Female Novel
Chapter 973: Artful Discussion
Chapter 973: Artful Discussion
She took the elevator up to Ayan's office floor. As she stepped out of the elevator, she happened to run
into Ayan's assistant. She casually inquired, "Is Mr. Simpson in his office?"
The assistant replied respectfully and confidently, "Yes, Mrs. Simpson. Mr. Simpson just finished a
meeting and is now in his office discussing work with Kian."
Camille nodded and continued, "Has he made any plans to address the online matter?"
Shaking his head, the assistant replied, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Simpson, I don't know about that. Mr. Simpson
hasn't made any arrangements, so we haven't received any instructions on how to handle it."
Camille pursed her lips, choosing not to press further. She spoke softly, "Alright, I understand. You can
go back to your job. I'll find him myself."
Camille proceeded towards Ayan's office. When she reached the door, she paused. The soundproofing
was excellent, and she couldn't make out what was being said inside.
Her expression was muted, her face showing a complex array of emotions. There was a hint of
hesitation in her eyes as she silently organized her thoughts, rearranging the words she was about to
say. Finally, she lifted her hand and lightly knocked on the door.
The knocking lasted less than ten seconds before the door swung open from the inside.
Kian, who opened the door, appeared slightly surprised when he saw Camille, his expression
momentarily frozen. But he quickly regained his composure and greeted her, "Mrs. Simpson."
He then turned his gaze towards Ayan, his voice faintly tinged with pleasant surprise, "Mr. Simpson,
Mrs. Simpson is here."
Hearing Kian's words, Ayan also raised his head to look at Camille. He was equally taken aback,
although they had met just last night, the atmosphere during their previous encounter hadn't been
pleasant. So her voluntary visit was somewhat unexpected.
Kian didn't linger and simply invited Camille inside. After pouring her a cup of coffee, he promptly exited
the office.
Camille took a seat on the sofa while Ayan sat behind his desk. There was a considerable distance
between them, and neither spoke, enveloping the room in an unusually tranquil atmosphere, quiet
enough for them to hear each other's breath.
The silence lingered for quite some time before Ayan finally set aside the documents in his hand and
stood up. He walked over to the sofa and took a seat.
He looked at Camille, pondering her intentions for coming at this particular moment. His voice carried a
faint warmth as he inquired, "Why did you come at this hour?"
Camille raised her gaze to meet his. Her voice was calm as she responded, "I have something I want
to ask you."
Ayan's eyes flickered slightly, and his voice grew more serious as he asked, "Does it have to be at this
hour?"
Camille's brows furrowed briefly, and her expression showed a hint of confusion, but she quickly
regained her composure. She replied, "Mom just called me. They've seen what's happening online.
Grandpa wants me to tell you that, regardless of your intentions or plans, you should clarify this matter
as soon as possible. Prolonging it isn't good for Simpson Group. Even if you have reasons and
explanations later, it will appear as if Simpson Group is resorting to artful discussion."
Upon hearing Camille's words, Ayan felt a subtle sense of relief deep inside. His expression softened,
and he relaxed a bit. His voice took on a lighter tone as he remarked, "You see, they are closer to you
than they are to me."
He even managed to make a playful comment, suggesting that the matter concerning Simpson Group
wasn't too serious.
Camille pressed her lips together, choosing not to respond to his remark. She simply stated, "Grandpa
is just worried. He's getting older, and naturally, he hopes that Simpson Group remains trouble-free and
continues to operate smoothly."
Ayan nodded in agreement, his deep eyes continuously fixated on Camille. He spoke in a gentle tone,
"I will resolve this matter as soon as possible. If Grandpa asks you again, just tell him I've been
informed."
Camille softly nodded her head. After exchanging the necessary words, there was little left to say.
As Camille inadvertently raised her gaze, her eyes met Ayan's, which hadn't left her for a moment. She
couldn't ignore the slight tension and discomfort in her posture.
Ayan broke the awkward silence, softly asking, "How do you feel after taking the medicine?"
She hesitated for a moment, understanding that he was referring to her fever. She then replied, "Much
better."
Ayan nodded in response and fell silent again.
The two of them sat in silence for two or three minutes. Camille bit her lip lightly and took a quiet deep
breath before saying, "Well, I should get going."
Camille stood up after speaking.
Ayan didn't try to stop her; he rose from his seat as well. His gaze followed her as she moved. He said,
"Alright, be safe on your way back. Send me a message when you arrive, okay?"
Camille didn't refuse. Faced with Ayan, she couldn't act as if nothing had happened. Although it wasn't
a matter of principle, it was still significant to her. She couldn't convince herself to ignore it.
Camille lowered her gaze and didn't look at him anymore. She was about to leave when Ayan's voice
suddenly sounded. He said, "Cami, let's talk after this matter is resolved."
Camille raised her gaze to meet his eyes again. She hadn't expected Ayan to suggest a conversation,
so it caught her off guard. She hesitated for a brief moment before responding, "Alright."
Afterward, Camille didn't linger any longer. Ayan undoubtedly had many matters to attend to at this
moment, so she couldn't afford to disturb him. She exited the office and happened to encounter Kian,
who was holding documents and on his way to Ayan's office. Kian greeted Camille politely.
Camille smiled and nodded in response, then asked, "Kian, can you tell me if you've found a solution to
this issue?"
Kian was briefly taken aback but didn't hesitate to provide an honest answer, "Yes, we have a solution.
Mr. Simpson and I took care of everything when we were there."
Camille felt relieved once she knew Ayan was confident about it. As long as Ayan had a plan in mind,
she didn't need to worry.
Kian took the documents into the office and informed Ayan of Camille's earlier question. Ayan didn't
display any noticeable reaction and didn't respond either.
Kian asked, "Mr. Simpson, you and Mrs. Simpson..."
Ayan cast a glance at Kian, his gaze inscrutable, and he didn't say anything further.
Ayan's voice came next, his tone impassive, "Call Mr. Bell now and have them come to Simpson
Group."
Kian nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll contact them right away."
Kian tried to reach out to Mr. and Mrs. Bell, but initially, he couldn't get through. Neither Mr. Bell's nor
Mrs. Bell's phones were being answered.
However, Kian was persistent. He kept calling until someone picked up, which took a while.
Without delving into too many questions, Kian said, "Mr. Bell, sorry to bother you. Mr. Simpson would
like you to come to Simpson Group. Regarding the online matter, Mr. Simpson would like to discuss
solutions with you."
Mr. Bell on the other end seemed to hesitate, saying, "Kian, is it a good time for me to go to Simpson
Group right now?"
Kian, puzzled, asked, "Mr. Bell, I'm not sure I understand. What do you mean by 'not a good time'?"
Mr. Bell remained silent for a moment and then spoke in a hushed voice, "With the current media
frenzy, it might not be ideal for me to go to Simpson Group. If the nosy reporters catch wind of it, they
might spread rumors. So, it's better for me to maintain silence for now."
Kian also fell silent briefly, then said in a calm tone, "Mr. Bell, Mr. Simpson is well aware of thenovelbin
circumstances behind the current media frenzy. The reason he invited you to Simpson Group is to have
a serious discussion with you. We hope you can cooperate. Mr. Simpson will have some free time in an
hour. Can we meet then?"
After delivering this message, Kian promptly ended the call without waiting for Mr. Bell's response.
In the face of Mr. Bell's refusal, Kian didn't show the same level of respect as he did in the past. This
was, of course, due to Mr. Bell's recent doings, which had been rather callous. It had naturally soured
Kian's opinion of him.
As Mr. Bell looked at the disconnected call, he wore a grave expression. He turned to Mr. Mikkola, who
was sitting across from him, and asked, "What should we do now?"