He seemed well on his way to drowning himself in decadence. But why was Zane here? Did he still hope to reconcile with Darcy? Hugo pressed his lips together, raising an eyebrow in a silent question. Zane exhaled a plume of smoke, his expression disdainful. "What, you're allowed here, but I'm not? Is this Sterling family territory?" He glanced in the direction Darcy had disappeared, then looked back with a sneer. "After breaking up with Jethro, she'd rather go on a blind date with some nobody than be with you. That's pretty pathetic." Hugo let out a short, humorless laugh, his tongue pressing against the inside of his cheek. "Still better off than you—begging her in the pouring rain and she didn't even spare you a glance. Look at you, for crying out loud. You really think she'd ever take you back now? She'd have to be blind as a bat." "You—" Zane's knuckles went white around the steering wheel, hit right in the gut. "At least I had her once." "You said it—'had'. The best kind of ex is a dead one," Hugo shot back, his words sharp. Just then, Hugo's phone rang. It was Ines. Hugo answered. Ines' cheerful voice came through. "Hugo! Heard you're back. Let's meet up! It's been ages. I've missed you, man." Hugo replied flatly, "Buzz off," then added, "Text me the time and place." "Got it!" Ines paused, lowering his voice. "Um... should I invite Zane?" Hugo was silent for a moment. "No." Ines sighed. Not surprising. He'd seen it coming. Because of Darcy, his two childhood friends could never go back to the way they were.The next second, Hugo added, "He's with me. I'll tell him." Ines jolted upright. "Alright, alright! You guys talk. I'll go book the place!" After hanging up, Hugo looked at Zane. "You heard. So, do you have the guts to come?" Zane sneered, "Why wouldn't I? Out of the three of us, I'm not the one who should feel guilty." Hugo shrugged. "Not me either. It's Ines. I heard he scared off another blind date." Meanwhile, at the Cross Villa, Ines kept sneezing. His mother chided him, "I told you it was getting cold! Put on a jacket!" Ines snatched his car keys from the table and stood up. "Mom, I won't be home for lunch. Don't cook for me." "Where are you going? We have an appointment with Miss Reed tonight. Don't forget!" Ines shuddered. "Mom, you're brutal! One every other day?! Are you trying to kill your own son?" He said it and bolted out without looking back. Half an hour later, at a private club, when Ines pushed open the door to the reserved room, he found Hugo and Zane already seated, drinks in hand. "Hey, you guys are early. Where did you two come from?" He plopped down on the long sofa opposite them, sprawling out casually. Hugo and Zane exchanged a glance but said nothing. Hmm. Something's off. Very off. Ines narrowed his eyes. Hugo suddenly returned from his business trip... His trips back were always connected to her. And Zane, a night owl who only came out after dark—why was he out during the day today? Unless he went to... His mind raced, quickly deducing who both of them had likely gone to see.Huh. Hearing about Darcy and Jethro's breakup, they both ran straight to her. Talk about a twisted kind of mutual rush. Ines wisely said nothing. He picked up the decanted red wine, poured himself a glass, and swirled it slowly. Darcy was a sensitive topic. The Blackwood scandal was another. Best not to mention either today. He took a small sip before speaking, "My mom's getting crazier by the day. Used to be one blind date every two weeks. Now it's every other day. I'm about to lose my mind." Hugo smiled faintly, "Just don't go." Ines sighed, "If I don't go, she pulls out all the stops—crying, throwing fits, threatening to disown me. It's exhausting. Speaking of which, isn't your family pushing you to meet people?" "They've mentioned it, but I've put them off," Hugo said, clearly unwilling to discuss his love life. He changed the subject. "By the way, I've got a promising project on my hands. If you're interested, consider investing." He briefly outlined the project. Ines' eyes lit up. "Looks good. Solid returns. I'm in!" Hugo then turned to Zane. "What about you? Interested?" Zane was taken aback. He slowly sat up straighter, a cold smile on his lips. "You'd be that generous?" Hugo gave him a sidelong glance. "Not everyone's as petty as you." Zane's fists clenched. "Who are you calling petty?" Just as the two were about to go at it again, Ines jumped up and sat between them. "Hey, hey! We're here to hang out, not fight. Come on, guys."