From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 283: Chapter 283

Dominick was certain that, in the Godard family, aside from Paisley, Tyson, and Max, he had no connections with anyone else.
Right now, his mind was filled with Paisley, and he only wanted to see her as soon as possible. As for how Paisley knew he would come here, Dominick didn't want to dwell on it.
Noah was Josie's childhood friend, so she had probably found out through Josie.
Tommy kept Keeley's instructions in mind. Seeing that the Vanderbilt family's young master was just standing there timidly, looking reluctant to go anywhere, he decided to take action again.
He grabbed Grayson's hand once more, dropped his aggressive attitude, and put on a friendly smile. "Come on, my aunt and your dad have something to talk about in private. Let's go outside and play. I'll introduce you to my little cousin."
"Little cousin?" Grayson was startled and blurted out, "Is it Rena?"
"What? You know Rena too?" Tommy immediately recalled Bella mentioning someone named Rena.
"Yeah." Grayson nodded, but his expression wasn't pleasant. He thought, 'It seems to me that Rena is quite popular here. She has a new older brother, a new family. Just like my mother, she doesn't want me or my father anymore.'
Ever since the accident at the children's restaurant, when he and Serena were both taken to the hospital, he had learned that Rena was actually his biological sister.
She wasn't born from his mother and another man—she was his mother and father's daughter. But instead of making him happy, knowing this only made him feel worse.
He thought, 'I can't stop thinking about it—both Rena and I are our mother's children. So why does she only want Rena and not me?
'I have made mistakes, but I have apologized. Isn't that enough? I refuse to believe it. Has Rena never made any mistakes? If our mother can forgive Rena for hers, why can't she forgive me?'
Every time Grayson thought about it, he felt both jealous and sad.
When Tommy saw Grayson's expression change after mentioning Rena, he assumed Grayson disliked her just as much as he did.
His attitude toward Grayson became even friendlier. "Come on, I have a lot of fun things. Let's play together."
Tommy's change in attitude made Grayson feel much less resistant toward him.
Especially after realizing that Tommy also knew Rena, Grayson didn't feel as afraid anymore.
"But I still want to see Mom." He wanted to ask her why she could forgive Rena for her mistakes but not him.
"You can see her anytime. Just wait a little while. Come on, let's go play." Tommy didn't care about whatever Grayson was saying about his mom. His only task was clear.
He had to keep the Vanderbilt family's young master entertained and, ideally, become his friend.
At the same time, he needed to create opportunities for his aunt to be alone with the young master's father.
As Dominick listened to the two children talk, his eyes lit up the moment he heard the name "Rena."
Since he hadn't seen Paisley recently, he naturally hadn't seen Rena either. He really wanted to see his daughter, but even more than that, he wanted to see Paisley.
"Sonny, go play with your sister. I'll come find you later," Dominick said to Grayson.
He was in a great mood now—Paisley knew he was coming and had even arranged a meeting place in advance. She had also arranged for a child around Sonny's age to be here to keep Grayson company.
Dominick thought, 'Does this mean Paisley is finally starting to open up and is willing to try accepting me and our son again? No matter what, this is at least a good start.'
With that thought, Dominick suddenly felt refreshed, as if all the exhaustion from working nonstop had disappeared. A rare, genuine smile appeared on his handsome face.
Grayson hadn't seen his father this happy in a long time. So when he heard his father's words, he obediently nodded. "Okay, I got it."
"Wow, you really are such a daddy's boy," Tommy teased before grabbing Grayson's hand and dragging him away. They dashed down another set of stairs toward the main banquet hall.
Dominick entered the room, casually closed the door behind him, and walked to the central sofa in the reception area.
However, as time passed, Paisley still didn't show up. Growing impatient, he stood up and paced back and forth across the carpet.
Meanwhile, Keeley rushed out of Rainfall Retreat, her face full of anxiety. She had originally been waiting in the room with Tommy, but Tommy was just too mischievous, jumping around non-stop.
In the end, he accidentally stepped right onto her gown, tearing a large piece of fabric.
She couldn't meet the man she had been longing for in such a state, so she had to rush back to Josie's dressing room to find something else to wear.
But since she and Josie had different sizes, she struggled to find anything that fit, wasting a lot of time.
After trying on several dresses, she finally found one that suited her and hurried back toward the banquet hall.
The problem was that Rainfall Retreat was quite a distance from the banquet hall—just walking there normally would take some time.
Keeley was anxious. A servant had just reported that Dominick had already arrived.
'He's probably waiting there right now. Would he get angry if he had to wait too long?' she thought.
Keeley wasn't sure, but she was definitely furious at Tommy for causing trouble.
She thought, 'How does my cousin usually discipline that child? He never seems to be able to sit still for a moment. If Tommy ruins my future because of this, I won't let it slide. Even if my brother tries to plead for him, I won't forgive him.'
Though Keeley was usually good to Tommy, people were selfish. When it came to her own interests, she wouldn't hold back.
In the main banquet hall's restroom, several wealthy young ladies were gathered around the sink, chatting.
"This is outrageous! Max is such a great guy, and yet he's being forced to become a live-in son-in-law?" one of them exclaimed indignantly.
"How do you know he's being forced? Maybe he's doing it willingly," another young lady countered, but as soon as she spoke, someone else immediately refuted her.
"If it's not forced, then what is it? Max is outstanding. If he married into any of our families, it would be a powerful alliance. But instead, he's being forced to marry some woman who isn't even worth mentioning? It's laughable just thinking about it."
"What's so funny? Don't forget, she's Tyson's daughter. Even if she's useless and has no presence, her status is undeniable. Why would Max give up an easy path and marry someone else?"
"Exactly! If I were Max, I'd do the same. Marry that useless woman and effortlessly take over the entire Godard Group."
"Let's be real, what man would willingly become a live-in son-in-law? There's always something they're after—money or power. Look at all the men in our circle who've done it. Not a single one of them did it without an ulterior motive."
The young ladies continued to gossip, completely unaware that someone had just entered from the farthest stall.
They only noticed when the person walked right up to them. Panicked, they immediately fell silent, standing there stiffly and avoiding eye contact.
"Go on, keep talking. Why'd you stop?" Josie leaned leisurely against the counter, looking at them with open mockery. "I'm listening."
Caught red-handed by Josie, the young ladies didn't dare say another word.
Josie walked up to the mirror, took out a lipstick from her purse, and slowly applied it. "Who were you just calling an unpresentable woman? Who's the useless one?"
The young lady who had said those words shrank back instantly, pressing her lips together, not daring to admit it.
Josie took in everything, put away her lipstick, and turned to look at them. "My niece is someone you think you can casually humiliate? Are you out of your minds, or is your entire family out of their minds?"
Her voice was undeniably soft, and she even spoke with a hint of amusement. But to the few young ladies present, it sent chills down their spines.
"S-Sorry." The two young ladies who had humiliated Paisley finally caved in, their faces pale as they apologized.
Josie narrowed her eyes. "Tell me, where did you hear that Max is going to be my niece's live-in husband?"
The young ladies exchanged nervous glances before the one who had apologized earlier spoke up. "We just heard it somewhere. Everyone's been saying it. But as for who started the rumor, we don't know."
"Yeah, and we even saw the second young madam personally confirm it earlier," another young lady added.
"Florence?" Josie laughed in exasperation.
Josie thought, 'That idiot would say anything. Does she even have a brain? Does she understand what she is talking about? How could she just blindly confirm something that hasn't been verified? Is she basing it on nothing but the empty space in her head?'