Chapter 150

Gabriel's anger still simmered as they drove away from Vertex Dynamics.

A sudden thought struck him. He turned to Camille. "That woman in the navy suit standing behind Selene - she was staring at you oddly. Do you know her?"

"Selene's cousin," Camille replied flatly.

Gabriel's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "First Damien brings Selene into Vertex Dynamics, now he's hiring her relatives too? At this rate, the company will be renamed Lancaster Group by next quarter."

Camille shared his sentiment but only hummed in response. Given Damien's obsession with Selene, she wouldn't put it past him to sign over the entire company. Letting the Lancaster clan infiltrate Vertex Dynamics was child's play compared to that.

Gabriel changed the subject before his blood pressure spiked further.

That evening, they worked late into the night at Gabriel's lab, replicating the specs for Damien's autonomous vehicle prototype.

Snow began falling during their drive home.

Camille was reaching for her bathrobe when her phone buzzed. Damien's name flashed on the screen.

She let it ring out, gathered her toiletries, and stepped into the shower.

Two missed calls and one text waited when she emerged: "Chloe has parent-teacher conference tomorrow."

Camille typed a terse reply: "Not available." She set the phone aside without another thought.

Across town, Damien was reviewing contracts while Chloe played games on her tablet. The girl's face lit up when she saw Camille's response.

"Daddy! Mom can't come tomorrow! Can we ask Selene instead?"

Damien didn't look up from his documents. "Hmm."

Chloe bounced on the couch, waving her arms. "Yes! This is perfect!"

"I'll be attending too," Damien added.

Chloe grinned. "Obviously. Where Selene goes, you follow."

The next afternoon at NovaSight Labs, Camille was deep in discussion with Everett when her phone chimed.

A message from Chloe's teacher: "Mrs. Harrington, will you be attending today's conference?"

Camille replied: "Occupied with work. Unable to attend."

Minutes later, another message arrived with a photo attachment: "Mr. Harrington attended with another woman today..."

The image showed Damien and Selene seated together, Chloe clinging to Selene's arm. Camille felt nothing. This was exactly what Chloe had wanted - Selene playing mother while she stayed away. And Damien would never let Selene go alone.

Though the teacher seemed concerned, Camille simply responded: "Aware of the situation. No issue. Thank you, Ms. Dale." She set her phone down and refocused on her work.

The week passed in a blur of meetings and prototypes. Before she knew it, Friday morning arrived.

She'd barely finished her coffee when Tristan called. "Iris wants to go camping overnight. You in?"

Camille paused. "Full overnight setup?"

"Already handled," Tristan assured her. "Security, gear, provisions - all arranged. Just bring yourself."