My Ex-husband Begs Me Back
Chapter 924: Tug Of War

Chapter 924: Tug of War

Mr. Bell had remained mostly silent, and Ayan's words only deepenedthe gravity on his face.

He looked at Ayan and softly inquired, "Mr. Simpson, according to Mr.Mikkola's proposal, all the stakeholders in this project would receive thebenefits we all desire. Moreover, the project's original purpose remainsunchanged. After all, without financial benefits, where would the moneycome from to sustain charity?"

Ayan smiled faintly, "Mr. Bell, we've known each other for quite sometime. Though this is our first collaboration, our time together isn't short.Surely you understand me, don't you?"

When it comes to charity, the benefits obtained should naturally go tothose in need. As for the Simpson Group, the benefits it receives are farbeyond the immediate gains; it's about the long-term strategy.

Ayan wouldn't sacrifice his reputation for short-term gains; that wouldbe the biggest mistake in charity.

For this meeting, Ayan had promptly asked his international friends toinvestigate Mr. and Mrs. Bell after his conversation with Camille duringlunch that day. There weren't any significant issues with the Bell couple,nor had they been like this before. Therefore, the source of all theseproblems traced back to Mr. Mikkola.

Ayan didn't need to ascertain the exact reasons Mrs. Bell had toldCamille. Time would reveal the truth.

After a prolonged exchange of words between the parties, Horace andDan also joined the conversation.

Following a heated debate, Mr. Bell needed time to consider beforemaking a decision. As for the agreement, it remained unsigned for thetime being.

However, both Dan and Horace had already signed it.

Mr. Mikkola took the agreement with him, presumably to ponderwhether it would be advantageous or detrimental to him.

After over an hour of discussion, everyone went their separate ways.Ayan returned to his office to attend to other matters. Shortly afterpicking up some files, Kian knocked on the door and entered.

Kian spoke in hushed tones, "Mr. Simpson, Mr. Bell has requested ameeting with you. However, the meeting won't take place at SimpsonGroup; it will be over at Darkmoor.”

This timing was closing in on lunch.

Ayan set down the files in his hands and looked up at Kian, asking, "Ishe alone?"

“Yes, he said it would just be him."

“In that case, let's go." Ayan replied impassively.

Ayan set off after half an hour. If Mr. Bell wanted to meet at Darkmoorrather than Simpson Group, it likely meant that he found it moreconvenient to do so.

Ayan maintained a low profile during his drive to here, and even Kiandidn't accompany him inside. He waited in the car.

Ayan followed the instructions Mr. Bell had given Kian for the privateroom, and upon entering, he found only Mr. Bell inside. Upon seeingAyan, Mr. Bell promptly rose, closed the door, and approached Ayan,inviting him to take a seat and chat.

With the tension caused by Mr. Mikkola's proposal, there was a degreeof awkwardness in the air. Since Mr. Bell came to Hance City, he andAyan had gotten along quite well, especially considering Camille's andMrs. Bell's amicable relations. They often gathered privately, evencelebrating holidays together, inviting Mr. and Mrs. Bell over for thefestivities.

Beyond business, their interactions were akin to those of friends.However, the recent incident involving Mr. Mikkola cast a shadow overtheir relationship, making conversation more difficult during thismeeting.

Ayan broke the silence first, looking at Mr. Bell and asking, "Mr. Bell, didyou call me here for something specific?"

Mr. Bell lowered his gaze, his expression somewhat somber. He sighedinaudibly before speaking softly, "Ayan, I ask you here today toapologize to you. There are some matters I can't discuss in detail, but Iowe you an apology for the situation at hand.”

Ayan regarded Mr. Bell with a scrutinizing gaze, his brow slightlyfurrowing. In a deep, mellow tone, he inquired with a hint of a smile,"Why the sudden apology?"

“I'm sorry. You have shown your concern and understanding. Both youand Cami are genuinely good-hearted people. I know you've alwaystreated us sincerely. Throughout the project, you and Cami have bornethe majority of the pressure and effort. However, due to my personalmatters, the current situation has to develop as it does. I can only saysorry for that.”

Mr. Bell refrained from elaborating further.

Naturally, Ayan didn't pry. He simply nodded lightly, his expression stillcalm. "No need to apologize. You're the initiator of the project, andyou're entitled to make your decisions. I also hope you understand mywork style. After all, I'm not alone; I have to think about SimpsonGroup."

Ayan referred to the non-negotiable terms of the agreement. It had toproceed this way.

If everything went smoothly, that was great. But if issues arose, hewould definitely uphold Simpson Group's interests.

After several moments of silence, Mr. Bell eventually agreed to Ayan'ssuggestion.

However, he made an additional request, lowering his voice to keep itfrom reaching unintended ears.

The two men spent nearly an hour in the private room, during which noteven the Darkmoor waiters entered, following Mr. Bell's initialinstructions.

After their conversation, Ayan left without having a meal.

Seeing Ayan emerge, Kian immediately drove over to pick him up.Once Ayan was in the car, Kian drove him back to Simpson Group.Ayan sat in the back seat, his face devoid of any expression. His browswere faintly furrowed, and his eyes remained closed, preventing anydiscernible change in his gaze.

One thing was certain-Ayan's mood had turned heavy.

Kian drove carefully, avoiding any unexpected incidents, making surenot to displease Ayan.

Upon returning to the Simpson Group parking garage and coming to asmooth stop, Kian saw that Ayan hadn't moved. He whispered, “Mr.Simpson, we're at Simpson Group.”

Ayan finally opened his eyes. His complexion hadn't changed much,and there was still a hint of indifference in his gaze. He didn't rush toopen the car door; instead, he sat in silence for a moment beforeturning his gaze to Kian. He said, "Mr. Bell will likely need a couple ofdays to think it over. Make sure to keep an eye on Mr. Mikkola and replaceout who he really is."

"Do you suspect something is wrong with Mr. Mikkola?"

"Monitor him whether there's something wrong or not. If there's aproblem, it will eventually surface. If there's no issue and he's merelytrying to manipulate Mr. and Mrs. Bell to profit from this project, he'llhave played his hand poorly."

Ayan didn't regard Mr. Mikkola seriously. However, he didn't believethat Mr. Mikkola had any connection with Preston. After all, the two hadno connection in any way.

Mentioning Preston naturally made Ayan think of Cora. He asked Kian,"Has there been any developments on Cora's end?"

"Nothing so far."

"Very well, keep an eye on it. Since the fake documents have beenprepared, they won't go to waste.” He spoke lightly and then exited thecar. As he headed toward the elevator, he continued, "How's thesituation with Preston and the Walker family?"

Kian responded, "Molly is preparing for the wedding. Preston continuesto enjoy his lifestyle. He doesn't want to marry, but Molly is persistent.To marry him, she had even severed ties with the Walker family. Thishas left Preston in a dilemma.”

"Already in a dilemma? Won't it be even more difficult if theirrelationship is exposed?" Ayan chided. Preston wanted to discreetlymarry Molly to appease her, but would Molly truly stay silent for him?Clearly not.

Molly had already begun spreading the news about her impendingmarriage to Preston within their social circles. She frequented bridalstores, bought wedding-related items, and visited maternity shopsregularly, further solidifying their engagement.

Thus, journalists had begun secretly following them during theiroutings. Upon realizing this, Preston refrained from visiting Zoie at thehotel. He sent her a message instead, saying, "I'm quite busy thesedays. Keep yourself entertained. I'll get in touch once things settledown."

Zoie, of course, didn't complain. She wouldn't make things difficult forhim. Instead, she replied, "Are you busy lately? Take care of yourself.I'll take care of myself, so don't worry about me. Just remember to thinkof me! Waiting for you!"