Chapter 958: Demands

Chapter 958: Demands

She replied, "Of course not."

"So why are you concerned then?" Camille said calmly. "Body changes

during pregnancy are something every expectant mother goes through.

Being a mother is a great thing. If someone can't accept you because

your body changes due to childbirth, then it's better to realize it early."

Camille had never worried about this issue because she didn't think it

was something that would be a problem between a husband and wife.

If a man fell for someone else because of this, then in the end, that

man was simply fickle by nature. These were just excuses he created

for himself to feel justified.

Sienna wholeheartedly agreed with Camille's analysis. She said,

"You're absolutely right. So, I won't be anxious anymore. I'm going for a

check-up tomorrow. I'm ready to start preparing for pregnancy.”

Camille smiled, cupping Sienna's face in her hands and giving it a

gentle squeeze. "Alright, go for it. Give me a daughter-in-law!"

The two friends chatted and laughed for a while, and before they knew

it, it was time for lunch.

Yessica ordered takeout from a trendy Thai restaurant that had been

gaining popularity recently. The food was delicious, but the portions

were quite small. Even with the three of them ordering eight dishes, it

didn't seem like enough.

Sienna couldn't help but laugh. "If our husbands back home found out

that we're ordering so many dishes, they'd probably be thinking about

splitting up for they can't afford this."

Camille set down her utensils without hesitation. "Let's blacklist this

place from now on. The food is good and not cheap, and the portions

are just too small. It's not something us working folks can afford."

Yessica sniffled as the spicy papaya salad made her tear up. She took

the conversation further. "Let's keep this talk just between us. Don't say

it in front of others, or you might end up in a brawl."

Camille and Sienna both laughed in agreement. The atmosphere in the

office was especially lively. Although Camille wasn't as talkative with

Yessica as she was with Sienna, she still held Yessica in high regard.

Yessica was straightforward and sincere, never betraying her for

personal gain or anything else. That's why Camille considered her like

a sister.

After the meal, it was time to get down to the actual work.

The design drafts were already in progress, and they had an

appointment tomorrow morning to select an assistant at the design

school. Ayan had made the necessary arrangements, and Camille had

met with the professor in charge. The professor was in her sixties but

had a youthful air about her due to her passion for design.

Camille's side of the plan was proceeding smoothly, with each step

well-organized.

However, Ayan was facing some difficulties at the Modest Temple

Hotel. After arriving, Kian immediately contacted the government

department in charge, so a secretary rushed to the hotel where Ayan

was staying.

The hotel's conditions were less than ideal, but Ayan didn't mind. He

was here for work, not for luxury.

From the secretary, Ayan learned that the situation had already

garnered attention locally. While the injuries sustained by the villager

weren't severe, they had led to various complications due to the

villager's pre-existing health conditions. Although rational people

understood that the injuries were not the root cause of the

complications, public opinion was swayed by the fact that villager were

injured and his conditions worsened afterward.

The secretary turned to Ayan, and he responded, "Mr. Simpson,

although the situation hasn't completely blown up yet, I estimate that it

will become public sooner or later. We also need to provide the

villagers with a reasonable explanation, especially on the Fola side.

Almost every household there knows about this now, and some are

even regretting selling their land to Modest Temple Hotel."

Ayan nodded gently, his gaze warm. He squinted his eyes and

continued, "I understand what you mean. However, I'll need you to

communicate with the injured villager and his families here and find out

how we can resolve this together. This incident is not the doing of the

Simpson Group, nor is it the fault of this project itself. It's a result of

someone deliberately causing trouble. So, in essence, neither the

Simpson Group nor this project should bear the blame. But since I've

come here in person, it indicates my intention to handle this matter

properly. I hope people involved can cooperate with me."

Ayan's statement left the secretary a bit puzzled. He couldn't fully grasp

the underlying meaning in Ayan's words. Kian quickly intervened,

providing a detailed explanation. The secretary nodded in

understanding, and his complexion softened compared to earlier. He

promptly added, "Mr. Simpson, rest assured. I know what needs to be

done, and your reassurance means a lot."

“In that case, I appreciate your understanding. Please keep me

informed of any developments on your end. However, for now, the fact

that I've come here should remain confidential. I don't want too many

people to know about it."

"Understood, I know how to handle it. You can trust me!"

After escorting the secretary out, Kian returned to the room. He spoke

in a hushed tone to Ayan, "Mr. Simpson, should we consider offering

some incentives to the secretary's side?"

"No need. I've looked into this person before coming here. He's not that

type. He genuinely wants to contribute to the local community. Next

time you meet him, tell him that he can directly contact us for any

assistance needed, whether it's for the town or the village. The

Simpson Group will fully support it."

"Understood."

Kian nodded in agreement and then continued the conversation with

Ayan. He asked, "Mr. Simpson, are we just going to wait quietly for the

injured villager to respond? Should we consider checking in with

Modest Temple Hotel?"

"No rush. It's not the right time yet. Our people are already there, aren't

they? Currently, Mr. Mikkola and Mr. Bell are the ones in charge. If we

were to go over, they would immediately catch wind of it." Ayan lit a

cigarette, his gaze slightly distant, and his voice was tinged with

indifference. He continued, "We just need to keep a close watch. The

troublemakers won't dare to make any reckless moves now. After all,

we've just entered the negotiation phase.”

Kian added, "Mr. Simpson, should we consider talking to some of the

local villagers to get a better understanding of the situation?"

"Our people can handle that. Let the same family we helped during

Mrs. Simpson's visit to the village reach out. They're likely to help us."

Ayan had discussed this idea with Camille before he arrived because

he knew that eventually they would need to seek assistance from the

local villagers. So, he had already given her a heads-up about it.

Kian was about to leave Ayan's room to make the necessary

arrangements when his phone rang. It was Ayan's another assistant

calling. Kian glanced at Ayan, who signaled him to put it on

speakerphone.

On the other end of the line, the assistant's voice came through, "Kian,

there's an update on the matter you assigned to me. I had the

insurance company and Simpson Group's legal department contact

Preston to demand compensation for the car damages. Initially, Preston

denied any involvement and accused us of framing him."

This issue was originally something Kian had been handling personally.

However, due to the recent incident at the resort, Kian had assigned

one of Ayan's assistants to handle it.

Since the car accident three days ago, Preston had not taken any

action because he believed that Ayan couldn't touch him. He was

convinced that Ayan was powerless against him. However, Ayan had

managed to find clear video evidence connecting Preston to the

accident.

When Preston received calls from both the insurance company and

Simpson Group's legal department, he initially denied any involvement

and accused them of framing him.

However, when the insurance company provided concrete evidence, he

had no choice but to admit it. The legal department made it clear, “If

you don't admit it, we can turn to the police. After a thorough

investigation by the police, you won't have any doubts, right?"