From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 276: Chapter 276

The dining room filled with the sound of collective sharp intakes of breath.
The Godard family members exchanged looks, all seeing disbelief reflected in each other's eyes.
They thought, 'Did we hear that right? Did we see that right?'
Joshua had actually called Paisley "Cousin" and even took the initiative to speak to her.
Even Tyson and Max were utterly stunned. They thought, 'How did one night change things so drastically between Joshua and Paisley?'
Everyone knew that Joshua barely acknowledged Jolin as his actual older sister.
Yet right now, he had just called Paisley "Cousin" and even wanted to play chess with her.
"Joshua, you've been playing all night. Aren't you tired?" Paisley had dark circles under her eyes just like Joshua.
Last night, they had agreed that she would play just one game with him.
But one game led to another, and in the end, Jolin couldn't stay awake and fell asleep, while the two of them kept going.
"Paisy, you know how to play chess?" Tyson asked in surprise.
"Mm, a little," Paisley answered humbly.
But everyone present knew that if Joshua had chased after her to play chess all night, it was definitely not just "a little."
Sure enough, Joshua spoke up next. "Paisley, I have to win against you at least once."
After playing all night, Joshua still hadn't won against Paisley.
The fact that Joshua had lost the entire night without having an emotional breakdown proved that he truly acknowledged Paisley.
And that, in turn, meant that Paisley's chess skills were undeniably above Joshua's.
Realizing this, everyone's gaze toward Paisley changed yet again.
It was Anna who finally broke the silence. "So, Paisy, you overslept because you played chess with Joshua all night?"
Paisley smiled bitterly and nodded. She felt like she had unknowingly gotten herself involved with someone she shouldn't have. She could already imagine Joshua pestering her for more games in the future.
"Oh, Paisy, you've really impressed me!" Anna said excitedly.
Tyson sat down with a proud and smug expression, as if Anna had been praising him instead of Paisley. This made him prouder than if Anna had just been praising him.
Max gazed at Paisley. "If you were up all night, why didn't you say something? We wouldn't have woken you up."
It was just breakfast. If Paisley hadn't come, it wouldn't have been a big deal.
Paisley shook her head, indicating that she was fine and could go back to sleep after eating.
Max thoughtfully pulled out a chair for Paisley, and then turned to Joshua. "Your sister is very tired. She needs to rest after breakfast."
Joshua really wanted to continue playing chess with Paisley, but he was still wary of Max.
"I'll play with you after I get some rest if I have time," Paisley told Joshua.
"Alright," Joshua agreed readily. He could use the time while his sister rested to review the games.
The Godard family hadn't seen such an easygoing Joshua in years.
For a moment, it felt like he had returned to how he used to be.
Anna's eyes welled up with tears, deeply moved.
All these years, Joshua's psychological issues had always been a burden on her mind. If she could get rid of this burden, she would feel at peace even in death.
Max placed Serena in the baby chair between himself and Paisley. As soon as Serena sat down, she spotted Bella across from her.
The moment Serena thought about how Bella had falsely accused her of being a thief and even caused her to fall off the wooden horse, Serena's face turned cold. She immediately looked away, refusing to acknowledge her.
Bella had never liked Serena, and now, seeing Serena deliberately turning her head away, she felt even more upset. Forgetting what she had said earlier, she pouted and ignored Serena as well.
This time, Florence didn't force Bella to greet Serena. She had already made Bella compromise when speaking to Anna earlier.
Now that the other party wasn't taking the initiative to talk to Bella, there was no need for her Bella to bother with that low-class girl.
Breakfast was almost over when Jolin finally arrived, yawning and leisurely walking in.
Everyone understood the nature of her work, so no one said anything about her late arrival.
Florence immediately stood up with enthusiasm, smiling warmly at Jolin. "Jolin, you're here! Come sit down. You must be exhausted lately. You look so worn out."
Because of Joshua, Jolin had never had a good impression of the second branch of the family.
She especially had no interest in Florence and her daughter, completely unwilling to acknowledge them.
Ignoring Florence, she greeted Anna and a few elders before walking straight to Paisley's side. "Paisley, why are you up? You should've slept a bit longer."
Everyone present was taken aback. Jolin was known as the family's troublemaker, never giving anyone face.
Yet now, she was being so respectful and polite to Paisley. Other than the elders, Paisley was the only one she had greeted.
Florence stood there awkwardly, her face dark with embarrassment.
As the sister-in-law, Florence had taken the initiative to speak to Jolin, but Jolin had completely ignored her. Instead, Jolin was chatting and laughing with Paisley.
She thought, 'Are the people from the third branch blind? How could they be so respectful to someone like Paisley?'
"Mm, I'll go back to sleep after breakfast. What about you? Didn't you say you were going to catch up on sleep?" Paisley remembered Jolin mentioning yesterday that she would be resting at home in the morning.
Jolin chuckled and casually grabbed a piece of bread from Paisley's plate, taking a bite. "Sleep? There's a pile of work waiting for me at the police station."
Paisley felt a bit sorry for her and poured her a glass of milk.
Jolin took the milk and drank it in one go.
Their close interaction made them seem like real sisters.
Anna was stunned. "When did you two become so close?"
She thought, 'Has something happened without me knowing?'
Max and Tyson knew a little about it but hadn't expected their relationship to have improved this much.
"Grandma, you don't know this, but my sister is amazing. Yesterday, she helped us identify the criminal suspect with just one move!"
Jolin's statement was shocking. Anna was speechless for a long moment. "Paisley has such skills?"
She thought, 'Could she really assist the police in solving cases?'
Cole, who knew a bit about the matter, explained, "Miss Paisley is a forensic sketch artist. Yesterday, the Central Precinct's Criminal Investigation Division personally sent people to pick her up."
"That's right," Jolin nodded. "My cousin is the instructor for our forensic sketch team. The sketch we couldn't complete for days? She finished it in just a few hours."
At that moment, Jolin had completely turned into Paisley's number one fan. She glanced at the time. "Oh no, I'm running late! I have to go!"
Hastily, she handed the empty milk glass back to Paisley and dashed off in a hurry.
Anna turned to Paisley with a smile, admiration shining in her eyes.
She had heard some rumors about Paisley before. Although she never believed them, they had still influenced her thoughts a little. But now, those rumors were downright ridiculous.
'My legitimate granddaughter is truly outstanding.' With that thought, Anna grew even more eager for the recognition banquet that evening.
However, the people from the second branch of the family felt the complete opposite of Anna.
Edmond had spread all those negative rumors about Paisley because, in his eyes, that was the kind of person she was.
He had simply magnified her flaws to humiliate Tyson.
At the same time, he wanted to send a message to the outside world that Tyson had no successors, and only their second branch could take on the Godard family's future responsibilities. But now, Paisley didn't seem to be what he had imagined.
The recognition banquet was happening that night. If Paisley shined at the event, their second branch's future would become even more difficult.