Chapter 159

The phone was answered by Selene Lancaster, unmistakably.

Chloe Harrington shifted uncomfortably under Camille Hartwell's gaze. "Mom, could you take me to school next time?"

Camille nodded. "Okay."

Since Camille and Hugo Harrington were heading in the same direction, they shared a ride.

Hugo used the car ride to catch up on the morning studies he'd missed.

Noticing his hesitation on a few points, Camille gently corrected him.

Hugo gave her an impressed thumbs up. "Sharp memory, Camille!"

They soon arrived at Hugo's high school.

Camille had graduated from the same institution years ago.

The familiar campus triggered a flood of nostalgic memories.

Her reminiscing was interrupted as Hugo quickly exited the car. "Bye, Camille!"

"See you."

The car merged back into the busy city traffic.

At NovaSight Labs headquarters, Gabriel Ashcroft lightly pinched Camille's cheek. "You look pale. Are you feeling unwell?"

"I had a fever yesterday."

"And you still came to work today?"

Camille shrugged. "I'm much better now."

"I'm heading to Vertex Dynamics. Want to come along?"

"Why not?" Camille replied while reviewing test data.

"Alright, I'll wait for you."

"Okay."

Spotting discrepancies in two data sets, Camille went to Everett Ortiz for corrections.

Gabriel appeared just as she was about to review documents on her desk. "Time to go."

At Vertex Dynamics, they skipped formalities and dove straight into work.

After about an hour, when most tasks were completed, Wesley Caldwell handed them coffee.

Gabriel took a sip. "This is excellent - richer than your usual brew. Your company perks keep improving."

Wesley grinned mischievously. "All thanks to Ms. Lancaster."

Gabriel rolled his eyes.

Selene again? he thought.

He set the cup down and glanced at Camille.

"I'm thirsty," Camille murmured, continuing to sip her coffee.

Gabriel was speechless.

Wesley couldn't resist gossiping. "Didn't Mr. Harrington give Ms. Lancaster full project control?"

Gabriel nodded.

Wesley continued, "It's her first major project, so she's anxious. Her team worked past 10 pm last night."

"I see," Gabriel replied coldly.

"At least she's dedicated. She's not treating it like a game just because she's Mr. Harrington's girlfriend."

Gabriel scoffed. "Or maybe she lacks the skills and needs overtime to compensate?"

Wesley understood the implication.

"People need time to improve, right?"

"Perhaps," Gabriel said indifferently.

He glanced at Camille. "When Camille led her first major project here, she handled it with perfect composure from start to finish."

After several collaborations, Wesley recognized Camille's superior capabilities compared to Gabriel's.

He believed Gabriel's claim completely.

He added, "At least she has the right attitude. With that and Mr. Harrington's support, she'll go far."