My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Damien Sets a Trap

Zeke Walton was quite surprised to get a call from Damien Vaughn.

After all, growing up, Zeke was always the one to initiate contact. Damien rarely ever called him.

Besides, with his mother having just passed away, he should have been in a terrible mood.

But Zeke answered anyway.

"Hello?"

Damien instantly detected the despondency in his voice.

"In a bad mood? What have you been up to lately?"

’Damien actually called just to ask how I was feeling? And what I’ve been busy with?’

Zeke was pathetically moved all over again.

’Whatever is going on between him and Cecelia Archer, his friendship with me must be real.’

"Not much. I’m not feeling well, just lying around at home."

"What’s wrong? What is it? Have you been to the hospital?"

Zeke’s nose tingled, and he felt a lump in his throat.

Ever since he and Shane Grant had parted ways, Shane hadn’t called him once.

Zeke missed him so much every day that he felt like he was going crazy. He was desperately holding back, and it was exhausting him, breaking his heart.

He never expected that at a time like this, Damien Vaughn would be the one thinking of him.

"Why don’t you come see me, Damien?"

Soon, Damien Vaughn appeared at the Walton Family’s home.

Zeke’s room was spacious and bright. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making for a beautiful scene.

It should have been a lovely view, but because its occupant was so listless, stepping inside felt strangely chilling.

Damien brought some sweets that Zeke used to love and sat down by his bed. Both of them were noticeably thinner than they had been a month ago.

"How did you get so thin? Are you seriously ill?"

Zeke didn’t answer, instead looking at the dark circles under Damien’s eyes.

"You’re not looking much better yourself."

Damien looked up, his eyes meeting Zeke’s, and suddenly a smile touched his lips.

"Still have the energy to trade barbs. Good. Seems like you’re fine."

Seeing him smile, Zeke inexplicably felt a bit better and smiled back.

"Aren’t you busy? What made you suddenly think of me today?"

Damien said, "I was busy for a while, but I’ve had time to think things through. I’m not busy these last couple of days. I was going to ask you to play ball, but who knew you’d be moping at home..."

"Alright, I’m relieved to see you’re okay. You should get some more rest. My grandfather isn’t well, so I should get back to him."

The two of them had an unspoken agreement not to mention Mrs. Vaughn’s death.

Zeke felt a little guilty, afraid he might give something away if Cecelia Archer’s name came up.

Damien, on the other hand, simply didn’t want to bring it up and bring anyone down.

Seeing Damien about to leave less than a minute after sitting down, Zeke was reluctant to let him go and reached out to tug on his arm.

"There’s no need to rush off, is there? You just got here. Stay a little longer... How have you been lately?"

The conversation gradually shifted to the topic Damien had been hoping for. He replied, feigning nonchalance.

"I’m alright. I only recently realized you were right about some things you used to say. Work is never-ending, and so is making money, so I’ve decided to let go of what needs to be let go. And sure enough, I feel a lot lighter."

Zeke looked at him earnestly. "Really? Even a money-making machine like you can have that kind of epiphany. So what did you let go of? Tell me about it."

"The international airport project. I mentioned it to you before. I’m not going to pursue it. My grandfather hasn’t been on vacation in a long time. I plan to take him on a trip in the next couple of days to clear his mind."

They chatted for about an hour, a mix of work and personal life, before Damien told Zeke to get some rest and took his leave from the Walton Family’s home.

The moment Damien was out the door, Zeke couldn’t hold back any longer. He grabbed his phone and dialed Shane Grant’s number.

He missed him too much.

It was the kind of longing that, if he held it back from his lips, would just spill from his eyes instead.

Over the past month, he had wanted to call him countless times, even just to hear him say a few words, but he couldn’t find an excuse.

Now, Damien had just handed him an excuse on a silver platter. Zeke couldn’t restrain himself anymore.

Shane Grant answered quickly. His voice was as gentle as ever, showing no hint of distance, and he apologized right away.

"Zeke, sorry I haven’t been in touch. I’ve been swamped... I haven’t had a chance to thank you for what happened the other day, but she and I have both been anxious. Especially her, she keeps saying she wants to see you one last time before she leaves to thank you properly."

"Can you wait until I’m done with work in a couple of days? Come over to my place, and we can have a proper talk."

Zeke knew that after what had happened, there was no place left for Cecelia Archer in Veridia. Shane would definitely send her away, but he didn’t expect it to be so soon.

"It’s already arranged? When is she leaving?"

"Her visa has been approved. The exact date depends on my work schedule. If the international airport project goes smoothly, it’ll be soon. If not, it might be until the end of the year."

Although Shane Grant had no romantic feelings for him, as a friend, Zeke could sense his sincerity.

’It’s my own unrequited love. I brought this on myself; I have to accept it.’

"Okay. I’ll come over tomorrow then. Tell her not to worry about it too much. As long as she’s okay from now on and nothing bad happens, that’s all that matters."

"Understood. Don’t worry. Even if something does happen, we’ll make sure you aren’t implicated."

"..."

The conversation seemed to have reached its natural conclusion, but Zeke was reluctant to hang up.

"Actually, that’s not what I called to talk about... I just met with Damien."

"He’s been letting go of a lot of work lately to focus on taking his grandfather on a trip. He’s not concerned about the international airport project anymore..."

For Shane Grant, Zeke’s call was a godsend, a guiding light in a thick fog. It instantly calmed his anxious heart.

’The Vaughn Group isn’t planning to compete for the international airport project anymore! This is a golden opportunity!’

Currently, the best-performing real estate company in Veridia was Grant Properties. But in terms of overall corporate strength, the Grant Group was still leagues behind the Vaughn Group.

Previously, Damien Vaughn had been going all out to win the international airport project, which had been a major headache for Shane Grant.

’If I try to compete with him, I’m no match for his financial and social resources.’

’But if I don’t compete, and I let him gain the upper hand on such a major project, I’ll completely lose my position as the industry leader.’

’The real estate industry is already on a downturn, making survival harder and harder. If I lose my influence on top of that, I’m afraid the end for the Grant Group will come even sooner.’

He never expected that at such a critical, life-or-death moment, Damien Vaughn would choose to give up on his own accord!

Shane Grant no longer hesitated. He made a decisive move, reallocating all available funds to the international airport project.

The final bid for the airport land was in two days. He had been holding back, afraid to make a final offer, but now that the Vaughn Group had withdrawn, the project was destined for Grant Properties!

「Two days later.」

Just as Zeke had said, the Vaughn Group did not participate in the final auction.

The smaller companies, whose strength couldn’t compare to the Grant Group’s, knew that the Vaughn Group and the Grant Group were fighting over this project. Aware they couldn’t compete, they submitted merely symbolic bids. Grant Properties won the land with an overwhelming advantage.

A full four thousand acres, costing 4.8 billion. Including subsequent investments, Shane Grant had, by a rough estimate, allocated 20 billion in funds for the project.

After the shareholders’ meeting, everyone was basking in the joy of their great success.

But their happiness didn’t last two days before Shane Grant noticed something was wrong.

It was true that the Vaughn Group hadn’t fought him for this piece of land. But they had mobilized a massive workforce and were in talks with another town about acquiring their land in its entirety.