Chapter 46

Rosalie Lancaster smirked. In her mind, Camille Hartwell was simply jealous that Damien Harrington had chosen Selene Lancaster over her. That's why she was deliberately blocking Selene's entry into NovaSight Labs.

Camille had no real skills or knowledge - all she did was cause trouble. The thought made Rosalie scoff.

She was certain Damien shared this opinion too.

The amusing part? Camille remained completely unaware. Probably still gloating about sabotaging Selene's opportunity.

Comparing Selene's brilliance to Camille's pettiness only reinforced Rosalie's belief in their incomparable differences.

Malcolm Lancaster sighed deeply. "I know." His thoughts mirrored Rosalie's exactly.

"But she refuses to listen."

"She's truly..."

"As stubborn as her mother."

Rosalie kept this last thought to herself - anything related to that woman was unpleasant to discuss.

"About Nexa..."

"Let's wait until Selene returns," Malcolm said, equally invested. Their company had poured millions into AI research with lackluster results.

Meanwhile, NovaSight Labs earned billions annually simply by owning Nexa's technology. The envy was unbearable.

If they could acquire Nexa's core technology, their company's valuation would skyrocket overnight. Tens of billions would be easily within reach.

Selene entered just as Malcolm contemplated this.

"Father, Aunt Rosalie," she greeted coolly.

"Selene!" Rosalie's face lit up with genuine admiration. "You're back."

Selene took a seat. "What were you discussing?"

"Nexa," Malcolm answered. "Since NovaSight Labs fell through, what's your next move? Has Mr. Harrington said anything?"

"Damien promised to introduce me to Graham Bellamy."

Graham was the nation's foremost AI expert - his movements were classified, his access restricted to elite circles.

Gabriel Ashcroft was one of Graham's few protégés. Rumor claimed Graham himself had developed Nexa.

With the Gabriel route blocked, Graham became their only option.

"Excellent." Malcolm smiled, though concern lingered. "But Gabriel is Graham's student. If he's poisoned the well..."

"That won't be an issue," Rosalie interjected confidently. "Graham values talent above all else. Selene's genius will speak for itself."

"If given the chance, Graham might even take her as his personal student."

Malcolm chuckled. "True enough."

"When will this meeting occur?" Rosalie pressed.

Selene sipped her water calmly. "At next week's tech expo. Graham will be attending."

They knew of the prestigious event - their company lacked the standing for invitations. But with Damien's connections...

Two tickets appeared in Selene's hand. "Damien provided these. Only two though-"

"Who accompanies you doesn't matter," Malcolm said urgently. "You must attend."

Rosalie nodded emphatically. "Absolutely."