Free Web NovelChapter 123: Chapter 123: Vaughn, You Have No Conscience~
The next morning, Doris Morton woke up, her spirits fully restored. Worried her mother was home alone with no one to look after her, she headed back to her hometown.
Cecelia Archer packed her things, checked out of the hotel, and was about to hail a cab home when her brother called.
"Cecelia, are you free? There’s something I need to talk to you about. Can you meet me?"
Soon, they met up along her brother’s route to work.
Cecelia Archer had thought he was in some kind of trouble, but instead, her brother walked up and handed her two property deeds.
"I sold our old family house and used the money to buy two single-story apartments in Veridia. These are the deeds—one for you, one for me. Take a look."
Cecelia Archer thought she was hearing things.
’He sold the old house and bought two apartments in Veridia? Was he daydreaming?!’
She took the documents and flipped through them. The quality of the paper, the text inside, even the official-looking stamps—it all seemed incredibly realistic, but she still couldn’t believe it.
"Bro, you were never like this. Just tell me what’s going on. Since when did you learn to beat around the bush? And you even faked these things... Are you in some kind of serious trouble?"
Her brother was speechless.
’Damien Vaughn was right,’ he thought. ’Cecelia wouldn’t believe it so easily.’
"I’m fine. The house is really sold. I sold it to an overseas Chinese who just came back to the country. They’re not short on cash and really liked our plot of land, so they paid a premium. Why won’t you believe me? If you don’t, I’ll take you to see the new places right now."
With that, he gestured for Cecelia Archer to get on his electric scooter.
But Cecelia Archer still refused to believe it. She could sense that something was off about her brother.
"You wouldn’t mind if I call Damien and ask him to come take a look with us, would you?"
Her brother replied, "I don’t mind. Go ahead and call him."
Cecelia Archer stepped aside and dialed Damien Vaughn’s number. freewёbnoνel.com
Damien Vaughn had just arrived at his office. When he saw it was Cecelia Archer calling, he answered at once.
"What’s wrong? Did you need me for something?"
Cecelia Archer lowered her voice. "Is this a good time to talk? There’s something I need to ask you."
"It is. What’s with all the mystery?"
"My brother... I think he’s been scammed."
The siblings waited on the roadside for about ten minutes before Damien Vaughn himself drove up.
After they got in the car, her brother and Damien Vaughn exchanged a quick glance before Damien explained to Cecelia Archer.
"I know about this. I was the one who introduced the buyer to your brother. It’s not a scam, really."
Cecelia Archer was stunned. "...You introduced them? What... what’s going on?"
Damien Vaughn started driving them toward the apartments, explaining nonchalantly as he drove.
"He’s the grandfather of one of my clients. He’s originally from Veridia—from your old neighborhood, as it happens. He was poor when he was young, so he went abroad to find work to make a living. He ended up settling there and making his fortune."
"The old gentleman is seventy now. When you get to that age, you start to miss your homeland, to want to return to your roots. His children and grandchildren wanted to honor his wishes, so they asked me to look into it, which is how I found your brother."
So that was the story. Cecelia Archer was quite moved.
"But that’s no way to do business. Since they’re your friends, and we’re... well, we can’t take so much money from them. Forty million! That’s several times the actual value of the house. When they return to the country for good and learn about the local property market, they’ll hold it against you."
’So, Cecelia is treating me like family now, looking out for my interests?’
Damien Vaughn glanced at her kind eyes, then at the delicate, fair hands resting on her knees. He had the sudden urge to reach out and touch them.
But her brother was staring at him, dead serious. ’Better not.’
"They won’t. The older generation is very particular about things like birth charts and feng shui. I showed them many properties, and they only made their decision after careful research. Don’t worry, they’re not naive. He works in real estate overseas; he knows more about property values than I do. If he was willing to pay that price, it means the property is worth that much to him. You don’t need to feel bad about it."
That might be true, but this sudden, completely unexpected windfall still left Cecelia Archer feeling uneasy.
"Bro, have you told your wife?"
Her brother paused. "No. Cecelia, you lived with us for a few years. You know your sister-in-law better than anyone. Sometimes, she..."
"With your and Damien’s help recently, our finances have eased up a lot, but she’s gotten more and more brazen about taking things to her parents’ house. On top of that, her mom heard you married some rich old man and wanted her to ask her brother..."
"Anyway, this apartment is for Rocky, for when he grows up and gets married. No one is going to take it from him. Telling her would just create more problems. You should understand."
Cecelia Archer understood her brother better than anyone.
Her sister-in-law was plain-looking with little education. Her family’s financial situation was similar to their own; her parents, in their sixties, had no special skills, no jobs, and no pensions, getting by on occasional odd jobs. Crucially, they also had a good-for-nothing son who did nothing but freeload all day.
Just thinking about her parents made Cecelia Archer’s skin crawl.
A couple of years ago, when Candy was still little, they had visited her sister-in-law’s family. Her parents had actually suggested that Cecelia Archer should get rid of her child and marry their son, adding that they "wouldn’t mind" that she’d already had a baby.
’There was no question about it. If they ever found out her brother suddenly had twenty million, that whole family of vampires would pounce on him.’
"Even though this goes against the principle of a husband and wife sharing everything... Bro, if you’re not going to tell her, you’d better hide those deeds somewhere safe."
Her brother replied, "Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing."
The three of them went to see the properties, and it turned out they were already built and ready to move in.
They were in a high-end complex on the Second Ring Road. The moment they stepped inside, the pristine environment alone made them feel like they had entered a different world.
Cecelia Archer was deeply grateful to her parents for leaving them the old house. She never imagined her dream of owning her own home would come true like this.
She was also incredibly grateful to Damien Vaughn.
’It seemed that ever since she met him, making money didn’t feel so difficult anymore.’
Her brother left for work, and Damien Vaughn drove Cecelia Archer home. On the way, Cecelia was carefully choosing her words, trying to figure out the best way to thank him, when his phone suddenly rang and he answered it.
"Vaughn, what are you up to?"
It was Wyatt Wynn.
Damien Vaughn’s tone was curt. "Working. What can I do for you, Young Mr. Wynn?"
"’I knew you were heartless!’ Wyatt Wynn suddenly whined."
"’I was hoping you’d send me a gift, but I’ve been waiting all this time and heard nothing! I knew it! If I don’t spell it out for you, you’ll never remember!’"
"’It’s heartbreaking! I’ve known you for 28 years, and you still can’t remember my damn birthday!’"
’No wonder he was calling so early,’ Damien thought. ’It’s his birthday.’
’A grown man, getting so worked up over something so trivial every single year.’
Damien Vaughn was silent for two seconds. "My apologies... So, what does Young Mr. Wynn desire? I’ll have someone send it over right away."
Wyatt Wynn was speechless.
"FUCK! Is there anything I want that I can’t get myself? Do you really think I’d call you up just to ask for a gift? Damien Vaughn, you’re a fucking block of wood, aren’t you!"
"’I want YOU! I’ve already made plans with Zeke Walton and Brandon Jacobs to hang out today. We’re leaving right now. If you dare stand us up, we’re done! I’m so fucking sick of you, you heartless, unfeeling robot!’"
"’Yeah, seriously,’ Brandon Jacobs chimed in, fanning the flames."
"’Is the Vaughn Family that broke that he has to work every single day? Tell you what, when he gets here, we can all chip in and give him a little something. Look how desperate he is for the money!’"
