Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

Chapter 772

Hugo's unexpected presence surprised everyone.

Mobius, aware of Hugo's character, frowned. "Who invited you?"

"Mom did. Am I not welcome?" Hugo replied with a casual smile, seemingly unfazed by the tension in the room.

Mobius, however, couldn't hide his dissatisfaction. "I don't know what Mom is thinking. Why would she invite you to her birthday after everything you've done?"

Mobius had always been frank, but this still made Hugo frown. "Mom raised me, so what's wrong if she invited me to her birthday party?"

Recognizing the futility of arguing with Hugo, Mobius merely shot him a disapproving glare and took a seat on the couch.

Hugo's attention shifted to Pearl, who was sitting nearby, and he greeted her with a smile. "Long time no see, Pearl."

Pearl forced a smile and replied, "Not at all. We just met two days ago." Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Their exchange was filled with tension and awkwardness.

Esther's arrival later disrupted the uncomfortable silence. She was surprised to find everyone sitting around quietly. "Why is everyone here? Am I late?"

Her voice broke the awkward silence, but she immediately sensed that something was amiss. She cast a disgusted glance at Hugo, who stood out conspicuously, and asked, "Why are you here?"

Hugo couldn't tolerate her attitude and rolled his eyes in response.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." Esther rolled up her sleeves and walked over to confront him, but Mobius held her back.

Even Pearl pinched the bridge of her nose. Esther always acted impulsively without considering the consequences.

"What business is it of yours?" Hugo retorted with a cold smile, his words laced with hostility. "You're just an outsider here. Who are you to judge me?"

"Hugo, you better watch your mouth. You tormented Pearl and now you show up here acting like you own the place. Are you trying to provoke a fight?" Esther warned sternly, her anger fueled by sympathy for Pearl.

"I tormented Pearl? Who told you that? Pearl herself? Or someone else?" Hugo's smirk was anything but innocent. "We were close when we were abroad. These are baseless accusations."

The term 'close' left room for speculation about their past relationship, further fueling Esther's annoyance. "I'm warning you, Hugo. Don't ruin Pearl's reputation!"

"Alright, the food is ready. Time to eat!" Susan intervened, putting an end to their argument. She had dressed up for her birthday celebration, creating a sense of anticipation in the air.

Esther walked past Hugo and bumped into him hard. However, she wasn't very strong, so it was nothing to him.

As everyone gathered around the dining table, Esther intentionally picked the seat across from Hugo. Pearl had a bad feeling about it.