Chapter 393

Dorian Hartwell's assistant remained unaware that both Camille Hartwell and Gabriel Ashcroft were Graham Bellamy's protégés.

When Dorian remarked on Gabriel's good fortune in being with Camille, his assistant chimed in, "During last night's interview, Mr. Ashcroft mentioned that as Mr. Bellamy's student, he's always been held to exceptionally high standards."

"Mr. Bellamy insists he stays current with all cutting-edge advancements in the field and masters every technical breakthrough thoroughly."

"Whenever there are knowledge gaps, Mr. Bellamy personally fills them based on his own research."

"Ms. Hartwell is already highly competent. With Mr. Ashcroft's guidance now, her growth will accelerate exponentially."

"Truly, this relationship benefits Ms. Hartwell tremendously."

While factually accurate...

One of Hugh Dunmore's students immediately countered, "So you're suggesting Ms. Hartwell's earlier insights were merely regurgitations of Mr. Ashcroft's and Mr. Bellamy's research?"

The unspoken implication hung heavy - Camille wasn't the prodigy they'd imagined.

Though phrased diplomatically, everyone present, including Selene Lancaster, grasped the underlying meaning.

Hugh appeared momentarily stunned, his disappointment palpable. He'd genuinely believed Camille to be AI's rare polymath. This revelation shattered that perception.

Damien Harrington also fell silent.

Observing both men's reactions, Selene allowed herself a subtle smile.

So Camille's so-called brilliance was simply parroting Gabriel and Graham's analyses.

No wonder Dorian and Hugh had been so impressed.

Damien, while less effusive in his praise, had witnessed Camille's technical discourse firsthand.

He too must have been momentarily dazzled.

But judging by his current expression, he'd realized the truth - Camille's insights weren't her own.

The woman simply didn't possess that caliber of intellect.

Dorian, however, knew Camille was also Graham's student.

Their previous AI discussions and her leadership in developing NovaSight Labs's revolutionary programming language proved her technical prowess.

He remained convinced the ideas she'd presented originated from her own research.

As Graham's protégé, such brilliance was entirely plausible.

But these details were confidential, leaving Dorian unable to defend her publicly.

Camille remained oblivious to the office drama.

After leaving Harrington Group, she returned directly to NovaSight Labs.

During lunch, Phoebe Carver messaged genuine congratulations: "Ms. Hartwell, I never imagined you'd achieve such success after leaving. My sincerest congratulations!"

Though unaware of Camille's specific collaboration with Harrington Group, Phoebe recognized partnership status signaled significant standing.

Camille replied, "Thank you. You seem to be thriving as well - congratulations to you too."

She added, "And your coffee was exceptional. I truly appreciated it."

Phoebe flushed with pleasure yet embarrassment. "But yours remains unparalleled, Ms. Hartwell. Despite replicating your methods precisely, Mr. Harrington still prefers yours. I actually took barista lessons to reach my current standard, just to keep my job."

Their pleasant exchange concluded shortly after.

Gabriel returned from his business trip that afternoon.

Their lawyer reported that regarding Vertex Dynamics's compensation to NovaSight Labs, Selene had paid $200 million, with over $100 million remaining pending.

Gabriel smirked. "Damien's always been generous with Selene - gifting properties, companies, even securing her DataWing Inc. partnership post-termination."

"Yet our $300 million compensation drags on? Are they stalling intentionally?"

Camille speculated, "More likely the Lancasters don't want to burden Damien further - they intend to cover this themselves."

A plausible theory.

Gabriel clicked his tongue. "Given the Lancasters' current financial strain, raising two to three hundred million while maintaining operations can't be easy."

"Still, Selene's insistence on personal repayment... Those two really are devoted."

Camille agreed wholeheartedly.

Though truthfully, she'd understood their bond perfectly since Selene took that knife for Damien, and when Damien demanded their divorce.