My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Damien Vaughn Has No Heart

The Vaughn Residence.

Although Damien Vaughn had returned to his usual routine—living his life and going to work as if nothing had happened—his grandfather was still worried sick about him.

On top of that, as the weather grew colder, he caught a cold. He had just gotten out of the hospital, only to become bedridden again.

That evening, Damien Vaughn came home from work and went to his grandfather’s room to see him first.

When he pushed open the door, he found Gwen Morgan, as usual, diligently attending to the old man at his bedside.

Gwen Morgan greeted him. As Damien Vaughn sat down, his grandfather took his hand, coughed a few times, and looked at him with an expression of deep concern.

"Have you been eating properly? You look like you’re getting thinner and thinner."

"Damien, work is important, but your health and your life are more important. You need to take care of yourself."

Damien Vaughn never doubted his grandfather’s love for him. Even though it sounded like nagging, he knew this was the only way the old man knew how to show it. So, he nodded obediently.

But his grandfather still wasn’t satisfied.

"You’ve lost all your fight. You just agree to whatever I say, but you don’t actually listen. SIGH, I’m getting weaker by the day. If I were to pass away like this, how could I ever rest easy?"

Seeing the old man starting to say such gloomy things again, Gwen Morgan moved to the other side of the bed to comfort him gently.

"Grandpa, why are you saying things like that out of the blue? Didn’t the doctor come to see you today? He said you’re doing much better."

"Don’t give me that. The doctor’s just trying to cheer me up, placating me as if I don’t know any better. I’m old. Just dragging on, being a burden to you all. Gwen, it’s been so hard on you lately."

"Grandpa, don’t say that. You’re making me feel like an outsider. It’s my honor to take care of you. My parents fully support me staying here by your side."

"Your parents are sensible people; that’s how they were able to raise such a wonderful girl like you."

At this, the old man turned to look at Damien Vaughn again.

"Damien, don’t mind your old grandpa’s nagging. It’s just... my health is failing, and I don’t want to see you all alone before I close my eyes for good. Your Uncle Morgan and his wife came to see me a few days ago. I spoke with them about you and Gwen, and they have no objections..."

Damien Vaughn didn’t want to anger his grandfather, but the old man showed no regard for his feelings, constantly saying things he didn’t want to hear.

’His mother’s funeral was just a month ago. Isn’t it ridiculous to be talking about marriage right now?’

"Grandpa, why are you bringing this up again? You’re the one who told me about the custom of a three-year mourning period."

His grandfather wasn’t that senile yet.

"You can observe your mourning period. Don’t get married for three years. But getting engaged is fine, isn’t it? There’s no way this body of mine will last another three years. I just want, before I die..."

Damien Vaughn pulled his hand away, interrupting him with a cool expression.

"That’s a rather selfish way to think. An engagement without a wedding, making Gwen Morgan wait for three years... Do you think that’s fair to her?"

"Of course I know it’s not fair to her! But what better option is there right now? We’ll just have to make it up to her after you’re married. Your Uncle Morgan and his wife are very understanding, and Gwen has no objections..."

’She has no objections to this?’

Damien Vaughn lifted his gaze to Gwen Morgan.

Sure enough, she was looking back at him with a bashful expression, showing no sign of refusal whatsoever.

Damien Vaughn was completely unmoved.

He had no feelings for Gwen Morgan. He never had, and after Cecelia Archer, it was even more impossible.

Besides, with all the terrible things that had happened lately, he had absolutely no interest in romance.

’I can’t drag Gwen Morgan into this.’

"Grandpa, I don’t want to make you angry. But if I were to just agree to this, it would be incredibly unfair to Gwen Morgan."

"I hope this is the last time we discuss this. To be frank, Grandpa, I’m never getting married."

"Gwen Morgan is young, beautiful, and accomplished. She can easily find someone better and more suitable for her than me. You can’t let me ruin her life for your own selfish reasons."

’What? Never getting married in his entire life?’

The grandfather’s heart seized. He almost couldn’t catch his breath as he broke into a violent coughing fit.

Gwen Morgan rushed to pat his chest. "Grandpa? Grandpa!"

The old man coughed for a long time, as if he were about to cough up a lung, before his breathing slowly returned to normal.

"What did you just say? Are you doing this on purpose to anger me? Is this because I sent that woman away? You still resent me for that, don’t you? Are you trying to punish me by not getting married? Damien Vaughn, you...!"

Damien Vaughn was speechless.

’They were just going around in circles. How could his grandfather not understand what he was trying to say?’

"That’s not what I meant. But if you insist on interpreting it that way, then there’s nothing more to say."

While patting the old man’s chest, Gwen Morgan looked at Damien Vaughn with reproach.

"Damien, how can you be so inconsiderate? Everything Grandpa is thinking is for your own good! Even if you don’t want to marry me, you could have just lied to him. By being so direct, aren’t you afraid..."

"Everyone dies eventually. Grandpa has lived a long life; he’s weathered plenty of storms. If he’s going to get hung up on something so trivial and let it be the death of him, then there’s nothing I can say."

Damien Vaughn said to Gwen Morgan with his typical cool demeanor.

"Don’t come back starting tomorrow. The Vaughn family’s children and grandchildren are perfectly capable of fulfilling their own filial duties. We don’t need you."

"If you really enjoy taking care of people that much, I can pay you for your services."

Gwen Morgan was practically fuming.

For the past month, she had paraded herself in front of Damien Vaughn every day, putting on a show for his grandfather. She had thought that even a heart of stone could be warmed by her efforts, but who knew...

The moment he said it, shame, resentment, and utter confusion flooded her mind.

Looking at Damien Vaughn’s expressionless face, tears streamed down Gwen Morgan’s cheeks.

"Damien Vaughn, you... you’re heartless! You bastard! Fine, I won’t come! I’m never speaking to you again!"

She ran out of the room, filled with grief and indignation.

The old man’s plan had failed yet again. Seeing Gwen Morgan storm out and his grandson remain completely unmoved, he was so enraged that he pounded the bed.

"How did I end up with a heartless bastard of a grandson like you? What are you just standing there for? Get out and bring Gwen Morgan back for me!"

"I won’t see anyone but her! If she isn’t standing before me by tomorrow, I’ll break your damn legs!"

Damien Vaughn left his grandfather’s room, not to chase after Gwen Morgan, but to head straight downstairs to the dining table.

Mrs. King had grown accustomed to the chilling, bizarre atmosphere in the house lately. Seeing that Damien Vaughn said nothing and was apparently in the mood to eat, she served him his meal.

Damien Vaughn finished his dinner like a robot, then returned to his study and worked until just after 10 p.m., when his phone rang.

It was a call from Brandon Jacobs.

"Vaughn, what are you doing? Get over here, quick. Gwen Morgan is going crazy, just pounding drinks, and no one can stop her. Something bad is going to happen if this keeps up. You need to get over here and handle her!"

Ever since what happened to Mrs. Vaughn, Brandon Jacobs knew he was in a dark place and hadn’t dared to call him.

He wouldn’t have dared to contact him today either, if Gwen Morgan hadn’t been acting so completely out of control.

But Damien Vaughn didn’t say a single word. Brandon had barely finished speaking when the line went dead.

Damien Vaughn knew he had to be cruel and give Gwen Morgan no hope. That was the only way to not truly hurt her.

After hanging up, he returned to his room with a cold expression, showered, changed his clothes, and was about to go to sleep when Brandon Jacobs called again.

"Gwen Morgan is in bad shape! She’s bleeding from the stomach! I’m taking her to the hospital now!"

"She keeps screaming your name, insisting she has to find you! Vaughn, are you even fucking human? Can’t you just come and see her for a minute? Isn’t this something you two should clear up face-to-face?"