My Child and I Married a Billionaire novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Father and Daughter

Editor: Henyee Translations

"Of course," Damien said. "What do you need help with?"

The little girl looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "Mister, can you tell me where this place is?" she asked. "My watch ran out of battery, so I can’t call anyone. I think I got off at the wrong subway station."

Lost? Damien frowned. "You’re here alone?"

Candy nodded. A small hand drifted unconsciously to her ear. It still hurts. "I was trying to find my mommy," she admitted softly. "But I think I got lost."

The last few words came out in a whisper.

She was only three years old.

After everything that had happened at home—and now finding herself alone in an unfamiliar place—she could feel the tears building despite her best efforts.

Her little face crumpled.

Damien’s heart softened instantly. Without thinking, he opened his arms. Candy launched herself into them. He caught her easily. The tiny body pressed against his chest felt impossibly small.

"It’s okay," he said quietly. One hand settled on the back of her head. "I’ll help you."

Candy sniffled.

"Do you remember your mother’s phone number?"

A few tears escaped before she nodded. "I do."

"Then let’s call her."

Candy immediately shook her head. "No."

Damien blinked. "No?"

"Mommy’s working." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "If she finds out I snuck out and got lost, she’ll worry."

For a moment, Damien simply stared at her. She couldn’t have been more than three years old. Yet she spoke clearly, thought logically, and worried more about her mother’s feelings than her own.

Remarkable.

The more he spoke to her, the more he found himself liking her.

Without another word, he carried her toward his car.

The assistant waiting nearby looked horrified.

"Mr. Vaughn," he said cautiously, "the conference starts in twenty minutes."

Candy immediately stiffened. She looked from the assistant to Damien. Then her shoulders drooped. "Mister..." Her voice turned small. "Am I making you late for work?"

Damien looked down at her.

"Maybe you should just leave me here," she continued. "I can take the subway home by myself."

The suggestion was absurd. She was three years old. There was no universe in which he was letting her wander through the city alone.

More importantly...

He wasn’t quite ready to hand her over yet.

The realization caught him off guard.

He reached out and lightly pinched her soft cheek. "It’s not important." Candy blinked. "The meeting can wait." A smile touched Damien’s lips. "Getting you home comes first."

Candy’s eyes instantly turned red again.

Nobody had ever said something like that to her before.

Strong. Reliable. Safe.

Being near him made her feel protected in a way she couldn’t explain. Slowly, she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. "Mister?"

"Hm?"

"Can you hold me a little longer?" Damien froze. Candy lowered her head. "I’ve never been hugged by a daddy before."

The words struck him unexpectedly.

"All the other kids have daddies."

Her voice grew quieter.

"But not me."

Something tightened painfully inside Damien’s chest. He gently smoothed a hand over her hair. "What happened to your father?"

Candy thought for a moment. "Mommy says he got sick and died." Her expression remained innocent. "I never got to meet him."

Damien fell silent. He wasn’t sure what to say. Then suddenly, Candy lifted both hands and grabbed his face. Her tiny palms pressed against his cheeks as she stared at him with complete seriousness. "Even if I don’t have a daddy, I’m not a bastard."

Damien blinked.

Candy continued stubbornly, "That’s a bad word." She puffed out her cheeks. "People who say bad words aren’t nice people." Then she nodded firmly. "So I don’t care what they think."

Her eyes sparkled. "And someday, I’ll have a daddy too."

The fierce determination on her little face was almost comical.

Damien felt his heart melt. If someone had told him yesterday that a three-year-old would have him wrapped around her finger, he would’ve laughed.

Yet here he was.

Completely defenseless.

"If anyone calls you that again," he said, "call me."

Candy’s eyes widened.

"I’ll handle it."

The little girl practically bounced in his arms. "Really?"

Damien nodded. "Really."

"Then give me your number!"

He laughed despite himself. "You’ll forget it."

"I won’t."

"You haven’t even started school yet."

Candy immediately puffed out her chest. "I have a very good memory."

The first thing Candy did after getting home was charge her watch. The moment it powered on, she opened the messaging app. Then she carefully typed: This is Candy. I saved your number. You can save mine too. Thank you, Mister. ❤️

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