From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 133: Chapter 133

"Oh, that's my ex-husband," Paisley stated the connection between her and Dominick without hesitation. There was no reason to hide it.
"I see." A hint of apology flashed across Max's face. "I may have said something that could have caused a misunderstanding. I hope that doesn't cause you any trouble."
"Don't worry about it. He and I have been over for a long time."
Max nodded in understanding. After chatting briefly, he finally got into his car and drove away.
Inside the car, on the passenger seat, Leo turned his head, feigning casual curiosity. "Max, if you were that curious about the guy, why didn't you just ask Maria during the day?"
Maria was the housekeeper Paisley trusted the most—she definitely knew who that man was.
Max wasn't pleased that Leo had just exposed a secret thought he had been trying to suppress. He kicked the back of the passenger seat. "You got too much free time, huh? Have you finished all the tasks I assigned you?"
Faced with his boss's rapid-fire interrogation, Leo immediately turned back around, sitting straight like a disciplined soldier. Just then, his phone rang. He stole a glance at Max before cautiously answering it.
After a brief conversation, he hung up, his previous playfulness vanishing as he turned serious. "Max, someone was investigating us this afternoon."
Max's gaze turned sharp. "Who?"
Could it be the people from Montera coming after him again? They messed with his medicine, and now they wanted to try something different?
"It's the Vanderbilt family from Harrowfell." Leo's answer was unexpected.
"The Vanderbilt family?" Max's expression grew complicated.
Max was well aware of the Vanderbilt family in Harrowfell. Their business dealings were rare, as one family was based in Harrowfell and the other in Montera, separated by a great distance. More importantly, Max himself had never crossed paths with anyone from the Vanderbilt family.
"Yes, the heir to the Vanderbilt family, Dominick, the current CEO of the Vanderbilt Group," Leo said, his tone equally complex. "And what's more, he's investigating us openly, not even trying to hide it. It feels like he's—"
"Sending a warning." Max's gaze deepened as a suspicion began to form in his mind. He took out his phone and searched for Dominick. Seeing Dominick's photo on the screen confirmed his hunch.
"Yes, exactly! Like he's trying to send a warning!" Leo's eyes lit up as he slipped into flattery mode. "Damn, boss. You figured it out so fast!"
Max didn't enjoy the compliment at all. "If you don't know how to compliment someone, just shut up."
Leo chuckled awkwardly before regaining his serious demeanor. "How should we respond?"
Looking out the car window, Max replied lazily, "Ignore him."
In the study at Vanderbilt Manor, Dominick stared at the tablet in front of him, where Julian had compiled information about Max based on his car's license plate. Dominick's brows furrowed tightly. "Max Godard."
"Yes, Montera's Godard family. He's the adopted son of Tyson Godard, the current head of the family."
"Is he married?" Dominick asked.
Julian hesitated, puzzled by the question, but answered truthfully, "No, he's always been single. It's rumored that he's not in good health."
"Not in good health," Dominick muttered, his thoughts turning over. Could someone like that even father a child?
After he heard that Max was single, Dominick's tightly furrowed brows noticeably relaxed. Whether or not Serena was Max's, the fact that he was unmarried suggested that Paisley hadn't granted him any official status.
Seeing his boss's evident change in demeanor, Julian grew increasingly puzzled. He struggled to piece his thoughts back together before continuing.
"Yes, his health is poor. He suffered severe injuries years ago and almost died."
"Why didn't he just die?" Dominick murmured under his breath, nearly stabbing his finger through the tablet screen in frustration.
Julian froze, staring in disbelief. Did his boss just say that? He swallowed nervously before continuing.
"Well, yeah, he survived. Now, Tyson is grooming him as a successor, but there's reportedly a lot of internal opposition within the family. As for why he's in Harrowfell, I couldn't find anything."
Dominick tapped his chin, his expression unreadable. While he hadn't had much interaction with the Montera Godard family, he'd heard plenty of rumors about them. For instance, Tyson, the current head of the family, was considered a legendary figure.
"What's going on? Why did you suddenly ask me to investigate Max?" Julian finally couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"I suspect that Max is the father of Paisley's daughter," Dominick replied bluntly, not hiding his thoughts.
"What?" Julian was shocked. "That can't be."
"I saw him today while I was out with Sonny. He was flying kites with Paisley's daughter," Dominick said, his voice filled with reluctance. "He told me himself that she's his child."
"Well," Julian sighed, unsure how to console his boss.
If the biological father of Paisley's daughter were an ordinary man or someone less powerful than Dominick, he might have been able to win Paisley back through persistence or certain tactics.
But if the father was the successor of Tyson Godard, it would make things much more difficult even though Max was adopted.
To make matters worse, the Godard family had a deeper foundation than the Vanderbilt family. And Montera wasn't just any city—it was the capital and the center of power.
Dominick looked up and asked Julian, "Did the investigation get noticed?"
"Yes," Julian admitted nervously. "But wasn't it your idea to make it obvious?"
"Right." Dominick nodded.
He had intended to investigate openly, without concealing his identity. The goal was to make it clear to Max who he was dealing with—a deliberate show of power. But now, it seemed his show of power hadn't been very effective.
Facing an opponent of equal strength was proving to be a headache. The real issue, however, was Max's trump card: Serena. Paisley deeply loved Serena. But did she still love Sonny?
Dominick's frustration boiled over as his thoughts spiraled uncontrollably. The more he thought about it, the more his head throbbed and his temper flared. He tossed the tablet onto the table and stood abruptly, pacing back and forth, anger simmering in his chest.
Paisley's daughter was three years old. That meant she must have met that Max guy while she was still married to him. And then, right after their divorce, she seamlessly got pregnant with that man's child.
Had she been with him since she disappeared? Were they living together? Were they planning to get married?
"How could Paisley do this to me?" Dominick growled, his eyes red as he pointed at the tablet screen, Max's face glaring back at him. "What's so great about this guy?"
Julian froze, unsure of how to respond, and finally offered a stiff reminder, "Sir, it's about time. We need to head to the airport."
Dominick glanced at his watch and realized they were already late. They were supposed to leave hours ago, but the newly hired family tutor had insisted on creating some "precious father-son bonding time," forcing Dominick to alter his schedule.
His frustration mounted as he put on his coat. "Keep digging," he barked, pointing again at Max's photo on the screen. "I want to know everything about him—where he lives, and whether he's in contact with Paisley."
"Understood," Julian said, following Dominick out of the study.
As they stepped into the hallway, they saw a woman carrying a bowl of soup walking toward them.
Julian narrowed his eyes. Wasn't this Sonny's family tutor?