From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 124: Chapter 124

Maria had barely agreed when she turned to find Paisley looking at her with a meaningful expression.
Awkwardly scratching her head, Maria laughed. She had just realized that she'd agreed without consulting Paisley. "Uh, I figured you'd say yes because you're so compassionate. Didn't you help Max last time when he collapsed?"
"Oh!" Paisley raised an eyebrow. "Look who still remembers his name? Decided he's not a bad guy after all?"
It wasn't long ago that Maria had been guarding against the men next door like they were a gang of criminals. Maria chuckled awkwardly, "Well, you know, with neighbors, you get to know them better over time."
"Maria, is she coming?" A frantic voice came through the video intercom. It was Leo, looking visibly stressed. "My boss can't hold on much longer."
Maria grew anxious as well. She clearly remembered how severe the neighbor's leg pain had been during the last episode. "Paisy."
"Mom, if you don't go now, Max is going to be in agony!" said Serena.
Paisley sighed, feeling speechless. She turned and started heading toward her study.
"Paisy!" Maria screamed.
"Mom!" So did Serena.
"I need to grab my tools, don't I?" Paisley rolled her eyes as she explained, then disappeared into the study.
"Yes, yes, of course!" Maria smiled and quickly reassured Leo that Paisley would be over in no time.
When Paisley arrived at the neighboring villa, she saw Leo waiting anxiously at the gate. His face lit up as if he had seen a savior. "Thank you so much. Please, this way."
Paisley nodded politely and followed him into the villa. The interior was tastefully designed in a minimalist yet vintage style, exuding understated luxury. Every seemingly insignificant decoration was worth a fortune, making it clear that the owner of this house possessed immense wealth.
After all, anyone who could afford a villa in this area, especially someone from Montera, had to be a person of considerable influence.
Maria wasn't exaggerating when she said the villa was filled with men. Paisley counted around eight, all of whom were clearly trained professionals stationed strategically throughout the house, their expressions grim and their postures alert, ensuring the security of the villa's owner.
Not wanting to pry further, Paisley observed briefly before averting her gaze and following Leo up to the second-floor bedroom in the center of the house.
As soon as the door opened, a strong medicinal scent assaulted Paisley's senses. With just a sniff, she could identify the ingredients. They were drugs meant to strengthen the body, but the dosage seemed overly potent.
How frail must Max be to require such intense remedies? Her gaze shifted to the man on the bed, who was curled up in pain.
His forehead and neck veins bulged, his lips pressed into a tight line, and his bloodshot eyes betrayed the torment he was enduring. It was as if he were going through some excruciating ordeal.
Despite his agony, the man managed to force a weak smile when he saw Paisley. "I'm sorry for troubling you."
He hadn't wanted Leo to bother the neighbor, especially since she was a single mother. It felt inappropriate for her to visit a place filled with men like his.
Usually, he would just endure the pain until the rain stopped. But Harrowfell's damp and chilly weather seemed to intensify the agony in his leg this time, making it unbearable. Unable to watch his boss suffer, Leo had gone against his wishes and sought Paisley's help.
Paisley gave a faint smile as a form of greeting and walked inside without hesitation. To her, the patient's gender didn't matter at all. Right now, the man on the bed was nothing more than someone in need of medical assistance.
She sat on the edge of the bed, and without a word, lifted his pant leg. Taking out her needles, Paisley carefully sterilized them and began treating him, replicating the technique she had used during the last episode.
The room's atmosphere grew tense as Paisley worked. Leo was barely breathing as he watched his boss intently. Every time Paisley inserted a needle, Leo's gaze flicked to his boss's reaction.
To his astonishment, his boss, who had been writhing in pain moments ago, began to calm down visibly within a short period. Leo couldn't hide his amazement. In Montera, his boss had tried acupuncture before. While it had provided some relief, it was never this effective.
The last time Paisley had treated his boss, Leo hadn't been present to witness it, but now that he had seen it with his own eyes, his respect for her grew immensely.
Who would have thought that their young neighbor, who also happened to be the mastermind behind Cloud Crest Winery, was a skilled healer with such remarkable expertise?
With the experience from last time, Max seemed much more composed this time as Paisley rolled up his pant leg for treatment.
As the searing pain in his leg gradually subsided, a faint, familiar fragrance drifted into his nose. He recognized this scent. The last time Paisley took Serena from him, he caught a whiff of it, too. It lingered in his memory, just like the woman who carried it.
Guided by the fragrance, his gaze slowly fell on Paisley. Her brow was slightly furrowed, and her eyes focused intently on the acupuncture point she was about to needle. She was focused, careful, and beautiful.
With every needle she inserted, her brow would change with the force of her fingers, sometimes tightening, sometimes relaxing.
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck Max's leg. He looked at Paisley, noticing that her brow was deeply furrowed. It seemed that this needle required a lot of strength from her.
He quietly watched her as she continued with the acupuncture, and gradually, he found himself absorbed in the moment until she finally exhaled, relaxed, and said, "All done, let it rest for forty-five minutes before I remove the needles."
Max momentarily snapped out of it, as if awakening from a dream. He realized he had been somewhat rude, but fortunately, she hadn't noticed. He smiled faintly, "Thank you. Sorry for the trouble."
Paisley raised an eyebrow. "If you had listened last time and rested for forty-five minutes, it wouldn't have hurt this much today."
She couldn't completely cure him—after all, she wasn't a miracle worker. All she could do was offer some relief.
Hearing Paisley mention the previous incident, Leo couldn't help but feel frustrated. If he hadn't rushed over with people in such a hurry, he wouldn't have caused her to dislike him, and she wouldn't have prematurely removed the needles for his boss.
"Is there anything I can do?" Leo asked Paisley in a somewhat ingratiating tone.
"Hmm." Paisley nodded and handed Leo a prescription. "Go get the medicine according to this prescription."
She then looked at Max. "If you trust me, follow this prescription. The one you used before was good, but the medicine was too strong. Your body can't handle the extra nourishment, and it can have the opposite effect."
Max looked at the small table by the window where some medicine packages were placed, his expression becoming guarded and meaningful. Paisley noticed it but didn't press further.
Max nodded and said to Leo, "Get the medicine according to what Ms. Sutton said."
Paisley was momentarily startled, curious how Max knew her last name. They hadn't introduced themselves to each other, after all. He must have learned it from Maria and Serena, she thought.
Just as Leo was about to leave, Max called him back, pointing to the medicine packages by the window. "Throw those out."
Leo glanced at the medicine, surprised for a moment, but when he met Max's gaze, he nodded firmly, grabbing the packages and quickly leaving the room.
"Sorry to make you uncomfortable," Max said with a slight smile. He figured that Paisley must have realized something, but chose not to call attention to it. "By the way, let me introduce myself. My name is Max Godard."