Chapter 11

Camille found the entire situation utterly ridiculous as she listened.

Damien and Selene had only met after her marriage to him. So Selene was fully aware of their relationship. There was no way Malcolm didn't know Damien was her husband. He must have known all along.

Yet he shamelessly encouraged a relationship between Selene and Damien. It showed how little regard Malcolm had for her, despite being his daughter too.

Damien agreed to Malcolm's request.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries. Camille watched as Damien waited for Malcolm to get into his car and leave before driving off himself.

Given Damien's status, he rarely showed such courtesy except to select elders of the Harrington family. Clearly, he held Malcolm in high esteem because he was Selene's father.

Camille remembered how Damien had treated Owen and Marianne. His attitude had always been cold and distant. Even when she carefully mentioned Owen's past difficulties, he had refused to help.

Yet for those Selene cared about, his attitude was completely different.

The way he treated her compared to Selene was night and day. This was the stark difference between love and indifference.

After Damien left, Camille remained standing there for a long time before finally entering The Meridian.

That evening, after work, Camille went home to collect the gifts she'd prepared for the Harrington elders. Then she drove to Harrington Manor.

Located on the capital's outskirts, Harrington Manor was surrounded by lush mountains and peaceful scenery - perfect for the elderly. The only downside was its distance from downtown.

The drive took Camille ninety minutes.

As she parked and gathered the gifts, she heard Chloe's cheerful laughter from inside.

Helena sat near the entrance. She spotted Camille immediately and beamed. "You're finally here, dear. Come sit with me."

While Helena greeted her warmly, Lydia Harrington's reaction was quite different. Selene and Nicholas didn't look pleased either. Their smiles vanished the moment they saw Camille.

Camille noticed but didn't care as much as she once would have.

She offered a faint smile and handed the gifts to the approaching housekeeper before greeting Helena. "Good evening, Grandmother."

"Good evening," Helena replied, her face lighting up as she guided Camille to sit beside her. But her smile faltered as she looked closer. "You've lost weight! Has Damien been mistreating you?"

Camille lowered her gaze. "No, I've just been busy lately."

It was partly true. Damien hadn't mistreated her directly, but her mood often suffered because of him.

Plus, she'd been immersing herself in AI research every night after work, sometimes until dawn.

Her recent weight loss was partly due to this.

Before Helena could respond, Selene scoffed. "From how you say it, anyone would think your job is so crucial the entire Harrington Group depends on you."

Lydia, ever elegant, sipped her drink coolly. "If working at Harrington Group exhausts you so, perhaps you should quit. After all, no one forced you to work there."

Selene laughed. "Exactly! Maybe someone just can't bear to leave."

Helena disliked their sarcastic jabs at Camille.

She was about to intervene when Camille spoke first. "I've already submitted my resignation. Once I complete the handover, I'll leave Harrington Group."

Her words stunned Lydia and Selene into momentary silence.

Helena frowned. "Camille—"

"Is Mom here?" Chloe's voice cut through the tension as she descended from the second floor via elevator.

Seeing Camille, she looked genuinely happy - they hadn't spoken in over two weeks. She ran over and hugged Camille tightly. "Mom!"

Camille hesitated briefly before returning the hug gently. "Hello, sweetheart."

Helena decided to drop the earlier topic with Chloe present.

Smiling warmly, she said to Camille, "It's been ages since I had your tea. Would you make me a cup?"

Having grown up with Marianne, Camille had developed exceptional tea-making skills.

"I'd be happy to," Camille replied, "but dinner is almost ready—"

Selene, who preferred coffee, disliked seeing Camille showcase her tea skills. She interjected, "Exactly. Dinner will be served as soon as Damien and Hugo return."

Right on cue, Damien entered.

He greeted Helena and Lydia first. When his gaze landed on Camille, he quickly looked away and sat in a single-seat couch far from her.

Seeing Damien, Chloe immediately left Camille's side and ran to him. "Daddy!"

Damien gave her a brief hug before scanning the room as if to speak. Then Hugo arrived. Much younger than both Damien and Selene, the lively teenager bounded in energetically.

He playfully vaulted over a couch backrest, landing neatly on the cushions. Seeing everyone gathered, he grinned. "Were you all waiting for me?"

Selene smacked his head affectionately. "Of course! We've been starving because of you."

While Damien was reserved and Selene fiery, Hugo brought joy to the family. His arrival visibly brightened Lydia's expression, while Helena looked even more delighted.

Noticing the late hour, Helena instructed the staff to serve dinner.

The nine of them dined together. Helena sat at the head, with Damien, Chloe and Camille on one side.

Helena smiled at Chloe. "Chloe, switch places with your father so your parents can sit together."

Helena had always tried bringing Camille and Damien closer. The others were used to her efforts and didn't react, knowing them futile. Despite years of meddling, Damien's attitude toward Camille hadn't changed.

Everyone knew it was pointless. Even Selene merely smirked sarcastically and took a random seat without comment.

Though Damien disliked Helena's arrangements, he rarely contradicted her on minor matters. His silence signaled acquiescence.

Unlike before, Camille felt no joy or hope at Helena's matchmaking.

She kept her expression neutral, though her smile remained gentle as she addressed Helena. "It's alright, Grandmother. This seating arrangement is fine."