Natalie Vaughn's question left Hugh silent for a moment, as if unafraid of the heat, he held the coffee Zane Thorne had brewed.
About half a minute passed, and just as Natalie was about to skip the topic, Hugh finally spoke.
"I had one before."
A "before" hints at a story filled with emotions.
After saying this, Hugh took a sip of the coffee. So hot, so bitter, it seemed to give a reason for his faintly fading smile.
Natalie could probably guess that it was a story of unrequited love.
The reasons behind it were not something Natalie wanted to probe into, and for someone she just met, asking such a question was already invasive.
But Natalie knew Hugh wouldn't mind.
"I believe there's no issue of conquering or being conquered between two people. We are individuals with independent personalities. No one wants their independent personality to undergo a significant change because of someone else. Over the years, we've all instinctively protected ourselves."
