My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Damien! Damien

Damien Vaughn had just stepped through the main gate of the detention center when an ambulance from Central Hospital rushed in right after him.

A security guard, opening the gate, pointed the way for the ambulance driver.

"Turn left up ahead, it’s the last courtyard in the back. What happened? I heard someone got stabbed in a fight. Sounds pretty serious. You’d better hurry."

Although Damien Vaughn had never been to a place like this before, he had heard the rumors.

Wherever you find people, you’ll find a struggle for power. The inmates, locked up for all sorts of reasons, were often flawed characters, making the unofficial hierarchy here particularly brutal.

Power struggles and brawls were commonplace.

This was why he had rushed here the moment he confirmed his grandfather was out of danger.

Cecelia Archer didn’t belong here.

He couldn’t bear to imagine how miserable her life would be if she were truly imprisoned here.

Soon, Damien Vaughn entered the main hall.

The lawyer he had contacted beforehand was waiting for him, but so were his two maternal uncles.

Upon seeing him, his eldest uncle rushed over, a displeased look on his face.

"Damien, what is wrong with you? Why are you only just now getting back? The family needs you, how could you..."

"Alright, alright. What’s done is done; assigning blame is pointless. You know this kid has always been a workaholic. Thankfully, the killer has been caught and will face the law. At least that brings some measure of justice for my sister."

Seeing his elder brother about to erupt, the more mild-tempered second uncle stepped between them and began to lecture Damien Vaughn in a grave and earnest tone.

"Damien, my sister was brilliant her entire life. She toiled for decades, and we all thought that once you grew up, got married, and had children, she could finally set down her burdens and focus on herself. But we never expected..."

At this, the memory of his sister’s tragic death made the second uncle choke up.

"This incident should be your wake-up call to finally grow up. Once you’ve handled her funeral, you need to start fulfilling your mother’s last wishes, one by one."

Damien Vaughn felt utterly helpless.

’Everyone had immediately decided that Cecelia Archer was the monster who had murdered his mother. There was no room for doubt. If he tried to protect her, wouldn’t he be condemned by all as an unfilial son?’

’But if he didn’t protect her...’

His heart seized with painful spasms. The world’s most impossible choice had fallen squarely on his shoulders.

"I know this has been hard on both of you. I’ll handle things from here. You should go home and get some rest."

"What’s left to handle? You took so long that we’ve already dealt with everything!"

His eldest uncle shot him an irritated glance and waved the lawyer over, who then hurried to Damien Vaughn’s side.

"There really is nothing left to handle, President Vaughn. Cecelia Archer has already signed a confession, admitting to the entire process of the crime without reservation. The case is closed. The authorities will be prosecuting her for premeditated murder as soon as possible."

Damien Vaughn’s brow furrowed, and his head started ringing again.

"What? She already signed a confession and admitted to everything?"

"The facts are clear, and the evidence—both testimonial and physical—is ironclad. There was no point in her denying it. Here is the case file, you can take a look."

The lawyer handed Damien Vaughn a stack of documents.

He flipped through them quickly, unable to believe his eyes.

’In the confession, Cecelia Archer described the crime in perfect clarity. She admitted to pushing Jessica Bell off the building on an impulse. She really did it!’

His heart felt as if it had been pierced by a thousand needles at once. Suddenly, the documents slipped from his grasp and scattered across the floor.

"Damien? Damien!"

The three men rushed forward to catch Damien Vaughn as he fainted.

「At Central Hospital」

Zeke Walton had just finished the discharge procedures for Shane Grant and was now accompanying him out of the hospital.

"I’ve been in the hospital for so long. Even though the food is the same as outside, my stomach just feels... bland. Shane, we’re finally getting out of here. You owe me a feast today, no excuses."

Shane Grant felt he owed a great deal to Zeke Walton, who had worked hard taking care of him during his hospital stay.

"Of course. Order whatever you want."

"I knew you’d say yes, hehe. I’ve already made a reservation. We’ll go after we pick up Annie."

Zeke Walton really was a thoughtful and capable assistant. On top of that, the young man was sunny and handsome—easy on the eyes. It was a pleasure working with him.

Shane Grant couldn’t help but reach out and pat him on the shoulder. Distracted for a moment, he was nearly struck by a gurney being frantically pushed through with a patient on it.

Luckily, Zeke pulled him back. "Watch out!"

"Jeez. Why are there so many injured people day in and day out? Look how swamped the doctors are. It didn’t hit you, did it?"

Shane Grant was fine. He instinctively glanced at the gurney as it sped past, and his expression froze.

’Have I been in the hospital so long my eyes are playing tricks on me? Why did the person on that gurney look so much like Cecelia Archer?’

"What’s wrong? Did it run over your foot? Why do you look so pale?"

When Shane didn’t answer, Zeke’s expression grew serious. Thinking he was hurt, he quickly moved to lift his pant leg to check his leg.

But Shane Grant pushed him aside and chased after the doctors.

"Make way, make way! Excuse me, please!"

The doctors pushed the gurney toward the elevator, but their path was blocked by the bustling crowd. As they tried to clear a path, Shane Grant caught up to them.

No matter how pale or disheveled Cecelia Archer looked, he recognized her in a single glance.

"Cecelia Archer?!"

When Damien Vaughn woke up, it was the middle of the night.

The hospital room was dimly lit, but outside the window, the night in Veridia flowed with a brilliant river of lights.

He opened his eyes to the silence. The bed beneath him was warm and soft, and for a moment, he thought it had all been a long, terrible dream.

Used to having Cecelia and Candy by his side, he had a habit of checking on them even when he woke in the night. Instinctively, he turned his head.

The moment he moved, two heads popped up, one on either side of him.

"Damien!"

"President Vaughn!"

It wasn’t Cecelia and Candy. On one side was Gwen Morgan, and on the other, Ryan.

Seeing their concerned expressions, Damien Vaughn’s brief moment of clarity vanished, and his eyes dimmed.

’It wasn’t a dream.’

’Everything with his mother... it was all true.’

"Are you feeling any better? Are you uncomfortable anywhere? I’ll call the doctor to come check on you again."

Gwen Morgan reached out caringly to feel his forehead, but Damien flinched away. He closed his eyes and let out a long, deep breath.

"What time is it?"

"1:20 AM."

"I’m fine. Gwen, you should go home."

"No, you’re not well. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I went back. I want to stay here with you."

Damien had things he needed to discuss with Ryan and didn’t want her there. He was getting annoyed.

"I don’t want to see anyone. Can you please just leave me alone?"

Gwen Morgan was speechless.

"I know what you’re trying to do. You just want to get rid of me so you can ask Ryan about Cecelia Archer’s current situation, don’t you? After she did something so monstrous to your mother, how can you still not be over her?"

Damien still refused to believe Cecelia could do such a thing to his mother, even if she had signed a confession.

He hated hearing Gwen talk about her like that. He shot her a look as sharp as a dagger, and Gwen flinched but forced herself to continue speaking.

"There’s no need to ask. I’ll just tell you the truth. Cecelia Archer is already dead! She killed herself out of guilt!"