From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Nathaniel's gaze swept over David with visible displeasure. "I asked you to take care of my esteemed guest. Is this how you do it?"
David was horrified and immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Beaumont. I didn't expect this to happen. I'll make sure it's handled properly."
"And how do you plan to handle it?" Nathaniel asked, looking down at him with a commanding presence. "My guest is very upset right now."
David felt like his head was about to explode as he pondered, 'Yeah. If it were me, I'd be furious, too, if my companion got injured falling off a horse. And we're talking about Dominick, the CEO of Vanderbilt Group, no less.'
He quickly said, "Mr. Beaumont, Mr. Vanderbilt, rest assured, our medical team here is very skilled. Ms. Prescott will be fine." At this point, it was all he could say. He could only pray Marissa's injuries weren't serious.
"Whether she's fine or not has nothing to do with me," Nathaniel said sharply, his expression hardening as his anger visibly escalated.
David blinked, caught off guard. "Uh... What?" He then wondered in confusion, 'Wasn't this the reason Mr. Beaumont was angry?'
Nearby, Alexis and the others were equally stunned. They all assumed Nathaniel was here to back them up, but based on his words, that didn't seem to be the case. What happened next completely shocked everyone present.
Nathaniel strode over to Paisley with an almost exaggerated eagerness, wearing an unmistakably fawning smile. "Oh, my mentor, Ms. Sutton, I'm so sorry. My people didn't handle things properly and upset you."
It was like a bomb had gone off among the onlookers. Nathaniel, the young heir of Axion Enterprises, was addressing Paisley as his mentor and with such reverence, no less.
Dominick, who had been maintaining a composed expression up until now, was utterly floored. His usual composure shattered, leaving his face a mix of shock and disbelief. 'Since when did Paisley become Nathaniel's mentor?' he wondered.
In fact, Paisley was just as bewildered. The same question echoed in her mind, and she was just as stunned as everyone else.
"Uh, when did I become your mentor?" Paisley asked, her face full of disbelief. "What could I possibly have taught you?" She did have a few students, but the only one who stuck by her side regularly was Lucy. She was sure she would remember taking on another student.
"Horse riding, duh." Nathaniel's eyes lit up as he gestured enthusiastically. The tall man waved his arms like an excited kid. "Remember in Lynford? After you won the International Equestrian Championship, we talked at the celebration party."
Paisley tried hard to recall that evening. She vaguely remembered chatting with a few people, and Nathaniel might've been one of them. But all she could remember him saying was that he'd treat her to dinner when they were back in the country.
Seeing her struggling to remember, Nathaniel became anxious. "I begged you back then. I asked you to be my mentor and teach me horse riding. I said I'd treat you to dinner back home and formally take you as my mentor. Don't you remember?"
Paisley took a deep breath and pondered, 'Crap. I remember the dinner part, but I don't remember the mentoring... I just accepted his invitation this time and enjoyed free food and fun at the club. Did this mean I unknowingly agreed to officially take him as a student?'
Realizing the situation, she felt slightly embarrassed. "It's just horseback riding. Why not find a professional trainer for that?" There was no way she had the time to teach this pampered heir how to ride.
Nathaniel, however, was insistent. "You're the Ms. Sutton, for crying out loud. You are a two-time International Equestrian champion, and even Yohan lost to you. Tell me, where else can I find someone more talented and professional? The one teaching me has to be the absolute best."
His words hit everyone like a bucket of scalding water, leaving them panicked and at a loss. Marissa, being Dominick's date, was already someone they couldn't afford to cross. But Paisley, as Nathaniel's honored guest and mentor? She was even more untouchable.
One of them thought, 'So, Nathaniel's honored guest isn't Dominick, and it's definitely not Marissa. It's this woman named Paisley. And she wasn't lying. Yohan really did lose to her, twice in a row.
'She's the legendary champion of the international three-day eventing championship. Not just any international competition but the most prestigious one held in Lynford.'
Marissa clenched her teeth and gripped her hands tightly together, grumbling inwardly, 'How is this possible? How could Paisley, of all people, be this skilled?
'But if it's not true, why would Nathaniel treat her so deferentially? No wonder she's so good at riding. No wonder she knows so much about horses.'
Marissa felt that she had been unbelievably foolish today. She should never have agreed to the horse race with Paisley.
In hindsight, she realized she should have taken action before Paisley's true identity was revealed—either by teaming up with the others to mercilessly drive Paisley out or by stepping back and leaving the scene when Paisley stubbornly refused to go.
No matter how things might have played out, Marissa was sure it would have been a hundred times better than the mess she was in now.
Dominick stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Paisley with an intensity that mixed shock and a faint trace of jealousy. He mused, 'Just how many secrets are you still hiding from me, Paisley?
'How have you spent these past four years? After leaving me, it seems your life has been extraordinary. But all of it has nothing to do with me...'
Nathaniel then shot David a cold, sharp look. "Didn't I tell you to take good care of my guest? Care to explain why she's angry now?"
David wiped the sweat from his forehead nervously. Today, there were two important guests. Dominick had to be prioritized, so David attended to him personally. Moreover, Wendy had been the one communicating with the champion's assistant, so David naturally delegated the matter to her.
David pondered, 'I assumed Mr. Beaumont would be furious because Ms. Prescott got hurt. But he doesn't even seem to care about her. That makes sense, though... Because if he did, why would he arrange for her and Mr. Vanderbilt to stay in separate rooms?
'I should've realized Mr. Beaumont's priorities and done my homework on this champion lady beforehand. What a blunder...'
David then said, "Yes, Mr. Beaumont. It's entirely my fault for letting..." As he spoke, he glanced uneasily at Paisley.
Paisley gave a slight nod and introduced herself. "Paisley Sutton."
David continued, "It's entirely my fault for letting for letting Ms. Sutton and her family get frightened."
Paisley smiled lightly, "Frightened? Not at all. It's just a little misunderstanding with Mr. Vanderbilt and his friends. Nothing serious." She thought that this minor incident didn't even qualify as frightening—it was just her humoring Marissa for a bit.
Marissa, who had been basking in the limelight moments ago, never expected to be humiliated here. Back in school, Nathaniel had always been indifferent to her, and now, nothing had changed. Yet, he was acting overly courteous and attentive toward Paisley.
The moment Serena saw Nathaniel, she stopped crying altogether. Her love-for-handsome-men instinct kicked into overdrive, and she reached out with her tiny arms, asking sweetly, "Hey, handsome. Cuddles, please."
Nathaniel, completely charmed by her adorable behavior, felt his heart melting. Without hesitation, he leaned down and scooped her into his arms, completely at ease. "What's your name?" he asked.
Serena replied with a cheeky smile, "I'm Serena Sutton. You can call me Rena."
"Rena, huh?" Nathaniel grinned. "Can you do me a favor? Ask your mom to accept me as her apprentice."
Serena wrapped her little arms around his neck and declared confidently, "Okay. I like you, so leave it all to me."
Hearing that, Paisley rolled her eyes in exasperation, thinking, 'This kid really does forget her mom when she sees a good-looking face.' She felt utterly embarrassed and quickly tried to distract her daughter, asking, "Do you want to keep riding the horse, Rena?"
But Serena shook her head decisively. "Nope. I want to play prince and princess with him."
"Alright, I will," Nathaniel chuckled, carrying Serena as he walked off the riding field.
Paisley had no choice but to follow after them. "Serena, you better stop this nonsense right now."
"What's the big deal, Ms. Sutton? Rena is practically my little junior now," Nathaniel said cheekily. Holding Serena in his arms, he suddenly remembered something, turned back, and called to Dominick with a casual wave, "Wait for me. We'll talk tonight."
Nathaniel figured they were just classmates—there was no need to be overly polite. What mattered more was showing respect to the mentor. He completely failed to notice Dominick's face, which had turned stone-cold.
Dominick huffed inwardly, 'Paisley just lets another man walk off with her daughter like that? And she's following along? Handsome? Hah.' Thinking back to the child crying and calling him "the scary guy", he let out a sneer.
Meanwhile, Grayson stood frozen in place. Marissa had called out to him several times, but he didn't respond. A complicated mix of emotions churned in his heart.
He reflected, 'So Paisley wasn't lying. Everything she said today was true. She knows how to ride horses. She's a champion. Mr. Larsen really did lose to her...'
Grayson closed his eyes and thought, 'But before, I thought she was so embarrassing... I even thought she was the one who caused Marissa to fall and pushed her...' His small fists clenched tightly, a strong sense of remorse rising in his chest for the first time.