Chapter 406

Chapter 406
The next day , Isabelle’s test results came back .
Overall , the level of organ failure in her body was slightly less severe than what had been shown in the previous tests conducted at the nursing home .
Normally , with this degree of organ failure , as long as there was treatment and proper care , the condition could be stabilized .
However , Isabelle’s baseline health was extremely poor , and the rate of organ deterioration was relatively fast – so her overall prognosis was still not optimistic .
After hearing the doctor’s analysis , Celeste and Betty felt a mix of relief and worry .
Relieved because there was still a chance for Isabelle ; worried because , given her current condition , she might not be able to cooperate fully with the treatment .
That afternoon , Zachary called and invited Celeste and Matthias out for dinner .
Matthias was away on a business trip that afternoon , so in the evening , Celeste drove alone to pick up Zachary ,
When they arrived at the restaurant and had just gotten out of the car , Wynn , who was also just about to step out , caught sight of
them .
Seeing Celeste with Zachary , and not spotting Matthias anywhere , Wynn didn’t think too much of it . She got out of the car and walked over to Zachary . “ Mr. Newman . ”
Zachary glanced at her with a cold expression , gave a slight nod , and looked away . Then he turned to Celeste and said , “ Let’s go .
“ 1
With that , he started walking forward while continuing the conversation they’d been having earlier .
A few days ago , when Celeste had been discussing recent developments in the AI field with Bryson and Rodney in Trevor’s office , she had received praise from them .
Even if they thought her views were somewhat secondhand , Wynn couldn’t help but start following the latest trends in the field herself over the past few days .
So now , she could tell that Zachary and Celeste were discussing recent breakthroughs in AI — such as brain – computer interfaces and on – device AI inference .
Seeing Zachary give her a cool brush – off and then ignore her completely , Wynn didn’t say anything more .
She just followed them into the restaurant while keeping a short distance from them .
At the reception desk , the hostess asked , “ Hello , how many people are in your party ? Did you make a reservation for a private room ? ”
Celeste answered , “ Two people . I made the reservation under the name Rodriguez . ”
The hostess checked the system , then smiled and said , “ Yes , we did receive your call . Right this way , please . ”
Celeste nodded and followed the staff with Zachary .
Wynn , standing nearby , froze for a moment when she heard that .
Two people ? That meant Matthias wasn’t coming ?
Celeste had enough influence with Zachary now that even without Matthias , she could meet with him one – on – one ?
Zachary might be a big shot in the field , but he was known for not being fond of teaching others . When it came to professional knowledge , he wasn’t the kind to share freely , nor could just anyone discuss AI with him .
Most of the time , even if someone sought him out personally , he might not give them the time of day .
He held a prestigious position but had a notoriously cold and proud demeanor .
Normally , someone like him should’ve been criticized for it . But his strength was simply too formidable , and the contributions he had made to the country were undeniable .
So , even though his actions didn’t always match the responsibilities of his title , no one dared to say anything against him .
Yet just now , he had clearly been actively discussing technical topics with Celeste .
So , did that mean Zachary genuinely thought highly of Celeste ? Otherwise , why would he give her such face and meet her for a private dinner ?
After all , he was famous for being nearly impossible to book . Even for people he knew well , he rarely granted them that courtesy . Was Celeste truly someone Zachary had come to admire ?
Thinking of how his attitude toward Celeste had been significantly warmer than toward herself , Wynn’s red lips pressed into a tight fine as she watched them walk away .