Chapter 812: Moving Forward

Chapter 812: Moving Forward

Camille asked seriously, disentangling herself from his embrace and

staring at him intently.

Her eyelashes fluttered gently, and a hint of indifference flickered in her

eyes. If his only goal was to punish Cora for taking Timmy and injuring

the old Simpson, he had the means and background to make the police

overlook her claimed mental instability.

Even if Austin tried to fight back, even if he revealed Cora's condition to

the public, she would still face the consequences of her actions.

But he didn't do that.

Instead, he kept Cora captive in his hands. Did he really do it just to

punish her?

Since Austin's last phone call, Camille had been harboring thoughts

that were more than just a passing notion.

It was hard for her to convince herself not to dwell on these thoughts.

She didn't know how to justify not thinking about it.

Camille pursed her lips, maintaining her silence.

Similarly, Ayan kept his unwavering gaze on her and spoke in a low

voice, "Did Austin say something to you?"

Camille replied, "When Austin had me abducted, I never saw him in

person. I only knew it was him from the two men who were watching

me. So I haven't met Austin, and I didn't have the chance to talk to

him."

"These are just my thoughts. So, are you keeping Cora in your hands

only to punish her for what she's done?"

"Don't you think it might be better to hand Cora over to the police? Or

maybe let her experience the feeling of helplessness and not knowing

what to do? I don't want to dwell on it anymore, I don't want to pursue it

further. It's been a long time since it happened, and now I only have

one thought- to draw a clear line with them. I really, really don't want

something like this to happen again. This time it was me, but who will it

be next time?"

Camille's emotions grew somewhat agitated, and her agitation was

easy to understand.

As the person who experienced such an incident, she knew what it felt

like to be in a state of panic. Not knowing where she was, devoid of

even the slightest sense of security- it was an indescribable feeling,

extremely unpleasant. She truly didn't want the people around her to go

through the same thing.

She took a silent breath, her eyes still fixed on Ayan, waiting quietly for

his response.

Likewise, he fell into a brief silence.

Then he said, "I understand what you mean. I have also considered

your suggestions. Initially, I did intend to hand her over directly to the

police. However, Austin used her health condition as leverage, claiming

that he could bring her out unharmed at any time. I didn't want the

trouble, so I decided to keep her under my control. I'm doing this only

because she did something wrong. If someone makes a mistake, they

must face the consequences. There are no other emotions or intentions

behind it. But because of my mishandling, you got hurt, and I'm truly

sorry for that.”

His expression was sincere, his gaze fixed on Camille, reflecting a

sense of honesty that made her sigh silently.

Camille asked, "So what's your plan now?"

"First, we need to find Austin, and then I'll take you to meet Cora. It's

not about proving anything, just to let you see that I didn't deceive you

and that I'm keeping my promise to you."

After Ayan finished speaking, Camille remained silent.

At that moment, Kian's call came in.

On the other end of the phone, Kian spoke in a low voice, "Mr.

Simpson, we've caught Austin’s assistant, but we haven't found Austin

himself. He's probably hiding somewhere. Despite the large number of

people searching in Sienna, it's easier for someone to hide during the

night. So, should we continue searching?"

"No need to search in Sienna anymore. We have surveillance cameras

at every intersection. Just monitor those, and no matter what, I must

see him."

A cold chill flickered in Ayan's eyes, and his determination was evident

in his unwavering words.

After sending Ayan and Camille back to Maple Leaves Mansion, Kian

immediately rushed to the scene. He couldn't afford to take it lightly,

considering Ayan's instructions. He implemented all of Ayan's plans and

joined the search. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night. If

Austin couldn't be found, nobody would rest.

As for Austin's bodyguards and assistants, they had all been restrained.

Kian immediately asked Ayan how to handle them.

Ayan said, "Hand over the two bodyguards who were with Austin to the

police as an explanation. Take the other three with us. As for Austin's

situation, you can inquire with his assistant. As for the other two, I have

other plans for them. I'll let you know tomorrow once I've decided."

Ayan deliberately avoided saying it in front of Camille. He didn't want

Camille to dwell on what happened today or suspect anything. After

giving a few instructions to Kian, he ended the call.

Following Ayan's orders, Kian promptly took charge. He personally

handed over Austin's people to Logan, and they both understood each

other without the need for excessive words.

Kian took multiple precautions, fearing that Austin's assistant might

remember the route. He even blindfolded them before finally bringing

them back to the villa.

Kian separated the three individuals and assigned guards to watch over

them before leaving himself.

At the scene, Ayan's men and the police were everywhere. Although

the incident hadn't been reported in the true sense, the presence of so

many people and the investigation in Sienna caught the attention of

some nearby residents.

However, no one knew what had happened. They could only speculate.

No one suspected it had anything to do with Ayan or Camille. They

were merely speculating about whether it was a murder or some shady

affair.

Others might be unaware of what exactly had transpired, but one

person knew exactly why it happened.

Preston also saw the news and knew immediately that Austin had

kidnapped Camille.

He had called Austin earlier, but Austin denied it. Preston had thought

he was overthinking it, but now he realized Austin had been lying.

He sneered, a coldness filling his eyes. He had thought he could push

all the blame about Louise's death onto Sean, so he could move on to

other matters. But now Austin had stuck his nose in. Austin was asking

for trouble.

Ayan wouldn't let him off the hook.

Therefore, Preston needed to rethink his plans.

Continuing to confront Austin might only result in Austin dragging him

down.

He picked up his phone and called Quintus Sarrius, the secretary who

had worked for Camille's company before resigning and joining

Preston. With Sean gone, Preston entrusted Quintus with some tasks.

Quintus had been with him for a long time, so he was trustworthy.

But only Preston knew his ultimate goal and what he needed to do

because he only trusted himself.

Preston called Quintus and instructed him, "Contact Norman Group

immediately and terminate all our collaborations. Also, cancel my

position within Norman Group. Mr. and Mrs. Bell's project will continue

under my personal name."

"Mr. Baxter, will Norman Group agree to this?" Quintus asked.

"Just convey my intentions for now. You can directly contact Austin's

secretary."

Jeremiah had been in charge of Austin's work at Norman Group since

Austin arrived in Hance City.

When Jeremiah received the news, he naturally refused. He believed it

was simply absurd.

Jeremiah knew about the relationship between Preston and Austin and

understood that it was just temporary cooperation. So it was impossible

for him to agree. He immediately tried to contact Austin, but Austin was

unreachable. Jeremiah had no choice but to call Preston himself.

With a touch of hidden meaning, Jeremiah asked, "Mr. Baxter, what do

you mean by this? The project was originally Mr. Norman's

responsibility, and it still belongs to Norman Group. Does Mr. Baxter

want to claim it for himself?"