Chapter 472

Camille finished her tasks and noticed Declan hadn't departed.

He was observing Tristan with a thoughtful expression.

Unsure if they had private matters to discuss, she inquired, "Is something the matter?"

Declan had previously noticed Tristan's affection for Camille, though he hadn't acted on it.

After today's interaction, it was evident Tristan's feelings remained strong and he wasn't planning to retreat.

Declan quickly deduced Tristan likely knew Camille wasn't yet divorced—and probably knew exactly who her husband was.

The thought crossed his mind to probe Tristan for information about Damien.

But remembering Tristan's piercing gaze earlier, Declan realized even if he had the information, he wouldn't willingly share it.

Moreover, asking would reveal his own lack of knowledge about Camille's personal life...

The risk wasn't worth it, and Declan never acted impulsively.

Having reached this conclusion, he averted his gaze and offered a light smile.

"It's nothing."

"I have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

Camille responded, "Very well."

Tristan had noticed Declan's intense scrutiny but couldn't read his exact thoughts.

However, from Declan's determined expression, he recognized a formidable rival for Camille's affection.

After Declan departed, Tristan chuckled casually.

"That's the Vaughn heir, correct?"

"I'd heard he was rather spoiled and reckless, but after several interactions, he seems quite dedicated to his work."

Camille, assuming casual conversation, replied, "He's very serious about his responsibilities."

"He never complains about working late or coming in early."

"More importantly, he possesses genuine talent."

"Overall, he's quite impressive."

After learning about Declan's background, Camille had initially assumed he joined NovaSight Labs on a whim.

His sustained dedication had surprised her.

Daily collaboration felt surprisingly comfortable—quite different from their first encounter.

Though Tristan seemed to praise Declan, he was subtly probing Camille's feelings toward him.

Hearing her positive assessment, Tristan smiled inwardly.

He'd heard Declan returned to the country specifically because he admired NovaSight Labs's programming language LumenCore and joined because of it.

Which meant—he'd also returned for Camille.

From how Declan looked at Camille during their work discussion, Tristan recognized profound professional admiration.

In fact, it bordered on reverence.

If his guess was correct, Declan probably still didn't know Camille was the actual developer behind LumenCore.

Even without that knowledge, she had already captivated him purely through her abilities.

If Declan ever discovered Camille was the very person he sought, wouldn't his admiration intensify...

Based on her response, Camille clearly held a favorable opinion of Declan.

In that context, Declan remaining at NovaSight Labs seemed an effective strategy to win her affection.

Especially with her divorce from Damien nearing finalization—well, there's a saying about proximity fostering connection.

After concluding business, Tristan invited Camille to dinner.

She accepted.

As they exited the meeting room, they encountered Declan leaning casually against the doorway.

Seeing Camille and Tristan together didn't surprise him at all.

He seemed to have anticipated Tristan would use work as pretext for dinner.

His presence suggested he'd been waiting for precisely this moment.