Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl (Pearl and Richard)
Chapter 690

"We had the same exam papers, but he scored one point more than I did. However, I had to face discipline when we got home, and I wasn't allowed to have dinner, all because I didn't get first place," Hugo recounted, his emotions shifting noticeably.

Pearl felt her breathing becoming difficult. She had never known that the Waldorf children were disciplined in such a severe manner.

"There was one time when I stole his answer sheet and burned it," he continued, speaking about it without any hint of hesitation or guilt, as if it were a minor issue.

Pearl couldn't help but ask, "What are your intentions now? Do you plan to continue framing him like you did in the past?"

Hugo responded with a cryptic smile, "Why do you assume I was trying to frame him?"

"You said it yourself," Pearl retorted, finding his behavior rather erratic.

Hugo seemed to sense her thoughts and appeared defeated as he said, "I'm just defending my dignity."

Pearl couldn't help but think that Hugo had lost his way. She could see the ambition within him, but she also recognized that nothing she said could change his mindset at the moment, because he firmly believed in one principle: don't judge someone until you've walked in their shoes.

Despite that, it pained her to witness him sinking deeper into this madness. She couldn't deny that, despite his past wrongdoings, he had been very kind to her family.

"Hugo," she called his name, and his eyes met hers, filled with both anticipation and questions.

"I think the food you cook is really delicious," she continued, steering the conversation away from their previous topic and offering a compliment that was unrelated. However, Hugo understood. Was she trying to show him a way out?

"I'll cook for you all the time then," he replied with an affectionate smile. "You should just marry me."

Their conversation was laced with subtle but unmistakable hints.

Pearl shook her head. "I'm just saying you have a good side too."

In Hugo's cold and deep eyes, countless emotions swirled, complex and subtle, making it hard to decipher his thoughts. Though he was touched, his reaction was akin to throwing a feather into a lake-it didn't create any ripples.

"You shouldn't worry about me." Hugo stood up, dusted off his clothes, and handed Pearl the coat. "Aunt Beah asked me to come and cheer you up, but I don't think it helped much. It's getting a bit chilly, so you should keep the coat."

With that, he walked back to the house, leaving Pearl with mixed emotions.

After some contemplation, she came to a realization. If she couldn't resolve her own issues, why should she attempt to solve others' problems?

Pearl sighed, took out her phone, and found Richard's chat. She noticed the picture of the sea that he always used for his profile picture had been changed to a couple's photo.

It was a clear message intended for her.

The walls she had built to contain her emotions in her heart finally crumbled, and tears began to flow like a waterfall.