Chapter 100

Chloe rushed downstairs to inform Damien. "Mom's already eating in her room. She's working on something."

Arlo arched an eyebrow at this revelation. So Camille knew her place after all. Tristan lowered his gaze, remaining silent.

Selene suppressed a knowing smile. Of course Camille wouldn't dare join them. Nobody actually wanted her presence at this gathering anyway.

The coward could have come down if she wanted, but all that awaited her were mocking stares and deliberate exclusion. Better for everyone that she stayed hidden in her room like the pathetic creature she was.

Damien barely reacted to Chloe's message. "Understood."

He wasn't particularly insistent on Camille's attendance either. "Let's begin without her," he announced, gesturing for everyone to start eating.

Selene's lips curved in satisfaction as she elegantly took the seat beside Damien.

Meanwhile, Camille had finished her lunch and returned to work. Gabriel had arrived home by now, and fresh ideas kept flooding her mind.

When she finished explaining her concepts to Gabriel over the phone, his reaction was explosive. "Holy shit! You're an absolute genius!" His voice boomed through the receiver.

"The way you grasp these concepts so quickly - you're a natural, Camille! I always knew you had this in you!"

Before she could respond, Gabriel groaned in frustration. "Seven damn years wasted! If you hadn't left for that marriage, NovaSight Labs would be dominating the industry by now!"

Camille winced and pulled the phone away from her ear.

Gabriel quickly caught himself. Clearing his throat, he refocused on their breakthrough. This discovery required expanding their team immediately.

Gabriel contacted Everett Ortiz first, then rallied the rest of NovaSight Labs's staff. These weren't just employees collecting paychecks - they were passionate learners eager to grow.

Though Everett's team struggled to fully comprehend the technical aspects at first, Gabriel's explanations soon had them buzzing with excitement. They volunteered for overtime without hesitation, officially joining the project.

An in-person meeting would have been ideal, but the two-hour commute to NovaSight Labs wasn't practical. Inspiration struck unpredictably - better to capture it immediately before it faded.

They settled on a video conference instead.

During a lull in their discussion, Gabriel asked casually, "You alone in there? Where's Damien and the others?"

"Probably still eating downstairs," Camille replied indifferently.

"Just Damien and Chloe?"

"Selene, Arlo, and Tristan are there too."

"And they left you alone up here?"

"Chloe invited me down. I declined."

"Good. At least Damien's not completely heartless."

Camille disagreed. Like Arlo, she suspected Damien only extended the invitation to avoid Helena's nagging.

More importantly, everyone downstairs was firmly in Selene's camp. Even if Camille joined them, they had nothing to fear - she couldn't possibly challenge Selene's position. That's why they didn't mind her presence.

Four intense hours later, as dinner time approached, they agreed to a two-hour break before resuming work.

Camille organized their progress before closing her laptop. She needed fresh air - a short walk would clear her mind. She could pick up some apple cartons for Gabriel and the team on her way back.