Chapter 388

Damien turned to Gabriel with a casual smile. "Since you're already here, why not stay and join our discussion?"

Gabriel nodded. "Of course."

After exchanging brief pleasantries, Damien refocused on Hugh, Dorian, and the others. "Where did we leave off?"

Dorian responded, "We were discussing protocol for handling foreign probes entering our territory."

Hearing this, Selene's mind began racing.

Damien's eyes sparkled as he turned to Camille. "What's your take on this? Cami, any brilliant ideas?"

Neither Dorian nor Camille had fully considered the scenario before Gabriel and Selene arrived.

Now that Damien posed the question again, both hesitated momentarily.

When Selene heard Damien use Camille's nickname, her attention snapped.

Cami? He addressed her so familiarly.

More unsettling was how Damien's gaze softened whenever he looked at Camille—genuine admiration shining through.

Selene's fingers twitched involuntarily.

Just then, Camille spoke up. "We could seize control of the probe and return it intact."

The moment the words left her lips, Damien and Dorian burst into laughter.

Dorian's eyes lit up with realization, and he gave Camille an approving thumbs-up.

Damien didn't immediately evaluate the idea. Instead, his voice warmed. "You're that confident in your team's capabilities?"

Camille paused, then shrugged. "It's... manageable?"

Hugh chuckled. "True experts never doubt their abilities."

Damien grinned. "Exactly."

Lucerne had always prioritized diplomacy, maintaining peaceful relations with neighboring nations.

Whether the intrusion was intentional or accidental, returning the probe would prevent unnecessary conflict.

On the surface, the approach appeared courteous—but in reality, it was a masterclass in demonstrating technological dominance.

Successfully hijacking another nation's probe without triggering its self-destruct mechanism would prove Lucerne's overwhelming technical superiority.

The offending party would be furious—but more importantly, wary.

Initially, Selene didn't grasp the brilliance of Camille's suggestion.

But as Damien and the others dissected the technical implications, realization dawned. Camille's solution wasn't just diplomatic—it was a strategic power play.

This...

She hadn't even considered that angle.

Selene's expression darkened.

But even if Camille spoke with such conviction—could she actually deliver?

Or had the international acclaim for her research paper inflated her ego to delusional heights?

As these thoughts swirled, Selene caught Gabriel's faint smile—as if he, too, admired Camille's proposal.

Her breath hitched.

Did he actually believe in her—

Dorian's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. "Gabriel, you seem to share Cami's perspective?"

Gabriel nodded. "I do."

Before Selene could process this, Dorian pressed further. "Walk us through the strategic advantages."

Gabriel outlined the key benefits with clinical precision.

Only after his explanation did Selene fully comprehend the depth of the plan—extending beyond mere technology into geopolitical chess.

Meanwhile, Dorian, Damien, and Gabriel had instantly recognized all these layers the moment Camille finished speaking.

But Selene needed it spelled out.

Dorian's amused voice snapped her back to reality. "Ms. Lancaster, you've been frowning for a while. Something unclear?"

Though his tone was light, the barb landed.

Heat flooded Selene's cheeks.

Still, she forced composure. "Yes. I've just caught up with everyone's reasoning."