Female Novel
Chapter 1210 - Deception
Chapter 1210 - Deception
"Mr. Simpson, isn't that what malls are all about? So don't let yourself be fooled by good-looking girls,
yo!" Camille chuckled and playfully leaned closer to Ayan, gently kissing him on the lips. Before Ayan
could react, she had already darted away, leaving him slightly stunned.
Camille returned to her office and immersed herself in work. Ayan rarely saw her so focused and
dedicated. As he observed her staring intently at the computer screen, he couldn't help but be
captivated by her presence.
Camille finished reviewing the documents Yessica had sent ahead of time and opened the workgroup
for Yessica to retrieve them. Soon after, Sienna's message popped up.
Sienna asked, "Are you okay?"
The four words carried a hint of innuendo. Camille glanced at Ayan, who was sipping his coffee while
keeping his eyes fixed on her, and wondered what he was thinking.
Camille shook off the distraction and replied, "I'm fine."
Sienna seemed unconvinced and responded, "I find it hard to believe. After all, Mr. Simpson overheard
such an exciting conversation. I can't imagine a reserved man like him being unaffected, huh?"
Camille maintained her composure and replied without missing a beat, "So, what do you want to
know?"
"I'm just concerned about you."
"I appreciate your concern."
Camille abruptly changed the topic, telling Sienna, "I'm having dinner tonight. The Nores Group invited
Ayan and Mario will be there. I assume they'll ask about you when they see me. Would you like me to
mention that you're planning a wedding?"
There was no immediate response from Sienna, presumably she was contemplating how to answer.
Not waiting for Sienna's reply, Camille resumed working. Yessica knocked on the door and entered to
collect the papers.
Camille instructed in passing, "Please help me prepare a profile for five potential team members. Be
detailed. Apart from you and me, we need to select three individuals from the company. It's up to you to
choose. I have one requirement: they must be able to handle pressure and endure hardships."
Yessica was taken aback. "Is it urgent?"
"Well, it's not an immediate rush, but prepare it well. Submit it whenever you have the time," Camille
explained. Then she added, "I was planning to present it to Mr. Simpson."
Camille glanced at Ayan and asked, "Mr. Simpson, will you approve?"
Ayan understood what she meant and nodded in agreement. "Yes."
"Mr. Simpson has given his approval. Hurry up and get it ready. I'll give you a bonus once we secure
this project."
Upon hearing the mention of a bonus, Yessica scurried away like a rabbit.
Camille couldn't help but smile at Yessica's eager response.
After working for a while longer, Camille and Ayan headed downstairs around 5:30 pm to leave for the
restaurant. The place was a bit far from Camille's office, so it would take about an hour to reach there.
During the journey, Horace called.
Also regarding dinner tonight, Horace asked, "You agreed to go?"
"Well, I'm on my way," Ayan replied.
"I thought you weren't planning to attend," Horace remarked.
Ayan chuckled lazily, his tone unusually relaxed. "Why wouldn't I go if there's a meal? If someone is
kind enough to invite me and I have nothing else to do, naturally, I'll go."
"Then I'll see you later," Horace responded with a smile.
Ayan hummed in acknowledgment and was about to hang up when something crossed his mind. He
quickly spoke up, "Is Preston at work?"
Camille instinctively glanced at Ayan, her eyes filled with curiosity, surprised by his question. However,
Ayan maintained his composure and responded to her with the same gentle gaze.
On the other end of the phone, Horace's voice didn't betray any abnormality. "No, of course, he won't
come to work during such a major incident. It's not like the whole Armstrong Corp has to be affected bynovelbin
this, right?"
"Nothing from the Armstrong family?" Ayan was referring to Brody, and Horace understood his
implication.
Without hesitation, Horace replied, "No, it's probably too late for them to reconcile. Why would they
have any dealings with him? Right now, Armstrong Corp and Simpson Group have just initiated a
cooperative relationship. They wouldn't risk offending Simpson Group and losing a valuable project just
for Preston."
"That's true, but Preston will eventually come looking for him. You need to be cautious. Armstrong Corp
shouldn't be undermined by Preston at this critical juncture!"
Ayan chose to discuss this matter with Horace at this moment because it wouldn't be convenient during
the dinner later. Besides, he didn't want to leave any clues for Mario or anyone else secretly observing
him that he had been in frequent contact with Horace.
Ayan's reminder made Horace aware of the stakes involved. He expressed his gratitude to Ayan and
reassured him, saying, "Don't worry, Preston shouldn't return to Armstrong Corp."
Ayan smirked and replied, "Are you that certain?"
"We'll find out if he's truly certain once he's out of the picture. For now, the most important thing is to
start the project as soon as possible. Whatever moves Preston makes after the project is officially
underway won't matter."
"That's true. Congratulations on our upcoming successful collaboration!" Ayan congratulated.
The two of them enjoyed a pleasant conversation, and a faint smile lingered on Ayan's lips when they
ended the call.
Camille spoke up at that moment and asked, "What are you smiling about?"
Ayan lowered his gaze to meet Camille's eyes and remarked, "I can't help but laugh at how capable
your future brother-in-law is!"
Camille slightly narrowed her eyes and asked playfully, "And how does he compare to you?"
Ayan chuckled, "There's simply no comparison."
Camille heard his response with a hint of arrogance and lightly hummed, "You have no modesty at all!"
"Why should I be modest when my abilities speak for themselves?" He replied seriously, showing no
sign of humility. Camille couldn't help but shake her head at his unimpressed demeanor.
Kian, who was driving in the driver's seat, had overheard Ayan's words and couldn't help but chuckle as
well. Although his laughter was barely audible, Camille noticed it through the rearview mirror and spoke
up, "Kian, is he always this full of himself at work?"
Kian, feeling apprehensive, hesitated to reply and quickly said, "Mrs. Simpson, I'm not entirely sure!"
Camille asked, "Kian, are you afraid to tell the truth? It's okay, don't be afraid of him. Just be honest."
Kian instinctively glanced at Ayan, and though his expression remained largely unchanged, Kian
sensed a hint of danger.
If he said the wrong thing, it could make for a difficult night.
Kian quickly put on a smile and said, "Mrs. Simpson, what I said is true."
Kian didn't dare utter another word and focused on driving, making sure not to forget any driving
etiquette.
Camille looked at the man beside her and sighed, shaking her head. "Look at how your majesty makes
people afraid to speak the truth."
"Did you have to make him offend me just to amuse yourself?" Ayan laughed, reaching out and gently
cupping Camille's chin. He spoke lightly, "What's gotten into you lately? Enjoying pointing out my
flaws?"
Camille pursed her lips and raised her fingertips to gently touch the corners of his eyes. She said,
"Maybe I can't help but try to bring you down a notch when I see Mr. Simpson acting so perfect all the
time."
"Is it that bad?"
"Don't you men love bad, rebellious women?"
"Who told you that, Sienna?" Ayan grumbled softly. "Should I go and tell Rex what his wife keeps
saying about him all day long? It's like she's tarnishing my image in front of you. Rex might be like that,
but I'm not."
He said it with such righteousness that if Camille hadn't known he was joking, she might have mistaken
him for a man afraid of being perceived as a liar.
Camille tilted her head and appraised Ayan as she said, "You've been quite outgoing lately. Are you
doing it on purpose to impress me?"
"Yeah, so do you want to shower me with praise for that?" Ayan playfully asked for compliments,
something she had never witnessed him doing in front of others.