Chapter 952: In Need

Chapter 952: In Need

Camille pressed her lips lightly and said, "There's no specific reason,

just didn't feel like responding. I'm tired."

She answered without a hint of blushing or racing heartbeats. Her

response seemed distant, a bit detached from last night.

Who is Ayan?

He's a seasoned player in the business world, someone who can read

people's intentions and see through their fagades in the complex realm

of commerce. How could he not figure out what's going on with the

woman before him?

He didn't know what had happened exactly, so he consulted the

housekeeper at home. Since the nanny was preparing lunch and didn't

know if Camille had answered the call, she couldn't provide Ayan with

any answers.

Ayan didn't press further; he just gently said, "How about we have

dinner outside tonight?"

Camille nodded in agreement.

That was settled.

Ayan squinted slightly, his gaze fixed on her. There was no change in

his expression, and he didn't press for more answers, but he felt that

something was off.

Camille is the type of person who naturally shows her emotions when

something is wrong. Her appearance when there's nothing wrong is

completely different.

Ayan kept everything he observed hidden within himself. He didn't

show any emotion, just quietly accompanying her as they waited for

Timmy to finish playing and go for dinner.

Timmy had a lot of energy and only agreed to leave after over forty

minutes of playing.

Then the three of them went out to eat, and the nanny returned to

Franklin Bay with the driver.

Because it was a family meal, they chose a themed restaurant.

There were many family restaurants in Hance City over the past couple

of years. The one currently popular wasn't far from the amusement

park. So Ayan took them there directly.

The menu mainly featured Cantonese dishes, which were relatively

light and suitable for children.

Camille ordered two dishes that Timmy liked, leaving Ayan to arrange

the rest.

The three of them didn't order much, just four dishes and a soup.

Timmy could feed himself now, but he still needed his food cut into bite-

sized pieces, and someone to watch his swallowing.

So Camille's attention was mostly on Timmy. She hardly touched her

food.

Ayan helped serve Camille, then whispered, "Start eating; he's finishing

up too."

Camille nodded and began to eat.

Ayan asked, "Is it to your liking?"

Camille looked at him and said, "It's alright.”

“That means it's not good. Should we change to another restaurant?

You like spicy food, so how about some Mexican cuisine?" He

suggested warmly.

Camille shook her head, "No need, I'm almost full. If I get hungry later, I

can have a late-night snack at home."

Camille watched Ayan with seriousness. Seeing her gaze, Ayan didn't

press the matter any further.

After spending a little over an hour at the family restaurant, they

finished their meal and then drove back to Franklin Bay.

The journey was smooth, and upon arriving back in Franklin Bay and

parking the car, Ayan's phone rang.

Camille got out of the car first, opened the back door, and took Timmy

out of his child safety seat.

Ayan remained in the driver's seat, answering the phone call. It was

Kian on the other end. Whatever Kian said seemed to cause Ayan's

expression to turn excessively cold. Ayan's voice remained detached

as he spoke into the phone, "Alright, then set up the arrangements for

tomorrow morning, and immediately contact Mr. and Mrs. Bell to see

how they intend to handle this?"

When he mentioned "Mr. and Mrs. Bell," Camille's gaze involuntarily

shifted towards him.

Once he hung up the call, Camille finally asked, "Did something

happen?"

Ayan's expression was tense up. His tone was somewhat indifferent as

he stepped out of the car and walked over to Camille. Looking at her,

he said, "There's an issue with the project. Someone caused a

disturbance at the Modest Temple Hotel. Local villagers happened to

be passing by and got hurt. The troublemaker intentionally contacted

the media and had the scene filmed. They also exposed the hotel's

attempt to gain publicity and benefit. However, they haven't completely

released it online yet. Now, they want to negotiate with us and sell us

the content.”

Camille understood. To put it more precisely, the troublemaker had

staged an incident and now wanted to profit from their own staged

work.

Camille looked at Ayan and asked, "So, will you buy it?"

"It's not solely my decision to make. I'll have to discuss it with Mr. and

Mrs. Bell. Plus, Mr. Mikkola has inserted himself into this matter. Based

on what I know about Mr. Mikkola and the current situation with Mr. and

Mrs. Bell, they'll probably be willing to spend money to secure peace.”

Camille nodded slightly, looking a bit skeptical. “Do you really think

peace can be bought?"

"Of course not," Ayan scoffed lightly. His eyes flashed with sharpness

as he continued, "If it was just about money, they wouldn't have staged

this accident. Clearly, it's not about the money; it's about the project. If

we follow their intended plan and give them the money, then things will

get even murkier."

From the very beginning, Ayan and the Simpson Group had embarked

on this project with a positive attitude. However, as things progressed,

the project had yet to yield any benefits or advantages for the Simpson

Group. In fact, Ayan had encountered several issues because of it,

which was causing waste for him and the Simpson Group.

Such a partnership no longer seemed necessary.

But since the project was announced under the name of the Simpson

Group, leaving now might mean the project wouldn't continue.

Considering the amount of money, resources, and the support and

expectations of the local villagers, it was almost as if all those

investments would become futile.

Although Ayan had lost much of his interest and patience for the

project, he still felt reluctant. After all, in a remote mountainous region,

becoming a funded project was a rare opportunity. For the local

community, it promised a bright future, potentially changing their

present and future lives.

Ayan fell into a deep silence, his face reflecting a mix of emotions. The

nanny carried Timmy from his arms and took him upstairs for a bath.

Ayan then took Camille's hand and led her to the living room sofa. He

leaned his head lightly on her shoulder, his voice tinged with fatigue, "If

this project can't continue, will you be upset?"

Camille was caught off guard for a moment, blinking her eyes and

sounding inquisitive, "Are you asking for the truth?"

"Yes, the truth.”

Camille thought for a moment and replied, her voice carrying a sense of

inquiry, “I would feel upset, but if the existence of this project brings

significant negativity or trouble for others involved, then my personal

feelings would be inconsequential.”

Camille was honest. Faced with such major pros and cons, being upset

wasn't a significant concern.

Camille didn't wait for Ayan to respond; she proactively told him, "You

don't need to feel any pressure on my account. I'm just the architect for

this project. Even if the project can't continue or if something

unexpected happens, it doesn't seem like a loss to me as the architect.

The fact that my designs stand strong is the greatest reward. So, don't

make decisions that go against yours and Simpson Group's interests

just for me."

Camille smiled faintly, her expression light, devoid of any heavy

emotions.

She said this to assure Ayan not to worry about making her feel

uncomfortable because she has different opinions from him. If he does,

she would feel burdened and pressured.

Ayan emitted a low sound, his tired voice indicating his understanding.

He sat straight, his expression much more composed than before. He

turned to Camille and said gently, “I need to step out for a moment.

Kian has scheduled a meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Bell and Mr. Mikkola to

discuss this matter. I'll need to go there in person tomorrow morning as

the local villager was injured. I need to make sure to handle this

properly and appease them."

"Do you need me to accompany you?" She asked.

Ayan seemed to seriously consider this, and then asked, “Would you

really be willing to accompany me?"