Chapter 320

Camille Hartwell had barely settled into her morning work when the prestigious A Journal's acceptance notification popped up in her inbox.

Gabriel Ashcroft arrived shortly after to discuss their ongoing project. His expression remained unreadable when she shared the news of her paper's acceptance.

With Graham Bellamy's endorsement as a leading expert in their field, the outcome was practically guaranteed from the start.

As their meeting concluded, Camille glanced at her watch. "Lunch together?"

Gabriel massaged his temples with a tired sigh. "Can't. Prior engagement."

She raised an eyebrow. "What's so important?"

A wry smile twisted his lips. "Grandfather's idea of a blind date."

Camille burst out laughing. "Twenty-eight years old and this is your first setup? Consider yourself lucky."

Gabriel rolled his eyes.

Truthfully, his family rarely interfered in his personal life.

But this particular match involved his grandfather's longtime friend's granddaughter. Refusal wasn't an option.

"Go on then," Camille waved him off. "I'll grab something from the cafeteria."

Thirty minutes later, Gabriel found himself in an intimate bistro clearly designed for romantic encounters.

His date arrived precisely on time.

Fate chose that exact moment to deliver Arlo Calloway to the same establishment, accompanied by a female companion.

The moment Arlo stepped inside, he spotted Gabriel's distinctive profile across the room.

Gabriel's back remained turned, oblivious to the new arrival.

Arlo's lips curled as he deliberately selected the adjacent booth.

Though Gabriel spoke in measured tones, their proximity allowed Arlo to quickly grasp the situation.

When his companion opened her mouth to speak, Arlo pressed a finger to his lips in warning.

With barely contained glee, he snapped a covert photo and fired it off to their group chat with Damien Harrington, Tristan Rutherford, and Selene Lancaster.

"Guess the scene? Hint: this place reeks of romance."

Tristan had just clocked out for lunch when the notification chimed. He studied the image.

Arlo's clue made the situation obvious, but Tristan left the message on read, pretending obliviousness.

Selene and Damien similarly maintained radio silence.

Arlo's fingers flew across his screen when no responses came. "Everyone dead? It's lunch hour!"

Still nothing from Tristan.

Then finally, Selene responded. "Saw it."

Arlo perked up. "Knew you'd figure it out. So?"

Selene's reply came swiftly. "Blind date?"

"Bingo!"

Selene smirked at her phone but didn't engage further.

Though she'd skipped Helena Harrington's recent birthday gala, the gossip had reached her - Gabriel's mother openly approving of Camille.

Apparently, Naomi Ashcroft had even offered to start wedding preparations whenever the couple was ready.

The absurdity had made Selene scoff.

Clearly, Gabriel's mother remained ignorant of Camille's past with Damien.

That revelation would undoubtedly shatter any approval.

With Damien and Tristan still silent, Arlo tagged them impatiently.

When they remained unresponsive, he messaged Selene separately. "Damien not with you?"

Her reply came moments later. "Business trip. Left this morning."

Arlo had just sent his acknowledgment when Damien finally surfaced in the chat with a single word: "Noted."