Chapter 1178: Risks

Chapter 1178: Risks

Kian also nodded slightly, but he still had some concerns in his heart.

He asked Ayan, "So, Mr. Simpson, you trust Horace unconditionally?"

Ayan squinted his eyes at Kian, his expression filled with intensity. Kian

immediately lowered his head and said, "I apologize, Mr. Simpson. I

was just..."

"l understand your concerns, but Horace is worthy of trust. If he can put

so much effort into planning with Grace, it's unlikely that he will easily

have second thoughts. Even if he does, it doesn't have much to do with

us. After all, he is currently collaborating with Simpson Group. If he truly

harms Simpson Group, it won't be beneficial for him either. The most

stable relationship in the business world is based on mutual interests."

Ayan had no worries or doubts that Horace would betray him. After all,

there was no need to suspect someone who had proven their loyalty. If

someone appeared overly loyal, it could actually raise some questions.

Kian nodded along, understanding Ayan's thoughts and plans.

Ayan instructed Kian, "Keep an eye on Preston. Once Horace secures

the museum project, Preston will definitely become desperate.”

“Is Mr. Simpson worried that he might do something excessive?"

"Not worried, just cautious. Because this person is capable of anything,

we need to have control over all his actions. Only then can we be

prepared and not caught off guard.”

"I understand, Mr. Simpson. Rest assured, I will keep an eye on

Preston.”

"Good, go ahead!"

Kian nodded and then left the office.

After Kian left the office, Ayan picked up his phone and sent a message

to Camille. He invited her to have dinner together outside. Although

they had been spending almost every day together recently, mostly for

work, Ayan was in a good mood today and wanted to have some

private time with Camille, without being disturbed by Sienna and Rex.

Camille replied promptly, agreeing to the dinner.

After arranging the dinner plans, Ayan continued his work.

Perhaps because of his good mood, his productivity today was even

higher than usual, which was already quite high to begin with.

In the evening, Ayan took Camille to their usual place, Darkmoor, for

dinner. Since it was just the two of them, Camille didn't want to dine in a

private room. They found a cozy seat near the window.

After placing their orders, the waiter left, and Camille rested her chin on

her hand as she looked at Ayan and asked, "Tell me, what's making

you so happy? Can't you share it with me?"

“Is my happiness that obvious?" Ayan leaned slightly towards her, the

gentle smile in his eyes clearly visible. A faint smile appeared on his

thin lips as he said, "It seems like I'm not disguising it well enough!"

"Why do you need to disguise it? Is there something happy that you

can't share with me?"

"Do you want to know?"

"Yes, I want to know."

"Want to know? Well, you have to promise me something, hmm?"

Ayan's eyes carried a tempting look, indicating that he had some

mischievous intentions.

Camille pursed her lips and indifferently said, "Never mind, don't tell

me. I don't want to know. Let's just eat!"

After Camille spoke, she put down her hand supporting her chin and

sat upright, creating some distance between her and Ayan. She

crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at Ayan with cold

eyes. Her gaze seemed to say, "I won't ask, and I won't let you have

your way."

The two of them locked eyes, maintaining their gaze for half a minute.

Then Ayan's voice resounded again as he said, "You're giving up just

like that? You don't want to know about something that makes me

happy?"

“It's not something that makes me happy, so I don't really want to

know," she rejected, shaking her head.

Now it was Ayan who became anxious. He reached out his hand

towards Camille, gesturing for her to give him her hand. Camille

complied, and he held her hand, his voice still gentle as he said, "I set a

trap for Preston, and he fell into it. It's probably difficult for him to move

freely in Armstrong Corp now."

Camille blinked lightly, seemingly a bit surprised by the news. Ayan

noticed her reaction and asked in a calm tone, "Why aren't you saying

anything?"

Camille regained her composure and responded, "It's unexpected. Why

did you suddenly target him again?"

“It's not sudden; it was planned for a long time. He was too arrogant.

Although the Armstrong family treated you poorly, and even though you

have no connection to Armstrong Corp now, he wanted to use

Armstrong Corp to achieve his goals, just like how he used the Walker

family before. Naturally, I couldn't sit back and do nothing. I won't give

him any chance to establish a foothold. I want to give him a glimmer of

hope and then utterly disappoint him when he thinks he can achieve his

goals."

Coldness filled Ayan's eyes, but the hand holding Camille's remained

unchanged, warm and gentle.

Camille lightly pursed her lips and nodded slightly, acknowledging

Ayan's words.

She said, "This matter has nothing to do with me. Actually, you don't

need to tell me. I don't care about what happens to him in the end.

We've already said and done what needed to be said and done, so I

don't really care about his current situation.”

Camille also felt a bit helpless, especially when it came to Preston.

Although their interactions had decreased, the things related to him

hadn't diminished at all. Sometimes, she truly felt mentally exhausted.

Camille sighed helplessly, her expression turning cold.

Ayan gazed into her eyes as if trying to see through her. The two of

them maintained their unwavering eye contact.

Camille asked, "Do you not trust my words?"

Ayan lightly shook his head. "Of course not. I was just thinking, did he

contact you on his own accord?"

Camille furrowed her brows slightly and asked, "Are you implying that

you suspect I secretly contacted him?"

“I don't suspect you, I'm just worried that he might threaten you," Ayan

replied.

"No, he hasn't contacted me on his own, but I did reach out to him,"

Camille admitted. Her original intention was to keep it a secret from

Ayan, but since he had already asked, it meant he already knew.

Otherwise, based on her understanding of him, he wouldn't deliberately

ask again.

Ayan smirked and asked, "You contacted him on your own?"

"Yes, we talked about something, but I don't want to discuss it. Is that

okay?" Camille asked straightforwardly.

Ayan was momentarily taken aback, and then he didn't press Camille

for any more details. He had only asked out of concern that Preston

might threaten Camille or say something that made her uncomfortable.

He especially worried that Preston might sow discord between him and

Camille, but now, seeing Camille's reaction, he didn't need to be overly

concerned. However, he still needed to keep an eye on Preston.

At that moment, the waiter arrived with their food, and the two of them

stopped discussing unrelated topics and focused on their meal.

During the meal, Camille took the initiative to ask about the condition of

the old Simpson. Brody had been with him these past few days, and

neither Camille nor Ayan had visited. However, Ayan and Dr. Ellis

naturally maintained regular contact, so Camille would inquire about

her grandfather's condition through Ayan.

As Ayan served her food, he responded in a gentle voice,

"Grandfather's condition has been stable these past few days. Perhaps

it's because Dad has been with him every day, and his mood has

improved, so his overall health is better than before. Dr. Ellis suggested

that we maintain this for about a month, and then he can undergo the

surgery."

"Will the risks of the surgery be lower than before?" Camille asked.

"Well, it seems that way for now, but Grandfather's age is a factor, and

surgery itself carries risks. So there are some risks that cannot be

avoided," Ayan explained.

Ayan and Fletcher had already considered this when they made the

decision for the old Simpson to undergo surgery. Not having the

surgery meant the possibility of accidents at any time, and while the

risks of the surgery were unpredictable, once it was successful, there

would no longer be the constant threat of unforeseen circumstances.

It was a gamble, in a way.

No matter which path they chose, it seemed they would face torment.

Yet, the world of adults was complex and offered no other options.

Camille took a silent deep breath, her worry overflowing.

But she knew that Ayan's concerns were no less than hers, so she

reached out and gently held Ayan's hand. She said, "Ayan, we have to

believe in Grandfather and believe in Dr. Ellis, okay?"