Chapter 270

Chloe shook her head. She picked up the phone.

Damien cradled her in his arms, his thumb gently massaging her temple as he studied her delicate features - the same arched brows and piercing eyes that mirrored his own. "You spoke with her," he murmured, "yet you're still upset?"

The little girl's forehead creased. "I am happy...but..."

It had been months since she'd heard her mother's voice. Now that the call finally came, joy should have flooded her heart. Yet...

"But what?" Damien pressed.

Chloe's lower lip trembled. "But I also feel sad."

Damien chuckled, resting his chin on his palm. "That's quite profound for a six-year-old. You're just missing your mother after so long apart. Once her project wraps up, she'll make time for you."

Chloe nodded, but her pout remained. "Mom said she won't be free until next month."

"Then we'll count down the days together, alright?"

"Alright."

Fatigue began weighing on Chloe's eyelids. After a few more minutes of conversation, she yawned, slid from Damien's embrace, and shuffled off to her bedroom.

The eve of the Lumina Festival arrived.

By midmorning, Lydia and Hugo still hadn't caught sight of Camille.

On New Year's Day, Marcus had visited Helena at the hospital, but Camille never appeared. Lydia assumed some crisis had struck the Hartwell family.

Yesterday, when Helena was discharged, Camille's absence continued. Damien simply claimed she was occupied.

Given Camille's devotion to Chloe, Lydia never imagined the divorce would actually proceed. She'd dismissed the possibility entirely.

But today felt different.

Camille didn't share Damien's demanding career. No matter how dire the Hartwell family situation, she should have carved out time for a brief visit.

When Damien descended the stairs at eleven, Lydia could no longer contain her curiosity. "Have you and Camille finalized the divorce?"

Hugo, present in the room, froze. He hadn't questioned Camille's absence these past days. But Lydia's words struck him like lightning.

Damien sipped his tea calmly. "Not yet. The process is underway."

Hugo's eyes widened. They were actually going through with it?

He'd always known Damien didn't love Camille, but after all these years, he assumed their marriage would continue indefinitely.

The reality stunned him.

Lydia studied Damien...

If love had never existed between them, perhaps divorce was for the best.

But Selene...

She opened her mouth to speak when Damien, as if anticipating her thoughts, stood abruptly. "I have a meeting."

With that, he departed.

Lydia frowned. "You—"

Meanwhile at the Hartwell residence, dinner concluded beneath a starless night sky.

Camille, Isaac and Noah were preparing fireworks when Tristan's video call notification flashed across her screen.

Camille hesitated.

Tristan never called without reason.

She answered to find Iris's beaming face filling the display.

"Ms. Camille!"

Camille smiled. "Happy Lumina's Day, Iris."

"Happy Lumina's Day!" Iris appeared to be in a garden. She passed the phone to Tristan and raised a glowing rabbit-shaped lantern. "Look, Ms. Camille! My lantern's so pretty! I love it! Thank you!"

"As long as you're happy, that's what matters."

Iris grinned. "Ms. Camille, Uncle Tristan and I are lighting fireworks later. Want to join us?"

Assuming Iris meant visiting the Rutherford estate, Camille replied, "Not tonight, sweetheart. I have plans. Next time, okay?"

"Oh...okay."

Their conversation continued briefly before something distracted Iris, sending her skipping away.

Tristan reclaimed the phone. "Happy Lumina's Day."

"Happy Lumina's Day."

Without Iris's chatter, silence stretched uncomfortably between them.

Tristan cleared his throat. "Any plans? Fireworks? Midnight countdown?"

Camille shook her head. "Probably."

Isaac and Noah wanted to go out. She'd likely accompany them.

Camille thought Tristan was merely exchanging pleasantries and didn't dwell on it. The conversation still felt stilted between them.

"I should get going," she said abruptly. "Let's talk another time?"

Tristan gave a curt nod. "Of course."

With a polite smile, Camille met his gaze one last time through the screen before disconnecting.

She placed her phone on the wrought-iron garden table with deliberate care. The distant laughter of Isaac and Noah reached her ears as they prepared the fireworks display.

Stepping onto the dew-kissed grass, Camille quickened her pace toward the commotion. The night air carried the scent of gunpowder and childhood nostalgia.

"Save some sparklers for me!" she called out, her earlier tension dissolving like sugar in tea.

Noah waved a bundle of Roman candles triumphantly. Isaac stood ready with a lighter, his grin visible even in the twilight.

Camille's heart lightened as she joined her cousins in their impromptu pyrotechnics show. The brilliant colors exploding against the velvet sky momentarily erased all thoughts of awkward video calls and unfinished conversations.

"Watch this one!" Isaac shouted as he lit the fuse of a spinning wheel firework.

The sudden burst of golden sparks reflected in Camille's wide eyes as she laughed freely for the first time that evening. Tomorrow's problems could wait - tonight belonged to family and fireworks.