From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 182: Chapter 182

Paisley accepted Diana's invitation and went to the Beaumont Villa.
In the flower hall, Diana held a photo album, eagerly flipping through the pages as she told stories with great enthusiasm.
"Paisy, look at this one. This was taken when Nathaniel was in kindergarten. See how adorable he was back then?" Diana gazed at the photo of Nathaniel, her eyes filled with affection.
Her manicured fingers gently brushed over the picture, a trace of longing and nostalgia appearing in her eyes.
Paisley took in the scene, a faint smile on her lips as she glanced at the photo.
In the picture, Nathaniel was dressed in a little suit, posing coolly like a miniature adult. But even so, he still looked as cute as a little girl.
Thinking that, Paisley said aloud, "Yeah, he's really cute. Like a little girl."
Diana looked up and met Paisley's gaze, her tone lively. "Right? Nathaniel has been handsome since he was little. I used to love dressing him up. But I guess too many people said he looked like a girl, and he got upset about it.
"After that, he never let me dress him up again. When taking pictures, he always insisted on striking these cool poses."
Paisley could easily imagine a younger Nathaniel trying to act tough while struggling with his awkwardness.
But in the next second, Diana, as his mother, suddenly changed the subject. "Who would've thought? Now he dresses himself up all the time. Always looking flashy, like a peacock in full display."
Paisley nodded in agreement.
As Diana flipped through Nathaniel's photos, she discreetly observed Paisley's reactions. Seeing that Paisley wasn't put off but instead had a smile on her face the whole time, Diana felt relieved. Her speech and actions became more relaxed.
As they neared the end of the album, Diana said, "These are from Nathaniel's high school years."
"Huh? We're already at his high school photos?" asked Paisley. Just a page ago, they were looking at his elementary school pictures.
"Yeah, there was a time when he was ridiculously rebellious. He hated taking pictures and spent his days—" Diana suddenly realized she shouldn't be badmouthing Nathaniel in front of Paisley. She quickly changed her words.
"You know how boys are. Once they grow up, they don't like taking pictures anymore. This one here—I had to force him to take it at his high school graduation ceremony."
Diana happily stroked the photo. "See? He still looked great back then, didn't he? So many girls had a crush on him."
In the picture, Nathaniel clearly looked impatient. His hands were on his hips, his brows slightly furrowed, and every strand of his hair seemed to scream reluctance. But undeniably, even with that attitude, Nathaniel was still handsome.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, Paisley noticed a familiar figure at the edge of the photo. It was Dominick.
Paisley's expression froze for a moment before she quickly looked away. She thought they were high school classmates. It was normal for him to be in the picture.
Diana had also noticed Dominick in the photo. His face was expressionless, as if talking to someone. Even at eighteen or nineteen, he already carried a natural air of authority.
It was a stark contrast to her son, Nathaniel, who was standing beside him, looking annoyed just because he had to take a picture.
Diana suddenly felt a pang of frustration. She had originally intended to talk up her son to Paisley, but it felt like she had ended up promoting Dominick instead.
Frustrated, Diana abruptly closed the album and flashed Paisley a bright smile. "Paisy, Nathaniel should be resting right now. How about we video call him?"
As she spoke, Diana seemed to be asking for Paisley's opinion, but in reality, her fingers had already dialed the call.
After a moment of ringing, Nathaniel finally picked up. His face filled the entire screen. He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes and noticeable stubble around his mouth. Gone was the usual image of a carefree, flamboyant nepo baby—the showy peacock.
"Mom, why are you calling me at this hour?" Even his voice sounded lazy and lifeless.
Seeing her son's disheveled appearance, Diana's face immediately darkened. "What's with this look?"
Nathaniel still had no idea why Diana was upset. He blinked innocently. "What do you mean? What else am I supposed to look like? This damn place is killing me! And Grandpa won't even let me come back... Mom, I—"
Just then, Diana's hand trembled slightly, and Paisley, who had been sitting beside her, accidentally appeared on screen.
Nathaniel, who had been complaining nonstop, immediately went silent. The entire screen seemed to freeze for a second, as if the call had lagged.
Soon, his hesitant voice came through. "Mom... Who was that I just saw next to you?"
Diana knew Paisley had already seen Nathaniel looking this rough, so she had no choice but to turn the phone toward Paisley.
Paisley waved at the screen. "Hey there, Prince Charming."
"Prince Charming" was Serena's nickname for Nathaniel.
Once again, the video feed seemed to have frozen.
Just as Paisley thought Nathaniel had actually lagged out this time, commotion broke out on his end. It sounded like he had jumped up from somewhere and was running in a hurry. "Mom, what the hell? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
Diana regretted it too. She had only called on a whim, thinking it would be a good chance for Nathaniel and Paisley to see each other. She didn't expect that Nathaniel would be such a mess.
"Hanging up now." Nathaniel ended the call himself.
Diana looked a little embarrassed as she turned to Paisley. "That kid... He cares too much about his image."
But after Diana laughed about it, a hint of sadness and concern appeared on Diana's face. "I've never seen him look like this before. Things at the factory must be rough."
"Why was Nathaniel sent to the factory? Didn't he just open a club?" asked Paisley.
That club was quite large. If managed well, it could secure a significant share of Harrowfell's high-end entertainment market.
Diana simply looked at Paisley and didn't continue the topic. "Here, have some coffee."
Paisley took the coffee Diana handed her and sipped it slowly, savoring the lingering fragrance. "Good coffee."
Paisley didn't ask further questions. Previously, she hadn't known much about the Beaumont family or Axion Enterprises.
It wasn't until this time, after Linna's investigation revealed that the Sullivan family had recently connected with the Beaumonts through unknown means, that she gained some understanding.
So far, the Beaumont family was still under the control of Byron.
Byron had two sons, and currently his favored heir and central figure of the Beaumont family's power was his eldest son Peter, who was Diana's husband.
Peter had three children. The eldest son and eldest daughter were born to his first wife. Only Nathaniel was Diana's biological son.
Diana took a sip of coffee and sighed, "Honestly, I never had high expectations for Nathaniel. As long as he lives a smooth and comfortable life, that's enough for me."
Diana thought, 'To be with the woman he loves, to live the life he wants. After all, children from families like ours rarely have the freedom to choose their own lives. Just like me—back then, I didn't want to marry Peter, but I had no choice at all.'
Over the years, no matter how well Diana treated Peter's children from his first marriage, there was always a barrier between them, making it impossible to truly connect. They always remained guarded against her and Nathaniel.
That was why Diana would do everything in her power to secure the future Nathaniel wanted.
Diana turned to Paisley. "Paisy, actually, my Nathaniel really li—"
"Dear teacher, these flowers are so beautiful," Linna, who had been silent all this time, suddenly interrupted, cutting off what Diana was about to say.
Diana's expression turned slightly awkward. She had almost forgotten that Paisley had brought someone with her.
Since Linna addressed Paisley as "teacher" and was able to accompany her, Diana believed that she must be someone important to Paisley.
With that thought, Diana softened her gaze toward Linna. "If you like them, I'll give them to you."
Linna waved her hands quickly. "No need. I wouldn't be able to take care of them. I just want to admire them."
Diana nodded and turned back to Paisley. "Paisy, my Nathaniel—"
"Oh, Paisley, this coffee smells amazing," Linna interrupted Diana again.
Having her words cut off repeatedly, and with Paisley not stopping or reprimanding the impulsive Linna, Diana—being the matriarch of the Beaumont family—could see that Linna and Paisley were working together on her.
When Diana looked at Paisley's ever-calm smile, she immediately understood that Paisley had no romantic feelings for Nathaniel at all.
However, Diana only felt disheartened for a moment before quickly recovering. 'Feelings could be cultivated,' she thought.
With that thought, Diana pulled herself together again. Just as she was about to say something, an abrupt and discordant voice rang out. "Paisley, why are you here?"