From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 253: Chapter 253

Paisley had been raised by an elderly man who adopted her, making her well accustomed to affection from older men. In fact, Paul had cared for her deeply for many years. Throughout her marriage to Dominick, Paul had always treated her with kindness.
But for over twenty years, she had never known the presence of a caring elderly woman in her life. That made her, someone who was usually indifferent about everything, feel a little uneasy.
Max noticed Paisley's discomfort and reassured her in a soft voice. "Don't worry, Grandma is really easygoing."
"Mm." Paisley nodded, but she didn't actually feel any better.
Compared to her, Serena seemed much more composed.
Paisley picked up the gift she had brought for Anna and followed Max to Anna's residence.
Along the way, Serena stayed in Max's arms. She was well-behaved and cooperative, even snuggling against Max's shoulder with her tiny arms wrapped around his neck.
A lot of the Godard family's servants saw this scene. "Whoa, did you see that? Max is actually carrying a child!"
It was no surprise they were shocked—Max had never shown affection toward any of the children in the Godard family. Even Bella, who was deeply adored, had never received the slightest bit of favoritism from Max.
That was why there had always been rumors that Max didn't like kids.
"Yeah, yeah, they kinda look like father and daughter."
"What are you talking about? That's our eldest lady's daughter. Didn't you see? The woman behind Max is our eldest lady."
At first, everyone was too surprised by Max carrying a child. Only now did they notice Paisley walking behind him.
"Wow, the eldest lady is so beautiful! She's just as stunning as Josie."
"People always say nieces take after their aunts. And honestly, her face shape and lips do look a lot like Josie's."
"She and Max actually look really good together."
Paisley was still feeling a bit reserved, so she wasn't paying much attention to what they were saying.
Max, walking ahead of her, seemed indifferent as well. But the corners of his gorgeous lips curved up slightly on their own.
Not long after, they arrived at Anna's residence. Before they even stepped inside, Anna's cheerful laughter rang out from within. "Oh my! My precious granddaughter is here!"
Supported by two caretakers, Anna walked out. As soon as she saw Serena in Max's arms, her face trembled with excitement. "This must be Rena, my sweet little great-grandchild!"
"Hello, Great-Grandma." Before they arrived, Paisley had already taught Serena how to address Anna.
Anna beamed with joy. She wanted to hold Serena but was afraid of dropping her, so she simply leaned in, stroked Serena's little face, and then took out a gold jewelry, hanging it around Serena's neck. "This is a gift for you."
Serena felt the weight on her neck, looked down at the gold jewelry, and said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, my little sweetheart," Anna chuckled, and then turned to Paisley, her eyes reddening, and her voice choked with emotion. "Come here, my dear."
Paisley took a few steps forward. As soon as she got close, Anna grabbed her hands tightly.
Feeling the warmth of Anna's palms, Paisley suddenly didn't feel as awkward anymore. "Grandma."
Anna was beyond excited and wouldn't let go of Paisley's hand. It was Max who reminded her they were still outside, and only then did she snap out of it and hurry everyone inside.
The moment they sat down, Anna couldn't wait to pull Serena onto her lap, holding her tight like she could never get enough. "She's gorgeous."
"Grandma, I know you love tea, and this was made by Paisy herself." Max placed the herbal tea Paisley had brought in front of Anna. "You won't find this in stores."
The moment Anna heard that Paisley had made the tea herself, her smile widened. "I never knew my granddaughter had such a skill! Hurry up and brew a pot—I want to try it."
The tall caregiver standing beside Anna walked over, picked up the tea, and examined the simple packaging. Her expression turned complicated as she glanced at Paisley. Then, she walked over to the tea table and started brewing the tea.
While waiting, Paisley took out an ornamental clasp made of warm jade and gold-trimmed emeralds.
"Grandma, this is for you. I hope you like it." Paisley held the clasp with both hands and presented it to Anna.
Paisley had learned from Tyson that Anna liked wearing gowns. At first, she thought about asking Emery for help in getting a gown tailored for Anna.
But time was too tight, and Paisley didn't know Anna's exact measurements. After thinking it over, she decided to bid on this antique clasp at an auction instead.
Anna had been born into a scholarly family and later married into the Godard family through an arranged marriage. She had seen her fair share of fine things. At a single glance, Anna could tell the clasp Paisley gave her was of great value.
Just looking at the jade's translucency, Anna knew it was top-quality.
"Just seeing you is already a best gift for me. It should be me giving you something, not the other way around," Anna said this, but she still happily accepted the clasp.
By then, the tea was ready, and a rich fragrance filled the room.
Anna took a deep breath, savoring the aroma. "Mmm, good tea. It smells different from regular tea. Did you add something else?"
"Yes, a few herbs that are good for the body," Paisley answered honestly.
The caregiver carrying the tea stopped in her tracks. "What? There are herbs in it? Anna, you can't just drink that—you need to be careful with your health."
Anna's hand, which was about to take the tea, hesitated.
Paisley was about to explain, but Max's face darkened first. "Are you saying Paisy would harm Grandma?"
The tall caregiver flinched at Max's expression and quickly defended herself. "I was only being cautious about Anna's health. That's my responsibility as her caregiver."
Max wanted to say more, but Anna simply smiled and took the tea. "It's fine. I know Paisy's skills—Tyson has told me all about them."
With that, Anna took a careful sip, completely at ease. "Mmm, my granddaughter's got talent."
Then she turned to the tall caregiver. "This has nothing to do with you anymore. Go on and take care of your own tasks—I want to chat with Paisy."
"Great-grandma, and me too!" Serena chimed in.
Anna burst into laughter. "Of course, we can't forget our little Rena."
The two caregivers left the front hall one after another, heading to their break room.
"How stingy. This is the first time I've seen someone give Anna cheap tea leaves as a gift. Look at that packaging—what even is that? You can tell it's worthless at a glance. Anna's just being polite, actually drinking it," The tall caregiver sneered.
The shorter caregiver said, "You weren't there when she gave it, but the young lady also gifted Anna a jade clasp."
The tall caregiver scoffed, "I bet Max paid for it. If not, then it was Tyson. They probably couldn't stand that lousy bag of tea either."
Once the caregivers were gone and only the family remained, Anna turned to Paisley, her tone serious. "Your father told me about what happened in Brightmoor. Thank you, my dear. If not for you, this family would have fallen apart.
"But, girl, this is about the Godard family's reputation. If word got out that brothers were fighting among themselves, it wouldn't sound good. That's why I had your father keep it quiet. You shouldn't talk about it to others either. Just pretend it never happened, okay?"