Chapter 65

Tristan's voice was clipped when he responded after the brief silence. "I'll text you my account details now."

"Thank you," Camille answered politely. "I appreciate your help today."

"No need." The line went dead before she could say more.

Gabriel, who'd been working nearby, glanced up. "That was the man who helped with your car?"

Her phone pinged with Tristan's message containing the repair invoice photo and banking information.

Camille opened her payment app with a sigh. "Yes."

Gabriel noted the formal tone she'd used with Tristan. They clearly weren't close.

He knew Tristan Rutherford well enough, and was aware Camille had met him before. But their worlds barely intersected. Even hearing her say "Mr. Rutherford" hadn't immediately connected to Tristan in his mind.

The transfer completed, Camille sent a brief confirmation before refocusing on Graham's assignment from earlier.

They worked side by side, distilling exhibit technologies into PowerPoint slides. Even streamlined, the volume kept them working until 2:17 AM when they finally emailed it to Graham.

Gabriel looked exhausted. Since he didn't have spare clothes here, Camille didn't invite him to stay.

After he left, she limped to shower before collapsing into bed.

Her ankle injury wasn't serious, but Gabriel had insisted she work from home tomorrow.

Morning light filtered through the curtains when Chloe's call came through.

"Mom? How's your ankle?" Her daughter's voice held tentative concern.

Camille balanced on one foot while making tea. "Better today."

"That's good." Chloe sounded relieved, then awkwardly silent.

Camille recognized the hesitation.

It hadn't always been this way. Chloe used to chatter endlessly - every schoolyard drama, every scraped knee poured into her mother's ears.

Somewhere in the past two years, those conversations had dwindled. Now Chloe took her worries to Selene first. The distance between mother and daughter had grown imperceptibly until they struggled to fill phone silences.

This injury had prompted rare concern from Chloe. Sincere, but surface-level. Not like before.

Camille remembered when a simple cold would bring Chloe to tears, clinging to her all day. Now that devotion belonged to Selene. Like when Selene fell ill last month - Damien had rushed over immediately, and Chloe had bombarded her with messages before visiting straight after school.

If Chloe were truly worried, she could've demanded Camille's address last night. Could've insisted on coming.

But she hadn't.

The silence stretched until Chloe turned to someone else. "Dad? Do you want to talk to Mom?"