My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: He’s Actually the President of the Vaughn Group

With that, Candy darted forward and hugged Damien Vaughn’s thigh. Cecelia Archer and Shane Grant froze for a moment.

’This child... knows Damien Vaughn?’

She cried out with such enthusiasm, her face beaming with excitement, that Damien Vaughn’s heart couldn’t help but soften. He scooped Candy up into his arms.

"Well, look who it is," he said. "I can’t believe we ran into each other out here in the middle of nowhere. Why aren’t you in school? What are you doing here?"

Candy threw her arms around his neck. "Uncle Grant took us out to play today, and Mommy let me take the day off school! But don’t worry, I’m not a bad kid. I’ve already learned everything I need to know in preschool!"

"Are you here to watch the horses too, Uncle? Did you see me just now? Uncle Grant is amazing—he even pulled me up onto the horse’s back! Handsome Uncle, you’re so cool, you must know how to ride a horse too, right? You’d probably look super handsome riding one!"

Cecelia Archer watched in astonishment as Damien Vaughn held her daughter, the two of them chattering away. She had no idea what was going on.

’How on earth does my daughter know him? And why do they seem so close?’

’Why do I keep running into Damien everywhere? Is he just that popular with these rich old men?’

While Candy and Damien Vaughn were talking, Shane Grant walked over to Uncle Lee.

The two men shook hands and began to talk. Meanwhile, Annie went and tugged on Candy’s leg.

"Candy, who is he? Are you two done talking? Why don’t you get down?"

Candy looked down at Annie, then turned to introduce him to Damien Vaughn.

"This is Uncle Grant’s son. He’s my classmate. My mom and I are living at their house now, and we came out with his dad today."

"Oh, right! Uncle, you haven’t met my mommy yet! Let me introduce you. My mommy is super pretty."

With that, Candy slid out of his arms and grabbed Cecelia Archer’s hand.

"Mommy, let me introduce you. This is the uncle I met a while ago. Isn’t he handsome? He’s super nice, too, and he’s really gentle with me. I’ve been wanting to introduce you two forever, but I never got the chance. We finally ran into him today!"

"Uncle, isn’t my mommy pretty? She’s not just pretty, she’s also really smart and talented! She’s..."

’Whoa, whoa, whoa, what is she saying? Why does she sound like a little matchmaker?’

Annoyed, Annie cut Candy off.

"Candy, what are you doing? Why do you keep saying how great this guy is? And introducing your mom to him? Do you want him to be your new dad? Don’t you want my dad to marry your mom anymore?"

"Isn’t my dad more handsome than him? Besides, my dad’s rich, and our family..."

’Oh no, how could he say that in front of Handsome Uncle!’ Candy panicked and pulled Annie aside to whisper to him.

Cecelia Archer’s eyes met Damien Vaughn’s. She asked him, puzzled,

"How do you know my daughter? How long have you known each other?"

’Heh, he wanted to ask her the same thing.’

’So Candy is her daughter. What does it mean, moving into someone else’s house with her child? Is she planning to marry Shane Grant?’

’What a social climber. And to think he believed she wasn’t a materialistic woman!’

Before the two of them could say more, Shane Grant and Uncle Lee, having finished their greetings, turned their attention toward them.

Shane Grant took the initiative and extended a hand to Damien Vaughn.

"I didn’t expect we’d meet again so soon. I just heard Candy call you ’uncle.’ So, President Vaughn and Cecelia are friends, too? What a coincidence."

’Friends, too?’

Those two words left Damien Vaughn feeling inexplicably annoyed.

His expression remained impassive, betraying nothing, but to Cecelia’s ears, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck.

"What did you just call him?" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

’President Vaughn?’

’He called this man President Vaughn?’

’Shane Grant called this male model from Club DL... President Vaughn?!’

Seeing her confused expression, Shane Grant repeated himself.

"I called him President Vaughn. He’s Mr. Damien Vaughn, president of the Vaughn Group. What, you don’t know him? Then how does Candy..."

Cecelia was completely floored.

’He’s Damien Vaughn, the president of the Vaughn Group?’

’But they were married! It was written clearly in black and white on the marriage certificate—his name was just Damien!’

While Cecelia’s mind was reeling, Damien Vaughn casually answered Shane Grant’s question.

"I’ve just run into the little one a few times by chance. You have some fine recreational pursuits, President Grant. I saw your impressive display on horseback just now."

Shane Grant chuckled. "You’re too kind, President Vaughn. I’m just busy with work all day, I barely have any time to spend with my son. It’s embarrassing to admit, but this is the first time I’ve ever taken him out to play like this, and you just happened to catch us."

"We were about to head into the village to look around. It’s still early. Were you and Uncle Lee already planning on heading back?"

Damien Vaughn couldn’t very well answer for Uncle Lee, so everyone turned to look at the older man.

Uncle Lee also smiled. "The weather is lovely today. Since my two favorite nephews have had this rare chance to meet, I don’t mind staying a little longer. I hear the village holds an Ox Feast around this time every month, and the food is said to be exceptional. If you don’t mind, you two can accompany an old man like me to try it."

Normally, getting to see him required a special trip to Corvane and was next to impossible. For him to offer them his time today was an opportunity neither of them could pass up.

The group started walking toward the village.

As soon as she saw Damien Vaughn, Candy forgot about everything else and ran to take his hand.

"Uncle, are you unhappy today? Why did you stop talking to me?"

Damien Vaughn glanced down at her little face, flushed red from the sun. To be honest, he was thoroughly annoyed.

The pitiful little girl he had secretly been doting on had suddenly found someone to depend on—and it was his rival, no less.

Most importantly, her mother was now relying on Shane Grant, too.

It felt as if something precious that belonged to him had been stolen, and he was extremely displeased.

But he couldn’t bring himself to be cold to Candy. "No, I just don’t know what to say."

"Can you hold me? You’re too tall, and my neck gets tired talking to you like this."

Candy held up her little arms to him.

Despite his annoyance, Damien couldn’t resist Candy’s charms and instinctively lifted her into his arms.

"You little rascal, you know just how to get your way with me."

"What did you want to tell me? Go ahead."

A few steps behind them, Uncle Lee watched Damien Vaughn holding the little girl. With their heads close together, they looked so much like a father and daughter that he couldn’t help but smile at the heartwarming scene.

"You know, this little girl is adorable. She looks right with either of you. Just now, when you were holding her on the horse, Shane, I thought she was your daughter. Now that she’s in Damien’s arms, she looks like his daughter. It’s really something. You two aren’t getting any younger, you know. It’s about time you settled down."

She hadn’t noticed it before he mentioned it, but now that he had, Cecelia realized that Candy’s and Damien Vaughn’s eyes really were quite similar.

Especially from this angle, with both of them smiling, even the way their eyes crinkled was nearly identical...

After Uncle Lee spoke, Shane Grant wasn’t sure how to respond and was about to just laugh it off, but Annie piped up.

"I think Dad should find me a mom, too! Grandpa Lee, what do you think of Aunt Archer?"

"I like her a lot, and I’d love for Candy to be my sister. Do you think Dad should start trying to date Aunt Archer?"