Chapter 1060: Pressure

Chapter 1060: Pressure

“I did look into you, but I didn't find this company. It seems my secretary

isn't doing his job well. She should probably have her salary deducted,”

Ayan's words echoed within Franklin Bay's villa. Kian, who was in a

high-end apartment elsewhere, sneezed, feeling a sudden chill down

his spine.

Horace smiled, showing that Ayan's comment didn't bother him.

Horace inquired, "Mr. Simpson, how do you feel about my sincerity?"

Ayan leaned back on the sofa, his expression devoid of any significant

emotions, and his voice calm and low. "Mr. Burris, you've offered a

significant amount of sincerity for temporary use of an apartment. Is

that all?"

Horace smiled again. He said, "It seems you know me well."

"Since there are no outsiders here, Mr. Burris, what is it that you want

to discuss directly?" Ayan glanced at Horace but didn't reach for the

items he'd offered. With the level of sincerity Horace displayed, it was

clear this wasn't mere talk.

So, Ayan was in no hurry. What was his would eventually come to him.

Horace's expression faded slightly. His voice grew deeper and more

hoarse as he said, "Indeed, there's another matter. I received an

anonymous email threatening me to hand over Grace. Otherwise, they

would reveal Grace's imprisonment by the Armstrong family and let the

Armstrong family deal with me."

Camille hesitated slightly, and Ayan's eyebrows furrowed. He asked,

"When did you receive this email?"

"This afternoon. I had scheduled to meet you this afternoon, but I was

concerned that someone was watching my every move. Therefore, I

sent my secretary to contact Kian and attempt to reach you through

secretarial channels.” Horace briefly explained, his worry growing

deeper. His voice grew even hoarser as he continued, "Mr. Simpson,

can you help me find out who is scheming behind the scenes? Are they

trying to test or manipulate me for some information? My worry is

whether the Armstrong family already knows about Grace, and they are

only probing to confirm it."

Ayan's expression remained unchanged as he inquired, "After Grace

moved in with you, have you two publicly appeared together?"

"No," Horace replied.

"You're quite certain about that?"

"Due to the Armstrong family's influence, Grace hasn't left the

apartment since she moved in. Even her meals are delivered by me.

She's being extremely cautious, to the point that she hasn't even

ordered takeout. So, there's no way she's been seen in public.”

"If you're confident that you haven't appeared together in public, then

the person who sent you that email was likely just testing you or trying

to bait you. They might be trying to gauge whether Grace is with you.

After all, you and Grace were previously set up by the Armstrongs.

Even if you've disguised your relationship well at the company, people's

eyes pick up on many things. Perhaps they've noticed some subtle

clues,” Ayan explained.

Ayan's expression remained unchanged as he carefully analyzed the

situation for Horace. If he thought he had taken sufficient precautions,

the most likely scenario was that someone was testing him. However,

they couldn't rule out that their relationship had been suspected within

the company, even if they disguised it well. People's eyes noticed many

things, and there might have been some telltale signs in their actions.

Both possibilities were valid.

Horace nodded along with Ayan's analysis. He looked at Ayan and

asked, "Can Mr. Simpson investigate this for me?"

“Do you want to know who sent the email or whether they know about

you and Grace? Because both of these scenarios are related. Whether

it's the former or the latter, the ultimate goal is to find out if the

Armstrong family is aware of your relationship with Grace. If they do, I'd

like to know what they know so far," Ayan inquired.

Horace wasn't worried about the Armstrong family knowing; he was

concerned about what pressures they might exert on Grace once they

did. Otherwise, he would have disclosed their relationship much earlier.

Ayan nodded and remained silent for a few seconds, his gaze slightly

dimmed. Then he calmly said, "To find out if the Armstrong family

knows is quite simple. We just need to leak some information about

Grace."

Ayan finished speaking and picked up his phone to call Kian. He

shared his thoughts with Kian, who promptly went to work.

Kian's actions were swift, and within ten minutes, he had some results.

Kian reported, "Mr. Simpson, it seems the Armstrong family is not

aware of Miss Armstrong's involvement with Mr. Burris. I just called the

Armstrong family, claiming to have seen Miss Armstrong at a

supermarket in downtown Hance City. They immediately asked for the

address and are on their way to the supermarket now."

The fact that the Armstrong family didn't inquire about whether Grace

was with someone indicated that they likely didn't know.

Ayan scanned Horace and found no objections from him before saying,

"Make sure you handle this without leaving any traces or

vulnerabilities.”

"Rest assured, Mr. Simpson,” Kian replied, and the call ended.

The atmosphere in the room fell silent.

Camille had been quiet and finally asked, "If it's not the Armstrong

family, then who could it be?"

"We can't be 100% certain it's not the Armstrong family. Perhaps there's

someone behind them, guiding their actions," Ayan said with a faint

smile. He looked at Camille and asked, "Would you mind going to

Maple Leaves Mansion?"

"Me? To see Grace?"

"Yes. Given the current situation, it's essential to temporarily remove

Grace from Hance City to ensure she doesn't experience what you

went through. If, as you mentioned, the Armstrong family is involved

and they can't use you, they'll choose a new target. Besides Grace,

there's no one else.”

Ayan's words and tone were measured, making Camille's gaze deepen.

She had experienced the horrors of being used by the Armstrong family

and felt grateful that she had not fallen victim. If she had, she might

have already been taken away by the Wesley family with Ayan's

protection. Although Grace had Horace by her side, he wasn't a local of

Hance City and lacked extensive connections in the city. Many things

would be challenging to do, even with Ayan and Camille's help.

Therefore, Camille's first response was, "Will moving her out of Hance

City really keep her safe?"

Camille had felt the helpless despair that came with being used, and

even someone like her, who had no real emotional connection with the

Armstrong family, found it difficult. If Grace experienced similar things, it

would be a thousand times worse.

Ayan replied, "Leaving Hance City would make it difficult for the

Armstrong family to threaten her. Even if they were interested in you,

there's little they could do if you're out of their reach. You don't need to

move to my apartment. I'll arrange for Grace to leave Hance City in the

next few days."

"Ultimately, it's your decision,” Ayan clarified. "But does Grace agree to

leave Hance City?"

Leaving Hance City was a personal choice, and it required Grace's

consent.

Camille added, "I'll talk to her. She trusts me, and we may not be close,

but we've been sisters since we were kids."

To be more secure and make a quick decision, Horace wanted Camille

to go with him immediately to see Grace.

Camille agreed without any issues, but Ayan had a different idea. He

said, "Mr. Burris, go back first, find an opportunity to avoid everyone,

and bring Grace to my apartment. We'll join you there."

Horace was momentarily taken aback, and after a brief pause, he

agreed to the plan.

Horace promptly left Franklin Bay. Once he was gone, Camille asked,

"Why didn't you let me go with him directly? That way, it would

eliminate the risk of Grace being seen.”

“It's late, and you being with Horace wouldn't be suitable,” Ayan replied

calmly.

Camille furrowed her brow slightly and said, “What are you talking

about? We're just going to see Grace."

“I know we're going to see Grace, but precisely because of that, it's not

suitable. When you go to Maple Leaves Mansion with Horace, don't

you think people will notice? If you both go together, it would likely trend

immediately,” Ayan explained, voicing his concerns and worries. He

looked at Camille and asked softly, "You don't think I'm being overly

cautious and not wanting you two alone together, do you?"