Chapter 465

Damien's voice was calm as he extended the invitation.

"Would you care to join me?"

Selene instinctively opened her mouth to decline.

The words "I'm not sure I'll be available" hovered on her lips.

But remembering how out of character that would sound, she caught herself mid-breath.

"Of course," she amended with forced brightness.

She moved toward the sitting area when a document on Damien's desk caught her eye.

Her steps faltered.

Noticing her hesitation, Damien picked up the file.

"NovaSight Labs is developing a new large-scale model. This contains research on their LumenCore programming language and two flagship projects."

His fingers tapped the cover.

"Fascinating work, really. They've made significant breakthroughs. You might find it educational."

In different circumstances, such an offer would have thrilled Selene.

She would have eagerly accepted the materials, hungry for knowledge.

Now, her smile felt brittle.

She took the documents with stiff fingers.

"Thank you."

A thought struck her.

"But if we're only beginning to study NovaSight Labs's technology now..."

She chose her words carefully.

"Won't the market have moved on by the time we develop something comparable? Technology evolves so rapidly these days."

"True," Damien conceded.

"But we're not looking to replicate NovaSight Labs. We aim to extract their core innovations and build upon them."

Selene nodded mechanically.

"That makes sense."

Damien's eyes lit with rare enthusiasm.

"What NovaSight Labs has created isn't fleeting. Take LumenCore - it took years for the industry to recognize its value."

He leaned forward.

"As for their recent projects? Even with today's rapid advancements, I estimate competitors will need at least three years to match them."

His admiration for NovaSight Labs's accomplishments was palpable.

Selene felt ice forming in her chest.

Damien had always valued brilliance above all else.

If he ever discovered Camille was behind LumenCore's development...

Worse still, those two projects had launched shortly after Camille joined NovaSight Labs.

The timing suggested she'd led them personally...

Selene's gaze flickered to Damien, now engrossed in another file.

Her grip tightened on the documents until her knuckles whitened.

That evening at the Lancaster estate, dinner began pleasantly enough.

Laughter and light conversation filled the dining room.

Then the television news featured a segment about NovaSight Labs.

Selene froze mid-bite.

On screen, Jasper Rutherford was being interviewed about his company's partnership with NovaSight Labs.

"The collaboration has exceeded all expectations," he declared.

"Issues that plagued us for months were resolved within weeks. We've had numerous overseas firms express interest in working with NovaSight Labs as well."

The mood at the table darkened instantly.

Since NovaSight Labs had secured the smart city project the Lancasters coveted, resentment toward the company had festered in both families.

Despite being in early development stages, NovaSight Labs already had new partnerships forming.

Meanwhile, the Lancaster Group and their tech division remained stagnant.

Malcolm Lancaster, already stressed about company matters, pushed his plate away with a clatter.

He massaged his temples, appetite gone.