From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Before anyone could say anything, Serena had somehow wandered over to Dominick, grabbed his hand with her little fingers, and started tugging him toward the couch. "Sir, please sit."
Dominick felt the warm, soft hand in his, and for a second, it was like his heart was suddenly full. He just let her lead him over to the couch without a word.
Paisley, trying to be polite but still wanting to get rid of them, spoke up, "Rena, they're leaving soon."
She didn't want to seem too cold in front of Serena, but at the same time, she was ready for this awkward visit to be over.
Serena, though, wasn't picking up on any of that. Her big, innocent eyes blinking up at Paisley, she said, "But Mom, you say when we have guests, we should treat them properly. They've been standing for ages. That's not right."
Serena thought to herself, 'This man indeed seemed a bit scary yesterday and asked my mom so many questions, but Mom said he was a guest, so that means I should be nice to him.'
Dominick couldn't help but smirk, watching Paisley get caught in an uncomfortable situation in front of her daughter.
After guiding Dominick to the couch, Serena turned to Grayson, but her voice wasn't as soft as it had been with Dominick. It sounded a little stiff, maybe even a bit awkward. "Grayson, come and take a seat."
It wasn't an invitation to be close; it was more like a polite order. Now she was the host, and Grayson was the guest.
Grayson shuffled over to the couch, looking like he was doing it under duress.
Paisley wanted to say they had already stayed for a while and were about to leave. But before she could speak, Serena had already run off to get some drinks.
A few moments later, Serena came back with a glass of juice and passed it to Dominick. "Sir, the juice is made by my mom. It's really good. You should try it."
In her hurry, Serena didn't quite have the best balance. Her legs moved too fast, and she wobbled as she tried to walk.
Both Dominick and Paisley were startled, seeing what was about to happen. Dominick's long legs got him there first. He quickly swooped down and caught Serena just in time, lifting her up with one arm. But the juice spilled all over him right down his suit jacket.
Realizing she had messed up, Serena was embarrassed, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Dominick was still holding her in one arm. He gently took the empty cup from her with his other hand and coaxed, "It's okay, it's okay."
Paisley rushed over, still a little shaken, and took Serena from Dominick's arms. She wasn't too worried about the juice, but Serena had a little scrape on her hand, and she didn't want the wound to get worse.
Paisley carefully placed Serena on the couch and then turned her attention to Dominick, who now looked like he'd just stepped out of a fruit salad, with juice stains and bits of pulp all over his jacket.
She sighed, "Let me take care of that. Get your jacket off, and I'll clean it for you." She pointed to the bathroom and added, "You can wash up a bit over there."
Dominick had a look at his jacket covered in juice and bits of fruit and reluctantly nodded. He took his jacket off and went to the bathroom to give his hands a quick rinse.
The bathroom wasn't big, but it smelled nice and fresh. Dominick glanced around without much thought, but his eyes froze when he spotted something unusual—three toothbrushes on the sink.
The first, with a little frog, was a child's toothbrush. The second was probably Paisley's, and the third one...
With his arms on his hips, Dominick inspected the whole bathroom but couldn't find any men's toiletries—razor or shaving cream.
In the living room, he didn't see a single sign of a man either.
Except for that extra toothbrush on the sink and the large slippers he was wearing, there was no sign of men's items in the whole apartment.
In the living room, Paisley was quietly wiping down Dominick's suit jacket with a dry cloth.
Grayson and Serena sat on the couch in an almost eerie silence, neither looking at the other.
Compared to earlier, Grayson had calmed down, his eyes wandering around the room, his curiosity evident. When their gazes met, he awkwardly looked away, his discomfort still hanging in the air. Serena, on the other hand, pouted, ignoring him but not bothering him either.
When Dominick walked out, the scene before him almost felt too perfect to interrupt. He paused in his tracks and subconsciously held his breath, not wanting to break the peaceful moment.
Paisley finished with the jacket and looked up, only to see Dominick standing there with his eyes locked on her. She furrowed her brows, wondering what was up with this guy now.
Standing up with the jacket in her hand, she said, "I've only done a quick fix. You can't tell from a distance, but since this suit is expensive, you'd better take it to a pro soon. Don't leave it too long."
Dominick's face darkened. He felt how desperate she was to push him out the door.
He casually grabbed the jacket and draped it over his arm. "No worries, it's just a jacket."
Paisley rolled her eyes and thought, 'Well, of course, it's just a jacket to him.'
Dominic added, "I noticed the ceiling light in the bathroom is not working. Do you want me to fix it?"
Paisley blinked, remembering that the light had been out for a while, but she hadn't had the time to deal with it. She simply replied, "Oh, it just needs a new bulb. I can do it myself."
"Let me help you," Dominick said while tossing the jacket aside and rolling up his sleeves, revealing the strong muscles in his arms.
This time, Paisley didn't refuse. She needed the bulb changed and a free worker offered to help. She found no reason to turn him down. But she eyed him skeptically and asked, "Can you?"
Paisley figured as the honorable heir to the Vanderbilt family, Dominick might have never done such things by himself.
Dominick raised his eyebrows, clearly irritated by her question. He asked, "Got a new bulb?"
"Yeah, I already bought one." Paisley handed him the new bulb before she went to the balcony to bring in a step ladder.
"Give it to me," Dominick said, effortlessly lifting the heavy ladder with one hand.
As he made his way to the bathroom, he called over his shoulder to Grayson, "Sonny, take care of Serena."
Grayson, who was about to protest, caught the warning in his father's eyes. With a huff, he shut his mouth and sulked back onto the couch.
Dominick set up the ladder with surprising ease and stepped on the first two rungs to reach the ceiling. He unscrewed the lampshade, took out the broken bulb, set it on the ladder, and quickly replaced it with a new one.
Paisley looked up at his gesture and was a little stunned. She hadn't expected Dominick to actually follow through and change the bulb.
To make the job easier, Dominick unbuttoned the top of his shirt and tilted his head up to focus entirely on the task. His sharp jawline was more defined with the tilt of his head, and his Adam's apple looked downright sexy.
The tailored shirt clung to his chest and arms as he moved, making his muscles more pronounced with every motion.
His hands were huge, and he could easily hold two or three bulbs at a time. His veins were visible, stretching over his forearms as he worked, showcasing his toned physique.
Paisley couldn't deny that he was somehow unbelievably hot when he changed the bulb.