From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 302: Chapter 302

Edmond and Christopher appeared normal, no signs of anything out of the ordinary. However, Florence looked pale, her under-eyes dark and bruised, her expression sluggish. It was obvious she hadn't rested well and was forcing herself to be there.
Not seeing Bella, Anna's eyes flickered with a hint of concern. Although she didn't say anything, there was still a trace of resentment in her gaze when she looked at Paisley.
Paisley pretended not to notice, going on with her own business. It was Edmond and Christopher who, upon seeing Dominick, showed a brief moment of hesitation in their otherwise calm expressions.
They wondered why Dominick was here. Perhaps Tyson invited him to intimidate them. Edmond's mind was racing, but on the surface, he acted nonchalant.
Josie was the last to arrive, also looking somewhat drained. Unlike Florence, whose exhaustion seemed due to lack of rest, Josie's exhaustion looked more like she had slept too much.
Paisley observed Josie's complexion, feeling like there was something wrong with her health. But such issues couldn't be determined just by looking at someone's face. Unless, of course, she gave Josie a thorough check-up. However, she wasn't in the mood for that right now.
Josie wasn't in a good mood either because Zim hadn't returned since leaving last night.
"Where's Zim?" Anna asked. Last night, Paisley had kicked Keeley and Tommy out but had let Zim stay. As a son-in-law of the Godard family, Zim should have been here for such a day.
Josie shot Paisley an annoyed glare. "Zim is spending Christmas at his aunt's house. I gave my permission."
Anna heard this and said nothing more, just nodded. After mentally preparing herself, Anna mustered enough energy to smile and look at Grayson.
"So, this must be Sonny. Come here." Anna waved at Grayson, who had just sat down.
Grayson didn't immediately get up but cautiously glanced at Paisley. Anna, however, was dissatisfied. "Why are you looking at your mother?"
"Go on," Paisley said indifferently.
Grayson finally stood up and walked toward Anna.
Just like when Serena first arrived, Anna took out a gold jewelry and, with a smile, hung it around Grayson's neck. Florence, watching this scene, clenched her hands tightly under the table.
After Edmond beat Bella harshly yesterday, she had cried all night from fear. Just hearing Edmond's voice scared her terribly. She fell asleep in the late night, only to wake up with a fever. Florence hadn't slept all night because she was taking care of Bella.
Now, her Bella was still sick, unable to attend the Christmas Eve banquet, lying alone in bed. Meanwhile, Paisy's two children were sitting here just fine, even getting the gold jewelry from Anna. She felt it was very unfair.
Before Paisy came back, she and Bella were the center of this family. Now, everyone's focusing on Paisy and her children. She silently cursed Paisley in her heart.
Paisy thought Anna would just call Grayson over, give him the gold jewelry, exchange a few pleasantries, and that would be it. Just like what happened with Serena before.
But this time, after Anna put the gold jewelry on Grayson, she didn't immediately let him return to his seat. Instead, she started fussing over him.
"Sonny, have you started school?" Anna asked.
"Yes, I'm in first grade," Grayson answered honestly.
"Is schoolwork hard? Is school tiring?" she asked.
"No, it's not hard, not tiring." Grayson shook his head.
"Oh, Sonny is so amazing!" Anna exaggerated, praising Grayson.
Grayson felt a bit confused by the praise, but politely said, "Thank you."
Anna nodded, her withered hand lightly brushing Grayson's face. "This child looks just like Dom, it's like they were molded from the same mold."
Hearing Anna refer to Dominick as Dom, Paisy raised an eyebrow.
Dominick nodded and smiled, his voice gentle, "Yes, Grandma. Sonny looks more like me, Rena looks more like Paisy."
Hearing Dominick call Anna "grandma", Paisy frowned. She thought, 'When did they get so close to each other?'
If it weren't for Dominick still sitting in the guest seat, just listening to this conversation, one would think they were still family. Paisy felt that familiar feeling of being offended growing stronger.
Sure enough, Anna's next question was exactly what Paisy didn't want to hear. "Sonny, since you don't see your mom often, do you miss her?"
As soon as the question was asked, the entire large dining table fell silent, everyone turning their attention to Anna.
Grayson, being just a child, took things literally, without any subtlety. Hearing the question, he immediately blinked his eyes and nodded. "Yes, I miss her. I miss her a lot."
"Oh," Anna sighed, gently patting Grayson's back, "Poor child."
Then, she turned back to Paisy, her tone sincere. "Paisy, no matter what happened between you and Dom, the children are innocent. Look at Sonny, how pitiful."
"Mom!" Tyson's face was already turning dark, and he warned Anna to stop.
But Anna seemed determined, ignoring Tyson's warning, and continued, speaking openly in front of everyone. "Paisy, no matter how successful you are, no matter how big your business is, you're still a woman, a mother.
"The children are the most important thing in your life. You can't be so selfish, always thinking about your own comfort and not caring for the children!"
Paisy stared at Anna, and at this moment, she finally understood why Anna had called Dominick over.
She looked directly at Anna's face, but her words were for everyone in the room. "Grandma, you're wrong. I'm a woman, I'm a mother. But most importantly, I am myself.
"In my life, the most important thing is always my personal will! I can sacrifice my life for my children, but I will never sacrifice my principles for them. That, is my will!"
As soon as Paisy finished speaking, the restaurant fell into a brief silence until Jolin stood up excitedly, clapping. "Well said! That was perfect! I agree!"
Joshua quickly followed, clapping his hands. "Paisley, you're amazing! I support you!"
"If they're standing, I'll stand too." Linna got up, clapping louder than anyone. "As expected of my teacher!"
Even Josie, who had been in a bad mood, now looked thoughtfully at Paisy.
Dominick stood frozen, watching Paisy. This was the first time he had seen her speak like this. Every word she spoke was so strong and powerful. It was like a hammer, hitting his heart.
Tyson nodded repeatedly, his gaze filled with admiration as he looked at his daughter. He thought, 'Enya, did you see this? This is our daughter! Now, she had an incredibly strong heart! Nothing will break her. She will stand on top of the world!'
Anna was first stunned by Paisley's words and then startled by the sudden applause.
"What nonsense is this! Sit down right now!" she scolded Joshua and Joline sharply.
Meanwhile, Paisley called Grayson back. "Grayson, come back."
Although Grayson didn't understand what was happening, he could sense that his mom didn't seem to like this great-grandmother. So he obediently turned around and walked back without hesitation.
Anna saw how well-behaved the child was and turned to leave, her face darkening. However, just as Grayson took a few steps, it seemed like he remembered something. He turned around and went back.