Chapter 293 Nothing Escapes Her Eyes
"No need!" Camilla sat directly on the carpet, crossing her legs. "This is perfect."
The plush carpet was clearly expensive—one could tell just by touching it. Sitting on it didn't hurt at all, and she could lean her back against the bed.
She was just thinking how perfect it would be with some snacks and drinks when Sebastian walked in carrying an armful of nuts and chips, plus two bottles of lemonade.
Camilla was amazed—Sebastian really knew her so well!
He set down the snacks and joined her on the carpet, adding a pillow behind each of them for support.
They watched, ate, drank, and chatted until the livestream ended. When Camilla checked the time, she was startled to see it was nearly eleven. She quickly got up to say goodbye.
Sebastian walked her to her door, waiting until she was safely inside before heading back to his place.
While cleaning up, he noticed the pillows they had been leaning against. His was deeply compressed, while Camilla's just had some wrinkles on the surface.
Sebastian picked hers up and smoothed it with his palm, intending to put it back on the bed, when suddenly a faint scent reached his nostrils. He froze.
Feeling desire stir within him, Sebastian cursed under his breath in frustration. This was the first time he had felt so pathetic. Yet facing this disturbing state, he was powerless—he understood that even if he could calm himself down this time, the next time a similar situation arose, his body would still betray his reason.
Sebastian then drew in a deep breath.
Next door, Camilla had showered and gone to bed, quickly falling into a sweet dream. She had no idea that someone was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, all because of a pillow she had leaned against.
Saturday brought rare sunshine. With no classes, Camilla decided to visit the construction site to check on progress.
She hadn't told Tobias she was coming, so he was startled when she appeared.
"What are you doing here?" Tobias asked.
Camilla was surprised by Tobias's appearance. If he hadn't spoken first, she might not have recognized him—dressed in gray workwear covered in dust, wearing a hard hat caked with dried mud, he blended perfectly with the workers.
"Tobias, it hurts to see you like this," she said.
Tobias was momentarily confused, then laughed. "What are you thinking? Even company CEOs dress like this on site! These coveralls are durable and practical, and everyone must wear a hard hat to enter."
Noticing she wasn't wearing one, he quickly borrowed one from a nearby worker. "Use this for now. I'll order you a new one later."
Camilla was fitted with the hard hat, which fortunately looked new and didn't smell bad.
The worker silently complained, 'He had to take my new hat that I've barely used!'
Since Camilla was there, Tobias naturally reported on the project's progress.
"I was planning to give you a full update after the weekend, but since you're here, I might as well tell you in person," he said,
Camilla stood on a stone pile. Looking around, she saw the ground was still flat—no rising structures, not even scaffolding yet.
Tobias explained, "We're still in the foundation stage. We finished excavating yesterday, but I modified the blueprint to dig one inch deeper. This way, if the lab needs optimization or expansion later, the foundation won't be a limiting factor."
"Also, I sent purchase orders for imported materials to foreign suppliers two days ago. Everything should arrive within a month, just as we're finishing the foundation work—perfect timing," he added.
After listening, Camilla asked pointedly, "The current progress doesn't seem to match what you initially promised me, does it?"
Tobias sighed inwardly.
Indeed, nothing escaped Camilla's eye.
He wondered how honest Alistair and gentle Bella had produced such a sharp-minded daughter. It defied genetics! He even saw traces of her uncle Maurice's demeanor in her questioning tone.
He couldn't help wondering how Camilla had managed alone in Imperial City all these years. An ordinary person wouldn't have the courage to build a lab with their own money, nor the connections to acquire such a large plot of land and navigate approvals so smoothly.
Camilla was full of mysteries, but rather than probing, Tobias felt sympathy for whatever she must have endured. Perhaps not asking was the best comfort he could offer.
His expression grew serious. "You're right. Progress is slower than I anticipated."
"Have you identified the reason?"
Tobias smiled ruefully. "Shortage of manpower."
Camilla had expected a more complex problem.
Tobias's company had stopped doing foundation work—it was physically demanding and not very profitable. They'd focused on smart home installations instead.
But Camilla had specifically requested they handle the foundation too. Tobias understood—the foundation is critical, and she wanted someone she trusted in charge.
He'd contacted his former construction team. "About twenty reliable, hardworking people. Based on past experience, I thought that would be sufficient."
According to the original plan, it would have been. But Tobias's decision to improve the design by digging deeper—just one inch—significantly increased the workload.
"With this change, we're understaffed."
Camilla considered this. "Is this a temporary or ongoing issue?"
A one-time design change causing delays was acceptable. Constant changes were not.
Tobias admitted, "I expect we'll make more adjustments to the blueprints. Our current workforce can't support that."
"I see. Should we hire two more construction teams?"
Tobias couldn't help but smile. "Construction teams aren't like vegetables at the market—you can't just buy them whenever you want."
"They're not?"
"Of course not! Good teams are booked solid all year. You can't just schedule them."
"What if we offer more money?"
Tobias shook his head. "Our premium wouldn't cover their breach-of-contract penalties. Even if it did, it would damage their reputation—they won't break agreements."
Camilla was confused. "If we're willing to pay, why can't we find suitable teams?"
"We could find teams, but whether they're suitable is another matter. Without prior experience working together or reliable recommendations, the risk is too high," Tobias said.
On a construction site, even small accidents can become major problems. Who knew if strangers might have bad intentions? By then, regret would come too late.
"So I still don't recommend hiring randomly," Tobias continued.
Camilla sighed.
"Don't worry. I'll figure something out quickly. It's almost noon—shall we get lunch?"
"Yes, thank you, Tobias."
"You're being so formal."
There was a small restaurant nearby that supplied boxed lunches to the construction workers. Tobias usually ate with his team, but today he took Camilla to the restaurant itself.
"Two rice bowls, please!" Tobias said.
"Oh, it's Tobias! Brought family today?" The owner said.
Tobias scratched his head. "This is my sister."
"No wonder she's so beautiful—good looks run in the family! Have a seat, I'll prepare it right away."
The owner enthusiastically greeted them before heading to the kitchen.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Hey, we were here first! Where's your sense of fairness? My boss came specially to inspect today—you're making me lose face!"
"I'm sorry, I just..." the owner replied.
"Let them go first," another person said in a calm voice.
Despite his workwear and hard hat, the owner could tell this man had an exceptional presence. Wealthy, perhaps?
"Mr. Davis," his companion protested, "we're in a hurry too, and we were here first..."
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