But Preston wouldn't give up. He threatened, "Camille, if you don't give me what I want, I'll just go public with everything, claiming you supplied it. Do you really think that once this comes to light, your relationship with Ayan and this project can stay as it is?"

"Even if Ayan doesn't hold you accountable, are you sure that others won't? Losing this project isn't a big deal, but what if no one wants to work with you in the future? That's not worth the risk. I know you care about your career the most. You love this industry, but if you don't cooperate with me, your dreams are gone, and your company is finished."

Preston's threats were methodical and pointed. He was clearly losing his mind, caring only about whether his goals could be achieved.

After he finished speaking, Camille was silent for a long time.

The atmosphere fell into a heavy silence as they both held their ground. Preston had said all he needed to say, thinking to himself that Camille wouldn't remain indifferent.

He was sure that Camille wouldn't dare to refuse his request.

This was no small matter. Although it hadn't caused any significant damage, this incident would undoubtedly affect her career.

Preston was convinced that he had Camille under his thumb and was not worried about her defying his demands.

After a long pause, Camille finally spoke again, her tone calm, "I understand what you're saying. I need to think about it."

"Alright, I'll wait for you, Camille. As long as you do what I say, I won't expose you. I've already planned to pin this on Lily. After all, she has more suspicion surrounding her. What do you think?"

"Let me think it over! Give me some time."

Without waiting for Preston to respond, Camille hung up.

Her expression was serious and dark, and she felt an overwhelming heaviness in her heart.

Preston truly was beyond help.

Without hesitation, Camille immediately sent the recording to Ayan.

She said, "He's lost it. What should we do now?"

After listening to the recording Camille sent, Ayan scoffed and replied with a smirk, "This guy really is insane. If he calls you again, don't bother answering."

"He's probably still waiting for my reply!"

"You don't need to reply. Let's see what kind of storm he can stir up," Ayan said dismissively.

Camille felt a bit anxious. "If we really ignore him, are you sure he won't act out of desperation?"

"Let him be. I wonder what he can do!" Ayan replied quietly, then added, "Don't confront him directly. He's already rotten to the core."

"You don't need to engage with him anymore. He won't have the time to keep pestering you over this. I'll have Molly find a way to create some trouble for him to deal with."

Camille nodded but remained worried, saying, "Let's not push him too hard. We should take it step by step. I really don't want to see anything bad happen."

Ayan's voice was deep as he agreed, "I understand. Nothing will happen. Right now, we're in the shadows while he's in the light. If he thinks he can cause trouble by creating public opinion, he's really mistaken."

From the recording of the phone call between Preston and Camille, it was clear that Preston wanted to threaten Camille into compliance.

A person like him would always try again once they got away with it the first time.

Camille had initially considered being used by him, but now that he wanted to exploit her, she wouldn't give him that opportunity.

She pressed her lips together and said, "I don't think he'll just let this go."

"That's fine. I'm here, right?" Ayan replied with a gentle smile, "You're smart to record the call. If he tries to twist the truth, we can use it to turn the tables on him."

Ayan still had the presence of mind to joke, which showed he felt he had the situation under control.

Camille simply hummed in agreement, not saying anything further.

After chatting for a while, they hung up.

However, Camille felt somewhat distracted, her emotions on edge.

...

The entire afternoon, she focused diligently on her work.

Then she had another meeting.

They discussed the progress of the drafts and the current direction of the project.

So far, everything with the drafts had gone smoothly. Regarding the progress, Camille's pace was relatively good, but Lily's section had been delayed for several days, so it needed repairs and corrections, along with the ongoing work, which meant they would have to speed up.

After the meeting, Mario stayed behind to speak with Camille alone.

"Camille, I have a personal request," he said.

"What is it?"

"King Group just started in Hance City last year, so we're still a new company here. I'd like to sign a few suitable architects. I'm wondering if you'd be interested in collaborating with me?"

This was Mario's personal matter, hence the one-on-one discussion.

Camille was somewhat surprised. "Should I address you as Mr. King or Mario?"

What she said depended on how she chose to address him.

Mario paused, "Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is. If it's the former, then I'd say this isn't the time to discuss this. Your actions are tantamount to poaching, and given my position, I'd have to question you."

"If it's the latter, then I want to say it's not really appropriate to discuss this during work hours. Honestly, I'm not really looking to sign with a company. I have my own, albeit small, but sufficient for me. I don't have grand ambitions. I just want to maintain the status quo and do well in everything I do, so I'll have to decline."

Camille sincerely provided him with two answers, but each led to the same conclusion.

Mario nodded, indicating he understood, and smiled lightly. "I'm glad you could be this honest with me."

"But your expression doesn't look happy," Camille said bluntly.

Mario laughed, "I'm definitely a bit disappointed."

Camille merely smiled in response, remaining silent.

After pondering for a few seconds, Mario spoke again, "If I were to ask for your help with something, would you be willing?"

"That depends on what it is. After all, we're not children anymore. If we were kids, I'd agree without a second thought, but the world of adults is always filled with so many concerns, so I need to know what it is before I can respond."

Camille was very straightforward, and her responses often left him a bit exasperated.

Camille's mind was too sharp for him to know how to respond at that moment.

After a long silence, Mario raised an eyebrow and spoke in a low voice, "Camille, I want to be honest with you. I want Lily to join my company. That was my plan from the beginning, but she turned me down and went with you. I can't just poach from your company, can I?"

Camille had already suspected this.

After all, the people Mario had his eyes on weren't so easily let go.