Chapter 22

The morning held a crucial meeting where Damien Harrington would be present.

Camille Hartwell and her colleagues had been seated in the conference room for over fifteen minutes when Damien finally strode in.

His entrance made Phoebe Carver gasp. Her eyes sparkled with admiration, completely captivated by his presence.

As the meeting commenced, Phoebe snapped out of her trance and tugged at Camille's sleeve.

"Mr. Harrington is absolutely breathtaking!"

Camille had only glanced up briefly when Damien entered. At Phoebe's remark, she simply murmured, "Hmm," without looking up.

Phoebe blinked in surprise at Camille's apparent disinterest, then remembered Camille was already married with a child.

Throughout the meeting, Phoebe's pulse raced as she kept stealing glances at Damien. She barely registered a word of the discussion.

Camille, meanwhile, typed furiously on her laptop, capturing every detail.

When the meeting concluded, Damien exited first, followed by the others in measured succession.

Phoebe's heart continued its frantic rhythm long after Damien's departure. Only when Caleb Doyle approached to collect Camille's notes did she finally return to reality.

Caleb skimmed through the notes and nodded approvingly. "Impressive work."

"Just doing my job," Camille replied.

After Caleb left, Phoebe realized she'd missed most of the meeting. "Could you share your notes with me?" she asked hastily.

Scanning the documents, Phoebe frowned. "Ms. Hartwell, did you study architecture?"

Camille shook her head. "No."

"Then how do you know all these industry terms?"

"I read some books to familiarize myself. Just surface knowledge."

Harrington Group's diverse investments had driven Camille to study multiple industries over the years.

"Really? Even medical texts?"

"Yes."

Phoebe's eyebrows shot up.

"Taxation too?"

After two days working together, Phoebe understood why Camille led the secretarial team despite her youth. The woman was frighteningly competent.

"Which books did you read? Could you send me a list? I'd love to check them out."

"Of course. I'll compile it later."

By noon, Camille had filtered through her library, selecting fifty beginner-friendly titles for Phoebe.

Phoebe paled at the extensive list.

At 3 PM, Damien had a client meeting. Caleb requested Camille prepare coffee, insisting on delivering it himself.

Phoebe's eyes widened. "You make Mr. Harrington's coffee?"

But Caleb's insistence on delivery suggested Damien kept his distance from subordinates.

"Have you ever delivered coffee to Mr. Harrington personally?" Phoebe ventured.

"Occasionally, when Caleb's team is swamped."

Though Phoebe adored coffee, she'd never bothered learning to brew it. Now an idea struck her. "Ms. Hartwell, would you teach me to make coffee his way?"

Even slim chances were worth pursuing.

Camille recognized Phoebe's motives but didn't mind. "Certainly."

Having moved on from Damien, she saw no harm in sharing the skill.