Chapter 1044: Unfamiliar

Chapter 1044: Unfamiliar

At this moment, in a hotel in Hance City.

The man had woken up early and had made a simple effort to tidy

himself up, but he still exuded a sense of desolation.

His beard had not been shaved for several days, but this morning, he

had borrowed a razor from the hotel owner to groom himself a bit.

No matter how he tried to groom himself, there was an observable

change in him compared to his previous self.

He stood by the window, looking outside. Due to its location outside the

urban area of Hance City, most of the people coming and going were

local residents, and the atmosphere was somewhat disorderly.

However, given his current state, he couldn't care less about this.

He took a deep breath and left the room. As he was leaving, the hotel

owner couldn't help but ask, "Sir, your two-week room fee is almost

used up. Would you like to extend your stay?"

The man paused for a moment, then continued walking without looking

back, his voice somewhat curt, "Yes, I'll extend it. I'll pay you when I

come back tonight.”

"Alright," the owner replied promptly, as if he feared the man might

change his mind.

The man's face looked especially grim. After walking out of the hotel,

he hailed a taxi on the side of the road. Once inside the cab, the driver

asked, "Where to, sir?"

The man stated the name of a building and then fell silent, sitting

quietly in the back seat, looking out of the window.

The journey took nearly forty minutes, and this was during the morning

rush hour, so the traffic was quite heavy.

When he reached his destination, the man got out of the cab. He

stopped by a green area on the side of the road and took out a

cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and stood there, smoking. He remained

stationary for a long time.

Franklin Bay.

Camille had slept until almost eight in the morning. She was still feeling

quite sleepy, but her habit of waking up early had her rising at her usual

time. Even if she slept in a bit, it wouldn't make a significant difference.

Camille checked the time on her phone and noticed that the bedroom

was still pitch black. She knew that Ayan wanted her to get a good rest.

Camille lay in bed, turned over, stretched, and then got up. She

freshened up and changed her clothes. She noticed a series of red

marks on her neck and felt an urge to hide them with makeup.

Thankfully, it wasn't too hot that day, or else she might not be able to

leave the house.

After Camille was ready, she headed downstairs. The housekeeper

saw her and immediately said, "Mrs. Simpson, why didn't you sleep a

bit longer? Mr. Simpson specifically instructed us to wake you up after

nine!"

“I couldn't sleep anymore. I have some work to take care of at the

office.”

“In that case, I'll prepare your breakfast right away, and I'll keep it warm

for you."

"Thank you."

"Welcome, my lady.”

Even though she was just the housekeeper, Camille was always polite

and courteous with her.

The housekeeper was dedicated to taking care of Camille and Ayan,

ensuring everything ran smoothly, even when they were away for

extended periods.

Camille had her breakfast and then set off for the office. She arrived at

the office just before nine.

After the incident in Simpson Group's parking garage, Camille no

longer parked her car there when she was alone. Even though it had

been orchestrated by the Armstrong family, she couldn't shake the

psychological unease it had left her with.

Camille parked her car and stepped out, heading straight for the

entrance of the building. But as she had only taken a few steps, a male

voice suddenly called out from behind, "Cami, Cami!!!"

Camille froze, her facial expression showing surprise. She hadn't

expected this, but she immediately turned to look.

She spotted a man standing not far away, his gaze fixed on her. Their

eyes met, and Camille's initial reaction was that this man had changed

significantly.

Before she could respond, the man had already walked up to her. He

gazed at her and softly asked, "Cami, long time no see. Are you doing

well?"

Camille furrowed her brows. He had asked her the same question

when they last spoke on the phone. It seemed like he asked this

question every time they met or talked.

But every time Camille had seen him, it hadn't been pleasant.

Camille pursed her lips, her expression somewhat indifferent. She

replied, "I'm doing fine. How about you? What are you doing here?"

Preston stared at Camille, and there was an uncomfortable tension in

the air. They both seemed to understand each other's thoughts but

maintained a superficial peace.

Preston cleared his throat, thinking of his purpose for coming today. He

didn't let Camille's coldness affect him emotionally. He lowered his

voice and said, "I came to find you." His eyes remained locked onto

Camille, and he seemed unblinkingly focused on her, making her feel

uneasy. But Preston himself didn't seem to share this feeling. He went

on, "Cami, do you not want to see me?"

Preston seemed to care deeply about this.

Camille found it an odd question. Given their current relationship and

circumstances, whether or not they saw each other didn't seem to

matter. She lightly pursed her lips, and her voice sounded somewhat

detached as she replied, "Preston, I think there's no need to ask such

questions. If you have something to say to me, please go ahead. I have

work later, okay?"

Camille pursed her lips, her expression cold. Her voice carried a hint of

indifference as she said, "Preston, do you have something you want to

talk to me about?"

Preston persisted, asking, "Cami, you still haven't answered my

question. Do you not want to see me?"

He wore a bitter smile, seemingly filled with helplessness.

Camille was becoming increasingly unsure of how to respond to

Preston's directness. She instinctively pursed her lips and tightened the

grip of her hand on her side. Her voice remained calm but slightly

distant as she said, "Preston, I believe such questions are

unnecessary. If you have something to discuss with me, please go

ahead, as I have work to attend to shortly. Is that alright?"

Camille's attitude was excessively cold, which seemed to displease

Preston. But he believed that it was Ayan's influence that had caused

Camille to ignore him. This thought made Preston feel uncomfortable.

His face tightened, his voice grew low and hoarse, and his dark eyes

remained fixed on Camille as he said, "Cami, is it that I can't see you

when there's no particular reason? Aren't we friends? It's normal for

friends to meet up now and then, isn't it? Is it because I've lost

everything that you've become unfamiliar to me?"

Camille furrowed her brows, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"Preston, I've never thought this way. So I don't know why you keep

having such thoughts. You're making it really difficult for me to

respond.”

Camille felt quite speechless, and her patience was wearing thin.

Preston's reaction made his face darken, and he continued to stare at

her, emphasizing, “It's not because of what I'm thinking. It's because of

how your attitude toward me has made me think this way."

"Do you know why my attitude towards you has changed from before?"

Camille asked.

Preston's tone grew somewhat urgent as he questioned, "I know it's

because of Ayan. Ayan has changed the dynamics between us, and

that's why you've become distant. You don't see me as a friend

anymore, right?"

His emotions were making his expression shift from handsome to

something more sinister, a fact that made Camille incredibly

uncomfortable. She felt a sense of unease around him and the fear that

he might resort to violence at any moment.

Camille discreetly assessed Preston, her eyes reflecting her guarded

stance. She glanced around, hoping for the unlikely chance that a

colleague would arrive late to work or that she would spot Yessica

sneaking out for coffee during work hours.

However, not all wishes come true, and sometimes even the smallest

hopes seem as elusive as the moon.

With a resigned sigh, Camille raised her gaze back to Preston. She

said, "Preston, why do you constantly bring Ayan into our discussions?"