My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Cecelia Archer Will Be the Death of Me

’I knew he was mentally tough. He wouldn’t let a small thing like today get to him.’

Seeing him back to his old self, Damien Vaughn felt a little more at ease.

"What could I be busy with? I don’t have parents as great as yours."

"Of course I know you’re working. I’m asking *what* you’re working on."

It was the first time in his life Zeke Walton had ever taken such an active interest in his work. Damien did his best to act nonchalant.

Speaking of work, Damien Vaughn wearily pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You’ve probably heard that Veridia is planning to build an international airport. It’s a hugely lucrative project. With the real estate market in a slump, you can bet there are a ton of people eyeing this one. But I won’t let them get their way."

’So he really is busy with this.’

Zeke Walton slid his chair forward, a look of eager curiosity on his face.

"My dad mentioned it a little. But I heard it’s just a rumor for now and they haven’t started planning, so no one knows exactly where they intend to build it. Do you have inside information?"

Damien Vaughn shot him a glance. "Why are you so interested in this all of a sudden?"

Zeke Walton cleared his throat.

"My dad’s always saying I’m not focused on my career and that I should learn from you. And recently, after meeting Shane Grant, I’ve realized just how far behind you guys I really am... But it was just a casual question. I’m not in real estate, just purely curious."

Damien Vaughn leaned back in his chair.

"A while back, I made a special trip out of town to meet with someone. He didn’t reveal anything specific, but I was able to guess the general location. Before the news goes public, that land is still just a bunch of cheap, undeveloped plots. I’m going to buy up all the agricultural and non-agricultural land in Anver Town, part of Suthera County. By next year, you’ll be hearing my good news. I will win the international airport project and double the size of the Vaughn Group." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Zeke Walton’s heart pounded as he listened.

’Damien Vaughn is just too smart, too resourceful. Anyone who ends up as his business rival is incredibly unlucky.’

’While others had only heard a rumor, he had already prepared everything to secure the entire project.’

’Compared to him, Shane Grant is far too passive.’

He didn’t have the inside track, nor did he have that much capital. Zeke Walton couldn’t help but worry for Shane Grant.

If he couldn’t get this project, the Grant Group’s capital would remain tied up. They wouldn’t be able to exit the real estate market quickly, nor could they invest in other ventures. With tens of billions in bank loans, a year of bleeding cash would, if not bankrupt them, at least skin them alive.

’From the looks of it, he’s already lost to Damien Vaughn.’

’That means he’s not far from bankruptcy. What can be done?’

"Damien, I don’t have your lofty aspirations; I can’t comprehend your ambition. But I have to ask, just how much money do you need to make? How big does the group need to get before you’ll be satisfied?"

He was actually trying to indirectly persuade Damien Vaughn to let Shane Grant have the project.

But they had been friends for so many years; he couldn’t bring himself to say it directly.

Damien Vaughn leaned back in his chair with an air of command, swiveling it from side to side.

"Even if you haven’t really started in business yet, your parents have been at it for years. How could you ask such a naive question? Who in this world ever thinks they have too much money?"

’True.’

He decided to try a different approach.

"Then what about this: would losing out on this one project have any real impact on your Vaughn Group?"

’Not really.’

Damien Vaughn said with complete confidence.

"The real estate division is just a small, obscure subsidiary of the Vaughn Group. My main businesses now are tech products and e-commerce. The real estate company is on its last legs anyway, so its revenue is nothing to me. But I just can’t accept losing. I want to win, and I want to win in the spotlight for all to see."

’Right. Who in this world doesn’t want to win?’

In that moment, the scales in Zeke Walton’s heart tipped completely toward Shane Grant. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

’Compared to Damien, he needs this project more. He *has* to win.’

’I’m sorry, Damien.’

Zeke Walton left after finishing dinner at the Vaughn family home. For once, Cecelia Archer didn’t dawdle or try to avoid Damien Vaughn; as soon as dinner was over, she started making faces at him.

Candy was still downstairs playing with the old master, so the two of them went upstairs alone.

Seeing her signaling him upstairs with her eyes, Damien Vaughn’s heart swelled with sweetness.

’He thought she felt guilty and wanted to apologize, that she was going to make it up to him tonight.’

But as soon as they entered the room and closed the door, Cecelia Archer turned to him with a woeful expression.

"I don’t want to accept the clothes your mom gave me, and I don’t want to go with her to the Bell family’s home. Could you please go talk to her for me?"

Damien Vaughn: "..."

’I’ve met ungrateful people before, but I’ve never seen anyone *this* ungrateful.’

’His mother was such a proud, conceited person. She had never once yielded or said a kind word even to him, her own son. Yet, since last night, she had been going to great lengths to get on Cecelia’s good side. How could Cecelia not sense that at all?’

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

Cecelia Archer didn’t know how to explain it to him.

She couldn’t bring herself to speak ill of his mother to her own son, so she could only blame herself.

"I’m just not cut out for this. I’m timid and I’ve never been in situations like this. Your mom’s presence alone is so overwhelming. The thought of meeting her entire family tomorrow makes me so nervous I can barely stand. I’m afraid I’ll embarrass you. Besides, Grandpa needs his physical therapy every day. You should be the one to go with her."

"If you want to stop embarrassing me, just stop secretly meeting Shane Grant behind my back!"

The more she explained, the angrier Damien Vaughn became. He turned to leave the room.

Cecelia Archer rushed to grab him. "I’m not finished! Where are you going?"

Damien Vaughn spun around and looked at her coldly. "This isn’t up for discussion. Just do as you’re told and stop talking nonsense."

As he said this, he tried to leave again, but Cecelia Archer held on to him tightly, refusing to let go.

"Aren’t you sleeping here tonight?"

’Even though she was annoyed with Damien Vaughn right now, and knew she shouldn’t get involved between him and Gwen Morgan... ’

’...the leg massage incident from last night had left a deep scar. She really didn’t want to be tormented by Mrs. Vaughn again tonight.’

When Damien Vaughn heard this, the icy look in his eyes gradually faded, and the tension in his arm began to ease.

Afraid he would get the wrong idea, Cecelia Archer quickly added another sentence.

"I mean, I’m just not used to sleeping with your mom. I barely slept a wink last night..."

’So, she’s used to sleeping with me, and she can’t sleep with anyone else?’

’I knew I still had my charm. She finally admitted her true feelings.’

Most of Damien Vaughn’s anger dissipated.

"Then what about Candy tonight...?"

"She’ll sleep next to you, of course! She loves sleeping next to you; you know she says it makes her feel safe. You go take a shower first. I’ll go get her right now. Just don’t you dare sneak away!"

With that, Cecelia Archer rushed downstairs in a flurry to get Candy.

Watching her rush away, as if terrified he might actually leave, Damien Vaughn couldn’t help but let a smile touch his lips.

’If she had confessed her feelings this openly from the start, both her and Candy’s names would have been on the Vaughn family register long ago.’