From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 260: Chapter 260

Because Anna had controlled the information about what happened in Brightmoor, and Edmond had deliberately spread a different narrative, the Godard family and the elite circles of Montera believed that Paisley was nothing more than a single mother raising a child on her own while working as a regular screenwriter.
They thought Paisley was just someone who had struggled for years and then suddenly struck it rich overnight.
Besides, Paisley hadn't grown up by Tyson's side. Even if she was Tyson's biological daughter, their bond definitely wouldn't surpass Tyson's bond with Max.
That was why most people still looked down on Paisley. Since Tyson had acknowledged her, they figured she should just live comfortably as a pampered socialite. Even Edmond thought the same way.
Back in Brightmoor, Edmond left early, and at the time, he had assumed Paisley was just Max's little girlfriend. It was only later that he found out she was actually Tyson's biological daughter.
Because he had never taken her seriously, even after learning her true identity, Edmond didn't bother doing anything about her—not even investigating her. To him, Paisley was just a woman.
At best, she'd be like Josie, spoiled by the Godard family for a lifetime, and posing no real threat to him—certainly not as much as Max, the adopted son.
But today, Tyson's series of unusual behaviors made Edmond realize that things might not be as simple as he thought.
First, at the shareholders' meeting, Tyson had actually answered a video call from Paisley and Serena in front of everyone. Something like that was unheard of for Tyson in the past.
Tyson had always prioritized work and profit above all else, and no one had ever managed to change that. Not even Anna. Unless it was a life-or-death situation, she probably wouldn't have been able to change that either.
Yet today, because of Paisley and Serena, Tyson had broken his own rules. And it wasn't just any ordinary moment—it was during the annual shareholders' meeting, one of the most serious occasions.
If it had been just that, it might have been excusable. But then what happened just now had further proven how important Paisley was to Tyson.
Zim's words left a deep impression on Edmond.
Edmond thought, 'Could it be that Tyson really intends to hand over the Godard family to Paisley, that everyone in the family, including me, has to answer to Paisley, a woman who goes out shopping for luxury goods even when her father is sick?'
Edmond glanced at his son, Christopher. Receiving the silent signal, Christopher adjusted Bella in his arms and casually joked with Zim, "You must be kidding. No matter how reckless Tyson is, he wouldn't joke about the family and the company's future like that."
Zim shrugged, looking indifferent, and responded with the same joking tone. "Who knows? If Paisy isn't capable enough, they could always find her a competent husband to handle things."
Just like Josie—she wasn't interested in the company, so she had Zim placed inside to act on her behalf using her authority.
Zim's abilities were undeniable. But unfortunately, no matter how capable he was, without an outstanding family background, none of it really mattered.
In all of Montera, everyone knew Josie. But when it came to Zim, most people would just say, "Oh, the live-in son-in-law of the Godard family?"
If the Godard family had once taken in a live-in son-in-law for Josie, they could just as easily do it again for Paisley. And there was already a perfect candidate right beside him. Max—the adopted son Tyson had raised since childhood, training him as an heir.
Back in Brightmoor, Edmond had already noticed something different about the way Max treated Paisley. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so sure that Paisley was Max's girlfriend.
Logically speaking, now that Paisley, the biological daughter, had returned, Max, as the adopted son, should have felt the greatest sense of crisis.
But from the looks of it, not only did Max not feel threatened, he actually seemed really happy. The way he treated Paisley was as if she were his own flesh and blood.
Zim might have spoken casually, but Edmond had been listening carefully.
Edmond thought, 'Well. My dear elder brother really is as cunning as ever. Keeping Max close by, easily switching between adopted son and son-in-law whenever needed.
'And Max has ended up taking on almost all the pressure and attacks from the outside world instead of Paisley. When the time came, Tyson could grandly welcome his biological daughter back while reaping all the benefits. And to top it off, he has Max's help right by his side.'
The more Edmond thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was exactly what was happening. He continued thinking, 'Tyson, you really think you can hand over everything in the Godard family to that clueless daughter of yours? Dream on.'
"Let's go. We're leaving." Edmond's face darkened as he barked out the order and turned on his heel.
Christopher's expression wasn't any better. As Edmond's son, he could naturally piece everything together just as his father had.
Only Florence was still stuck in the humiliation she had just suffered. But when both her Christopher and Edmond walked off without even sparing her a glance, she was left standing there, ignored.
She felt there was no point in wallowing in her grievance alone, so she could only stomp her foot in frustration and leave.
Once the entire second branch of the family had left, the garden of the pink castle was silent except for Zim standing there alone. He glanced at the dreamy pink castle, and then at the carousel. His brow lifted slightly, the corners of his lips curling into a lighthearted smile.
Meanwhile, over at the main residence, Tyson had just returned when Cole reported everything that had happened after Paisley's arrival in full detail. That included Keeley's outburst and all the rumors the Godard family's Lily servants had been spreading about Paisley.
Ever since coming back from Harrowfell, Tyson had been busy recuperating while also dealing with the massive backlog of family and business matters, leaving him no time to focus on anything else.
Plus, because Anna had made him and Max keep quiet about what had happened in Brightmoor, he had rarely mentioned Paisley.
But deep down, there was another reason—he had been worried that Edmond might secretly make a move against Paisley.
Max had arranged for people to watch over Paisley in Harrowfell, and she had plenty of capable subordinates by her side, not to mention the fact that both the Vanderbilt family and the Beaumont family were protecting her in Harrowfell, ensuring that nothing would happen to her.
As a father, however, Tyson still couldn't help but worry about Paisley. But what he hadn't expected was that precisely because he had rarely brought up Paisley, those with ulterior motives had taken advantage of the situation.
Tyson thought, 'They actually dared to spread such lies and slander about my precious daughter? Even that Keeley had the guts to strut around in front of Paisley?'
Seeing how angry Tyson was, Cole quickly reassured him. "Sir, don't worry. I stopped Keeley before she could cause trouble for the young lady. And I've already warned the others to watch their mouths."
Watching Tyson's reaction, Cole became even more convinced that he had done the right thing by standing up for Paisley, even if it meant offending Keeley.
"Cole, thank you." Tyson's gratitude was heartfelt. Then his face darkened. He couldn't let Edmond and the others keep smearing Paisley's name. "Looks like today's punishment was too light."
Compared to Tyson's anger, Paisley herself was much calmer. Reputation alone didn't hold much power over her. Especially the opinions of people she didn't care about—they meant even less.
That evening, as planned, Paisley brought Serena over to Anna's place for dinner as a family.
By the time they arrived, the second branch of the family was already there.
When Florence saw Paisley, she averted her gaze awkwardly without saying a word. Bella wasn't by her side.
Edmond, on the other hand, smiled warmly and waved Paisley over. "Come, Paisley, sit next to me."
But Tyson shot him a sharp glare. "Why should my daughter sit next to you?"
With that, he pulled Paisley straight to the seat beside him.