Chapter 973: Artful Discussion

Chapter 973: Artful Discussion

She took the elevator up to Ayan's office floor. As she stepped out of

the elevator, she happened to run into Ayan's assistant. She casually

inquired, "Is Mr. Simpson in his office?"

The assistant replied respectfully and confidently, "Yes, Mrs. Simpson.

Mr. Simpson just finished a meeting and is now in his office discussing

work with Kian."

Camille nodded and continued, "Has he made any plans to address the

online matter?"

Shaking his head, the assistant replied, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Simpson, I don't

know about that. Mr. Simpson hasn't made any arrangements, so we

haven't received any instructions on how to handle it."

Camille pursed her lips, choosing not to press further. She spoke softly,

"Alright, I understand. You can go back to your job. I'll find him myself."

Camille proceeded towards Ayan's office. When she reached the door,

she paused. The soundproofing was excellent, and she couldn't make

out what was being said inside.

Her expression was muted, her face showing a complex array of

emotions. There was a hint of hesitation in her eyes as she silently

organized her thoughts, rearranging the words she was about to say.

Finally, she lifted her hand and lightly knocked on the door.

The knocking lasted less than ten seconds before the door swung open

from the inside.

Kian, who opened the door, appeared slightly surprised when he saw

Camille, his expression momentarily frozen. But he quickly regained his

composure and greeted her, "Mrs. Simpson.”

He then turned his gaze towards Ayan, his voice faintly tinged with

pleasant surprise, "Mr. Simpson, Mrs. Simpson is here."

Hearing Kian's words, Ayan also raised his head to look at Camille. He

was equally taken aback, although they had met just last night, the

atmosphere during their previous encounter hadn't been pleasant. So

her voluntary visit was somewhat unexpected.

Kian didn't linger and simply invited Camille inside. After pouring her a

cup of coffee, he promptly exited the office.

Camille took a seat on the sofa while Ayan sat behind his desk. There

was a considerable distance between them, and neither spoke,

enveloping the room in an unusually tranquil atmosphere, quiet enough

for them to hear each other's breath.

The silence lingered for quite some time before Ayan finally set aside

the documents in his hand and stood up. He walked over to the sofa

and took a seat.

He looked at Camille, pondering her intentions for coming at this

particular moment. His voice carried a faint warmth as he inquired,

"Why did you come at this hour?"

Camille raised her gaze to meet his. Her voice was calm as she

responded, “I have something I want to ask you."

Ayan's eyes flickered slightly, and his voice grew more serious as he

asked, "Does it have to be at this hour?"

Camille's brows furrowed briefly, and her expression showed a hint of

confusion, but she quickly regained her composure. She replied, "Mom

just called me. They've seen what's happening online. Grandpa wants

me to tell you that, regardless of your intentions or plans, you should

clarify this matter as soon as possible. Prolonging it isn't good for

Simpson Group. Even if you have reasons and explanations later, it will

appear as if Simpson Group is resorting to artful discussion.”

Upon hearing Camille's words, Ayan felt a subtle sense of relief deep

inside. His expression softened, and he relaxed a bit. His voice took on

a lighter tone as he remarked, "You see, they are closer to you than

they are to me."

He even managed to make a playful comment, suggesting that the

matter concerning Simpson Group wasn't too serious.

Camille pressed her lips together, choosing not to respond to his

remark. She simply stated, "Grandpa is just worried. He's getting older,

and naturally, he hopes that Simpson Group remains trouble-free and

continues to operate smoothly."

Ayan nodded in agreement, his deep eyes continuously fixated on

Camille. He spoke in a gentle tone, "I will resolve this matter as soon as

possible. If Grandpa asks you again, just tell him I've been informed."

Camille softly nodded her head. After exchanging the necessary words,

there was little left to say.

As Camille inadvertently raised her gaze, her eyes met Ayan's, which

hadn't left her for a moment. She couldn't ignore the slight tension and

discomfort in her posture.

Ayan broke the awkward silence, softly asking, "How do you feel after

taking the medicine?"

She hesitated for a moment, understanding that he was referring to her

fever. She then replied, "Much better.”

Ayan nodded in response and fell silent again.

The two of them sat in silence for two or three minutes. Camille bit her

lip lightly and took a quiet deep breath before saying, "Well, I should

get going.”

Camille stood up after speaking.

Ayan didn't try to stop her; he rose from his seat as well. His gaze

followed her as she moved. He said, "Alright, be safe on your way

back. Send me a message when you arrive, okay?"

Camille didn't refuse. Faced with Ayan, she couldn't act as if nothing

had happened. Although it wasn't a matter of principle, it was still

significant to her. She couldn't convince herself to ignore it.

Camille lowered her gaze and didn't look at him anymore. She was

about to leave when Ayan's voice suddenly sounded. He said, "Cami,

let's talk after this matter is resolved.”

Camille raised her gaze to meet his eyes again. She hadn't expected

Ayan to suggest a conversation, so it caught her off guard. She

hesitated for a brief moment before responding, “Alright.”

Afterward, Camille didn't linger any longer. Ayan undoubtedly had many

matters to attend to at this moment, so she couldn't afford to disturb

him. She exited the office and happened to encounter Kian, who was

holding documents and on his way to Ayan's office. Kian greeted

Camille politely.

Camille smiled and nodded in response, then asked, "Kian, can you tell

me if you've found a solution to this issue?"

Kian was briefly taken aback but didn't hesitate to provide an honest

answer, "Yes, we have a solution. Mr. Simpson and I took care of

everything when we were there."

Camille felt relieved once she knew Ayan was confident about it. As

long as Ayan had a plan in mind, she didn't need to worry.

Kian took the documents into the office and informed Ayan of Camille's

earlier question. Ayan didn't display any noticeable reaction and didn't

respond either.

Kian asked, "Mr. Simpson, you and Mrs. Simpson..."

Ayan cast a glance at Kian, his gaze inscrutable, and he didn't say

anything further.

Ayan's voice came next, his tone impassive, "Call Mr. Bell now and

have them come to Simpson Group."

Kian nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll contact them right away.”

Kian tried to reach out to Mr. and Mrs. Bell, but initially, he couldn't get

through. Neither Mr. Bell's nor Mrs. Bell's phones were being answered.

However, Kian was persistent. He kept calling until someone picked up,

which took a while.

Without delving into too many questions, Kian said, "Mr. Bell, sorry to

bother you. Mr. Simpson would like you to come to Simpson Group.

Regarding the online matter, Mr. Simpson would like to discuss

solutions with you."

Mr. Bell on the other end seemed to hesitate, saying, "Kian, is it a good

time for me to go to Simpson Group right now?"

Kian, puzzled, asked, "Mr. Bell, I'm not sure I understand. What do you

mean by 'not a good time'?"

Mr. Bell remained silent for a moment and then spoke in a hushed

voice, “With the current media frenzy, it might not be ideal for me to go

to Simpson Group. If the nosy reporters catch wind of it, they might

spread rumors. So, it's better for me to maintain silence for now."

Kian also fell silent briefly, then said in a calm tone, "Mr. Bell, Mr.

Simpson is well aware of the circumstances behind the current media

frenzy. The reason he invited you to Simpson Group is to have a

serious discussion with you. We hope you can cooperate. Mr. Simpson

will have some free time in an hour. Can we meet then?"

After delivering this message, Kian promptly ended the call without

waiting for Mr. Bell's response.

In the face of Mr. Bell's refusal, Kian didn't show the same level of

respect as he did in the past. This was, of course, due to Mr. Bell's

recent doings, which had been rather callous. It had naturally soured

Kian's opinion of him.

As Mr. Bell looked at the disconnected call, he wore a grave

expression. He turned to Mr. Mikkola, who was sitting across from him,

and asked, "What should we do now?"