Warned, Ines stared in shock, eyes bloodshot. "Screw this. Hugo, how many years have we known each other? We grew up together, and now you're threatening me over a woman?!" Hugo looked at him coldly. "I'm not asking for much. Just respect for her." Ines' chest heaved. He pressed his tongue against his molars. "Fine. Fine. Respect. I'll damn well respect her!" He suddenly laughed bitterly, "Just afraid you'll chase after her, and she still won't want you. Looks to me like she's not into you at all. Her eyes are all for Jethro! She's dead set on climbing higher—why would she ever pick you?" Bang! The moment the words left his mouth, a hard object smashed against the wall and shattered on the carpet. It was Hugo's phone.Looking up, Ines saw Hugo's eyes blazing red, glaring at him. "Shut up!" Ines froze on the spot. He's lost it. They've all lost it. The next day, after breakfast, it was still free time. Darcy, along with Jethro, Cindy, and Zephyr, went to the hilltop church to pray for blessings. After a night's rest, the injuries on Darcy's feet were mostly healed. At the church, they started by lighting devotional candles and bowing their heads in reverence, then split up to offer private prayers and collect blessed keepsakes. Darcy picked out a blessed health prayer card for her mother, tucking it carefully into her bag before heading off to find Jethro and the others. She unintentionally bumped into Hugo's group. Their eyes met. Hugo's lips parted slightly, but words of concern never made it out. Darcy silently stepped aside, heading toward the adjacent hall. The air turned heavy. Ines grinned, trying to lighten the mood. I looked it up online—this church is supposedly the best for prayers for safety, and love prayers come in second. Zane, Zora, you two don't need that luck anyway. I'm here to get a blessing for myself." He stepped forward and approached a young altar server. "Excuse me, I'd like to request a divination slip." The altar server handed him a wooden box. Ines shook it with both hands until a slip tumbled out—it was a moderate blessing. He held it out respectfully. "Could you please help interpret this for me?" The altar server folded his hands, turned, and brought the slip to the head priest. The priest glanced at it and shook his head. "My child, your destined match has not yet arrived." Ines still wore a carefree grin. He'd been on a string of blind dates recently, none suitable.He grinned and asked, "Then when will it arrive?" The priest frowned. "I'm afraid not for quite some time—not until you reach 40." The smile froze on Ines' face. Damn. Forty?! His true love wouldn't appear for over a decade! Well, maybe not a bad thing. At least he could live it up for another ten-plus years. Ines stepped back, and Hugo stepped forward in his place, handing the priest a slip of his own. It was marked as the least favorable blessing. "Reverend, may I ask... is the person I'm destined for in this church today?" The question was so specific that it startled the priest and the others. The head priest closed his eyes for a moment, then bowed his head apologetically. "My child, the slip says no." Hugo's expression instantly darkened. Unhurriedly, he turned, reached into the wooden box, pulled out all the slips marked most favorable blessing, and handed them to the priest. "That last one was the worst—it said no. What about these best ones? Do they say yes?" The priest and the altar server stared at him, speechless. Ines knew his crazy streak was back. He pulled Hugo's arm. "Hugo, that's not how this works. Divination slips... you either take them as they come, or you don't. If you think it's not accurate, just let it go." "I believe more in shaping my own destiny than in letting fate dictate my path," Hugo stated flatly. On the way down the mountain, Zane kept feeling Hugo was off today. Especially when he was getting his fortune read—it was like he was a different person. He'd never seen this kind of frenzied side of him before. "Has something happened to Hugo lately?" Zane deliberately slowed his pace, pulling Ines aside to ask.Ines' eyes flickered with guilt. "Heard his dad's been sending him out of town a lot recently. Probably all the business trips—messed up his sleep schedule or something." Zane fell into silence. Zora, walking beside them, knew exactly why. She smirked coldly. "Probably not. Looking at him, seems more like he's heartbroken." Zane paused. "Heartbroken? Over that girl from the fireworks festival? Haven't heard him mention her in ages." Ines' mind raced. "Maybe. But it's no big deal. Hugo's got looks like that—he's never short of admirers. Oh, right, do you know why his dad's been sending him out of town lately? The Sterling Group expanding branches elsewhere?" Zane was successfully diverted. "True. Last time I ran into his dad, he mentioned the northern market needs development. Probably considering setting up a branch there."The conversation smoothly shifted to recent investment market fluctuations. Zora secretly sneered. She knew perfectly well why Hugo was being sent out of town so often lately. Because she was the one who sent those pictures to his mother. Darcy, don't think just because Zane dumped you, you can get into the Sterling family. You and your pathetic mom can stay in the lower rungs of society forever! After lunch, the Stratagem Tech team-building officially ended, and the bus headed back to the city.