Chapter 462

The thought crossed Arlo's mind to share some gossip, but with Chloe and Marcus present, he decided it wasn't the appropriate moment and kept quiet.

Damien and Tristan both had pressing matters demanding their attention.

After visiting Helena, Tristan and Arlo didn't linger long in the hospital room.

Yet it had been ages since their group had shared a proper meal together.

Before departing, Arlo proposed, "If you can both clear your schedules, shall we have dinner tonight at The Meridian?"

Damien and Tristan responded simultaneously, "Absolutely."

Damien spent the remainder of the day at the hospital managing work affairs.

That evening, Lydia arrived to relieve him, allowing him to head to the reserved restaurant.

Chloe had returned to the Hartwell residence by noon, so Damien went to dinner alone.

Upon arrival, Tristan and Arlo were already seated.

Selene was the last to arrive.

As she pushed open the private dining room's door, Damien turned and spoke first.

"You made it."

Selene offered a slight smile.

"Indeed."

Her gaze immediately noticed Tristan's presence nearby.

When she'd first learned of Tristan's growing affection for Camille, shock had been her initial reaction.

But beyond surprise lay profound confusion.

She couldn't comprehend what qualities Camille possessed—aside from physical beauty—that could possibly captivate someone like Tristan.

Particularly considering how Tristan had been utterly repulsed when Camille drugged Damien into marriage.

The drastic shift in his attitude—to the point of falling for her—defied understanding.

But now...

Recalling what she'd witnessed days earlier in the parking lot...

Discovering that NovaSight Labs had been co-founded by Camille and Gabriel...

Realizing the LumenCore programming language she'd long admired was developed under Camille's leadership...

Remembering how affectionately Camille had addressed Jocelyn...

Knowing Camille played a significant role in NovaSight Labs's success and revenue generation...

And piecing together all the fragments about Camille's connection to NovaSight Labs over the past six months—she finally understood exactly what Tristan saw in Camille.

In truth, Tristan had likely known for ages that Camille was Graham's protégé.

He'd probably been aware of her NovaSight Labs involvement all along.

Yet despite this knowledge, he'd never breathed a word to her.

She remembered her tireless efforts to impress him—her desperate hopes of gaining Graham's notice.

How often she'd expressed admiration for LumenCore's creator.

Now she felt like nothing more than a pitiful fool.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Clutching her handbag until her knuckles whitened, Selene bit her lip hard to maintain composure.

Still, tears of humiliation shimmered in her eyes.

The realization struck her—Tristan's romantic feelings for her had long since faded, quietly transferring entirely to Camille.

These thoughts raced through her mind in mere seconds.

Damien noticed her sudden stillness.

Turning to speak, he caught her unusually pale expression.

He paused.

"Are you unwell? You've gone quite pale."

At this, Arlo and Tristan also turned to look.

Selene's grip on her handbag had turned her fingers bloodless.

After a moment to collect herself, she forced a faint smile.

"It's nothing."