From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 317: Chapter 317

The restaurant manager, startled by Dominick's demeanor, quickly swapped out the waiters. The manager understood that angering other guests might cause trouble, but angering someone like Dominick would have consequences they couldn't handle.
Grayson was also intimidated by Dominick's expression. He tightly pressed his lips together and stayed silent. Just then, Paisley stood up, holding Serena, who had finished eating, and headed towards the bathroom.
"Dad, I need to use the bathroom," he said softly to Dominick before following Paisley and Serena.
In the elegant restaurant, the only ones left were Dominick and Max. Compared to Dominick's low mood, Max was very calm. He kindly called over a waiter to prepare for the bill.
However, the waiter informed him that Noah had already arranged for the meal to be on the house tonight. Max knew about Noah's relationship with Josie and understood the intention behind it.
After politely acknowledging the waiter, Max got up to leave. But as he passed by Dominick's table, the man stopped him.
Suddenly, the vibe in the restaurant turned tense. Though the room was warm, it felt as if winter had arrived.
The service staff didn't dare to make a sound, trying to reduce their presence while still being extremely curious about what would happen next.
The manager, sweating nervously, immediately reported the situation to Noah. After all, both men facing each other were figures that their boss, Noah, could never afford to offend.
"Is there something wrong?" Max asked, his lips curling into a slight smile, as he calmly looked at Dominick.
Dominick's cold eyes locked onto Max's face. "Wasn't it you who couldn't stand up yesterday?"
He hadn't forgotten that yesterday, this man's assistant had urgently come to take Paisley away under that pretext. Now, seeing how this man was so carefree, Dominick was even more convinced that he had been faking it yesterday.
'What a damn manipulative guy!' he thought.
Max raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes, with a touch of provocation. "Thanks for your concern, but I have Paisy with me, so my leg's already fine and I can walk now."
Dominick didn't hear a single word the man said. All he could focus on were those few words that stung the most. "You have Paisy with you? What do you mean 'you have'? Paisley is not yours!"
Max's face stayed calm with a smile, but the words he said were enough to make Dominick furious. "Mr. Vanderbilt, how many times do I have to say this for you to understand? Paisy and I, we're a family."
Dominick moved closer to Max, his eyes full of threat. "Don't get it wrong, you're siblings, not some kind of couple. Don't make it seem like she's yours."
Despite Dominick's approach, Max remained completely unfazed. He lowered his head slightly, his voice softer as he smiled warmly.
"Yes, right now, we're siblings. What happens later, who knows. After all, there's no blood relation between us." As Max spoke, his gaze drifted to Paisley who had just come out of the bathroom. "And Rena really likes me. She even hopes I'll be her dad."
The last sentence hit Dominick's breaking point, immediately igniting his fury.
"You're asking for it!" Dominick's eyes turned red, grabbing Max's shirt collar, his fist ready to strike.
"Dominick! What do you think you're doing!" Paisley shouted, running over.
Dominick's fist froze halfway in the air, and as he looked up, he met Max's eyes, which were filled with disappointment.
In that moment, everything clicked. Max had done this on purpose to provoke him, hoping that in a fit of rage, he would strike. Then, if Paisley saw it, she would get even angrier at him.
Sure enough, Paisley ran up to them with a dark expression and, without saying a word, forcefully pushed Dominick away.
"Are you alright, bro?" Paisley asked Max.
Max shook his head, his expression already calm. "I'm fine, don't worry about it."
Paisley turned and glared at Dominick. "Are you crazy? How could you lay your hands on my brother!"
"Paisley! Don't let this man fool you! You treat him like a brother, but he doesn't treat you like a sister! His intentions are not pure, can't you see that?" Dominick was seething, his whole body trembling with anger.
"You've really lost it! How can you say such nonsense!" Paisley's face turned pale with anger.
This was a public place, and there were both staff and children around. Dominick speaking like that was very inappropriate.
Max gently tugged at Paisley's arm, softly advising her, "Alright, Paisy, I'm fine. I don't want to make a big deal out of it. Calm down, don't raise your voice. You'll scare the kids."
Paisley looked down and saw the two children visibly frightened, with tears in their eyes.
However, Max's words didn't calm Dominick. Instead, it only made him angrier, while an overwhelming sense of helplessness consumed him.
He had never felt this helpless before. He knew what Max's intentions were, but it seemed like no matter what he said, Paisley couldn't see it.
"Paisley, why won't you listen to me?" Dominick felt like he was falling apart.
Paisley furrowed her brow and coldly said, "What's our relationship? Why should I listen to you?"
Dominick's eyes reddened, staring blankly at Paisley. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
Paisley, seeing the two kids still frightened, took a deep breath and calmed herself. "You two put on your jackets, we're going home."
"Come on, Rena, let me help you with your coat." Max had both children's jackets in his hands.
When Serena heard Max, she obediently walked over, but didn't even glance at Dominick. Dominick just stood there, watching his own daughter smile at Max, letting Max hold her. Only Grayson stood beside Dominick, hesitating.
Paisley looked at him. "If you want to stay with your dad, I'll respect your decision. When we get back, I'll have someone bring your medicine to you."
Grayson didn't know what to do. He wanted to stay with his mom, but he also wanted to get along with his sister. But he also felt sorry for his dad. He thought his dad looked so pitiful.
Dominick lowered his head slightly, seemingly nonchalant, and rubbed his eye corner. His voice sounded a little hoarse when he spoke to Grayson, "Go back with your mom."
"Dad, are you okay?" Grayson asked.
Dominick shook his head. When he raised his head again, his expression was back to normal. "Go, I'll pick you up when we get back to Harrowfell."
"Okay." After hearing Dominick, Grayson let go of his worry and obediently took his coat from Max's hands and put it on.