Chapter 969: The Price

Chapter 969: The Price

"Wouldn't doing this push those media to hastily write a slanderous

piece about Simpson Group and the Simpson family?" Kian asked with

some concern.

Ayan replied indifferently, "How they write is their business, but as long

as they dare to write, the legal team of the Simpson Group won't be

lenient. Everything comes at a cost.”

Kian nodded, feeling reassured by Ayan's words.

Simpson Group had faced a considerable amount of criticism to reach

where it was today. If it could be defeated solely by public opinion, it

would have ceased to exist long ago. Only companies that had

weathered storms could stand tall!

After returning to Maple Leaves Mansion, Ayan naturally went to his

own apartment, which had been cleaned regularly by the housekeeper

despite his infrequent use. He checked his phone and found no

messages or missed calls from Camille. He shook his head with a hint

of helplessness and bitterness, then proceeded to take a shower.

As time passed and evening approached, Camille had been sleeping in

her room since Sienna left in the afternoon. She woke up only after 8

o'clock. However, she felt a severe headache and her whole body

ached as if she had been run over. Opening her eyes, she saw her

pitch-dark bedroom. Moving even slightly felt exhausting, but she

managed to sit up after lying on the bed for a while. She couldn't help

but get up to check her temperature with a thermometer she found in

Timmy's room. It confirmed that she had a fever.

Perhaps it was due to not getting enough sleep the previous night and

spending too much time on the open balcony in the afternoon. She

hadn't eaten much all day and was now feeling extremely hungry.

However, her body lacked the strength, and she didn't want to prepare

a meal herself. She settled for nibbling on a couple of bread slices to

appease her hunger and then took some fever-reducing medicine

before deciding to take a nap.

However, she must have eaten too hastily because her stomach felt

extremely uncomfortable. In the next moment, she rushed to the

bathroom and vomited. Camille initially thought she was in decent

physical condition, but the fever and her constant vomiting left her

feeling weak and in pain. She couldn't take it anymore and reluctantly

got dressed, then drove herself to the hospital.

She managed to drive to the hospital despite feeling unwell. Looking

back afterward, she realized how risky it had been. If something had

happened to her while she was driving, how would she have dealt with

it? But at that moment, Camille didn't consider these possibilities. She

went to the hospital because she felt too unwell not to. As for why she

didn't inform Sienna or Ayan, those two were her closest people but

were also the ones keeping this matter from her. So, she couldn't bring

herself to seek their help.

After arriving at the hospital, Camille, with the help of a nurse, quickly

went through the emergency procedure. She was relieved to find out

that it was just a fever and discomfort caused by catching a chill and

her emotional stress. She was given an IV and, feeling grateful that

nothing serious was wrong, she leaned back in a chair. Her entire body

felt weak, and even opening her eyelids required effort. She soon

drifted off to sleep.

It was the time for the night shift changeover at ten o'clock. Derek was

driving Dr. Ellis tonight, and Dr. Ellis happened to have a meeting in the

emergency department. Derek waited in the doctors’ lounge, which was

adjacent to the IV infusion hall. His gaze casually swept across

someone familiar. He was momentarily surprised when he recognized

her. He looked around and didn't see anyone accompanying her. He

asked a nurse, "Is the lady over there here alone?"

Derek had a considerable reputation at the hospital. Occasionally, he

brought food for the staff, so both nurses and doctors had a favorable

impression of him.

The nurse quickly nodded and said, "Yes, she came alone. She has a

fever and seems quite uncomfortable. There's no one with her."

Derek thanked her and then took out his phone, snapping a quick

photo before sending it to someone.

His actions made the nurse curious, and she asked, "Who is this?"

"A friend's wife,” Derek didn't hide it and even asked, "Please keep an

eye on her for me. Thank you!"

"No problem, rest assured," the nurse was easygoing.

Derek didn't stay any longer because his phone started ringing almost

immediately.

The caller was, of course, the man he had mentioned earlier.

Derek wasn't in a hurry. He calmly left the hospital, got into his car, and

only then answered the call.

The person on the other end of the line immediately sounded anxious,

"Did you see her at the hospital?"

Derek chuckled lightly, "Ayan, you didn't know she's sick? Your role as

a husband seems rather lacking!"

Ayan, of course, didn't have the time or inclination to banter with Derek.

His voice remained cold and urgent as he asked, "Is it right now?"

Sensing Ayan's genuine concern, Derek stopped joking and honestly

replied, "Yes, it's right now. She's still on an IV drip, and from what the

nurse told me, she has a fever. She doesn't look well at all. I've made

sure to ask the nurse to look out for her. Did you two have a fight?"

If they hadn't fought, Ayan should have been accompanying her. Now

that Camille had come to the hospital alone, it indicated a possible

disagreement. Ayan's reaction also indicated that he probably didn't

know about her condition.

After hearing Derek's words, Ayan's face grew even graver, and his

voice remained incredibly low and hoarse as he replied, "Alright, I

understand. Thank you."

Derek hurriedly said, "No need for thanks between us. Are you coming

over now?"

"Yes, I'm on my way."

"Good, your presence will comfort her."

"Yes." Ayan's voice was dark, and after finishing the call with Derek, he

immediately set off for the hospital.

He had already sobered up from the alcohol, so he drove to the

hospital himself. It typically took forty minutes to get from Maple Leaves

Mansion to the hospital, but Ayan managed to arrive in less than thirty

minutes. It could be imagined how fast he was driving.

He followed Derek's instructions, walked into the emergency room, and

then found the IV infusion hall. Before even entering the hall, he saw

Camille.

She was lying on a cold bench with her eyes closed, her eyebrows

tightly furrowed, and her face extremely pale.

Ayan felt his heart ache. He unconsciously furrowed his brows, and his

deep gaze was filled with complex emotions. After pausing for nearly

half a minute, he finally walked inside.

He stopped by Camille's side and gently covered her with a thin blanket

that he had taken from his car. Camille woke up the next moment.

When she opened her eyes and saw the man in front of her, she froze.

She hadn't expected him to be here at all.

She stiffened, her face displaying a look of confusion and helplessness.

However, it was Ayan who spoke first, "Are you hungry? Do you want

something to eat? Should I get you something?"

Camille shook her head to decline, and Ayan didn't insist. Instead, he

said, "If you don't want to eat, just close your eyes and rest, okay?"

Camille didn't respond, but she also stopped staring at him. Her hands,

under the blanket, subconsciously clenched tightly, and her heart was

filled with indescribable emotions.

Ayan, seeing her silence, sat in a nearby seat. His voice was very

gentle as he said, "Close your eyes and rest for a while. I don't feel at

ease leaving you alone here, so let me accompany you until your IV is

done, alright?"

Camille still didn't respond, but this time, she didn't reject him either.

She simply did as he suggested and closed her eyes.

Despite the time Camille had spent at the hospital with the IV, she had

not really slept until now. She had been lying with her eyes half-closed

to make herself feel a little more comfortable. But now she just fallen

into a deep sleep soon, and she didn't even know when she had leaned

against Ayan's shoulder.

It was already approaching dawn when Camille woke up as the nurse

removed the IV.

At that moment, she realized she had fallen asleep leaning against

Ayan's shoulder. She pressed her lips lightly and sat up straight.

Perhaps due to the IV, she felt much better now, and the intense

dizziness and discomfort she had experienced when she first arrived at

the hospital had eased considerably.

After taking her medication, the nurse offered some advice before they

left the hospital.