Chapter 1597: Vigilance
Chapter 1597: Vigilance
Camille smiled, "Next time we should bring Timmy along; he would be very happy."
It took the two of them over an hour to make the cake. During this time, Yessica and Kian also arrived. Since it wasn't their first visit, there was no need for formal hospitality, allowing everyone to feel more at
ease.
After another half hour or so, the chef had finished preparing the meal, and Sienna and her companion had just returned home.
They had the driver take their luggage back home and came directly to Camille and Ayan's house.
It had been several days since everyone last met, so naturally, there was plenty to talk about.
During the meal, Ayan asked, "Weren't you supposed to come back in two or three days? Why did you return early?"NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
Rex sighed helplessly, "There was an issue at the company. A project was poached, so I came back to handle the follow-up."
"What kind of project requires you to come back personally?" Ayan continued to ask.
Rex sighed again, not specifying what the project was. He simply said, "It's an important project of Ward Group."
He brushed it off with a single sentence and didn't intend to elaborate further.
Ayan didn't press further either. He just raised his glass and clinked it with Rex and Kian.
The three women sat on the other side. Sienna, somewhat worried, said, "I don't know what kind of project it is. He's been busy dealing with it even at night; otherwise, he wouldn't have come back early." Rex had wanted to stay a few more days. They had just decided to play somewhere else for a couple of days when suddenly he said they had to return because of some issues at Ward Group.
Sienna didn't know much about Ward Group's situation, so she didn't ask further. Rex's worry was too evident to ignore.
Thinking about his demeanor at that time, Sienna was still concerned. "Can you ask Mr. Simpson to find out and then let me know?"
Regarding company matters, especially negative ones, Rex rarely said a word.
Seeing Sienna's worry and anxiety, Camille couldn't stand by idly. She said, "I'll ask later."
Apart from this interlude, the meal was very harmonious.
After dinner, everyone drank tea and chatted.
However, they split into two groups: men on one side and women on the other.
No one disturbed anyone else.
Sienna shared behind-the-scenes photos of her wedding shoot with Camille and Yessica, including many unedited originals.
Camille and Yessica both felt, "The originals look better. Don't over-edit them; it loses the original style."
Sienna was naturally beautiful and photogenic, so she didn't need excessive editing. As for Rex, he was handsome and a sight to behold just standing there; he didn't need much editing either. Sienna laughed cheerfully, "If you praise me like this, I'll get conceited. But of course, I know I'm the prettiest in your eyes."
Camille and Yessica both rolled their eyes in unison and didn't want to look at her any longer.
While the atmosphere on this side was warm and harmonious, it was more subdued on the men's side.
Ayan looked at the three women chatting happily without any change in his expression. He lowered his voice and asked, "What's really going on?"
Rex didn't rush to speak. Seeing this, Kian thought he might be in the way and immediately said, "Should I step out for a bit?"
He was about to get up when Rex grabbed him. "No need."
Rex sighed, "It's nothing shady. I just don't want Sienna to know."
Rex told Ayan and Kian that Ward Group indeed encountered trouble. The project was reported for alleged bribery because it was obtained from the government. Everything, had followed normal pres, but now it was reported to higher authorities that Ward Group had bribed to get the project. As a result, the project was forced to pause. Even though it was paused, money was still being burned every day; wages and all material costs needed to be paid.
Rex had investigated this matter and found out it was Mario's doing.
Rex said, "I didn't plan to let Sienna know because I didn't want her to feel any pressure go looking for Mario because of this."
Ayan understood but curiously
asked, "How do you plan to handle
this? This is no small matter; it involves the government. Even if Ward Group obtained this
cooperation through normal
fire could make it public. If th.net
channels, people adding fuel to the
happens, it will be hard for you to keep Sienna in the dark. Instead of that, you might as well talk to Sienna about it. If she's unsure what to do, she'll consult Camille. Camille will advise her not to go looking for Mario. Your concerns won't materialize."
Rex didn't respond immediately. He neither agreed nor disagreed with Ayan's words.
He sighed silently, his face full of gloom. He had investigated as soon as he learned about this matter and found out it was indeed related to Mario.
Ward Group is a leading enterprise in Hance City, different from Simpson Group in industry focus but similar in development prospects. Ward Group started with tourism hotels and has hotels in almost every city.
In recent years, Ward Group also ventured into other industries through collaboration with Simpson Group and did quite well, maintaining steady growth.
Mario hadn't just appeared recently;
he had known about Sienna and Rex's relationship for some time but hadn't taken any action until now. Rex had relaxed his vigilance, thinking Mario might be different from Preston and wouldn't play these little tricks. But now it seemed they were all cut from the same cloth.
Mario wanted to use Ward Group to create trouble for Rex. Only Mario knew his exact motives.
But Rex wouldn't let him succeed. Ward Group is an old enterprise in Hance City with a long-standing good reputation among both the public and the government.
Because of this trust, any incident that tarnishes Ward Group's image could have a huge impact.
This is why Rex was so worried and rushed back.
Listening to Ayan's suggestion, Rex nodded slightly. He said he would think about it and then asked Ayan, "If things really go south, can I borrow Simpson Group's resources and connections?" Ayan replied, "What do you think?"
They were more than just friends; their families had been close since their grandfathers' generation. Their relationship had always been one of mutual support without any backstabbing or hypocrisy. If Rex and Ayan weren't both men but a man and a woman instead, they would probably be married by now.