Chapter 1210 - Deception

Chapter 1210 - Deception

"Mr. Simpson, isn't that what malls are all about? So don't let yourself

be fooled by good-looking girls, yo!" Camille chuckled and playfully

leaned closer to Ayan, gently kissing him on the lips. Before Ayan could

react, she had already darted away, leaving him slightly stunned.

Camille returned to her office and immersed herself in work. Ayan

rarely saw her so focused and dedicated. As he observed her staring

intently at the computer screen, he couldn't help but be captivated by

her presence.

Camille finished reviewing the documents Yessica had sent ahead of

time and opened the workgroup for Yessica to retrieve them. Soon

after, Sienna's message popped up.

Sienna asked, "Are you okay?"

The four words carried a hint of innuendo. Camille glanced at Ayan,

who was sipping his coffee while keeping his eyes fixed on her, and

wondered what he was thinking.

Camille shook off the distraction and replied, “I'm fine."

Sienna seemed unconvinced and responded, "I find it hard to believe.

After all, Mr. Simpson overheard such an exciting conversation. I can't

imagine a reserved man like him being unaffected, huh?"

Camille maintained her composure and replied without missing a beat,

"So, what do you want to know?"

“I'm just concerned about you."

“I appreciate your concern.”

Camille abruptly changed the topic, telling Sienna, "I'm having dinner

tonight. The Nores Group invited Ayan and Mario will be there. I

assume they'll ask about you when they see me. Would you like me to

mention that you're planning a wedding?"

There was no immediate response from Sienna, presumably she was

contemplating how to answer.

Not waiting for Sienna’s reply, Camille resumed working. Yessica

knocked on the door and entered to collect the papers.

Camille instructed in passing, "Please help me prepare a profile for five

potential team members. Be detailed. Apart from you and me, we need

to select three individuals from the company. It's up to you to choose. I

have one requirement: they must be able to handle pressure and

endure hardships."

Yessica was taken aback. "Is it urgent?"

"Well, it's not an immediate rush, but prepare it well. Submit it

whenever you have the time," Camille explained. Then she added, "I

was planning to present it to Mr. Simpson.”

Camille glanced at Ayan and asked, "Mr. Simpson, will you approve?"

Ayan understood what she meant and nodded in agreement. "Yes."

"Mr. Simpson has given his approval. Hurry up and get it ready. I'll give

you a bonus once we secure this project.”

Upon hearing the mention of a bonus, Yessica scurried away like a

rabbit.

Camille couldn't help but smile at Yessica's eager response.

After working for a while longer, Camille and Ayan headed downstairs

around 5:30 pm to leave for the restaurant. The place was a bit far from

Camille's office, so it would take about an hour to reach there.

During the journey, Horace called.

Also regarding dinner tonight, Horace asked, "You agreed to go?"

"Well, I'm on my way," Ayan replied.

“I thought you weren't planning to attend," Horace remarked.

Ayan chuckled lazily, his tone unusually relaxed. "Why wouldn't I go if

there's a meal? If someone is kind enough to invite me and I have

nothing else to do, naturally, I'll go."

“Then I'll see you later," Horace responded with a smile.

Ayan hummed in acknowledgment and was about to hang up when

something crossed his mind. He quickly spoke up, “Is Preston at

work?"

Camille instinctively glanced at Ayan, her eyes filled with curiosity,

surprised by his question. However, Ayan maintained his composure

and responded to her with the same gentle gaze.

On the other end of the phone, Horace's voice didn't betray any

abnormality. "No, of course, he won't come to work during such a major

incident. It's not like the whole Armstrong Corp has to be affected by

this, right?"

“Nothing from the Armstrong family?" Ayan was referring to Brody, and

Horace understood his implication.

Without hesitation, Horace replied, "No, it's probably too late for them to

reconcile. Why would they have any dealings with him? Right now,

Armstrong Corp and Simpson Group have just initiated a cooperative

relationship. They wouldn't risk offending Simpson Group and losing a

valuable project just for Preston.”

“That's true, but Preston will eventually come looking for him. You need

to be cautious. Armstrong Corp shouldn't be undermined by Preston at

this critical juncture!"

Ayan chose to discuss this matter with Horace at this moment because

it wouldn't be convenient during the dinner later. Besides, he didn't want

to leave any clues for Mario or anyone else secretly observing him that

he had been in frequent contact with Horace.

Ayan's reminder made Horace aware of the stakes involved. He

expressed his gratitude to Ayan and reassured him, saying, "Don't

worry, Preston shouldn't return to Armstrong Corp."

Ayan smirked and replied, "Are you that certain?"

"We'll find out if he's truly certain once he's out of the picture. For now,

the most important thing is to start the project as soon as possible.

Whatever moves Preston makes after the project is officially underway

won't matter.”

“That's true. Congratulations on our upcoming successful

collaboration!" Ayan congratulated.

The two of them enjoyed a pleasant conversation, and a faint smile

lingered on Ayan's lips when they ended the call.

Camille spoke up at that moment and asked, "What are you smiling

about?"

Ayan lowered his gaze to meet Camille's eyes and remarked, "I can't

help but laugh at how capable your future brother-in-law is!"

Camille slightly narrowed her eyes and asked playfully, "And how does

he compare to you?"

Ayan chuckled, "There's simply no comparison.”

Camille heard his response with a hint of arrogance and lightly

hummed, "You have no modesty at all!"

"Why should I be modest when my abilities speak for themselves?" He

replied seriously, showing no sign of humility. Camille couldn't help but

shake her head at his unimpressed demeanor.

Kian, who was driving in the driver's seat, had overheard Ayan's words

and couldn't help but chuckle as well. Although his laughter was barely

audible, Camille noticed it through the rearview mirror and spoke up,

"Kian, is he always this full of himself at work?"

Kian, feeling apprehensive, hesitated to reply and quickly said, "Mrs.

Simpson, I'm not entirely sure!"

Camille asked, "Kian, are you afraid to tell the truth? It's okay, don't be

afraid of him. Just be honest.”

Kian instinctively glanced at Ayan, and though his expression remained

largely unchanged, Kian sensed a hint of danger.

If he said the wrong thing, it could make for a difficult night.

Kian quickly put on a smile and said, "Mrs. Simpson, what I said is

true."

Kian didn't dare utter another word and focused on driving, making sure

not to forget any driving etiquette.

Camille looked at the man beside her and sighed, shaking her head.

“Look at how your majesty makes people afraid to speak the truth.”

"Did you have to make him offend me just to amuse yourself?" Ayan

laughed, reaching out and gently cupping Camille's chin. He spoke

lightly, "What's gotten into you lately? Enjoying pointing out my flaws?"

Camille pursed her lips and raised her fingertips to gently touch the

corners of his eyes. She said, "Maybe I can't help but try to bring you

down a notch when I see Mr. Simpson acting so perfect all the time."

"Is it that bad?"

"Don't you men love bad, rebellious women?"

"Who told you that, Sienna?" Ayan grumbled softly. "Should I go and tell

Rex what his wife keeps saying about him all day long? It's like she's

tarnishing my image in front of you. Rex might be like that, but I'm not."

He said it with such righteousness that if Camille hadn't known he was

joking, she might have mistaken him for a man afraid of being

perceived as a liar.

Camille tilted her head and appraised Ayan as she said, "You've been

quite outgoing lately. Are you doing it on purpose to impress me?"

"Yeah, so do you want to shower me with praise for that?" Ayan

playfully asked for compliments, something she had never witnessed

him doing in front of others.