From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 279: Chapter 279

"Tommy!" Hearing the commotion, Keeley ran upstairs. She had only gone to the salon to retrieve the phone she had forgotten, but in that short time, Tommy had already run into Josie.
The worst part was that he had been talking nonsense.
"Keeley, did you hear what he just said? Is this what you and your brother have been telling him in private?" Josie asked.
'Everything they have belongs to him?' thought Josie.
A flash of panic crossed Keeley's face before she quickly pulled Tommy over to her side. "Oh, come on. My brother and I were just teasing him. You know we don't have kids, and he's the only child in the family. We were just humoring him—he's still so young, it's not a big deal."
When Josie heard Keeley mention that she and Zim had no children, her expression shifted slightly, but in the end, she let it go.
Seeing Josie's expression soften, Keeley knew that as long as she emphasized that her brother had no children, Josie would drop the matter—maybe even feel guilty about it.
"Tommy, be good and go downstairs. I will get you something delicious later," Keeley coaxed.
Tommy reluctantly withdrew his hand, shot a vicious glare at Josie, and then went downstairs.
Josie's upbringing kept her from stooping to argue with a child. She had seen mischievous and unruly kids before, but for some reason, she just didn't like Tommy as soon as she saw him.
"Didn't we agree to keep that kid from coming over? If you miss him, you can go see him instead." Josie directly voiced her dissatisfaction to Keeley.
Keeley's expression turned awkward as she walked over and clung to Josie's arm, acting coquettishly. "Oh, come on, Josie, I'm just preparing for tonight's banquet."
Josie raised an eyebrow. "Tonight is Paisy's recognition banquet. What are you preparing for?"
Keeley's face stiffened slightly, showing a hint of displeasure. "How could I not prepare? Didn't you tell me that Mr. Vanderbilt would be attending? I need to get ready to meet him in my best state."
Josie then remembered that Noah had mentioned he would be bringing Dominick and his son along tonight.
Seeing Josie had forgotten, Keeley felt a surge of dissatisfaction. She thought, 'Hmph. This useless woman doesn't care about my affairs at all.'
Though she thought this, she continued to act coy as she explained, "I just figured, since Mr. Vanderbilt is bringing his son, I might as well bring Tommy over too. That way, the two boys can have some company."
Keeley batted her bright, starry eyes at Josie. "Josie, don't you think this is a great idea?"
Josie had heard from Noah that Dominick's son was seven years old and would be turning eight after Christmas.
The family only had two little girls—five-year-old Bella and three-year-old Serena—who didn't seem like suitable playmates for Dominick's son.
However, aside from these two, nearly the entire Godard family would be attending tonight, and among the extended relatives, there were still children of a suitable age to accompany Tommy.
Besides, even if there weren't kids from the Godard family, other guests attending the banquet would surely bring children of a similar age. Of course, those kids had nothing to do with Keeley and wouldn't speak on her behalf.
Thinking this through, Josie nodded. "That could work. But Tommy has a terrible temper. If he ends up offending Mr. Vanderbilt's son instead of keeping him company, that would be a problem."
Josie voiced her concerns. After all, Keeley knew better than anyone what kind of child Tommy was.
"That won't happen," Keeley said confidently. "I've already talked to Tommy, and he promised to behave tonight."
Since Keeley was so certain, Josie had nothing more to say.
"Alright then, I'm going back to take my afternoon nap. Keep an eye on that kid and make sure he doesn't run wild. If he causes trouble, I'm not dealing with it." Josie really disliked Tommy, so she made her stance clear from the start.
Keeley agreed enthusiastically, but as soon as Josie closed the door, her expression darkened. She thought, 'Hmph. A useless woman who can't even have children.'
As night fell, the recognition banquet was about to begin.
Inside the spacious dressing room, Paisley and Serena were making their final preparations.
Serena sat in front of the vanity mirror while the hairstylist gently braided her hair.
She loved her new hairstyle. Before it was even finished, she blinked her big eyes and asked Paisley, "Mommy, do I look like a princess?"
"You do. You look absolutely beautiful," Paisley said as she stood in front of the full-length mirror. Two stylists beside her were adjusting her gown.
"Our little miss is a princess by nature," said Helena, the personal maid arranged for Serena by Cole.
"Helena, should I wear this crown or that one?" Serena pointed to two small crowns on the vanity. She liked them both and couldn't decide.
Helena stepped forward and, along with the hairstylist, helped Serena choose the perfect crown.
Three knocks on the door.
Max's voice came from outside. "Paisy, are you ready? Can I come in?"
"It's fine, come in," Paisley replied.
The door opened, and Max stepped in, dressed in a sharp, well-fitted suit.
Tonight, Max had put in extra effort, exuding an air of noble elegance that was impossible to resist.
"Wow! Uncle, you look so handsome!" Serena, in full fangirl mode, squealed in excitement as she looked at Max.
Max walked over to Serena first and playfully tapped her nose. "Am I not handsome on regular days?"
"You are!" Serena nodded. "Uncle, you're a general on normal days, but today, you're an emperor!"
Max chuckled at her exaggerated comparison. "Aren't emperors supposed to be old men?"
"No way! Uncle, you're a handsome young king," Serena declared seriously, making everyone in the dressing room burst into laughter.
Max then turned to Paisley and suddenly froze. He stared at her without blinking, his Adam's apple moving subconsciously.
Paisley blinked. "What's wrong? Do I not look good?"
She had confidence in herself—she shouldn't look bad.
"You look beautiful. Stunning," Max said softly. His rational mind told him to look away, but his eyes refused to obey.
"Uncle, stop looking at Mom and look at me! Which crown should I choose?" Serena's voice forcefully pulled Max back to reality. He looked in the direction of her pointing finger, slightly flustered. "A crown?"
In front of the mirror, Paisley froze for two seconds. Just now, she had felt the intensity in Max's gaze.