Chapter 384

Damien's phone buzzed before he could answer.

He excused himself to take the call outside. When he returned, servers were already bringing out the first course.

Arlo's unanswered question hung in the air, dismissed as easily as yesterday's news.

The brilliant mind behind the groundbreaking paper that had engineers worldwide scrambling for copies sat casually across the table.

As lunch progressed, Hugh and his students couldn't resist peppering Camille with questions about the paper's core concepts and experimental data.

Whether they asked about specific sections or broader industry challenges, Camille answered each query with effortless confidence.

Selene observed quietly, her expression unreadable.

Watching Camille hold her own against Hugh's intellectual probing almost made her seem... competent.

But was that truly possible?

Given Gabriel's reputation, if he'd credited Camille as first author, he must have prepared her thoroughly.

Her initial shock at Gabriel's announcement still lingered.

If this paper truly represented Camille's independent work as Gabriel implied, wouldn't that make her more accomplished than her own advisor, Graham?

Impossible.

She wasn't Gabriel.

The world had many bright minds, but few reached his caliber.

More likely, Gabriel had written the paper himself and was simply elevating Camille's reputation.

Satisfied with this conclusion, Selene cast a dismissive glance at Camille before looking away.

Helena and Giselle shared Selene's skepticism.

Hot-tempered Giselle grew visibly agitated watching Camille dispense advice to Hugh like some esteemed expert.

She barely restrained herself from exposing the charade. But with neither Helena nor Selene speaking up, she bit her tongue despite her fury.

Everett had initially doubted Camille's credentials too. But seeing Hugh's genuine excitement and focused attention as they spoke, his certainty wavered.

Could she actually be this brilliant?

The meal stretched on unexpectedly.

Before parting, Camille and Hugh exchanged contact information.

Hugh, realizing he'd monopolized Camille's time, turned apologetically to Damien. "My apologies, Mr. Harrington. Once we started discussing the research, I completely lost track—"

"Not at all," Damien interrupted smoothly. "Today's lunch was precisely for everyone to become acquainted. It'll make future collaborations more productive."

As the group dispersed, Tristan finally seized his chance to approach Camille.

"Congratulations," he said simply.

"Thank you," Camille replied.

Arlo noticed Tristan's approach but dismissed it as mere politeness.

Damien observed Tristan speaking with Camille, his expression unreadable before he looked away.

Selene's lips pressed into a thin line.

Did Tristan actually believe in Camille's professional competence? Was that why he fancied her?

But no—that couldn't be it.

Tristan had shown interest in Camille long before Rutherford Group partnered with Axiom Systems.

His attraction clearly had nothing to do with her supposed brilliance.

Damien's voice broke her thoughts. "Something on your mind?"

Selene blinked, composing herself.

Seeing how Camille had stolen the spotlight today while Damien barely glanced her way, she forced a light smile. "Nothing important."

Whether Camille's competence was real or fabricated—it didn't matter.

In Damien's eyes, she might as well not exist.