Chapter 302 There's Always Tomorrow
Leopold raised an eyebrow.
After a moment's consideration, he extended his hand to Azalea, bowing in the classic dance invitation posture.
Azalea smiled as she placed her hand in his, and together they glided onto the dance floor.
When Camilla and Hestia returned from the restroom, this was the scene that greeted them—a handsome man and beautiful woman moving in perfect harmony.
'Good for them,' Camilla thought, calmly averting her gaze.
Suddenly, two hands appeared before her—one from the left, one from the right.
Marcus and Sebastian had simultaneously extended invitations to dance.
Hestia took a startled step back, removing herself from the line of fire.
"Camilla," Marcus said with a charming smile, "would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"
Sebastian's lips curved upward. "What a coincidence—Mr. Davis and I seem to have had the same idea."
Marcus turned to look at him, and Sebastian met his gaze unflinchingly.
The tension was palpable.
Camilla froze. What was happening? Had they planned this ambush together?
She instinctively looked to Hestia for help.
Hestia grimaced apologetically, thinking, 'Sorry, Camilla, I can't save you this time.'
Though their corner was initially secluded, one should never underestimate gossip's magnetic pull. Even the most hidden drama eventually attracted attention.
"Oh my God! What's going on with Sebastian and Marcus?"
"Who are they asking to dance? Let me see... Oh, it's Camilla. Well, that makes sense."
Beautiful and brilliant—a first-year graduate student with a publication in 'Science'—of course she'd be in demand. Plus, she'd been voted one of the "Seven Campus Beauties" on the university forum.
"This is amazing!"
"Even TV dramas wouldn't dare script this!"
"Life really is just one long romance novel!"
The classic love triangle never went out of style, especially when all three protagonists were already campus celebrities.
The gossip mill was delighted.
From across the room, Leopold witnessed the scene and involuntarily tightened his grip.
Azalea winced in pain.
"Sorry," he muttered, releasing her hand and walking straight off the dance floor.
Azalea stood there, stunned and abandoned.
Camilla was equally stunned.
She looked at Marcus, whose eyes shone with unmistakable hope and expectation—too intense to meet for long.
Turning to Sebastian, she accidentally caught his gaze. His eyes were like a vast ocean, warmth hidden in their depths, a gentle smile playing on the surface.
Camilla's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away.
"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but I can't today. I just remembered I have experimental data to analyze. Please enjoy yourselves—I need to go." With that, Camilla turned and fled, walking as quickly as dignity would allow.
Marcus watched her retreating figure, his expression darkening.
Then again, he thought, Camilla hadn't accepted Sebastian's invitation either.
"Looks like Professor Russell will be disappointed," he remarked.
Sebastian remained composed despite the rejection, calmly lowering his hand.
"If I were disappointed by such a small setback, how would I manage in the future?" he replied evenly.
Marcus frowned. "The future?"
"Indeed," Sebastian said with a slight smile. "We have plenty of time ahead."
With that, he walked away.
"Interesting! Neither of them succeeded!"
"Is Camilla really that arrogant?"
"If I had a *Science* publication under my belt, I'd be even more selective, trust me."
As the crowd dispersed, two figures remained standing, suddenly conspicuous in the clearing space.
"Doris?" Darren called twice, receiving no response.
Finally, he placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. Only then did she snap out of her trance.
"What did you say?" she asked.
"I asked what you were staring at."
"Nothing." Doris brushed his hand from her shoulder. "I need to speak with Sebastian about something."
She hurried after Sebastian, leaving Darren staring at his empty hand and her retreating figure with confusion.
He hadn't expected Doris to be interested in these social events.
When she'd expressed interest, he'd gone out of his way to secure invitations, leveraging his position as a teaching assistant to represent the faculty.
Beyond his work in Sebastian's lab, Darren also held an administrative position at the university.
Doris had beamed when she saw the invitations—a smile brighter than sunshine.
Darren rarely saw her smile like that, and it had made him grin in return.
'Worth every effort,' he'd thought.
"Professor Russell, wait!" Doris called.
Sebastian paused and turned to see Doris approaching with a smile.
"Doris, is something wrong?"
"Professor Russell," she said with forced playfulness, "since Camilla is busy, perhaps I could be your dance partner instead?"
Sebastian's eyes darkened slightly. "That won't be necessary."
Doris's smile faltered before she quickly recovered. "Come on, I was just joking! Don't reject me so bluntly. Actually, I wanted to ask when we'll be replacing that aging equipment in the lab. Hector has complained about it several times."
Sebastian frowned. "I sent a group email two days ago detailing the disposal of the old equipment and the pricing and installation timeline for the replacements."
Doris's expression stiffened. "Did you? I must have missed it. Sorry."
"Lab Protocol Number Two explicitly requires daily email management."
"Professor Russell, I..."
"As a researcher, I expect you to focus more on your work."
Doris lowered her eyes. "Understood, Professor Russell."
"Good." With that, Sebastian strode away.
Doris stood there, seething after the public reprimand.
Darren approached, noting her distress, and offered her a glass. "Doris, it's your favorite sparkling lemonade. Would you like some?"
Doris jerked her head up.
For a split second—whether illusion or reality—Darren thought he glimpsed disgust in her eyes.
Disgust? Directed at him?
When he looked more carefully, her beautiful eyes revealed nothing.
"Thank you," Doris said, accepting the drink and taking a sip. "It's quite good."
But her grip on the glass tightened until her knuckles turned white.
Why would Sebastian readily invite Camilla yet dismiss her invitation with such disdain?
Even though Camilla had rejected him!
Why did so many men orbit around Camilla?
What was so special about her?
"Who do you think is prettier—me or Camilla?" Doris suddenly asked.
The question caught Darren off guard.
After a moment, he smiled. "You and Camilla are both beautiful women, but in my eyes, you're the most beautiful person in the world."
Far from pleasing her, his compliment only darkened Doris's expression.
She thought, 'Then why isn't Sebastian interested in me?'