Free Web NovelChapter 82: Chapter 82: Who Told You to Come Out and Work?
’Damien?’
’This woman actually knows Damien Vaughn?’
Annabelle Young had felt immensely satisfied seeing the turn of events, a smug look on her face.
But when she saw Claire Clark waving her hands and crying out to Damien Vaughn for help, her expression soured again.
"You know each other? Damien, you..."
"I don’t."
Damien Vaughn’s expression remained impassive. He walked away from Annabelle Young and over to the counter. In front of everyone, he grabbed Cecelia Archer and pulled her out from behind it.
"Damien! Damien? It’s me, Claire Clark! Look at me! It’s a misunderstanding, all of it! We were framed by Cecelia Archer! I don’t want to go to the police station. Damien, please, just say something for me!"
Damien Vaughn turned a deaf ear to Claire Clark’s cries, simply pulling Cecelia Archer past the crowd.
Annabelle Young looked completely baffled. "What do you think you’re doing?"
Without breaking stride, Damien Vaughn said, "I’ll treat you to dinner another day. I’m taking her with me now. As for those two, handle them however you see fit."
Cecelia Archer was dragged all the way to the car and shoved into the back seat. Even after the door was shut, she was still struggling.
"What are you doing? I’m working! My manager will be furious if I just leave without a word. It’s only my second day here, please don’t get me fired!"
’Working in luxury sales really is different. Her hair was combed back sleekly, her makeup meticulously applied, and her clothes were crisp and proper. She even wore a chic little scarf around her neck, just like a flight attendant in business class.’
’She was pretty, she was dressed prettily, and even her every move was elegant.’
The way Cecelia Archer frowned slightly and pouted in dissatisfaction was just like Candy. Watching her, Damien Vaughn found himself staring, momentarily lost in thought.
It wasn’t until Cecelia Archer reached for the door again that he snapped out of it and pulled her back once more.
"I heard you moved Candy to a different ward. What happened? What about her, now that you’re out working? You didn’t just leave her alone in the ward, did you? That place is crawling with people, all sorts of characters. Aren’t you afraid some creep will snatch her?"
’Heard? From who? It must have been Annabelle Young.’
’Why is he so kind-hearted all of a sudden? So worried about Candy?’
Cecelia Archer felt a bit embarrassed that he had witnessed her predicament again. She snatched her hand back from his.
"Why does Miss Young tell you everything?"
Damien Vaughn stared at her. "Aren’t you with Shane Grant...? Did you two have a falling out? Is he refusing to pay for Candy’s medical bills? Are you out of money? I’m asking you. Why did you suddenly get a job? And where’s Candy?"
’The way he was asking, you’d think they were close and that she owed him an explanation.’
Cecelia Archer didn’t want to be indebted to Shane Grant, and she didn’t want to be indebted to President Vaughn either. She really liked her new job and was perfectly content with it.
"Mr. Grant and I only ever had a simple employer-employee relationship. Now that my daughter is sick, I can’t work for him anymore, so that relationship is naturally over. Why on earth would he continue to pay her medical bills?"
"Candy’s godmother is looking after her, so don’t worry. Once I’ve earned enough money, I’ll move her back to the VIP ward. Can I go back to work now?"
’Just a simple employer-employee relationship with Shane Grant? But the other day, it looked like they...’ ƒгeewebnovёl.com
’Damien Vaughn knew it wasn’t that easy for a woman with no income and a sick daughter to marry an old fox like Shane Grant based on some fleeting infatuation. He must have gotten bored, tired of the whole situation, and broken things off. He didn’t want to be responsible for them anymore, and Cecelia Archer was just too embarrassed to admit it.’
Suddenly, his mood lifted.
He didn’t call her out on her "lie."
"Go back where? We’re going to the hospital. I’m going to see Candy."
It was the first time in his life Damien Vaughn had ever seen a ward so filthy and crowded. It completely shattered his preconceived notions about hospitals.
’A hospital ward is supposed to be a place for patients to rest and recover. But this place was a chaotic sea of people, unbearably crowded, and the air was foul. How could anyone be sure Candy wouldn’t catch some other disease here?’
He had just reached the doorway when he saw the chaos inside: a jumble of people, some smoking, some coughing, some giving patients sponge baths, some changing dressings, others chatting at the top of their lungs. Damien Vaughn froze, unable to take another step.
He was a severe germaphobe and couldn’t possibly enter such an environment. He couldn’t even imagine how an adorable child like Candy was surviving in a place like this.
The moment Cecelia Archer saw the look of disgust in his eyes, she understood.
"If you think it’s too dirty, you can wait out here. I’ll get Candy to come out and talk to you."
She made her way through the crowd and went inside. A moment later, Candy poked her head out, holding Doris Morton’s hand.
"Uncle!"
She ran out the door and Damien Vaughn swept her up into his arms.
He didn’t know if it was just his imagination or if it was real, but even though it had only been a day, Damien Vaughn thought she looked thinner, paler... somehow more pitiful.
"Did you miss me?"
"I did," Candy said, wrapping her arms around his neck, her big eyes fluttering as she looked at him.
"Mommy said our time in the other room was up, so we had to move here. I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to find us and I’d never see you again. Uncle, I was so sad yesterday that I cried in secret. I’m so happy I get to see you today."
’She thought she’d never see him again, so she hid and cried?’
Hearing this, Damien Vaughn felt a pang in his heart, a bittersweet ache.
"Silly girl. Why didn’t you tell me when your time in the other room was up? I would have renewed it for you. This place is too filthy. It’s not a good place for you. Let’s go back."
Of course, Candy knew the other room was big and bright, and much better than this one. But her mommy said they had to be self-reliant and couldn’t spend other people’s money.
"It’s okay, Uncle. This place is nice. Mommy says it’s lively with so many people, and everyone really likes me. I’m happy here."
But Damien Vaughn’s brow was furrowed, his attitude resolute.
"Absolutely not. Look at that man over there—he definitely has some kind of lung disease. And that one, he’s chain-smoking. If you stay here too long, you’ll catch something from them."
As he spoke, he raised his eyes and looked into the ward.
Inside the ward, Doris Morton had been sizing him up for a while.
As a professional fashion designer, how could she fail to notice how exquisite Damien Vaughn’s suit was, or how perfect his proportions were? frёewebηovel.cѳm
Her eyes were practically bugging out of her head.
"Cecelia, who is this guy? Holy crap, he has an amazing body! That suit has to be custom-tailored by hand, right? The craftsmanship is incredible! When did you meet a guy this rich—and this handsome—behind my back? Spill the details, quick!"
’Look at her, acting like she’s never seen a man before.’
Cecelia was speechless for a moment. "Candy basically picked him up off the street. He’s some ’uncle’ she met on her own. I couldn’t tell you what he does."
’What? Candy picked him up off the street herself?’
Doris Morton sized Damien Vaughn up again, and nodded.
"It’s a little bizarre, but that definitely sounds like something your daughter would do. That kid is such a social butterfly, and so charming. Everyone in the ward has been praising her to the heavens all morning."
"Hey, he’s looking over here. I think he’s calling for you."
Cecelia Archer pulled Doris Morton to the doorway of the ward.
Doris got a look at him up close. ’Holy crap, is his skin really that perfect? Are his features really that sculpted?’
She felt like she was going to faint from how handsome Damien Vaughn was.
