Chapter 1046: Getting Closer

Chapter 1046: Getting Closer

Uttering these words in front of the person he deeply loved made him

feel awkward, and it stripped away his dignity.

However, at this moment, he had no choice but to humble himself.

Because he was in dire straits at the moment, his money was

effectively frozen, and his Swiss bank account was still pending. His

current life was something he found hard to put into words.

Camille didn't want to prolong the conversation, so she shifted her gaze

away from him and said, "Preston, I'll be heading up now."

It was more of a notification than a question.

Camille didn't seek Preston's input; she made it clear that she was

leaving. However, seeing her intent to leave, Preston swiftly reached

out and grabbed Camille's wrist.

This physical contact and action instinctively prompted Camille to

resist, but Preston's grip was strong, and she couldn't break free.

Camille frowned, her face showing displeasure. The mask she had

worn a moment ago crumbled at this point. She looked at Preston and

said coolly, "Is there anything else?"

Preston was focused on how to approach Camille, so he didn't pay

much attention to her expression.

Softly, he asked, "Cami, can you do me a favor?"

Camille replied, "Can you release my hand first?"

Preston let go of her hand, and his deep eyes now showed signs of

uncertainty. He didn't stare at her as he had earlier but seemed

evasive. Camille had guessed that he was going to say something

related to himself, and it wasn't going to be good news.

Camille found herself gaining more confidence as she considered the

implications. After all, once she had seen through someone's

evasiveness and fear, she felt like she had the upper hand. With this in

mind, she looked at Preston, and in a mild tone, she asked, "What is it?

Just say it directly. It's getting late, and I still have work to deal with. Is

that all right?"

Preston nodded faintly, agreeing.

His Adam's apple moved as he cleared his throat and gathered the

courage to say, "I want to borrow some money from you."

Borrow money?

Camille was shocked when Preston uttered those words, but she didn't

show too much astonishment. Instead, she immediately asked, "How

much do you need?"

"About fifty thousand,” Preston replied in a hushed voice.

Camille lightly bit her lip and said, "I'll transfer it to you directly.”

“I'd prefer cash, if that's okay," he said.

Camille hesitated, looked into his eyes, trying to discern his thoughts.

After a brief moment of speculation, she responded in a low voice,

“That's fine, but I'll have to give it to you after I've dealt with my

company's matters. I'll have someone deliver it to you, okay?"

Preston seemed a bit unwilling, but seeing Camille's genuine

expression, he decided not to press the matter. He simply nodded and

said, "Alright, thank you, Cami."

"You're welcome," Camille replied softly.

In reality, her thoughts were quite simple. If Preston had found her and

asked for money, it likely meant he was facing difficulties. She couldn't

just stand by and do nothing. As for the money, she had no intention of

asking for it back; she saw it as a way to repay him for his past

kindness.

Camille thought this way, and Preston remained unaware of her internal

thoughts. After saying everything that needed to be said, Camille turned

and left. Preston stood in place, watching her walk into the company

before turning away.

When Camille returned to the company, her expression was somewhat

solemn due to Preston's words. Sienna, who saw her, couldn't help but

express her surprise, saying, "Didn't you say you wouldn't come in this

morning?"

Camille was momentarily puzzled, and then it dawned on her that Ayan

had given her the day off.

Camille replied, "I figured I'd be bored sitting at home."

She exuded a sense of listlessness as she picked up her bag and

walked into the office. Sienna followed her and couldn't help but ask,

"What's going on with you?"

Camille went to the sofa and sat down. She sighed silently and spoke

in a warm, but somewhat sad tone, "I just saw Preston downstairs."

Sienna furrowed her brows, and her expression became complex. She

inquired, "What did he want from you?"

"He asked to borrow some money."

"Borrow money?" Sienna was greatly surprised. She asked, "Why did

he ask you for money?"

Camille wasn't entirely sure. Given her understanding of Preston, even

if he had a falling out with the Walker family, it didn't seem like he'd be

struggling financially. However, since he had asked, Camille had

agreed, and she wouldn't go back on her word. She was just

contemplating whether there was any behavior that could be

misconstrued.

Sienna calmly said, "So you agreed?"

Camille nodded. "Yes, I did.”

Sienna then asked, "Have you discussed this with Mr. Simpson?"

Camille pursed her lips. Her expression remained somewhat heavy,

and her voice carried a burden as she said, "Of course, I'll talk to him."

Otherwise, she wouldn't have told Preston that someone would deliver

the money to him in the afternoon. However, how should she broach

the subject with Ayan? That was the question.

Camille looked at Sienna and asked, "Do you think he'll get angry?"

Sienna replied, "I don't know if he'll be angry, but he should be

informed. After all, you two are still married, even though you're in the

process of divorce. It's still a marital relationship, so you should respect

each other, right?"

"Of course!" Camille leaned on her hand and thought of another issue.

She said, "I agreed to lend money to Preston. Do you think it's

inappropriate, like I'm getting things confused?"

Sienna reassured her, "It's not inappropriate. Everyone has their own

choices, and only you understand the relationship between you and

Preston. It's just a matter of whether it's worth it or not."

"Right, you're absolutely right. As long as I have a clear conscience.”

After chatting with Sienna for a while, Camille's mood improved.

Camille worked for a while because the design competition deadline

was approaching, and they needed to make their final preparations for

the selection round. Although Sienna was the one competing, she was

nervous, so Camille was there to support her.

It was only at lunchtime that Yessica ordered food for Camille and

Sienna. When the food arrived, Camille didn't rush to eat. Instead, she

asked Sienna to eat first. She then picked up her phone and called

Ayan.

Ayan had been busy all morning and was in meetings. It wasn't until

lunchtime that he had a brief moment of free time. Kian had brought his

lunch to the office, and they were in the middle of a work discussion

when Ayan's phone rang.

He saw Camille's name on the screen and smiled warmly. With gentle

tones in his voice, he answered, "Are you up?"

His voice was exceptionally tender, and his expression exuded warmth

and a hint of a smile. If any of the company's employees saw this

scene, they'd probably think their eyes were playing tricks on them.

After all, Ayan had always been someone to be admired from afar but

not approached closely in front of them.

Camille responded with a low, "Hmm," and added, “I'm already at the

office.”

Ayan inquired, "Why didn't you rest at home for a while?"

Camille knew she had to be cautious in how she spoke to him about

lending money to Preston. It was a delicate matter and could easily be

misconstrued. So she replied carefully, "There's work to be done here,

and I didn't want to just sit at home doing nothing."

Ayan seemed to sense that there was more to her answer, but he didn't

press further. He said, "As long as you're okay, that's what matters."

"Of course, everything's fine. How about you? How's your day going?"

Camille tried to change the topic, not wanting to get into the specifics of

her meeting with Preston just yet.

Ayan smiled and replied, "It's busy, but it's going well. How's your

morning been at the office?"

They chatted for a while about their respective mornings, avoiding the

topic of Preston and the loan. Camille wanted to find the right moment

to talk to Ayan about it and was hoping for the right opportunity.

Sienna, listening in on the conversation, sensed that Camille wasn't

ready to discuss the issue with Ayan yet, so she didn't bring it up.

Instead, she focused on her lunch, and Camille and Ayan continued

their light conversation.

"The competition is about to begin, so it's been a bit hectic,” Camille

replied, lightly pursing her lips. After rearranging her words in her mind,

she continued, "There's something I need to tell you."

Ayan responded, "Sure, what is it? You can tell me."

Camille spoke softly, her voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

"Preston met me this morning, downstairs in the company.”

She hesitated, as discussing Preston asking for money from her was

not an easy conversation for her. What Preston had done had caused

trouble for Ayan, and she wasn't sure how to address the issue. Plus,

she had no idea about Preston's future intentions, which only added to

her unease.

Ayan wasn't particularly surprised by her statement. After all, with the

abundance of online news and the divorce between Camille and Ayan

making headlines, even if Preston wasn't in Hance City, he would still

be aware of it. Considering the deliberate trouble the Armstrong family

had stirred up, it was only natural for Preston to reach out to Camille at

this point.

Ayan responded with a nonchalant "Hmm" and inquired, "What did he

talk to you about? Is he suggesting we should keep our distance since

we're already divorced?"

Ayan let out a light laugh, his words tinged with a mocking tone.

Camille couldn't deny it. After all, it was a fact.

Ayan continued in an indifferent tone, "Why doesn't he have the

courage to speak to me directly?"

Camille knew she had to tread carefully in discussing this matter with

Ayan. She was hesitant and nervous about bringing up the topic,

especially considering the implications of Preston's actions. She was

still grappling with how to present the situation to Ayan without making

it more complicated than it already was.

She responded, "Ayan, I think he's just trying to avoid any

confrontations. He didn't want to make things more complicated for

both of us."

Ayan's tone remained calm as he said, "I see."

They lapsed into a moment of silence, both aware of the unspoken

issues surrounding Preston's actions and the potential impact on their

lives.

Camille decided to be more direct, and in a hushed voice, she said,

"Ayan, he asked me for a loan."

The weight of her revelation hung in the air. It was an uncomfortable

situation, but one they had to address.