Chapter 300

A small crowd had formed around Camille Hartwell and Gabriel Ashcroft.

When Damien Harrington and Elliot Mercer approached, several attendees recognized them immediately. Damien raised a finger to his lips with a charming smile, signaling them to remain silent.

The two men positioned themselves at the periphery, listening intently as Camille and Gabriel fielded questions.

The conference hall buzzed with intellectual energy. Many attendees held degrees from Ivy League institutions - brilliant minds all.

Camille and Gabriel didn't just answer questions. They engaged in spirited debates with those who could match their technical expertise.

The depth of these exchanges left some listeners struggling to follow. Those without specialized knowledge in materials science and manufacturing felt completely lost.

Damien and Elliot clearly belonged to the first group.

Selene Lancaster could mostly keep up as well.

Camille and Gabriel had quickly recognized the knowledge gap early on. They'd instinctively simplified their explanations without condescension.

Elliot listened with keen interest.

Just as the discussion reached its peak, someone spotted the newcomers. "Professor Mercer! And Mr. Harrington!"

The room's attention shifted. Camille and Gabriel followed the collective gaze to where Damien, Elliot - along with Arlo Calloway and Selene - stood watching.

Their eyes slid past Selene without acknowledgment.

With Roland Royce present, Gabriel had no choice but to pause the discussion. "Professor Royce. Professor Mercer."

Roland clapped his hands together. "Just what I'd expect from Graham Bellamy's protégé. Remarkable."

Gabriel smiled modestly, but Roland continued, "Though I must say, the young lady beside you is equally impressive." His eyes twinkled. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Gabriel hesitated. "Camille Hartwell. A key member of our R&D team at NovaSight Labs."

"Ah, a NovaSight Labs technician," Roland mused. "So your company boasts not one, but two exceptional talents. No wonder you're leading the industry."

"You flatter us," Gabriel replied.

Elliot stepped forward to join the conversation.

Selene watched in quiet surprise as Camille held her own against these intellectual giants.

Clearly, she'd underestimated the other woman.

Gabriel was Graham Bellamy's student - a recognized genius in his field. If Camille had been working closely with him all this time...

Selene recalled hearing years ago about Camille skipping three grades before entering Crestmont University. At the time, she'd assumed Camille was brilliant.

But subsequent rumors suggested Camille's university performance had been mediocre at best. No major awards. No international competitions.

Meanwhile, Selene - though not a prodigy - had steadily climbed the academic ladder, collecting prestigious awards until she'd earned her PhD without a single misstep.

Watching Roland shower Camille with praise, Selene maintained her perfect smile.

She glanced sideways at Damien.

His expression revealed nothing. He might as well have been watching paint dry for all the reaction he showed to Camille's accomplishments.

That silent observation made Selene's smile deepen slightly.

Arlo, however, looked completely lost. "Is she actually that good?" he whispered.

Before Damien could respond, Selene arched an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Arlo blinked. How should he know? If he understood any of this, he wouldn't be asking.

But judging by Damien and Selene's reactions, perhaps Camille wasn't quite the genius she appeared.

Seeing Roland showed no signs of wrapping up his conversation, Selene touched Damien's arm. "Don't you have that meeting? We should go."

Damien nodded. "Right."

He stepped forward to address Roland. "Professor Royce, we have prior commitments. We'll take our leave."

Roland waved them off without looking up from his discussion. "Of course."

He did offer Selene a polite nod.

Damien's gaze lingered on Camille for a heartbeat before he turned away, Selene and Arlo falling into step behind him.