Female Novel
Chapter 1044: Unfamiliar
Chapter 1044: Unfamiliar
At this moment, in a hotel in Hance City.
The man had woken up early and had made a simple effort to tidy himself up, but he still exuded a
sense of desolation.
His beard had not been shaved for several days, but this morning, he had borrowed a razor from the
hotel owner to groom himself a bit.
No matter how he tried to groom himself, there was an observable change in him compared to his
previous self.
He stood by the window, looking outside. Due to its location outside the urban area of Hance City, most
of the people coming and going were local residents, and the atmosphere was somewhat disorderly.
However, given his current state, he couldn't care less about this.
He took a deep breath and left the room. As he was leaving, the hotel owner couldn't help but ask, "Sir,
your two-week room fee is almost used up. Would you like to extend your stay?"
The man paused for a moment, then continued walking without looking back, his voice somewhat curt,
"Yes, I'll extend it. I'll pay you when I come back tonight."
"Alright," the owner replied promptly, as if he feared the man might change his mind.
The man's face looked especially grim. After walking out of the hotel, he hailed a taxi on the side of the
road. Once inside the cab, the driver asked, "Where to, sir?"
The man stated the name of a building and then fell silent, sitting quietly in the back seat, looking out of
the window.
The journey took nearly forty minutes, and this was during the morning rush hour, so the traffic was
quite heavy.
When he reached his destination, the man got out of the cab. He stopped by a green area on the side
of the road and took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and stood there, smoking. He remained
stationary for a long time.
Franklin Bay.
Camille had slept until almost eight in the morning. She was still feeling quite sleepy, but her habit of
waking up early had her rising at her usual time. Even if she slept in a bit, it wouldn't make a significant
difference.
Camille checked the time on her phone and noticed that the bedroom was still pitch black. She knew
that Ayan wanted her to get a good rest.
Camille lay in bed, turned over, stretched, and then got up. She freshened up and changed her clothes.
She noticed a series of red marks on her neck and felt an urge to hide them with makeup.
Thankfully, it wasn't too hot that day, or else she might not be able to leave the house.
After Camille was ready, she headed downstairs. The housekeeper saw her and immediately said,
"Mrs. Simpson, why didn't you sleep a bit longer? Mr. Simpson specifically instructed us to wake you up
after nine!"
"I couldn't sleep anymore. I have some work to take care of at the office."
"In that case, I'll prepare your breakfast right away, and I'll keep it warm for you."
"Thank you."
"Welcome, my lady."
Even though she was just the housekeeper, Camille was always polite and courteous with her.
The housekeeper was dedicated to taking care of Camille and Ayan, ensuring everything ran smoothly,
even when they were away for extended periods.
Camille had her breakfast and then set off for the office. She arrived at the office just before nine.
After the incident in Simpson Group's parking garage, Camille no longer parked her car there when she
was alone. Even though it had been orchestrated by the Armstrong family, she couldn't shake the
psychological unease it had left her with.
Camille parked her car and stepped out, heading straight for the entrance of the building. But as she
had only taken a few steps, a male voice suddenly called out from behind, "Cami, Cami!!!"
Camille froze, her facial expression showing surprise. She hadn't expected this, but she immediately
turned to look.
She spotted a man standing not far away, his gaze fixed on her. Their eyes met, and Camille's initial
reaction was that this man had changed significantly.
Before she could respond, the man had already walked up to her. He gazed at her and softly asked,
"Cami, long time no see. Are you doing well?"
Camille furrowed her brows. He had asked her the same question when they last spoke on the phone.
It seemed like he asked this question every time they met or talked.
But every time Camille had seen him, it hadn't been pleasant.
Camille pursed her lips, her expression somewhat indifferent. She replied, "I'm doing fine. How about
you? What are you doing here?"
Preston stared at Camille, and there was an uncomfortable tension in the air. They both seemed to
understand each other's thoughts but maintained a superficial peace.
Preston cleared his throat, thinking of his purpose for coming today. He didn't let Camille's coldness
affect him emotionally. He lowered his voice and said, "I came to find you." His eyes remained locked
onto Camille, and he seemed unblinkingly focused on her, making her feel uneasy. But Preston himself
didn't seem to share this feeling. He went on, "Cami, do you not want to see me?"
Preston seemed to care deeply about this.
Camille found it an odd question. Given their current relationship and circumstances, whether or not
they saw each other didn't seem to matter. She lightly pursed her lips, and her voice sounded
somewhat detached as she replied, "Preston, I think there's no need to ask such questions. If you have
something to say to me, please go ahead. I have work later, okay?"
Camille pursed her lips, her expression cold. Her voice carried a hint of indifference as she said,
"Preston, do you have something you want to talk to me about?"
Preston persisted, asking, "Cami, you still haven't answered my question. Do you not want to see me?"
He wore a bitter smile, seemingly filled with helplessness.
Camille was becoming increasingly unsure of how to respond to Preston's directness. She instinctively
pursed her lips and tightened the grip of her hand on her side. Her voice remained calm but slightly
distant as she said, "Preston, I believe such questions are unnecessary. If you have something to
discuss with me, please go ahead, as I have work to attend to shortly. Is that alright?"novelbin
Camille's attitude was excessively cold, which seemed to displease Preston. But he believed that it was
Ayan's influence that had caused Camille to ignore him. This thought made Preston feel uncomfortable.
His face tightened, his voice grew low and hoarse, and his dark eyes remained fixed on Camille as he
said, "Cami, is it that I can't see you when there's no particular reason? Aren't we friends? It's normal
for friends to meet up now and then, isn't it? Is it because I've lost everything that you've become
unfamiliar to me?"
Camille furrowed her brows, feeling both amused and exasperated. "Preston, I've never thought this
way. So I don't know why you keep having such thoughts. You're making it really difficult for me to
respond."
Camille felt quite speechless, and her patience was wearing thin. Preston's reaction made his face
darken, and he continued to stare at her, emphasizing, "It's not because of what I'm thinking. It's
because of how your attitude toward me has made me think this way."
"Do you know why my attitude towards you has changed from before?" Camille asked.
Preston's tone grew somewhat urgent as he questioned, "I know it's because of Ayan. Ayan has
changed the dynamics between us, and that's why you've become distant. You don't see me as a friend
anymore, right?"
His emotions were making his expression shift from handsome to something more sinister, a fact that
made Camille incredibly uncomfortable. She felt a sense of unease around him and the fear that he
might resort to violence at any moment.
Camille discreetly assessed Preston, her eyes reflecting her guarded stance. She glanced around,
hoping for the unlikely chance that a colleague would arrive late to work or that she would spot Yessica
sneaking out for coffee during work hours.
However, not all wishes come true, and sometimes even the smallest hopes seem as elusive as the
moon.
With a resigned sigh, Camille raised her gaze back to Preston. She said, "Preston, why do you
constantly bring Ayan into our discussions?"