My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 106: Chapter 106: The Mermaid Princess, Cecelia Archer

Damien Vaughn enjoyed the gentle patting on his chest. Gazing at Cecelia Archer’s serene, sweet face, the gloom that had weighed on him for much of the day finally lifted completely.

He let out a soft sigh, closed his eyes, and nestled closer to Cecelia Archer. Soon, he too was asleep.

Cecelia Archer slept soundly and peacefully. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself alone in the bed.

She quickly got dressed, washed up, and hurried downstairs.

Damien Vaughn and Candy were laughing and playing in the garden by the entrance. A tea table had been set up under the eaves of the grand entrance, where the old master was sipping tea and breathing in the fresh morning air while watching the father and daughter play. It was a perfect picture of family happiness.

Cecelia Archer watched from inside for a moment before stepping out, feeling a bit shy.

Before she could even greet him, the old master looked at her as if she were the family’s greatest hero.

"Why didn’t you sleep in? What are you doing up so early? From now on, don’t worry about getting up early. You can wake up whenever you please. You’re our family’s great benefactor; I won’t say a word against it."

Cecelia Archer: "..."

Damien Vaughn was in a visibly good mood today; he looked particularly dashing in his white shirt.

Halfway through breakfast, he said to Cecelia Archer, "You must be bored cooped up at home every day. I’m taking you somewhere tonight. This afternoon, I’ll have Zeke Walton bring over a gown and do your makeup."

"Grandpa, I’m sorry to trouble you again. We’ll be back rather late tonight, so we’ll have to leave Candy in your care."

’As long as the two of them are happy and in love, nothing else matters.’

The old master scooped up a spoonful of soup and held it out to Candy.

"Did you hear that? It’s just you and Great-Grandpa tonight, we’ll have to rely on each other. Can you be on your best behavior?"

Candy was very supportive of her mom going out. Seeing her happy with Dad made Candy happier than anything.

"Yes!"

"Will you support Great-Grandpa in his work?"

"Yes!"

"And will we be good partners?" frёeωebɳovel.com

"Yes!"

"Then let’s have a toast."

"Cheers."

The exchange made Cecelia Archer chuckle out loud.

The place Damien Vaughn was taking her was a charity gala. It was hosted annually by Mr. Thorne, the president of the Veridia City Red Cross Association, to raise donations from Veridia’s various corporations. The funds were used to support the education and medical care of children from impoverished areas and orphanages in Veridia.

The Vaughn Group donated a large sum every year and was always a guest of honor. However, Damien Vaughn had always found the event boring and never attended. He was clearly going to great lengths for Cecelia Archer this year.

That afternoon, Zeke Walton arrived at the house with a gown and a makeup kit.

To be blunt, these kinds of galas were just another way for corporate leaders to network and exchange business information—work in a different venue. Zeke Walton found them boring and hadn’t planned on going.

But his interest was piqued when he heard Damien Vaughn and Cecelia Archer would be attending.

He was in the middle of doing Cecelia’s makeup and joking with her when Simone Vaughn, having caught wind of his arrival, came running over.

"Zeke! The maid said she saw you arrive, and I thought she must have been mistaken. I can’t believe it’s really you!"

"You’re so biased! We’ve known each other for so long, but I’ve never once worn a gown you’ve designed or had you do my makeup personally. This is the second time you’ve done this for my sister-in-law, isn’t it? I don’t care! I want you to do it for me too!"

Zeke Walton rolled his eyes at her. "Your older brother paid good money for this gown, and he’s paying for the makeup and styling, too. Your sister-in-law is my client right now. You want to compare yourself to her? Fine by me. As long as you’re willing to pay, I’ll do your makeup every single day."

Simone Vaughn was indignant. "...How can you compare our relationship to hers?"

"What relationship?" Zeke Walton gave her a ’stay away from me’ look. "Are you my sister? Are we married? Even blood brothers need to keep their finances separate, you know."

Simone Vaughn fumed. "...Fine. I don’t want your gown, and I won’t ask you to do my makeup. But I’m going with you tonight."

As expected, Zeke Walton rejected her again. "Sorry, I only have one invitation."

"Exactly! You have an invitation. It’s not unreasonable to bring a date, is it?"

"It’s a place where a bunch of old folks go to talk business. It’s not a social mixer, so why would I need a date? You’d be bored out of your mind. Stop making trouble and go somewhere else."

"Hey, I’m not making trouble! I really just want to go with you. Whenever I ask you to hang out, you always say you’re busy. It’s so rare that you have a free night... If you don’t take me, I’ll just ask my brother for help. Either way, I’m going with you tonight!"

With that, Simone Vaughn went to call Damien Vaughn for help.

But Damien Vaughn was too busy to deal with her. His assistant, Ryan, took the call and only promised to pass on the message once President Vaughn was free, offering no firm commitment.

’That useless Damien Vaughn! He won’t even help his own sister!’

So, Simone Vaughn went to ask her mother for help.

Since her daughter was so desperate to go with Zeke Walton, her mother was, of course, happy to provide her full support.

She managed to get two invitations. "Give the other one to Annabelle Young. Doesn’t she have a crush on Damien Vaughn? This will give her a chance to talk to your brother."

Simone Vaughn’s eyes lit up; she thought her mother’s plan was brilliant.

The day before, at her house, the meeting between Cecelia Archer and Annabelle Young had been a complete disaster.

’If they had another confrontation in public tonight, in front of so many people...’

Simone Vaughn went home to meticulously dress up. After changing into her gown, she went to find Zeke Walton, arriving just as he was leading Cecelia Archer out of the house toward the car.

Looking at Cecelia Archer, transformed by the hands of the man she considered her fiancé, Simone was so jealous she felt her eyes would pop out. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

’She was too beautiful.’

Zeke Walton had dressed her in a white, strapless, floor-length gown.

The gown had a mermaid silhouette, and its perfect tailoring accentuated every one of Cecelia’s assets to the fullest: her long legs, curvy hips, slender waist, and full bust. She looked impossibly long, lean, and ethereal.

Crucially, a trim of soft, pink feathers ran along the neckline. This innocent detail tempered the gown’s inherent sexiness.

Voluptuous yet elegant and pure, and paired with her wavy hair and a glittering tiara, she looked just like the beautiful Mermaid Princess.

’Look at her gown... and then look at my blue spaghetti-strap bodycon dress. It looks so cheap, like something bought off a rack.’

Simone Vaughn had never felt her confidence so utterly crushed. For a split second, she felt a real urge to rush forward and kill Cecelia Archer.

’All of this should have been hers. The man should have been hers. By what right did Cecelia Archer have it all?!’

’Losing to some heiress with a comparable family background would have been one thing. But to lose to a woman like *her*... Hmph!’

Cecelia Archer was having trouble walking in her high heels, so Zeke Walton thoughtfully took her hand to help her into the car.

Their backs were to Simone Vaughn. Just as Cecelia Archer lifted a foot, Simone stepped firmly onto the hem of her gown.

"Ah!"

A sudden coolness spread across her chest as she was nearly exposed. Cecelia Archer quickly threw her hands up to cover herself.

Simone Vaughn hopped off the gown, an innocent expression plastered on her face.

"Oh, I’m so sorry, Sister-in-law! The gown is so long, I accidentally stepped on it. Are you alright?"

Cecelia Archer adjusted her dress, then turned to Zeke Walton, still shaken.

"See? I told you I’m not used to these kinds of clothes. I feel so exposed. Zeke, is there really no other option? What if someone steps on it again..."

Zeke Walton had almost gotten an eyeful during her near-wardrobe malfunction, and he felt a bit guilty.

"It’s too late now, where would I find another gown for you? You’ll have to make do. Don’t worry, you’ve definitely got the figure to keep it up. If you’re really worried, I’ll find a needle at the venue and put a couple of stitches in it. I promise you won’t have any mishaps, okay?"

Cecelia Archer had no other choice. "You promise, then. Don’t forget to stitch it up later."