From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 245: Chapter 245

Max stood at the entrance of the studio, holding an elegant food container. He was tall, had perfect body proportions, and his features were sharp and handsome.
As Paisley approached, the smile on his face softened, turning into something almost indulgent.
"Why are you here so early?" Paisley asked.
"Dad was worried you'd be hungry, so he told me to come over early." Max tilted his head slightly as he spoke, unconsciously leaning toward Paisley.
Tyson knew Paisley would be on set all day and felt bad for her. He didn't trust the catering on set, so no matter what, he insisted on having Max bring her a meal.
"Mr. Godard was already waiting at the base entrance when I arrived," Lucy said. She was the one who brought Max in.
The studio was set up inside Harrowfell's film base. Security guarded the entrance, and without proper credentials, no one could get in.
"Did I come too early?" Max glanced toward the studio as he spoke, and his gaze quickly landed on Dominick, who was sitting in front of the monitor, his face dark. Max raised an eyebrow.
"No, you got here just in time for lunch." Paisley led Max inside. Now that she had accepted their relationship, she felt much more at ease around him.
They walked one behind the other, and Paisley was about to take Max to her dressing room. But halfway there, someone blocked their path—a figure exuding an overwhelming presence.
"Paisley, why is he here?" Dominick shot Max a cold glare, his voice dripping with hostility.
Compared to Dominick's icy demeanor, Max remained calm. He smiled slightly and lifted the food container in his hand. "I'm here to have lunch with Paisy. But you—what are you doing here?"
"I'm the biggest investor in this film." Dominick couldn't be bothered with Max and instead turned his sharp gaze to Paisley. "Paisley, this is a secured filming site. Outsiders aren't allowed in. You do know that, right?"
"Is that so?" Max's gentle voice carried a hint of guilt as he looked at Paisley. "Paisy, did I come at the wrong time? Am I interrupting your work?"
Dominick was fuming. "Yes, you're a huge distraction."
Paisley chuckled at that. She could tell Dominick was just picking a fight. "You're the most idle person here. If you leave, everyone will be happy."
That line hit home for everyone on set, especially Gary. From the director and producers down to the extras and crew, everyone had long harbored resentment toward Dominick, whose unpredictable temper made his presence unbearable.
Even Sheela couldn't perform properly when Dominick was around. But unlike Paisley, none of them had the guts to say anything.
Dominick stared at Paisley, his anger turning into a twisted smile. Every word she spoke was like a knife stabbing straight into his heart.
He thought, 'So, is she pushing me away for Max's sake?'
He wanted to tell her that he had also prepared lunch—he had planned to eat with her. He had been waiting here all morning, yet the moment Max arrived, his chance to have lunch with Paisley was stolen.
Paisley couldn't be bothered with Dominick. Judging by the look on his face, she'd think she had done something unforgivable.
"I'm hungry. Let's go," she said to Max. Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked toward her dressing room.
"Alright," Max answered in his deep, soothing voice. But just as he took a step forward, Dominick blocked his path.
Max and Dominick, both of similar height, stood face to face. The tension was palpable.
No one dared to breathe too loudly, yet everyone was watching. Some of the bolder ones even pulled out their phones to record the moment.
Not far away, Sam's agent watched the scene unfold and couldn't help but click her tongue in admiration. She thought, 'Two guys with such good looks. If they were nobodies, I'd sign them on the spot. With their appearance and aura, they'd be an instant sensation.'
Then she glanced at Sam, who was shoveling food into his mouth, and her expression turned to disgust.
Meanwhile, many were curious who exactly this "brother" that Nion had mentioned was. From his looks to his presence, he was on par with Dominick.
Sheela picked at her bland salad as she mumbled to herself, "What kind of luck does Nion have? A simp of an ex-husband like Mr. Vanderbilt, and now a ridiculously handsome brother?"
"What? You interested?" the agent asked the moment she heard Sheela's comment.
Sheela was the company's top-tier actress, their golden goose. She didn't just bring in massive profits—her popularity also helped boost the company's other artists.
No matter what, Sheela could not be allowed to date. Sheela shrugged. "Nope, just curious."
Sheela's schedule was packed until the year after next. She had no time to think about anything else.
Max had no idea his presence had stirred up so much curiosity. Keeping his expression unreadable, he looked at Dominick and spoke with a hint of indifference. "Paisy's hungry. She's still waiting for me. You should leave before she sees you and gets upset."
With that, Max walked past Dominick and followed Paisley into the lounge. Under Dominick's death glare, he shut the door behind them.
Dominick didn't miss the split-second provocation in Max's gaze just as the door was about to close. He was fuming, thinking, 'Max is clearly using his status as Paisley's foster brother to get close to her on purpose. His intentions are so obvious. Couldn't Paisley see it?'
Just then, the driver rushed over, carrying an exquisitely packed meal from a private chef. Seeing Dominick's dark expression, he tensed up and quickly explained, "Mr. Vanderbilt, I'm sorry. The traffic was bad."
But Dominick had no appetite anymore—his anger alone was enough to fill him up.
Since she was on a tight schedule, Paisley's lunch break was short. After eating with her, Max left the set.
As soon as their car exited the studio's main gate, another vehicle cut them off.
"What's going on?" Leo was about to step out and check when the car in front suddenly changed direction and pulled up parallel to them.
The back window rolled down slowly, revealing Dominick's cold, sharp face.
"Max." Leo turned to look at him.
Max pressed his lips together, clearly unimpressed, but he still lowered his window. "What do you want?"
"Stay away from Paisley." Dominick got straight to the point without any pretense.
Max hadn't expected him to be this direct. He chuckled, "And what exactly is your position to warn me?"
Dominick's face darkened, his gaze turning even more chilling.
Max, however, didn't care. "If anything, you should be the one staying away from my Paisy."
"Your Paisy?" asked Dominick.
"Yeah. Any problem with that?" Max nodded. "She and I are family now. From now on, we'll be living together."
With that, he rolled up the window and said to Leo, "Let's go."
Dominick froze. Max's words hit him hard. Paisley was only in Harrowfell temporarily. Once her work there was done, she'd be leaving again. And this time, there was a real chance she'd return to the Godard family—to live with Max.