My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: A Slap in Whose Face

Cecelia Archer froze, unsure what Damien Vaughn was thinking or what she should do. She instinctively looked over at him.

But then he grabbed her hand, feigning intimacy, and said to Cecelia in a gentle voice,

"What are you spacing out for? Grandpa told you to call him that, so why aren’t you?"

"I..." Cecelia couldn’t bring herself to say it.

’It’s just so sudden. He wants me to call the founder of the Vaughn Group ’Grandpa’? I just don’t feel worthy.’

Seeing her struggle, Damien Vaughn didn’t press the issue.

"Grandpa, she’s a little shy, and this is all a bit sudden. How about we wait until tomorrow? Let her get ready, and you can get a red envelope prepared. I’ll have her serve you tea tomorrow, and we can do it formally."

The old man looked down at the adorable and well-behaved Candy and decided not to bicker with Cecelia.

"Fine, fine. Let’s go home first."

The old man walked ahead, holding Candy, while Damien Vaughn followed behind, holding Cecelia’s hand. Cecelia’s heart was pounding like a drum line.

"What is going on? What are you trying to do?"

"We’ll talk in the car."

The old man got into his car with Candy, while Cecelia and Damien Vaughn rode separately.

Once the car door was closed, Damien Vaughn finally let go of her.

"As you can see, my grandfather loves children. He’s been nagging me to get married and have kids for a long time, and we’ve had more than a few arguments about it. Since he saw her today, we might as well just let him be happy."

’So he means he really wants Candy to acknowledge this great-grandfather and for me to go to the Vaughn family?’

’No way!’ Cecelia quickly shook her head.

"You can’t hide the truth forever. You might fool him for a little while, but not for a lifetime. Wouldn’t your grandfather be even angrier when he finds out you lied to him? Besides, you’re not going to stay unmarried forever. Think how awkward Candy’s position will be then."

"We’ll keep it up for as long as we can," Damien Vaughn said, suddenly very insistent on the matter.

"My grandfather’s health isn’t good. He just had major surgery at the beginning of the year. I have no plans to get married right now, so I can’t risk upsetting him again."

Seeing Cecelia’s extremely reluctant expression, he added,

"Just consider it a favor to me. I’ll make it worth your while. From now on, I’ll take care of finding a bone marrow donor for Candy and cover all her medical expenses." free𝑤ebnovel.com

Although Candy’s treatment was indeed a difficult matter, and her medical bills were impossible to raise on short notice, Cecelia couldn’t take advantage of someone this way. She still shook her head.

"No, Mr. Vaughn..."

"My grandfather’s legs aren’t in good shape either. Don’t you know how to do physical therapy? Consider it a job. I’ll hire you. Once you’ve treated my grandfather’s legs, you can take Candy and leave. How about it?"

"You agreed to help Shane Grant. Don’t tell me you’re refusing just because it’s me?"

With him putting it like that, what more could Cecelia say?

She just found it all so absurd. She had been running into far too many absurd situations lately.

Soon, the car arrived at the old Vaughn family residence.

The old man entered the main hall first, holding Candy. Damien Vaughn followed close behind, pulling Cecelia along. The moment they stepped inside, they captured everyone’s attention.

"Dad, where did you just go? Why did you suddenly bring a child back? Where did she come from?"

Beaming, the old man went and sat on the sofa, settling Candy on his lap.

"Where did she come from? She’s one of our Vaughn family, of course! Don’t you think she looks just like Damien when he was little? Come, everyone, come and meet her. Her name is Candy, and she’s three years old. Candy, this is your Second Great-Aunt, and this is your Third Great-Aunt. Go on, greet them."

Doted on by the old man, Candy was full of confidence. She obediently looked at the two elegant women and called out, "Second Great-Aunt, Third Great-Aunt."

The second and third aunts’ eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

Damien’s child? And she’s already three? Impossible!

They whipped their heads around to look at Damien Vaughn. He wore a perfectly composed expression, his hand holding that of a young, plainly dressed woman.

The second and third aunts exchanged a look. "Damien, what is going on? When did you have a child, and one so old? Why didn’t you bring her home sooner?"

Damien said, "I’m an adult. I have the right to handle my own private affairs. When and what I choose to share is my freedom. My own mother never meddles... Second Aunt, Third Aunt, why do you two look so displeased?"

The second and third aunts were, indeed, not pleased.

Damien Vaughn had always been the old man’s favorite grandson. He had not only raised Damien personally, teaching him everything he knew, but had also handed over control of the company to him.

For the past two years, the old man’s health had been deteriorating. No one knew how much time he had left. Everyone was calculating their potential share of the inheritance.

At a time like this, their greatest fear was Damien getting married and having children, which would make the old man ecstatic.

And then, their worst fears were realized. The very man who always claimed he would never marry, who even avoided coming home to dodge the pressure, had suddenly brought back a child this old...

But they couldn’t show their displeasure. The second aunt forced a smile, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"How could we not be? The Vaughn family suddenly has a new flesh and blood, and a ready-made one at that! Already so big... it’s like winning the lottery. How could we possibly not be happy for you? It’s just..."

’This is all too sudden. Can he even guarantee the child is really a Vaughn?’

’Girls these days will do anything to marry up. What if the mother isn’t being honest? Wouldn’t the Vaughn family become a laughingstock?’

"Just what?" Damien stared at his second aunt. "If you have something to say, say it plainly."

His second aunt didn’t dare to say it plainly.

’The old man adores this child; you can tell he’s taking this all as fact. If I come out and ruin the mood now, won’t I just make him angry?’

"Nothing. I was just going to say, the child must have suffered, being out on her own for so many years. You have to treat the mother and daughter well from now on. You haven’t even introduced us yet. Where is your girlfriend from? What’s her name? How old is she?"

Damien Vaughn told them Cecelia Archer’s name. The second and third aunts didn’t know anything else about her, but just from her surname, they could tell she wasn’t from any of Veridia’s prominent families. They secretly breathed another sigh of relief.

Damien Vaughn’s temperament and methods were already formidable. Their greatest fear was him marrying into another prominent Veridia family, a union that would make him completely unstoppable.

’In any case, this woman had inadvertently helped them.’

"Cecelia Archer? You’re so pretty, and you look so young to already be a mother... Child, does your family know about you and Damien? He hasn’t given you any official standing, has your family given you a hard time about it?"

Cecelia: "..."

The second and third aunts were too sharp, in both looks and demeanor. They were clearly difficult to deal with. Afraid she might misspeak and give them leverage, Cecelia looked weakly toward Damien Vaughn.

Damien Vaughn pulled her a step closer to his side.

"We’ll handle our own affairs, so there’s no need for our second and third aunts to worry themselves. Ms. King, please go get my room ready."

The housekeeper, who had been standing behind the second and third aunts, was both shocked and delighted to see the young master suddenly return with a girlfriend and child in tow.

"It’s always kept ready for you. The master hopes for your return every day and has me clean it daily—Young Master, I’m so happy to see you with a child."

Ms. King had watched Damien Vaughn grow up since he was a child, spending more time with him than his own mother had. Her happiness, like the old man’s, was visibly sincere.

Damien Vaughn nodded at her, then said to Cecelia,

"This is the woman who watched me grow up. In this house, besides my grandfather, she’s the person I’m closest to. Call her Ms. King."

Cecelia had no resistance to this kind of gentle, kind-looking older woman, so she quickly called out, "Ms. King."

Nearby, the second and third aunts rolled their eyes so hard they could see the ceiling. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

’He didn’t even have her greet us, his own aunts, but the first person she greets is a housekeeper. What a slap in the face!’