My Ex-husband Begs Me Back
Chapter 953: Adventure

Chapter 953: Adventure

Camille hesitated for a moment and then said, "Yes."

His gaze was tender as he lightly squeezed her hand. His voice waslow as he said, "You don't have to. Stay here with Timmy, but don'tignore me, alright?"

"Alright," Camille nodded gently. Her gaze met Ayan's, and he gave hera faint smile before leaving Franklin Bay.

Kian arranged the meeting at a club. By the time Ayan arrived, theothers were already there. The four of them sat on a couch, and Ayantook the initiative to project what Kian had received onto the screen forthe others to see.

He said, "Do any of you have any thoughts on this?"

Ayan's expression and tone weren't particularly friendly, especially hisdeep, dark eyes, which seemed to be immersed in ancient tales foryears, making it difficult for anyone to look at him directly.

With the appearance of Mr. Mikkola, Ayan's relationship with Mr. andMrs. Bell had become somewhat distant. So, the respect he had shownthem in the past had faded.

So, without the previous respect he once showed to them, he now felt apervasive sense of oppression.

Mr. Bell's expression also soured. His assistant had been with theinternal design team when this incident occurred, so he had been onthe scene and had sent videos of the incident to Mr. Bell right away.Mr. Bell furrowed his brow and said, "Mr. Simpson, we need your helpto resolve this situation. Given the circumstances, I think the mostimportant thing right now is to appease the injured villagers. Myassistant and the project leader sent over by Simpson Group arealready handling the situation. But the other party is negotiating in thisway, so I believe we should stabilize the situation first. At the very least,we can't let this matter become public.”

Mr. Bell's words were reasonable, and it was clear that he wasn't justsaying them casually.

Ayan didn't respond immediately. After a brief silence, he spoke in acalm tone, "Mr. Bell, are you suggesting that we appease the personnegotiating with us?"

"Yes, my idea is just that. After all, this is the only way to control thesituation from escalating,” Mr. Bell said.

Ayan's expression was devoid of emotion, and his gaze was sharp. Heasked, "Mr. Bell, do you think that by negotiating favorable terms withthe other party, you'll really get what you want?"

Mr. Bell's face twitched slightly, not understanding the meaning behindAyan's words.

Mr. Mikkola had remained silent and had not expressed his stance allalong. However, after Ayan's words left Mr. Bell at a loss for words, Mr.Mikkola calmly spoke up, "Mr. Simpson, do you believe this approach isunworkable?"

“Is it workable? If it were you, would you hand over everythingcompletely after receiving the money?"

"Why wouldn't I? Since the objective has been achieved, shouldn't theygive everything without reservation? If they don't uphold their integrityin such matters, how can trust be built for the future?"

Mr. Mikkola's response carried an air of matter-of-factness. He didn'tsee this as a major issue, believing that convincing the other party tohand over the things they desired, while giving them what they wanted,would be the ideal outcome of cooperation.

However, Ayan had a different perspective from the start. He didn'tbelieve that simply giving money would guarantee the successfulcompletion of the transaction. If it were just about the money, why didthey go through all the trouble of traveling to such a remote place?

Of course, there was a result to be achieved as well. By demanding ahigher price when negotiating, they could secure a satisfactory dealand then stop. But when it came to money, who would ever say no tomore?

And wasn't it likely that after succeeding this time, they would try againin the future? Even if it didn't happen immediately, it was like a timebomb, with the potential to explode at any moment.

Ayan chuckled lightly, a hint of disbelief in his eyes. He said, "If it wereme, I would never back down. Instead, I'd use this incident as leverage,a long-term source of income. After all, you can't do anything to me,and I would be free to do as I please. So, why should I fulfill theagreement? The things are in my hands, and I can hold you hostage. Ihave nothing to fear."

Ayan was looking at the situation from the other party's perspective. Ifthey were so easy to negotiate with, this situation wouldn't have arisenin the first place. Even if it did, it wouldn't be so complicated.

Ayan's words left Mr. and Mrs. Bell in silence. They found themselvesleaning towards Ayan's analysis because it was the moststraightforward and likely scenario.

However, Mr. Mikkola disagreed. He smiled and said, "Mr. Simpson,your thoughts are just your own. Besides, you're not the one doing this.So, your assumptions are baseless. Moreover, you don't know whatkind of person the other party is, so how can you determine theirintentions? I don't think this matter is as difficult as you make it out tobe."

Mr. Mikkola didn't seem too concerned. He viewed these people aspetty troublemakers with envy issues, creating problems for no goodreason. As long as they could resolve the situation with money, therewould be no need to worry about any lingering issues. If they were tooverreact or make a big deal out of it themselves, they might end upcomplicating matters further.

Ayan and Mr. Mikkola had a fundamental difference in perspective.They both held their ground firmly.

Mr. Mikkola said, "Mr. Simpson, I understand your concerns, but I'm incharge of this project, and we've signed an agreement. You don't havethe right to object at this point. So, Mr. Simpson, I believe we shouldproceed according to my plan.”

Ayan didn't react much. His expression was cool, and he directed hisgaze at Mr. and Mrs. Bell. In a dispassionate tone, he asked, "Is thatwhat both of you think too?"

While it might be tempting to follow Mr. Mikkola's advice and wash theirhands of the situation, both Mr. Mikkola and Mr. and Mrs. Bell were onlytangentially connected to this project. They could walk away from itwithout significant consequences. However, Ayan couldn't do that.Simpson Group was in Hance City, and he was in Hance City. Anydamage to Simpson Group's reputation would forever be associatedwith the company, and no amount of effort could completely clear thatstain. Therefore, Ayan couldn't afford to take such a risk.

However, Mr. and Mrs. Bell's silence made it clear that they wereleaning towards Mr. Mikkola's plan.

So, Ayan didn't want to continue arguing. He simply said, "Since you'vemade your decision, go ahead with your plan. But let me make it clearfrom the beginning-if anything unexpected or uncontrollable happensas a result of Mr. Mikkola's proposal, I... won't be responsible for it.Simpson Group won't shoulder the blame either.”

Mr. and Mrs. Bell exchanged glances and said in a measured tone, "Mr.Simpson, we appreciate your good intentions, but for now, let's go withMr. Mikkola's plan. After all, Modest Temple Hotel is preparing to launchits publicity campaign. Making this matter too big at this time won't beadvantageous for us."

Ayan didn't retort, only asking in an indifferent tone, "Your plans areyour own business. You can do as you please. However, I have onecondition. If this matter turns out to be beneficial for you and you takeadvantage of it, then fine. But if it becomes troublesome and causescomplications, I ask that both of you bear all the trouble together. Howabout that?"