From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 39: Chapter 39

With the tables turned so abruptly, a heavy silence fell over everyone. They quietly watched Marissa, waiting for her to defend herself. Yet, at this point, no matter what she said, it would only sound unconvincing.
She anxiously looked at Dominick, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as her voice cracked with desperation. "Dom..."
Dominick's gaze darkened, his lips pressed into a thin line. After a long pause, he sighed, "How are you feeling? Can you stand? The medics should be here any moment."
"You have to believe me, Dom. I didn't—" Marissa clung to Dominick's arm, desperately trying to salvage something.
Yet, Dominick just slowly pulled his arm free and helped her sit upright. His tone remained calm but firm as he interjected, "Let's focus on checking if you're hurt first."
Marissa's eyes reddened, her chest tight with anxiety. She turned to Grayson, the second person here she thought she could count on. "Sonny, you believe me, don't you?"
Grayson hesitated, his gaze unfocused. After what felt like an eternity, he gave a slight nod. "Marissa, I believe you." But his voice wavered slightly, and as he spoke, his eyes drifted toward Paisley.
Seeing that he was still willing to trust her, Marissa felt her restless heart finally settle a little. She looked up at Paisley, her eyes gleaming with provocation, and thought, 'See that, Paisley? The truth never really matters.
'Even if you prove your case, so what? Dominick still hasn't turned on me, and even your own son is standing by my side.'
Meanwhile, Serena, who had been nestled in Maria's arms, suddenly grasped the situation. She burst into tears, reaching out for Paisley. "I want my mom. You're all mean, always picking on her."
Serena was sobbing so hard she could barely catch her breath. Paisley, feeling her heart ache, pulled the child into her arms and gently comforted her, "Don't cry, Rena. No one's bullying me. They can't get to me, okay?"
Still hiccupping through her tears, Serena wiped away her tears and said, "That scary guy is bad. Grayson is bad. I hate them. I never want to see them again."
Paisley turned her back to the group, speaking softly as she comforted Serena, "Alright, sweetie, I hate them too. We won't see them again." Paisley didn't notice how Grayson's eyes turned red at her words or how Dominick's frown deepened, his mood plummeting to rock bottom.
Once Serena had calmed down, Paisley turned back to the group, her expression icy. "No matter what, I won the race. That means I have the right to this field now. You all can leave."
Alexis was the first to speak up in protest, "Why should we leave? Neither you nor Marissa even made it to the finish line. Why does that make you the winner?
"And besides, this place is for premium members only. Who do you think you are, acting like you belong here?"
At that moment, David arrived with the medical team in tow. Seeing them, Dominick wasted no time handing Marissa over to them.
"Dom, I'm scared..." Marissa whispered, unwilling to leave Dominick's arms. She clung tightly to his sleeve, refusing to let go.
Dominick brushed her hand off with a flicker of irritation finally breaking through. "Let the medics check your injuries. I'm not a doctor." Left with no choice, she awkwardly withdrew her hand and allowed the medics to examine her.
David stood before Dominick like a subordinate, apologizing profusely. "I'm truly sorry that Ms. Prescott got hurt. Mr. Vanderbilt, rest assured, I will handle this matter seriously. We won't shirk responsibility for Ms. Prescott's injury."
Alexis pointed at Paisley and said, "Speaking of handling things seriously, what's going on with your staff? How could they just let anyone in? Is this area the kind of place where people like her can wander around freely?"
David turned to look at Paisley and froze for a moment before his brows furrowed. He remembered this woman holding a child. He'd seen her earlier at the hotel entrance while welcoming Dominick. After all, women this beautiful were rare, especially one with a child. She left a lasting impression.
But no matter how beautiful a woman was, if she didn't know her place and recklessly offended someone important, it was unforgivable. With that thought, David's expression darkened. "Who let them in?" he demanded. Nearby, the staff at the stables trembled nervously.
In truth, the VIP area wasn't limited to just this section, and the grounds were spacious enough that even if multiple groups were using it at once, they wouldn't interfere with one another.
Initially, the staff couldn't understand why there was any conflict between the guests. Then they saw the women start racing horses—two ladies, of all things, competing in a race.
The staff assumed it was just a friendly activity since neither party sought their assistance. They wisely kept their distance, thinking nothing of it. It wasn't until the accident happened that they panicked and called David over.
One of the staff thought, 'But even so, we didn't do anything wrong. That horse went wild only because Ms. Prescott intentionally jabbed it. And as for Ms. Sutton, she's a premium VIP. She has every right to be here.'
At first, when the staff saw Paisley carrying a child with a nanny in tow, they thought she was just a regular member. It was mainly because their outfits were so plain, and there weren't many premium members in the club—only a handful in total.
It wasn't until Paisley gave her name, room number, and presented her membership card for verification that they realized she was the Ms. Sutton their boss, Nathaniel, had specifically instructed them to take special care of.
David barked furiously, "Didn't you hear me? Who let them in?" Even though Paisley was technically a club member, he felt he had to show the proper attitude in front of Dominick. However, David didn't realize his harsh demeanor was displeasing Dominick, whose face was already darkening.
Just as Dominick was about to speak and clarify that Paisley was with him, one of the staff members, trembling, finally spoke up, "But Mr. Wilson, this lady is a premium VIP." Hearing this, David froze in surprise, and Dominick also paused, momentarily stunned.
Grayson, though young, understood the situation. He wondered, 'Paisley? A premium member here, on the same level as Dad? That woman? No way. Even Marissa doesn't qualify for something like that.'
Just then, a voice cut through the air. "That's impossible. You must have made a mistake." It was none other than Marissa.
By then, the doctor had done a quick check on her. It seemed her bones were fine, but she had some bruising in the soft tissues. An X-ray was needed for a more thorough evaluation.
"Yeah, you guys definitely got it wrong," Alexis chimed in, backing her up.
Harrowfell and the surrounding cities weren't exactly small, but their elite circles weren't too big either. The top-tier figures might not all know each other personally, but they were certainly aware of one another. None of them had ever seen or heard of this woman.
Sensing the skeptical stares from David and the other distinguished guests, the staff hurried to clarify. "It's true. This lady is the guest of room 3303."
Marissa's mind started to race as she pieced things together. She pondered, '3303? The presidential suite? The club only has three of those. One is Nathaniel's, another is Dominick's, and the last one... Paisley's?' Her eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't wrap her head around it.
Dominick froze for a moment before frowning deeply. For the first time, he realized he might not know Paisley as well as he thought he did.
Just then, a smooth, teasing male voice rang out. "Oh, everyone's here. That saves me the trouble of making introductions." It was Nathaniel, arriving fashionably late.
Nathaniel stood tall, nearly six-foot-three, with flawless skin that made his striking red hair even more eye-catching. A diamond stud glinted in his left ear as he sauntered forward, the light catching it and making it sparkle brilliantly.
But the easygoing smile on his face vanished the moment he got a closer look at the scene before him. His expression darkened instantly.