Grace informed him truthfully, “Not yet, but it should be soon. We will finalize the schedule soon.”
“Congratulations,” Ayan replied calmly.
Grace felt a bit uneasy because Ayan’s attitude was too friendly at the moment. He had never treated her like this before, even though they had known each other for many years. Their relationship had always been distant. Even when she was enthusiastic and proactive, he remained cold and indifferent. Occasionally, he would say a few words, but it was only due to the friendship between their families.
To be honest, given such a relationship, Grace had developed a sense of fear and worry.
She didn’t want to have too much contact with Ayan, especially now that Ayan was Camille’s husband. She used to secretly admire Ayan for a while, so it was best to keep her distance.
In response to his congratulations, she simply said thank you and then fell silent.
The room quieted down.
A few minutes later, Horace finished the meeting and returned.
Grace immediately stood up and let out a sigh of relief. “You talk to Mr. Simpson. I’ll go handle some things.”
Horace nodded and walked towards Ayan. He sat on the adjacent armchair and looked at Ayan, asking, “Mr. Simpson rarely visits Armstrong Corp personally. What brings you here today?”
Ayan looked at Horace calmly and said, “You’ve already guessed it, haven’t you? Do I need to ask again?”
“Mr. Simpson has confidence in me?”
“Yes, so do you want to take on this position?” Ayan asked with a faint smile.
Horace said, “Actually, it’s not a difficult task, but I have one concern.”
“What is it?”
“I’m afraid that if it involves Armstrong Corp in any way, people might think that I have gained too many benefits for Armstrong Corp through this responsibility. You know, I’m about to start my own family now, and I have to consider my family’s interests.”
Horace looked at Ayan with an ambiguous smile. The implications of his words were clear and easy to understand. He could take on this position but wanted assurances that even if there were benefits in the future, Armstrong Corp wouldn’t be affected by any external criticism.
Ayan really wanted to capture the expression on his face and show it to Camille so she would know that her worries were completely unnecessary.
Ayan narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Horace. In a deep voice, he asked, “So Mr. Burris, what kind of assurance do you want?”
Horace smiled and said, “Wouldn’t it be rude?”
“Don’t pretend anymore. Just say it.”
Ayan didn’t want to waste time as he still had work to do. He came here personally just to show his sincerity.
Horace smirked slightly and then spoke up, “Just sign a contract. If everything goes smoothly, we won’t need to use it. It’s just a precautionary measure.”
“Alright, you can contact Kian. If you have any requirements, discuss them with Kian. You have three days to settle your affairs and then report to the project team.” Ayan stood up as he finished speaking. He straightened his shirt and said calmly, “This is also Camille’s decision, so don’t make things difficult for her when you join the project team.”
“How could I dare? I don’t want to upset Grace. If I provoke her, it would be more troublesome than any trouble you can find for me!” Ayan didn’t stay any longer since everyone was busy. Horace walked with Ayan to the door and stopped at the elevator.
After Ayan left, Horace went to find Grace.
She didn’t have anything to handle right now. She had already reviewed the documents that needed attention. The tasks she had to handle would come later in the afternoon, so she had some free time now.
When Horace entered her office, she was daydreaming and casually asked, “Already finished talking so quickly?”
Horace responded with an affirmative sound as he walked over and picked up her water cup for a sip of water. Then he asked calmly, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
She shook her head and said with a smile, “I’m just bored.”
Horace chuckled along, then relayed Ayan’s words and his own decision to Grace.
Yet, Grace remained silent, offering no response, her expression consistently serene and composed.
Horace assumed her silence was a sign of dissent. Although Armstrong Corp was on the right track, his taking charge of the SynergyCon project at this juncture could still pose minor challenges for the company. After all, with the general manager devoting his attention to another project, other company initiatives might inevitably suffer some neglect.
Horace took the initiative to explain, “While I work on the SynergyCon project, I can still handle company affairs. My secretary will remain here. I’ll only take an assistant with me. We can communicate directly if anything comes up.”
“Won’t that make you extremely busy?” Grace inquired.
“The rewards of hard work are great. I want the SynergyCon project to bring substantial benefits to Armstrong Corp. Only by leveraging this project can Armstrong Corp achieve stability in the future. Moreover, only if I take charge of this project will the business community of Hance City regard Armstrong Corp in a new light. According to Ayan, aside from his original intentions, Camille shares this view as well.”
Horace elaborated on the pros and cons in detail. It was certain that he would be busier, perhaps even to the point where the two might not have time for dates.
Horace added, “Let’s agree to set aside one day a week for a date, no matter how busy work gets. We must both commit to this, okay?”
Grace nodded slightly in agreement.
However, her spirits were still not high. Horace, concerned, asked, “What’s really the matter? Are you still not happy?”
Grace shook her head. “It’s not that I’m unhappy. It’s just that I feel a bit weary at heart. Everything seems so hectic. Honestly, I don’t really want you to be so busy. I think it’s too exhausting.”
“So it’s not that you’re unhappy, but that you’re worried I’ll be too tired?”
“Exactly, did you think I was mad at you? So, you think I’m being unreasonable, don’t you?”
Grace let out a soft hum, somewhat disinclined to engage further.
Horace smiled. Since the two had confirmed their relationship, his once somber and rigid personality had softened. He laughed more often, and his interactions with Grace had increased.
Because Grace was even more reserved than he was, so it fell upon him to take the initiative.
Horace held her in his arms gently as he whispered, “Once this project is done, everything will be fine. It only looks busy because you’re watching from the outside. The project is already on track. There aren’t as many trivial matters as you imagine.”
She nodded lightly and said, “Just manage your time well.”
As for the wedding plans, he didn’t bring it up. With him taking on such an important position now, she didn’t want to continue discussing it.
In fact, Grace wanted to get married as soon as possible because she didn’t want to wait any longer. She had already decided that Horace was the one for her. Since that was the case, why not get married earlier and truly become a family?