Chapter 37

Gasps filled the room as Camille Hartwell stepped in. One excited employee blurted out, "Mr. Ashcroft, is this stunning woman our new team member?"

"You're quick on the uptake." Gabriel flashed a knowing smile.

He cleared his throat. "Let me introduce—"

Felix Valen cut him off mid-sentence. "Did you fire Selene Lancaster because of her?"

A tense silence followed before Gabriel nodded. "Correct. I'll explain—"

Felix's sharp gaze landed on Camille. "Selene earned her PhD from an Ivy League at twenty-five. Ms. Hartwell, your credentials must be extraordinary to replace her."

The air thickened. Earlier, Selene had hinted at personal reasons behind her rejection, but Felix had seen Camille and Gabriel embrace. His mind jumped to conclusions.

No one at NovaSight Labs matched Selene's brilliance. Not just locally—nationally. He doubted this newcomer could compare.

Before Camille could respond, he smirked. "You look too young to even have a master's degree."

Gabriel's jaw tightened. This conversation needed privacy, especially given the bad blood between Camille and Selene. But Felix's public confrontation derailed that plan.

"Felix—"

The engineer waved him off. "I'm speaking to Ms. Hartwell." His stare turned icy. "Cat got your tongue? Or is your alma mater too embarrassing to mention?"

Camille's posture remained unshaken. "I haven't completed my doctorate, but—"

Felix snorted. Just as he suspected. Not every woman could be Selene Lancaster.

"But what?" He sneered. "Think you can compete with us just because men fawn over your looks?"

Gabriel's voice turned dangerous. "That's enough!"

Felix ripped off his employee badge. "I resign."

Gabriel froze. This escalation shocked even him.

"You've changed, Mr. Ashcroft." Felix's disappointment cut deep. "I thought you valued merit over... distractions."

As he stormed out, Gabriel called after him, "Take time to reconsider. My door stays open—"

The slam of the exit door drowned his final words.