Chapter 495

Declan Vaughn had also joined this round of system testing.

Camille Hartwell didn't expect to see him here.

Her eyes paused on him briefly.

Declan seemed equally surprised to find her with Damien Harrington.

Noticing her gaze, he turned away with deliberate indifference.

Camille offered a faint smile at his coldness.

Her presence here wasn't about accompanying Damien to Calderwick.

She had her own business trip scheduled elsewhere.

"It's about time," she told Damien. "I should get going now."

"I'll walk you over," he offered.

Camille smiled lightly. "No need. It's just a few steps. Handle your business—I'll call after I land."

"Alright," he said.

Their exchange drew murmurs from both NovaSight Labs and Calder Group staff.

People quietly remarked on their apparent closeness.

Gabriel Ashcroft gave a soft, mocking laugh.

Camille remained silent, her expression unreadable.

After greeting a few Calder Group employees, she turned and left.

She didn't glance at Gabriel or Camille on her way out.

On the plane, Camille and Damien ended up seated across the aisle from each other.

Gabriel needed to discuss matters with Felix Doyle.

Noticing their proximity, he asked quietly, "Will this be alright?"

Camille shook her head. "It's fine."

Declan sat beside her.

After settling in, he leaned over to speak with her in low tones.

His line of sight naturally included Damien across the aisle.

Damien sat with his phone, eyes fixed on the screen.

From takeoff to landing, he and Camille didn't exchange a single word.

Only when he occasionally noticed her speaking with Declan did his eyes flick over briefly.

Then he turned away again.

They arrived in Calderwick and went straight to work that afternoon.

Their schedule was tight.

Since they'd arrived late, the day's tasks wrapped up past eight in the evening.

Progress hadn't gone smoothly.

Back at the hotel, Camille continued working.

She sorted things out until past eleven.

Finally satisfied with her progress, she headed into the bathroom for a shower.

She had just finished when the doorbell rang.

Glancing at the display screen, she saw who stood outside.

Her hand, still towel-drying her hair, stilled momentarily.

After a brief hesitation, she walked over and opened the door.

"What is it?"

Her hair remained damp, strands falling over her shoulders.

Water droplets trailed down her slender neck into the collar of her robe.

Damien's eyes flicked over her once before looking away.

"It's Chloe. She called."

He held out his phone.

Camille took it and answered right there.

"Chloe?"

"Mom, I'm buying you a present! I didn't know what you'd like, and I couldn't reach you..."

Chloe chattered cheerfully over the line.

Camille understood immediately.

"I see. I've been busy today. My phone must have died—I missed your calls. I'll check it soon. I'll let you know once I've picked."

"Okay!" Chloe hung up quickly.

Camille handed the phone back to Damien.

He gave a small nod. "Goodnight."

He was about to leave when Declan appeared down the hall.

Declan froze when he saw her standing there with Damien.