From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 164: Chapter 164

Lauren couldn't even wait to get home. She called Dominick while still in the car. "Son, listen to me. Nathaniel from the Beaumont family is after Paisy. You have to—"
"I know," said Dominick.
Lauren froze. "You know?" He knew, and he was this calm?
"Don't worry. Nathaniel won't be coming back anytime soon," said Dominick.
Hearing that, Lauren felt slightly relieved. But only for a moment before her anxiety returned. "That's not the point. Even if Nathaniel isn't coming back, his mom is still here. Let me tell you, today at the event—"
Lauren animatedly recounted everything that had happened at the gathering to Dominick. She also complained about how Paisley was warm and friendly to Diana but indifferent and dismissive toward her.
Hearing all this, Dominick finally reacted. But it wasn't the reaction Lauren was hoping for. "So, the Sullivan family went to bother Paisley again?" Dominick's voice carried a hint of anger.
"Yes, they said some really awful things. And can you believe that Christina treated Paisy so terribly? It's like she's not even her biological mom—it made my blood boil!"
The thought of how Christina had favored her adopted daughter over her biological one made Lauren furious again. But she quickly remembered that wasn't the main issue right now.
"Wait, no, son, that's not the point. The real problem is Diana!" For the first time in her life, Lauren found herself chasing after her son's romantic interest.
She and Diana had been classmates back in the day. With their similar family backgrounds, they were constantly compared to each other. This led to a mutual dislike that started in school.
Later, they both married into prominent Harrowfell families—Diana into the Beaumont family and Lauren into the Vanderbilt family. The comparisons between them never stopped.
Lauren had to admit, one of the reasons she'd initially disliked Paisley so much was because of Diana.
Diana's eldest son Morris married Julia, who was outstanding both in family background and looks, while her son Dominick married Paisley, who at the time seemed utterly unremarkable to her.
She felt that Diana had outshined her, so she had always treated Paisley poorly and never publicly acknowledged Paisley's identity. She would always bring Marissa to public events instead.
Now, she regretted her actions and wanted to make amends with Paisley. Just at this time, Diana stepped in, trying to compete with her for Paisley. Just thinking about it made Lauren so furious.
"Son, listen to me, Diana's methods are really clever. Paisy's been smiling at her today and ignoring me. You need to act fast, think of a way to win Paisy over before Diana and Nathaniel capture her heart!"
Lauren was genuinely anxious now. It wasn't just regret anymore. Her reputation was at stake. However, while Lauren was in such a hurry, Dominick on the other end of the phone remained calm. "I understand. Let's leave it at that."
Lauren noticed that Dominick seemed to want to hang up quickly, and from the sounds around him, it seemed like he wasn't at the office. "Son, where are you now?"
"Hospital."
Hearing that, Lauren immediately smiled. "Good. Go see them, make a good impression. I won't disturb you anymore."
In the hospital corridor, Dominick hung up the phone with Lauren and then quietly gave Julian a few instructions.
Julian nodded understandingly. "I'll arrange for someone to go to the Sullivan family right away."
Dominick had reached Serena's hospital room, and before he entered, he could already hear Serena laughing happily inside.
"Ah, don't make Rena laugh, her wound will hurt." It was Emery's voice, and Dominick recognized it.
"Oh, sorry, Rena." A man's voice followed, and Dominick remembered it—it was Emery's boyfriend, Teddy.
"It's okay, it's okay!" Serena's voice came through.
Hearing his daughter's cute voice, Dominick couldn't help but smile. This caught the attention of several passing nurses, who couldn't help but glance back.
"I like daddy, I want to play with daddy."
'Daddy? My daughter called another man daddy?' With this thought, Dominick's expression darkened, and the smile on his face disappeared. The nurses, startled, hurriedly left, afraid to look any further.
But then, he quickly remembered that Paisley had explained this before—that Serena often mispronounced Teddy's name as "daddy". He definitely needed to find a good teacher for this little girl in the future.
As Dominick knocked and entered the room, Serena's smile visibly faded. "Scary man, you're here again." Serena tried to maintain a polite and composed expression. "My mom's not here."
Paisley went out to work while Serena was napping. She hadn't come back yet. Dominick glanced around the room and saw that Paisley wasn't there.
"I know," Dominick said, looking a bit dejected. "I just came to see you."
Emery was the first to stand up, blocking Dominick's way, and coldly asked, "What do you want? Have you talked to Paisy?"
Dominick hadn't liked Emery much before. He thought she was overly dramatic and didn't understand why Paisley, such a quiet person, would be friends with someone like her.
But now, seeing her protect Serena, her eyes glaring at him with a warning, he understood a bit more.
It seemed that the bond between Paisley and Emery was similar to the brotherhood men often shared, where they could trust each other with their backs.
"I just came to see Serena." Dominick's tone softened as he spoke to Emery.
"For what? You're not—" Emery's words were interrupted when she saw something in Dominick's deep eyes. She furrowed her brows in surprise. "You know?"
"Yeah." Dominick nodded and lowered his voice. "Don't worry, I promised Paisley that I wouldn't let Rena know who I am until she accepts me."
Just then, Maria, hearing the voices, walked out of the bathroom. After seeing Emery's questioning glance, Maria nodded.
Once Emery was sure Dominick wouldn't harm Serena, she stepped aside, keeping her eyes on the bed from a distance.
Dominick didn't mind at all. In fact, he felt relieved that there was another person who cared for his daughter like this.
He placed the gift next to Serena's bed, watching her face with anticipation. This time, he had prepared carefully—a limited edition doll set. He wondered if she would like it.
Serena looked over, but this time, she didn't show the same obvious dislike as before.
However, she said, "Sir, you should take it back."
"What? You don't like it?" Dominick asked. Could Serena not like Barbie dolls?
"No," Serena shook her head. "I already have this one. My mom bought it for me a long time ago, and I have a lot of them at home."
Serena didn't understand the meaning and value of a limited edition. She only knew she already had this doll, so she didn't need another one.
"I see," Dominick responded lightly, the loneliness in his eyes deepening. Twice now, he hadn't given her a gift she liked. "Can you tell me what you like? What do you want? I can give it to you."
Emery watched Dominick and couldn't help but think how humble this once proud man looked now.
But Serena shook her head, "No, I really don't need anything. Mom taught me not to take other people's things. You've already given me a gift once, you don't need to give me another one."
Serena's mention of "other people" felt like a sharp sword, piercing Dominick's heart. "Rena, I'm not just anyone, I—"