Chapter 511: Chapter 511: In Name Only
In those situations, they never embraced her, crying and telling her how many years they’ve been searching for her, how much they missed her.
Ann Vaughn’s red lips pressed tightly together, years of grievances and bitterness burst forth like a flood from a broken box, fiercely drowning her whole being.
Her eyes reddened with held-back emotions, her nose tingled with acidity, and her cheeks were unknowingly wet.
If all the injustices she suffered over the past twenty years were just to lead her to this moment.
Then she thought, it must be worth it.
Even Ian Vaughn, who was always rational, had red eyes, clenching his fists to restrain his emotions, then turned to leave, giving space to the two elders and Ann Vaughn.
The man leaning against the wall slowly lifted his eyes, and upon seeing Ian Vaughn come out from the room, his gaze dropped again.
As a fellow man, Ian Vaughn easily noticed the fleeting dark gleam in the man’s eyes when he saw him, so he walked over and straightforwardly asked, "Mr. Hawthorne, what is your relationship with our Annie?"
"Husband and wife." Cyrus Hawthorne’s thin lips lightly parted, the brief sentence contained great impact, "And a son."
"..." Ian Vaughn’s face froze.
This kind of hidden information naturally wasn’t recorded in the investigation materials, so Uncle Vaughn never imagined—
The little niece he just found and hadn’t had a chance to warm up to had not only been taken away by this man, but even had a child?!!
After a long pause, Ian Vaughn lightly coughed and continued, "Mr. Hawthorne should know about the Vaughn Family’s influence and status in Marinia. Although not as glorious as before, if Annie suffers grievances at your place in the future, we won’t let it slide easily."
If it were just a boyfriend, Ian could use the Vaughn Family’s power to give him a good scolding.
But as Annie’s husband... Ian could only give a courteous warning.
Even if the person in front of them was a powerful figure in the country, if the Vaughn Family wanted to protect someone, they surely could.
"Uncle’s worry is unnecessary." Cyrus Hawthorne raised an eyebrow, his thin lips lifting in a slight smile.
Ian Vaughn’s face darkened. So quickly calling him uncle, how annoying.
At this moment, the door opened from inside, and Ann Vaughn stuck her small head out, speaking softly to Ian Vaughn, "Uncle, Grandpa and Grandma want you to come in."
This call of "Uncle" made Ian Vaughn’s heart feel incredibly warm, his dark expression softened to tenderness, "Alright, Uncle will be right there."
After he went in, Ann Vaughn immediately bounced to Cyrus Hawthorne’s side, shaking his arm relentlessly, "Quinn, Quinn, pinch me quickly to see if I’m dreaming!"
If Ann Vaughn had a tail at this moment, it would probably be wagging at the same speed as a fan.
Her eyes and brows were filled with joy, her exquisite and lovely face flushed with excitement, making people’s hearts sway.
Cyrus Hawthorne’s long fingers slightly moved, then gently pinched her delicate cheek, touching a softness and smoothness.
His sexy throat rolled slightly, gazing at her for a long time before saying, "Very happy?"
"Mm!" Ann Vaughn nodded vigorously, her clear eyes reflecting a bright light, "Actually, I didn’t have much expectation of them from the start... Stanley Sheridan gave me enough of a terrifying feeling."
Soft knives hurting people without drawing blood.
And Stanley Sheridan was exactly this kind of soft knife.
With such a previous experience, Ann Vaughn naturally felt hesitant about recognizing her family, especially since she was beyond the age of needing familial care and companionship.
But when she felt the warmth and fragrance of Old Mrs. Vaughn’s embrace, Ann Vaughn had a moment of subtle realization that not all relatives were unworthy of her courage to be close to.
Cyrus Hawthorne eyed her constantly upturned lips, a hint of laughter in his narrow eyes, his long finger moving from her cheek to her moving lips, "So, it seems you won’t be able to return to the hotel with me tonight?"
Upon hearing this, Ann Vaughn’s bright eyes revealed a mischievous smile, "Tonight I want to stay and talk with Grandpa and Grandma, not convenient for you to stay. Besides..."
"We’re divorced in name, not proper, it’s best to avoid suspicion!"
Having finally scored a victory against The Archfiend, Ann Vaughn inexplicably felt refreshed, straightening her chest proudly.
"Not proper in name?" Cyrus Hawthorne raised his brows lightly, his expression unreadable, "Mrs. Hawthorne, are you sure we need to avoid suspicion?"
Ann Vaughn looked innocent, secretly delighted, "Mr. Hawthorne, your position is very problematic, avoiding suspicion is necessary."
In the end, Cyrus Hawthorne didn’t argue with Ann Vaughn, only leaving her with a profound look before departing.
Thinking she had finally scored a victory from The Archfiend, Ann Vaughn was extremely pleased, turning back into the room to continue speaking with Old Mrs. Vaughn.
Her acupuncture kit and tools were at the hotel, so she couldn’t give Old Mrs. Vaughn acupuncture treatment, but massage could still help her condition.
Old Mrs. Vaughn felt as if her whole body was soaking in a hot spring, yet more comfortable than any hot spring she had ever been to, her spirits significantly improved.
"Sweetie, your massage feels wonderful. I don’t feel pain anywhere on my body."
"You’re probably just happy to have found Sweetie, so there’s a psychological effect." Old Mr. Vaughn interjected, smiling with wrinkles on his face!
"You’re probably jealous Sweetie gave me a massage and not you, aren’t you, old man?" Engaged in banter, Old Mrs. Vaughn did not fall behind, retorting Old Mr. Vaughn’s comment.
Back and forth they went, arguing again with each other, making Ann Vaughn feel helpless yet amused, quickly promising to Old Mrs. Vaughn, after finishing her massage, she’d also give Old Mr. Vaughn one.
The two elderly children finally quieted down.
Ian Vaughn, who had been quietly watching their playful chatter from the side, gently curved his lips, with a liberated smile in his light eyes.
It’s wonderful, he couldn’t recall how long it had been since the house had been this lively and warm.
But the warmer the moment, the easier it is to be interrupted.
"Grandma, are you awake? May I come in?" Brooke Ryan knocked on the door, softly and cautiously asking from outside.
The room fell silent for a moment; only Old Mrs. Vaughn was not aware of the tension between Ann Vaughn and Brooke Ryan, hence wasn’t surprised by Brooke Ryan’s arrival.
Ann Vaughn was a bit surprised hearing Brooke Ryan call Old Mrs. Vaughn "Grandma."
If she calls Grandma that way...
Could it be that my youthful uncle is actually married with children??
Ian Vaughn and Old Mr. Vaughn exchanged a glance for a second, then softly said to Old Mrs. Vaughn, "Grandma, Brooke always regards you as her own grandmother. If she knows we’ve found Sweetie, she might not feel well."