Chapter 345

Selene was mid-conversation with Gabriel when the call came through. She sat in the plush private dining room of The Meridian, surrounded by Helena, Rosalie, and their entourage, awaiting their meal.

Helena noticed the sudden pallor that washed over Selene's face as she ended the call. "What happened?" she demanded. "What did Gabriel say?"

Selene's fingers tightened around her phone. "He's terminating our partnership with NovaSight Labs. And demanding compensation for reputational damages."

Gasps echoed around the table - from Rosalie, Giselle, and the others.

Giselle slammed her palm on the table. "We issued a proper apology! That scheming witch Camille promised this would blow over if you just spoke to Gabriel!"

Helena's expression turned glacial as realization dawned. "Camille orchestrated this."

Giselle blinked. "What?"

Selene's voice was hollow. "She wanted to sabotage our autonomous vehicle launch by destroying the NovaSight Labs partnership."

The implications hit like a freight train. In the competitive autonomous vehicle market, a single misstep could cripple their product's viability. Finding another partner with NovaSight Labs's technological edge would be nearly impossible - and prohibitively expensive.

Legal battles would drain resources while competitors surged ahead. The potential losses were catastrophic.

Giselle looked like she'd been struck. None of them had anticipated this nuclear option - least of all Selene, who'd naively believed an apology would suffice.

"He can't do this!" Giselle cried. "We have to stop him!"

Rosalie, ever pragmatic, suggested, "Re-negotiate. Increase compensation. Businessmen never turn down profit."

Selene remained silent. The unspoken truth hung heavy - Gabriel was willing to absorb financial losses to punish them on Camille's behalf. That revelation stung more than the business implications.

Helena analyzed coldly: "Legal proceedings would be protracted. Victory isn't guaranteed for them."

Giselle brightened. "Exactly! If they can't win in court-"

"But discovery alone would delay our timeline," Selene countered. "And if they prevail? We'd miss the entire product cycle."

The table fell silent. Even Nora looked shaken. "Camille plays the meek lamb so well. I never suspected she had this kind of ruthlessness."

The bitter truth settled over them - Damien had long chosen his side. They'd underestimated Camille, assuming her powerless. Now she'd struck where it hurt most.

Helena's gaze locked onto Selene. "You need to speak with Damien."

The unspoken truth lingered - their only hope lay in the man who'd already walked away.