Chapter 972: Spreading

Chapter 972: Spreading

"Now, what good does it do to speak up now? It'll only make things

worse, and it might backfire in the end,” Ayan said in a detached tone,

sitting upright. His gaze turned slightly to look out of the window as he

continued, his voice tinged with weariness, "What's the latest from Mr.

and Mrs. Bell and Mr. Mikkola?"

Kian shook his head. "There hasn't been any news so far.”

Ayan gave a cold hum, his expression growing even more distant. He

mused, “The news spread so quickly online. Did they truly not see it, or

are they pretending not to know?"

The former seemed unlikely, given the era of the internet. They couldn't

possibly be unaware of the online discussions. If they were, it

suggested they were feigning ignorance, perhaps even hoping that

Simpson Group would take the blame, sparing them any risks or

consequences.

With these thoughts in mind, Ayan's face grew even colder.

Kian whispered, "I suspect Mr. and Mrs. Bell and Mr. Mikkola have

already received the news. They might be waiting to see how we

handle it."

Ayan's emotions remained subdued as he let out a disdainful snort. His

eyes bore a hint of coldness. "If they think they can make me take the

blame, they should think again.”

He instructed Kian in an indifferent tone, "Record all the media outlets

and people involved in smearing Simpson Group this time. Whether it's

companies or individuals, everyone who led the smear campaign needs

to face consequences. I want public apologies staying at top in their

official accounts for six months and compensation.”

Kian nodded in acknowledgment, saying, "Very well, I understand your

intentions. I'll have our lawyers draft the compensation demands.”

“No need to draft. One dollar for compensation is enough. What I want

is an attitude and a reminder that they can't escape legal responsibility

just by talking nonsense online."

At this moment, in the eyes of outsiders, Simpson Group appeared to

be in turmoil, like ants on a hot plate. However, the reality was that

Simpson Group was calm and unaffected by the situation. Everything

was proceeding smoothly.

Camille, of course, had seen the news about this incident as well. It had

gone viral online, spreading uncontrollably.

Talia, who was in the countryside, called Camille. She had no idea

about Camille's current situation with Ayan and only reached out

because she was worried that Ayan might be too busy to answer the

phone.

Talia expressed her concerns to Camille. "Cami, how did something like

this happen all of a sudden? Wasn't the charity project already finished

and they were starting to promote it? How did our company get caught

up in this controversy?”

Although Camille wasn't sure about the current situation, she had some

knowledge of the matter. She quickly reassured Talia, "Mom, don't

worry. There's nothing wrong. Please tell Grandpa and Dad not to worry

either. This isn't a problem with Simpson Group; it's just an unexpected

situation with Mr. and Mrs. Bell. But Ayan is in the drive right now, so I

don't have all the details. Since Simpson Group hasn't made any

statements yet, I assume Ayan has other plans in mind."

Talia was on a hands-free call, so Fletcher and the old Simpson also

heard. The old Simpson expressed his concern, saying, "With such a

massive public outcry, and he still hasn't acted. If this drags on, it won't

be good for Simpson Group. Are you with him now?"

Camille greeted them and then replied, "No, I'm at home!"

The old Simpson said, "Cami, go to the company and tell him that this

matter must be dealt with as soon as possible. Don't delay. Even if it

has nothing to do with Simpson Group, it still needs to be resolved

quickly. Otherwise, Simpson Group can't bear such a big risk."

Her face froze as soon as the old Simpson spoke, and her eyes stared

blankly, not knowing what to say for a moment, so she remained silent.

Not hearing her response, the old Simpson called her name in a low

voice, "Cami?"

Camille replied softly, "Yes, Grandpa, I'm here!"

The old Simpson said, "Go to Simpson Group now and deliver my

message clearly. Even if you call him now, he's probably too busy to

answer. If he does answer, it'll likely be his secretary. Only if you go and

talk to him in person will he probably listen.”

The old Simpson's request left Camille with no room to refuse. If she

refused, the old Simpson would definitely become anxious and

suspicious, wondering if there was a conflict between her and Ayan.

So, she reluctantly agreed and said in a low voice, "Alright, I

understand. I'll go now."

The old Simpson replied, "Good, I feel relieved with you here.”

After discussing this matter, Talia spoke privately with Camille for a

while. Talia said, "We might have to go back soon."

Camille was surprised and asked, "So soon? Weren't you and Dad

planning to stay there with Grandpa for a while longer?”

“Your Grandpa's health isn't very good. While the air here is better,

medical facilities in Hance are more convenient. Both your father and I

are worried. What if something happens?"

Talia's voice was filled with worry and unease. Camille quickly

reassured her, "Mom, Grandpa will be fine. I could hear the strength in

his voice when we talked today. He'll definitely live a long life. But your

concerns are valid. While the countryside is nice, it's not very

convenient. If you decide to come back, just let me know, and I'll

arrange everything at the Simpson's mansion.”

"Alright, we'll let you know when we've decided on a time. How's

Timmy? Is he behaving? Does he miss me? I haven't had a video call

with him these past few days. Let's make time to see him tonight!"

Talia missed Timmy a lot, as he was her only grandson. Talia had been

spending a lot of time with Timmy as he grew up. During those days

when they were in the countryside, she had trouble sleeping almost

every night, constantly thinking about Timmy. Camille said, "You can

video call with his nanny directly. Timmy stayed at the Simpson's

mansion last night because I've been busy these past few days, so I

asked Nanny to keep him company at the mansion.”

Camille didn't explain further, and Talia didn't think much about it.

After their conversation, Camille changed into different clothes and took

her medication again before driving to Simpson Group.

On her way to Simpson Group, her feelings were quite complex.

Although she had seen him just last night, she still felt somewhat

awkward and anxious.

Camille bit her lip lightly, her grip on the steering wheel tightening

involuntarily. Her face showed signs of nervousness.

After a while, she entered Simpson Group's parking lot.

As she passed by the main entrance of Simpson Group, she noticed

that there were quite a few media personnel and reporters gathered

there, all here because of the online controversy.

Anyone or any company associated with charity had faced varying

degrees of condemnation due to the discussions and criticisms online.

Camille had seen a lot of these comments and questions online, and

some of them were downright offensive.

She sighed heavily and then opened the car door and got out.