Chapter 26: A Birthday Banquet or a Trap?

At Pinkwater Alley, Tina arrived home just as Hugo and Jennie were stepping through the door. She greeted them and asked, “Mr. Reed, is everything going alright?” Hugo and Jennie had taken Zackary to enroll at Royal Oaks Kindergarten that morning. Hugo nodded, “It went well; Zackary really likes the school.” There was a hint of bitterness on his face as he sat on the sofa, looking exhausted. Tina sat down beside him, glanced at him, and inquired, “Ran into some trouble?” “Ah,” Hugo sighed, “It’s nothing, just the usual.” Seeing him sigh without elaborating, Tina turned to Jennie, “What happened?” Tina wasn't one to pry, but having grown comfortable with Hugo's family over time, she was naturally willing to help. However, Hugo seemed reluctant to trouble her, never speaking up about his problems. “Don't mind him; he's just being idle,” Jennie said, glaring at Hugo before patting him on the shoulder, “Big deal, if you can't find a job, you can't find it. I still have some savings,