—perhaps that's how he felt. The trust that had existed between them now seemed like a cruel joke.
"No… I just want to hear your explanation," Hugo said evenly. "After everything that happened last week, we know the news isn't reliable. I don't trust reporters. I want your answer."
Hugo's words struck Uma, leaving her stunned. She stared at him in disbelief. "You believe whatever I say?"
Hugo nodded, a pained smile touching his lips. "That was my intention."
Uma realized then that Hugo truly trusted her and she had torn that trust apart herself. "And now?" she asked, noting the past tense in his words.
Hugo still smiled faintly but didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "So… what's your explanation?"
Uma laughed suddenly. She knew the trust between them was broken. Trust isn't a system—you can't restore it to factory settings. Once trust is fractured, it cannot be mended. And she smiled, knowing that since it couldn't be fixed, there was no need to hesitate. She always made decisions ruthlessly, without looking back. That had been true when she took the initiative with Hugo and it was true now.
"Do you really want to hear my explanation, or just confirm your suspicion?" Uma asked, turning to the sink. She methodically washed her hands and dried them with a towel. With Charlize present, the apartment was always neat and orderly—hardly like a man's home.
"That depends on you," Hugo's voice trembled slightly, though he controlled it well, smiling as he looked at Uma. She turned back to face him without hesitation, and Hugo did not falter.
"On New Year's Eve, Martin and Tracy offered me an audition. Although I knew they were scheming against you behind the scenes, I decided to take the opportunity," Uma explained simply, without defending herself. She knew no defense was necessary at this point. "I didn't know exactly what the opportunity was. After we went to Malibu, my first outing was the audition. I didn't tell you, and I think you know why."
Hugo didn't respond, only quietly continued to watch Uma.
"After the audition, I found out it was for The Firm. My conversation with Sydney went very smoothly, but he didn't make any promises—he just asked me to wait for news," Uma explained simply. "After that, I auditioned again and met with Tracy and Michelle once more."
No wonder Uma had gone to great lengths to keep Hugo in Malibu back then. She had already sensed that the casting for The Firm was meant to undermine Hugo. That was why she had to win the role, and why she couldn't let Hugo know or risk him interfering. Thinking back now, Hugo could only see himself as utterly foolish—completely naive.
"Then, the day before yesterday, Sydney called me and said he wanted to speak with my agent in detail. Other than that, I haven't received any updates yet," Uma said, pointing to the San Francisco Chronicle, which had been ruined by the octopus. "As for the news in this paper, I haven't received any confirmation either."
"Do you have any other questions?" she asked calmly, looking Hugo in the eye. "Oh, right. About Anthony, Tracy wanted me to see if I could get you to do an interview with him, but I don't know the details. And regarding recent newspaper rumors, I accidentally told Tracy about the Chicago Evergreen Street incident. That's all. Any questions?"
Hugo looked at the composed woman in front of him, and his mind flashed back to the moment he had first been captivated by Uma. Just like today, she had been confident and decisive, boldly pursuing her goals, never hiding her ambition. Hugo knew she had fought hard to seize this opportunity and advance her career. Uma hadn't offered excuses, and she hadn't anticipated that things would come to this point.
Hugo wanted to speak, but his throat felt blocked. Only now did the sharp ache in his heart make him realize that he had invested far more emotion into their relationship than he had imagined. "Why don't you defend yourself?" he asked.
"I've already explained, haven't I?" Uma replied quietly, a hint of mocking amusement on her lips, though it was unclear if it was aimed at herself or at Hugo.
Hugo shook his head. "You know what I mean." Uma remained silent. Hugo continued to study her, looking at the familiar yet strangely distant face before him. "By your own account, you've done nothing wrong. You just auditioned for a film and kept striving for your career—that's all. My personal grievances with the The Firm team have nothing to do with you. So why don't you defend yourself?"
Uma met Hugo's clear, probing gaze. "Do you believe my explanation?"
"Why wouldn't I? You have no reason to hate me," Hugo replied, taking a deep breath. The swelling emotions inside him made it increasingly difficult to control himself, and he had to adjust his breathing constantly.
Hugo's words made Uma smile. As the smile faded, a mix of sorrow and chaos broke through her carefully maintained facade, blooming across her delicate features like a poppy in slow, vivid petals. From her perspective, she hadn't truly wronged Hugo. She hadn't joined Tracy and the others in a plot to trap him; she had simply chosen a role that benefited her career. Yet she knew it wasn't that simple.
Uma's eyes, wild and lingering, stayed locked on Hugo. "I think you know why. From the moment you started testing me, the outcome was already determined, wasn't it? The answer you want, I can't give it. Any defense would only make me look more pathetic. So why bother?"
On New Year's Eve, Uma had already made her choice. There was no turning back now.
.....
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