My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Wanting Her to Be Mom

He staggered, and the nanny rushed forward to support him.

"Sir!"

"Is it your leg again? Please stop walking. I’ll call King to come up and carry you!"

Cecelia Archer lived on the fourth floor of a walk-up, in a building with an old, dim, and cramped stairwell.

The nanny knew there was no way he could make it down the stairs in his current state. As she was about to call the driver to come up, Shane Grant pushed her hand away, slowly steadied himself, and refused in a cold voice.

"Don’t. Just bring my medicine up."

But they had left in such a hurry, and the nanny hadn’t expected his condition to flare up, so she had forgotten to bring the medicine.

One look at her face and Shane Grant knew she had forgotten it. He said nothing more, just told the nanny to move aside. Bracing himself against the wall, he forced himself to start heading down. Suddenly, Cecelia Archer ran after him and called out.

"Mr. Grant, was your leg injured in the past? Does it get cold and painful whenever the weather is damp and chilly?"

"It’s pouring outside, and the stairwell is difficult to navigate. Why don’t you rest here for a bit before you go down?"

After speaking, she took Aidan Grant’s hand and pushed him toward his father.

"He’s just a child; he doesn’t know any better. How can you hold it against him? If you really leave without him, I’ll look like a kidnapper."

It was unclear whether it was because the pain in his leg was too unbearable and he knew he couldn’t make it down the stairs, or if Cecelia Archer’s words had moved him.

Leaning against the wall, Shane Grant’s back was rigid for a few seconds before he turned and entered her apartment.

To save money, Cecelia Archer only rented a one-bedroom apartment. Though the place was small, she kept it neat and tidy.

Shane Grant went to the sofa and sat down, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

Only then did Cecelia Archer realize the beads of sweat on his forehead were from the pain.

"Candy, Aidan, you two help Mr. Grant take off his shoes and put his feet up on this stool. I’ll go get some hot water."

With that, she rushed into the bathroom.

Seeing him in so much pain, the two children obediently knelt before him and quickly took off his shoes.

Cecelia Archer came out with a basin of hot water she had prepared and submerged both of Shane Grant’s feet in it.

His injured foot was numb to her touch, but his uninjured one instantly felt the soft, warm grasp of her hand. Shane Grant immediately tried to jerk it away, but Cecelia Archer held it firm.

"Don’t move. You’ll get used to it in a second. Soaking in hot water helps improve blood circulation."

Then, she knelt in front of Shane Grant, pushed his suit trousers up past his knees, and gripped his calf. With a very particular technique, she began to massage his leg, following the grain of the muscle with each press.

Outside, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Shane Grant’s expression was pained, and the sweat on his forehead grew thicker.

Seeing his father in so much pain, thinking he was about to die, Aidan Grant was both scared and guilt-ridden.

"Dad, what’s wrong? Are you really sick? You’re not going to die, are you? WAHHHH, don’t scare me!"

"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those awful things to you today. I shouldn’t have made you angry. Please don’t be mad at me, okay? You can’t die, please don’t leave me!"

Seeing how much he was suffering, Candy also quickly grabbed a couple of tissues to wipe his sweat, her soft little hands wrapping around his neck.

"That’s right, Uncle, you can’t die! Aidan Grant doesn’t have a mom anymore. If you die, he’ll be an orphan. How pitiful is that? Besides, you’re so handsome, it would be a total waste if you died."

"Aidan Grant, stop crying for a second. Let’s both give your dad a massage. Maybe that will make him feel better!"

The two sensible children grabbed his arms, one on each side, and started massaging them.

Cecelia Archer massaged his leg with all her might, changing the basin of water twice. By the third basin, Shane Grant’s pain had finally started to subside.

He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

Looking down, he saw the slender woman in front of him. Her hair was tied in a messy ponytail, with a few stray wisps framing her temples. Her eyes, gentle yet focused, were fixed on his feet, which rested on her knees as she massaged them with force.

Her technique seemed quite skilled, targeting acupressure points. Waves of warmth traveled from the soles of his feet into his heart, and into his mind. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

His feet were red from the massage and felt piping hot to the touch. Cecelia Archer glanced up and saw that Shane Grant’s forehead was no longer sweating as much.

She asked him softly, "Are you getting some feeling back? Has the pain lessened a little?"

Only then did Shane Grant get a clear look at her face. Her eyes were large and bright, her nose was high and straight, and her lips were red against her white teeth. Though she wore no makeup at all, she had a fresh, comfortable kind of beauty.

"Yes. Thank you for your trouble."

"It’s nothing. I’ll go wring out a hot towel to wrap your leg for a bit."

Cecelia Archer set his feet down, went to the bathroom to wring out a steaming hot towel, and came back to wrap it around his injured leg, which she then propped up on her lap again.

She spoke as she applied warmth to his leg through the towel.

"This is a classic post-surgical complication, caused by improper care or rehabilitation after the operation. You’re still young, so it can be corrected. You should get it treated properly in time, or it will be even more painful in your old age."

"Judging by how old the wound looks, the injury must be over two years old. Why haven’t you taken it seriously? What do you usually do when it flares up? Take painkillers?"

He hadn’t expected her to know so much. Not only had she helped him get through the worst of the pain, but she could also speak about it so knowledgeably.

Shane Grant was silent for a moment. "Are you a doctor?"

Cecelia Archer said, "I’ve studied it a little. My brother injured his leg, and his situation was similar to yours, so I know a bit."

"My brother got timely care and has already corrected the issue. Although his leg is still a little stiff, at least it doesn’t hurt because of the weather anymore. Mr. Grant, if you need it, I can tell you about the rehabilitation method my brother used. After all, painkillers only treat the symptoms, not the root cause, and you can become dependent on them."

The nanny had been scared to death seeing Shane Grant’s flare-up just now, and was relieved he had recovered.

Hearing Cecelia Archer say that his condition could be improved with proper care, she eagerly answered for Shane Grant.

"Oh, yes, yes, that would be wonderful. Please, tell us, and I’ll write it down. Then I can help Sir the next time he’s in pain."

Cecelia Archer nodded immediately. "Okay. But the procedure is a bit complicated. I’m afraid if I just say it, you won’t be able to remember it all at once. How about this? I’ll write it down on a piece of paper for you. You can take it home and look it over when you have time."

Watching Cecelia Archer’s gentle and patient demeanor, her willingness to share the method with the nanny without reservation and with no hint of wanting anything in return, Shane Grant wondered if he had been judging her with a petty mind.

’She’s already married and has a child. Maybe she really is just looking for a job.’

"Thank you. Why don’t you exchange contact information with the nanny? You went through a lot of trouble just now. I’ll have her transfer the payment to you later."

Hearing this, Cecelia Archer, who was still massaging his leg, suddenly felt like a masseuse selling her hard labor for money.

’In the world of the rich, it seems like everything anyone does is assumed to have an ulterior motive.’

After a two-second silence, she placed his foot back down.

"I had no intention of asking you for money. I was just doing a small favor for Aidan’s sake."

"Mr. Grant, your leg should be fine now, so I won’t keep you. Aidan, go home with your father."