From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Soon after, everyone went to the dining room and had already taken their seats. But Dominick was nowhere to be seen. So, Lauren asked, "Where's Dom?"
The butler replied, "Mr. Dominick is in the study."
Kayla pulled a face and said, "What's up with Dom anyway? He came back and immediately locked himself in the study, won't talk to anyone, and won't come out." She turned to Marissa and asked, "You came back with him, right? Did something happen earlier?"
Marissa forced a somewhat awkward smile as she replied, "I'm not sure. Probably something to do with work." But she knew the real reason for Dominick's behavior—Paisley.
Dominick had seen Paisley with another man, and on top of that, she had a daughter. Today, he had even bought Paisley pink roses, symbolizing first love.
Marissa couldn't stop herself from wondering what might have happened if she hadn't been there or if Paisley's daughter's father hadn't appeared at just the right moment.
Deep down, Marissa didn't want to face the possibility that Dominick still harbored feelings for Paisley. Marissa couldn't bring herself to accept it, nor did she dare dwell on it for too long.
Marissa couldn't deny that Paisley's words today had deeply unsettled her. Marissa mused, 'Four years. It's been four years since they divorced. Paisley has already moved on, found someone new, and even had a daughter. So why won't Dominick accept me?
'Have I not made myself clear enough? He's always been so good to me, treating me differently from any other woman. I thought I was the one who stood out, the one who was special.'
Still, Marissa refused to believe or accept that Dominick only saw her as a sister. She didn't want to be his sister—she wanted to be his wife, the future matriarch of the Vanderbilt family.
Lauren then instructed the butler, "Go call Dom downstairs for dinner."
"I'll go." Marissa stood up, volunteering to fetch Dominick.
Kayla and Lauren exchanged a glance, and a knowing smile spread across both their faces. Kayla teased, "Yeah. Let Marissa go. She can comfort Dom's tired body and soul."
Lauren tapped her daughter on the head. "Sonny and Stella are sitting right here. Watch what you say."
Kayla giggled. "I didn't say anything wrong. They'll all be family sooner or later anyway." For a moment, the atmosphere around the table was light and cheerful.
But then, Reginald, ever kind, said, "Marissa, there's no need for you to go. Let the butler take care of it." Marissa blushed and quietly sat back down.
It wasn't long before Dominick arrived, having changed into casual attire, and settled in the seat next to Reginald. His expression was neutral, almost cold, and his quiet demeanor cast a cloud over the previously lively mood.
Reginald glanced at Dominick and raised his hand to say, "Okay. Now that everyone's here, let's eat." With those words, everyone picked up their utensils and started eating.
Dominick quietly grabbed his plate, eating slowly and deliberately, without engaging in any conversation. Seeing this, Marissa silently observed him, her grip on her fork tightening.
Lauren sighed, "Oh dear, my sweet grandson, you've had a rough couple of days. Eat up. Eat more. These are all your favorites." As she spoke, she kept piling food onto Grayson's plate—mostly meat and seafood.
She genuinely felt bad for Grayson, thinking, 'I have no idea what kind of crazy idea Dominick had, insisting on sending Grayson to Paisley's house for two days. Talking about how kids need their biological mother's companionship and how adults shouldn't drag children into their problems. What nonsense!
'Paisley? A mother? If she cared about Grayson even a little, she wouldn't have been so determined to divorce back then. Now she's gone and had a kid with another man—how can she possibly treat my precious grandson well?'
The more Lauren thought about it, the angrier she became—and the more she felt sorry for Grayson. But with so many people around, she couldn't lash out.
All she could do was keep piling food onto Grayson's plate, making sure he got to eat what Paisley could never provide for him.
When Lauren reached out again with her fork to drop another piece of meat onto Grayson's plate, he pulled it away, stopping her. She froze for a moment before asking, "What's wrong, Sonny? Don't you like this anymore?"
Grayson shook his head in response. Then, right in front of all the adults, he picked up a forkful of greens—his least favorite—and put it in his mouth, chewing it in big bites. Lauren was stunned to see that.
This was the same Grayson who was famously picky about food, especially vegetables. It used to take all kinds of coaxing and bargaining to get him to eat even a bite.
And when the little guy got stubborn, he wouldn't budge no matter what they tried. In the end, the adults would always cave in. After all, he was their precious treasure, and they'd do anything to make him happy.
Nutrition? Well, they figured it didn't have to come from vegetables. Families like theirs had plenty of ways to ensure a healthy diet. Lauren had even hired a top-tier nutritionist for Grayson at an exorbitant price.
That was why, despite his picky eating habits, Grayson had always been in excellent shape. But now, watching him voluntarily take such a big bite of greens, all those fancy nutrition plans and expert advice suddenly didn't matter.
Kayla exclaimed, "Well, would you look at that? Our very own Mr. Grayson Vanderbilt is actually eating his vegetables." She was genuinely astonished as if she'd just seen a pig sprout wings and take off.
Even Dominick put down his plate to look at Grayson. He knew better than anyone how stubborn his son could be about food. Back when Paisley was still around, she'd often lecture Grayson about his eating habits to no avail.
Grayson swallowed the greens and then reached out with his fork again, scooping up another helping of vegetables and eating them without hesitation.
Seeing that, Lauren covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. She mused, 'Oh, my sweet grandson is growing up. He's not picky about food anymore.' Reginald, on the other hand, wasn't as visibly emotional as her, but his face radiated quiet pride and affection.
"Sonny, do you love eating these two vegetables?" Marissa asked with a smile, though she couldn't help but feel puzzled. She pondered, 'He was still a picky eater just a few days ago. How did his preferences change so quickly?'
Grayson shook his head. "No, I don't like them." He still didn't like vegetables, no matter how they were seasoned—they just didn't compare to meat or seafood.
Marissa pressed further. "Then why did you take the initiative to eat them today?"
Grayson replied matter-of-factly, "Because I need to eat more vegetables to stay healthy." He added silently in his mind, 'She said so...' With that, he picked up another forkful of greens and ate it in large bites.
"Yes, more vegetables for better health," Lauren said, grinning from ear to ear. To her, her beloved grandson not being picky anymore was nothing short of a miracle.
Dominick stared at Grayson, his gaze lingering for a long time. He pondered, 'Sonny has just spent two days with Paisley, and his picky eating habits have already changed. What exactly did she do? How did they get along during those two days?'
Watching the scene unfold, Marissa found herself distracted, and the once flavorful meal now tasted like nothing at all.
Kayla chimed in, "If Grandpa saw this, he'd definitely be overjoyed." The "Grandpa" she referred to was Paul, who had been recuperating in the healthcare facility for some time. She sighed and added, "Honestly, Grandpa's health has really been declining over the past few years."
"It's not just him," Lauren said, stroking her face. "Your father and I haven't been in the best shape these past few years either. Even my skin isn't what it used to be."
Lauren used to have naturally flawless skin, like a freshly peeled egg, without needing much care. Nowadays, she had two professional beauticians on call, not to mention the medical-grade beauty devices she kept at home—enough to run a small salon.
But no matter what she did, she just couldn't get back to how it used to be.
"Same here. I used to be able to pull all-nighters without a problem. Now, if I stay up even a little late, I can barely get out of bed the next day," Kayla lamented, shaking her head. "I guess I'm getting old."
"Don't be ridiculous. You're still young," Lauren snapped, clearly not fond of the word "old".
Kayla continued to complain, "And Dom's no better. He has either stomachache or headache—typical CEO syndrome." She then paused mid-rant, suddenly struck by a realization.
She asked, "What's going on with us? How did everyone in our family end up with such weak constitutions? It's so weird. Mom, maybe we should burn some sage or something."
As Kayla's words got more and more superstitious, Reginald interrupted her with a stern voice, "Alright, that's enough. Burn sage? What are we, hippies now?" His tone made Kayla calm down immediately. After all, her father was a strict atheist and wouldn't tolerate such talk.
After rambling about this and that, Reginald finally turned to Dominick to discuss serious matters. "By the way, have you heard about the club Nathaniel Beaumont, the youngest heir of the Beaumont family, just opened under Axion Enterprises? There's a launch party this weekend."
Dominick nodded. "Yeah, I know. Nathaniel invited me."
"Oh, right. I almost forgot—you two were high school classmates. Are you planning to go?" Reginald asked.
"Still thinking about it," Dominick replied, taking his time as he picked up some food and placed it neatly on his plate.
Reginald immediately decided. "You should go. We've been planning to collaborate on a new project with Axion Enterprises, so keeping close ties with them would be beneficial both personally and professionally."
"Got it," Dominick responded calmly, showing little emotion. To him, it was just another task on his plate.
The only difference was that this time, it involved the Beaumont family, a powerhouse that could rival his own—the Vanderbilt family. As the Vanderbilt heir, it was his responsibility to handle these social obligations.
"Well, why don't you take Marissa and Sonny with you? Make it a family outing—it'll be lively and give you all a chance to unwind," Lauren suggested.
Marissa, unwilling to miss out on the opportunity, smiled and immediately agreed. But she still asked considerately, "What about you guys?"
Kayla waved her hand dismissively. "Nah. I'll be busy over the weekend working on a study of my idol, Mr. Vaire's paintings."
Lauren shook her head as well. "Reginald and I won't go either. It's a young people's event. We'd just be getting in the way." And just like that, the plan was set.