My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Petty Damien Vaughn

As they were talking, Cecelia Archer came downstairs with Candy.

Candy was very excited today and had brought a huge bag of gifts for Annie.

Seeing her tiny shoulders burdened by the oversized bag, her face beaming with an irrepressible joy, only made Damien Vaughn more annoyed. freewёbnoνel.com

"Candy, that’s enough. If you take all your things to give away, what will you have left to play with?"

Candy was very generous. "Annie is my good friend—the only one I’ve made in my whole life! It’s only right that I share my best things with him. It’s no big deal if I don’t get to play with them myself. Besides, Daddy, Annie’s life is actually really sad. If I’m late coming home from his place today, you just wait for me obediently, and don’t get mad, okay?"

’He’s sad? She should take a look at herself. She’s only had a few good days herself.’

Damien Vaughn’s gaze shifted, landing disapprovingly on Cecelia Archer.

She was dressed in simple jeans, a white T-shirt, and sneakers. Her hair was pulled up high into a bun, giving her a clean, refreshing, and sunny look.

"Why aren’t you wearing the bracelet?"

He had keenly noticed that Cecelia Archer wasn’t wearing a single piece of jewelry.

’She could skip the other things, but that bracelet is a Vaughn Family heirloom. It’s the one thing that best signifies her status. How could she not wear it?’

Cecelia Archer thought the bracelet was too valuable. She had taken it off right after Grandpa gave it to her, afraid she might break it.

’I can’t believe Damien Vaughn cares about such details.’

She glanced at her wrist. "It’s too valuable. I’m afraid I’ll accidentally knock it against something."

"What are you planning on doing that has you so worried about knocking it? Are you going to wash their dishes, sweep their floors, wipe their tables? Or give them a foot rub?"

The mention of foot rubs made him think of last night’s scene.

"I’m warning you, you’re part of the Vaughn Family now. Your words and actions represent the entire family. Don’t go casually having physical contact with other men, and you are absolutely forbidden from touching another man’s foot ever again."

’He makes it sound like I’m a professional foot masseuse. Wasn’t last night a special circumstance?’

Cecelia Archer frowned as well. "Mr. Grant isn’t in good health, and I happen to have studied a bit of medicine. If he were to suddenly have an episode..."

"Then tell him to see a doctor. If he really can’t afford one, I’ll find one for him. Does he really need some half-baked amateur like you to treat him?"

As Damien Vaughn spoke, he shot a warning look at Zeke Walton.

"Don’t forget your mission today. I want you back before lunch at the latest. If you’re not back by eleven, I’m holding you responsible."

’It’s already 7 AM, and we have to be back before 11? Isn’t he being a little too strict!’

But Zeke Walton didn’t dare say it out loud; he knew Damien Vaughn’s temper.

"I know, I know. We’re just going to the Grant Family’s house, not leaving the province or the country. Look at how worked up you are. Are you done nagging? If you’re done, can we go now?" fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

"You haven’t even eaten breakfast yet. What’s the rush?"

Zeke Walton said, "What’s the point of eating breakfast? By the time we finish eating and factor in travel time, we might as well not go at all! Let’s go, let’s go. If we’re really hungry, we can eat at the Grant’s place. Or we can buy something for them on the way. Let’s go."

Zeke Walton seemed even more eager to leave than Cecelia Archer and Candy, getting up and heading for the door as he spoke.

Damien Vaughn watched him, confused. ’This bastard... why is he so eager to go to the Grant Family’s house?’

’He’s personally escorting them, even skipping breakfast... Don’t tell me he’s fallen for Shane Grant?’

At that thought, Damien Vaughn’s brow furrowed even more deeply.

’I thought Zeke Walton was joking when he said he liked men. He can’t be serious, can he?’

Going to his crush’s home for the first time, Zeke Walton was in an exceptionally good mood. Blasting upbeat music, he practically floored the gas pedal and sped to the Grant estate in half an hour.

The door opened to reveal Shane Grant in a set of loungewear, looking like he had just woken up.

"You’re here so early. Have you eaten yet?"

He was wearing a set of dark blue silk loungewear. The fine material made him appear even more slender, accentuating his proportions.

Through the thin fabric, Zeke Walton could see his firm muscles and his skin, which was so pale it looked almost sickly. He couldn’t hide the pang of concern he felt for him.

"Not yet. Candy was eager to see Annie, so we came over as soon as we got up. Shane, you’re too thin. You need to eat more."

Shane Grant smiled and gave his arm a brotherly squeeze.

"You’re one to talk. You probably weigh less than I do. Come on, let’s all eat together. We should all eat more."

Everyone went inside. Candy was eager to share her gifts with Annie, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Where’s Annie? Is he still sleeping? What a little sleepyhead."

In truth, when Annie was told last night that Cecelia Archer and Candy were coming to see him, he had been quite looking forward to it.

He just refused to show it on his face, and even more so in his actions.

When Shane Grant had gone to check on him earlier, he was already washed and dressed, but he simply refused to leave his room.

"He’s upstairs. He hasn’t come out of his room for days. He won’t talk to anyone, and he’s not eating properly. I had a psychologist come see him, but he was very resistant and refused to communicate with the doctor. I’m at my wit’s end, and I’m worried what will happen if this goes on... Cecelia Archer, I’ll have to trouble you. Please have a good talk with him today. I’m hoping you can help him open up."

Cecelia Archer’s heart ached to hear how serious it had become.

"I’ll go check on him right now. You all go ahead and eat."

She and Candy went upstairs together. In the room, Annie was quietly building with Legos on the floor.

Candy knocked politely on the door. "Annie? It’s me, Candy. I came to see you. Can I come in?"

A long moment passed with no response from inside.

"Annie, I brought you lots of presents! Please let me in."

Still no response.

"Annie, if you don’t open the door, my mom and I are going to leave. We’re going to the amusement park today..."

CLANG! The door finally swung open.

Annie’s small face was sullen. "Who said you could come?"

Candy replied, "We wanted to come. We’re good friends, and I missed you. Is it wrong to come see you?"

’Tch. Would a good friend just disappear and run off to be with someone else?’

Annie blocked the doorway. "I don’t care that you missed me. You found your dad, didn’t you? Is your mom getting back together with him? When are they getting married? You must be happy now, right? You have a dad and a mom, and maybe you’ll have a little brother or sister soon. You just came here to rub it in my face, didn’t you?"

Even though he had misunderstood, Candy wasn’t the least bit angry. She ran forward magnanimously and threw her arms around him.

"I know you like my mom and want her to be your mom, too. We’re really sorry for suddenly running off to find my dad, but things in life are just unpredictable. You can’t expect everyone to do what you want all the time. Annie, don’t be sad. Since you can’t change what happened, you should try to accept it and be happy."

"If you ask my mom to be your godmother, we can still play together and never be apart, right?"

’Ask Cecelia Archer to be his godmother?’ Annie hadn’t thought of that.

His big, round eyes glanced tentatively toward Cecelia Archer.

Cecelia Archer thought Candy’s idea was brilliant.

She knelt and pulled both him and Candy into a hug.

"I would be more than happy to. Annie, would you be kind enough to grant my wish?"