Chapter 442

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the office as Selene Lancaster finished her last email. She glanced at her phone, debating whether to call Damien Harrington for dinner.

She dialed his number three times. Each call went straight to voicemail.

Frowning, she called his secretary instead. "Colin, I can't reach Damien. Is he still in meetings?"

Colin Keaton sounded surprised. "Mr. Harrington left for Lucerne this afternoon for an urgent business trip. Didn't he tell you?"

Selene's grip on her phone tightened. He hadn't mentioned anything.

"Was this trip planned last minute?"

"Yes, very sudden."

Even if it was urgent, he could have at least sent a text. But there had been nothing—no call, no message. The realization made her chest tighten.

After a moment, she grabbed her purse and left the office, dialing Chloe Harrington's number.

Chloe was sprawled on the living room floor, assembling a puzzle when her phone buzzed. She grinned when she saw Selene's name. "Hi, Selene!"

"Hey, sweetheart," Selene said, forcing warmth into her voice. "You're home already?"

"Yep! Just doing a puzzle."

Selene smiled. "Did you have fun at your parent-teacher meeting today? Was your dad there?"

Chloe giggled. "No, silly! Mom came today, not Dad!"

At the mention of Camille Hartwell, Selene's smile faltered slightly. "Oh... really?"

She paused, then added, "I called your dad around noon, and he said the meeting was over. I assumed he went."

Chloe, still in high spirits from the day, chirped, "Nope! But after the meeting, Dad took me and Mom out to lunch!"

Selene froze mid-step in front of the elevator, her finger hovering over the button. "He... suggested that?"

"Yep! He said he'd finish work early so we could all eat together."

Damien had willingly arranged lunch with Camille?

Selene's stomach twisted.

But then she reasoned—maybe it was just to discuss final divorce details. The cooling-off period was almost over, after all.

She kept her tone light. "Did your dad say anything important to your mom during lunch?"

Chloe hummed, distracted by her puzzle. "Not really. Dad kept trying to talk to her, but Mom wasn't really listening. She barely said anything and didn't seem happy."

Selene exhaled slowly. "Is that so?"

"Yeah."

Selene stayed silent.

She knew the truth—for the past two years, Damien and Camille had barely spoken. No calls, just the occasional text.

If there were divorce matters to settle, he could have handled it through lawyers. Or a simple message.

There was no reason for them to meet.

Yet today, Damien had gone out of his way to see her.

And from Chloe's words... it hadn't been Camille seeking him out.

It had been him.