Chapter 490

Camille left the courthouse and returned to NovaSight Labs.

She made it just in time for the morning meeting.

As she took her seat, Gabriel leaned over and whispered. "All finished? That was quick."

Camille nodded. There had never been much conflict between her and Damien.

Both approached the divorce with surprising positivity, so the paperwork processed smoothly.

Gabriel added, "If not for the mandatory waiting period, you'd be officially divorced today. Now you still have to wait thirty days."

"Once this waiting period ends, get that certificate immediately. Don't delay again. Otherwise, just like last time, you'll miss the deadline and have to restart everything. It's such a hassle."

"I know."

Last time the waiting period ended, she and Damien had agreed to get the divorce certificate the very next day.

But unexpected matters arose for both of them.

They completely missed the deadline.

Wednesday marked the anniversary of her maternal grandfather Mateo Ortega's death.

Though he passed away in Lakeview, he was buried in Montreux.

On Tuesday at noon, Camille and Marianne headed to the airport, preparing to return to Montreux for the memorial.

Chloe accompanied them.

Camille hadn't originally booked Chloe's ticket.

But since Chloe was staying at the Hartwell residence and expressed a desire to go, she brought her along.

The family rarely returned to Montreux after leaving.

They only went back for Mateo's memorial days.

The old residence in Montreux had already stood for decades when they left.

Now, nearly twenty years later, it had been almost forty years since it was first inhabited.

Despite regular cleaning, it had fallen into disrepair and became uninhabitable.

So in recent years, whenever they returned, they stayed at a hotel.

Both Camille and Owen had work commitments, requiring them to return to Lakeview by Wednesday night.

As for the others...

Montreux was a city of sorrow for Marianne.

She never intended to stay long.

Isaac and Noah were both born and raised in Lakeview, feeling little attachment to Montreux.

None of them planned to linger.

Though Montreux no longer held much sentiment for the Hartwell family, they always visited the old residence during returns.

That evening after dinner, Camille, Marianne, and the rest went to the old family home.

They were accustomed to the home's dilapidated state.

But seeing it again still weighed heavily on Camille and Owen.

They had considered tearing it down and rebuilding.

But the house held too many important memories for Marianne and Owen.

Especially Audrey's room—perhaps due to its location, it remained in relatively good condition.

Chloe had been in good spirits initially.

But seeing the grief affecting Camille and Marianne dimmed her mood.

She quietly held Camille's hand, following closely behind.

Before going abroad with Damien, Chloe had visited Montreux every year with Camille for Mateo's memorial.

She was young then, but retained vague impressions of the place.

Her memories were faint, but she remembered Estelle and the others always seemed sorrowful during visits.

Seeing Camille's sadness now, she hugged her at Audrey's room doorway to comfort her.

Feeling the girl's embrace, Camille paused.

She lowered her head and met Chloe's worried gaze.

A complex look flashed in her eyes, but she ultimately said nothing.

She only reached out and gently stroked the girl's cheek.