Female Novel
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,novelbin
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?"