Chapter 1224: Hard Work

Chapter 1224: Hard Work

Crystal didn't say anything more because they were still standing there.

Crystal didn't linger and simply said with a hint of disappointment, "I

won't disturb you anymore. You should go up quickly. I'l head back to

the hotel."

"Didn't you rent an apartment?” Sienna asked.

“Yes, but my family came with me, and the apartment isn't big enough

for all of us. So, staying in a hotel is more convenient for now. They'll

return to Flento City after my competition ends. I guess they wanted to

cheer me on since it's my first time participating in such a major

competition. But honestly, they're really affecting my performance

because I only think about having fun with them every day. It's quite

distracting, to be honest.”

Crystal's vivid description made Sienna unable to help but laugh.

The conversation between the two ended there. After seeing Crystal

off, Sienna finally went upstairs with her things.

Crystal had brought many special snacks, which Camille and Sienna

used to eat frequently. Of course, Camille and Sienna couldn't finish

them all, so they shared some with Yessica and other employees in the

company. Then, each of them took a small portion home.

During dinner, Ayan noticed some unfamiliar snacks on the table and

naturally asked, "Did Auntie make these?"

Camille shook her head and said, "No, Crystal brought them from

Flento City to share with us."

Camille's words lacked any emotional tone, but sometimes words can

have unintended effects. Ayan's expression slightly stiffened, although

Camille didn't notice. She continued, "Crystal and Sienna often keep in

touch. When Sienna mentioned it to me today, I couldn't help but

wonder if she had some other motives?"

"What motives?" Ayan asked casually.

"Of course, it's about the ongoing design competition. After all, Crystal

is also participating. It's hard not to suspect her intentions when she

suddenly becomes close to us, right?"

After Camille's casual remark, Ayan simply nodded along. However, he

said, "It's not necessarily the case. If she had other motives, she would

have plenty of other ways to achieve them. But using this method to

maintain a relationship with you wouldn't be the first thing people would

suspect, right?"

"Yeah, we know. We're just speculating. We don't actually think that

way." Because of their relationship with Sienna, they could talk about

anything, but they wouldn't impose such thoughts on others.

The two continued eating, and suddenly, Camille remembered what

happened in the afternoon. She asked, "What were you doing this

afternoon? When you called me, why were you so clingy? Did you do

something to upset me and want to make up for it this way?"

Ayan lightly flicked her forehead with his hand and then squinted his

eyes, saying, "Am I that kind of person in your mind? Am I not allowed

to genuinely miss you?"

Now it was Camille's turn to feel a little embarrassed. She pursed her

lips and whispered, "I didn't think that way either. I was just surprised by

how clingy you were."

Ayan smiled and served her some food. His voice remained gentle as

he asked, "Did the Nores family contact you today?"

Camille raised an eyebrow and met Ayan's gaze. He asked, "The Nores

family? You mean Alicia, right?"

"Yes," Ayan admitted.

Camille replied seriously, "No, they didn't. So, all the things you've done

were just to pressure Alicia into apologizing to me? But it seems like

she hasn't felt any threat so far."

“Don't worry, she will come eventually. The later it gets, the more losses

the Nores family will suffer. Anyway, we won't be at a loss.” Ayan's

words were not an exaggeration. Due to Ayan's decision, the Nores

Group's collaborations with several major companies had been

interrupted, leading to doubts from the remaining partners and factories

still working with the Nores Group.

Multiple contract terminations in a row meant losses for a project and a

company. However, even in the face of potential losses, they chose to

terminate the contracts, which meant that something bigger than the

losses was at stake.

Many people were constantly asking about Mr. Nores' situation, but of

course, the Nores family couldn't admit it was because they had

offended Ayan. Such a statement would only decrease their remaining

collaborations because others would naturally choose Ayan over them.

Mr. Nores had no choice but to put pressure on Alicia. However, her

phone was unreachable, and she didn't respond to messages. She

seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth.

That was the current situation of the Nores family. If they continued like

this, their situation would only worsen.

After listening to Ayan's response, Camille simply nodded.

After nearly half a minute, Camille suddenly asked, "Ayan, will this

incident affect the Simpson Group and cause them any losses?"

Ayan met Camille's concerned gaze and showed a reassuring smile.

He said, "Of course not. The influence of the Simpson Group is

significant here in Hance City. Who wouldn't give face to the Simpson

Group? Moreover, many of the companies I instructed have

collaborations with the Simpson Group. They receive much more

benefits from the Simpson Group than from the Nores Group.”

Camille nodded slightly but still expressed her worries, "If there's any

impact on the Simpson Group, please stop it. Alicia is not important,

and I don't want our own interests to be affected because of one

unimportant person. As for this apology, it's not important to me at all.

Whether she apologizes or not, I won't lose anything. Do you

understand what I mean?"

“I understand. Don't worry, I know what to do. You don't need to worry,

okay?"

"Okay."

The two locked eyes, and Camille noticed that Ayan's expression

showed no signs of evasion. This eased her mind a little. After finishing

their meal, they followed their usual routine and went out for a walk,

hand in hand.

They happened to video chat with Timmy for a while. With so much

going on recently, both Camille and Ayan hadn't returned to their old

home for over a week. Timmy pouted, looking unhappy, and said,

"Mommy, I miss you."

Though his speech was still unclear, he could already say many words

and put them together in coherent sentences. Timmy's words amused

Camille, and she replied, "Mommy misses you too. Have you been

listening to Grandma at home?"

He nodded and obediently said, "Yes, Grandma and I went to

kindergarten. Many little friends there.”

He continued speaking, and his words kept flowing. Both Camille and

Talia stopped speaking and silently waited for him to finish. Talia

mentioned that Timmy had been talking more and more lately, asking a

hundred questions every day. She joked that when he grew up a bit

more, even a hundred thousand "whys" wouldn't be enough to satisfy

his curiosity.

Children go through different stages, and each stage brings its own

changes. Timmy was currently in the stage of speaking, and naturally,

he couldn't resist asking about everything he saw.

Although Camille found it adorable because she wasn't there to

experience it every day, she knew it could also be quite bothersome.

She said to Talia, "Mom, you're working hard."

Talia had done a lot for them, ensuring they had no worries. She could

have left everything to the housekeepers and staff, but she wanted to

be personally involved to give Camille and Ayan peace of mind. After

all, no professional caretaker or nanny could replace their own

grandmother.

Camille understood Talia's intentions very well. Every time Camille

thanked her, Talia would tell her there was no need to be so polite since

they were family and didn't need to say thank you.

This time was no exception. Talia said, "I really like the two handbags

you bought for me. I just took a picture and sent it to my friends. You

don't know, they're so envious. They can't get their hands on them,

even if they try to order. Cami, I'm really happy, so please don't thank

me anymore. After all, it's not good to depend on others!"

As Talia spoke, she started to laugh, clearly showing her joy. After all,

Talia wasn't just a collector of jewelry; she also loved handbags.

Camille smiled along and said, "Mom, as long as you like them."