Chapter 30

Camille's initial shock had already faded into indifference.

The crowd surged around Damien and his entourage, completely obscuring her presence.

To outsiders, Camille appeared serene and composed. But Gabriel knew better - beneath that calm exterior lay an iron will. Once she set her mind on something, she pursued it with relentless determination.

In her professional life, this trait served her well. When a project captured her interest, she'd pour every ounce of energy into it, regardless of market viability.

For Camille, action always trumped speculation. The only way to know if something worked was to try it.

This philosophy extended to her personal life. She'd loved Damien with such intensity that she'd gambled her future on him - abandoning further education to build a life together.

Though the price had been steep, Gabriel had never detected a flicker of regret in her eyes. So when she claimed to be ready to move on, he believed her without question.

He flashed an easy smile. "Thirsty?"

Camille returned the smile. "Absolutely."

They wove through the throng toward the bar area.

"Wine?" Gabriel suggested.

"Just a glass."

While not a habitual drinker, Camille could hold her liquor surprisingly well.

Their glasses clinked softly as they retreated to a quiet corner to observe the crowd.

Before long, an older gentleman approached. "Gabriel! Didn't expect to see you here."

"Dorian!" Gabriel greeted the professor warmly. "I was actually hoping to run into you."

Dorian Hartwell chuckled skeptically. "That so?"

"Honest. I wanted to introduce you to someone."

"Oh?"

When Dorian's gaze landed on Camille, he was immediately struck by her striking beauty and poised demeanor. Though puzzled by Gabriel's intentions, he trusted the younger man's judgment implicitly.

"Remember that programming language project you mentioned hitting roadblocks with?" Gabriel gestured to Camille. "This is Camille Hartwell. She's brilliant with language programming - I guarantee she can help."

"Your protégé?" Dorian's eyebrows shot up.

Gabriel's mentor Graham Bellamy was a titan in the AI field. All his students, though young, were already making waves in tech circles.

Yet Camille's name didn't ring any bells.

Gabriel grinned. "The Nexa programming language? That was her team's work eight years ago."

In programming circles, few achievements carried more weight than Nexa.

Dorian's jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

"Dead serious. Talk to her - you'll see."

Eager now, Dorian fired off several technical questions to test Camille's knowledge.

Their conversation quickly escalated into an animated discussion about his project's challenges. Dorian grew increasingly excited as Camille offered insightful solutions, their exchange flowing effortlessly.

Gabriel sipped his drink contentedly, happy to observe from the sidelines.

Then movement caught his eye. Selene Lancaster was making her way toward them.

When she noticed his gaze, Selene offered a polite nod and smile.

Gabriel froze momentarily, recalling Selene's complicated status. Before he could react, she'd already reached them.

"Mr. Ashcroft," she greeted smoothly.