From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Marissa caught a glimpse of Dominick's increasingly grim expression from the corner of her eye and felt secretly delighted. On the surface, however, she maintained a soft demeanor and said to Alexis, "Maybe Nathaniel genuinely wants to learn horseback riding?"
Alexis snorted, "What are you even talking about? Who are we kidding? We only do this stuff to pass the time and socialize. Just dabbling in it is enough. Nathaniel, that troublemaker? He's been messing around his whole life. Since when does he suddenly care about horseback riding?"
She paused, her gaze growing even more disdainful as it landed on Paisley. "Who's to say that woman isn't just trying to latch onto someone rich, all while pretending to play hard-to-get?"
Marissa quickly covered her mouth, feigning shock, and chimed in, "You can't just go around saying things like that." Though her words were aimed at Alexis, her eyes remained fixed on Dominick.
Alexis, being the kind of person who doubled down when questioned, retorted, "Oh, come on now. I may not know that equestrian champion well, but I sure as hell know Nathaniel."
And, of course, the others standing around knew Nathaniel as well. They'd all been high school classmates, after all. Back then, aside from Marissa, Nathaniel had flirted with just about every campus queen. With his long history of questionable behavior, Alexis' claim held some weight.
Marissa blinked her large, clear eyes and looked at Dominick with an expression of innocent confusion. "Is that really true?"
"It absolutely is," Alexis declared confidently. She pointed toward a spot in the distance and said, "Don't believe me? Look over there. Just look at how close their faces are when they're talking."
From Marissa and Dominick's vantage point, Paisley seemed to be leaning forward, her head slightly lowered while looking up to speak with Nathaniel. From this angle, it did appear as though the two were standing very close.
To make matters worse, Nathaniel was acting cutesy, his usual charm on full display.
The sound of a wine glass slamming heavily onto the marble counter then broke the moment. "I need some air," Dominick said coldly to Julian. Without waiting for a response, Dominick turned and exited the ballroom through another door.
"Dom." Marissa made a move to follow him, but Julian stopped her.
"Let him be for a while," Julian said softly.
Marissa bit her lip lightly. She didn't want to let this opportunity to be alone with Dominick—or to further sow discord between him and Paisley—slip away.
However, since Julian had said as much, Marissa knew it wouldn't look good if she insisted. So, instead, she nodded with a worried expression and said, "Alright... I'm just worried about him."
Alexis and the others exchanged confused looks. Alexis then couldn't resist asking, "Marissa, what's wrong with Dominick?"
She pondered, 'That scared the hell out of me just now. Anyone who didn't know better would think I said something to piss Dominick off. But the more I think about it, the more I'm sure I didn't say anything wrong.'
Marissa pressed her lips together and stayed silent. But when she looked at Paisley, there was a venomous glint in her eyes. Marissa grumbled inwardly, 'Just how much longer are you planning to stick around and ruin things between Dominick and me, Paisley?'
The ballroom on the first floor had two doors for guests. One was the main entrance leading into the hotel, which was located near the elevators.
The other was a glass door opening to the garden at the back of the hotel—the door Dominick had used when he said he was going out for some air.
The garden was vast and beautiful, lush with greenery and blooming flowers during the day. By night, its soft lighting created a tranquil, almost ethereal atmosphere.
After stepping outside, Dominick didn't wander far. He stopped in front of a fountain sculpture and irritably tugged at his tie. Still feeling stifled, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.
His heavy breaths made his broad chest rise and fall, but the more he tried to calm himself, the harder it became. It was because his mind kept replaying the image of Paisley talking with Nathaniel.
"Playing the adorable card, huh?" Dominick sneered, his cold tone making it clear how unimpressed he was by Nathaniel's playful, over-the-top antics.
Dominick grumbled inwardly, 'So this is what you're into, huh, Paisley? Weren't you obsessed with that pretty boy? You even had a kid with him. So why are you getting so cozy with another man now? Is it that you can't resist any guy who's a little good-looking?'
Without realizing it, he touched his face and turned toward the fountain's pool. But the dim lighting made it impossible to see his reflection—all he could make out were the ripples spreading out where the water fell.
With a sneer, Dominick muttered, "This is ridiculous. What am I doing?" He thought bitterly, 'Paisley has already moved on with someone else. What does that have to do with me? If anyone should be angry, it's that pretty boy.'
Suddenly, a woman's voice snapped him out of his simmering rage. "Hey, stop that. It tickles."
Dominick's expression froze immediately. He hadn't expected anyone else to be there. Judging by the voices, it sounded like a couple getting intimate. He had no intention of eavesdropping and was about to leave when the man's voice made him freeze in place.
The man said, "Then give me a kiss, and I'll stop."
Upon hearing that, Dominick narrowed his eyes. He had only met the guy twice, but that was enough to recognize his voice. It wasn't anyone else—it was Paisley's pretty boy.
Dominick glanced toward the ballroom, confirming that Paisley was still inside and hadn't come out. That left him wondering, 'If she's in there, then who is the woman currently with that pretty boy?'
Meanwhile, Emery and Teddy remained blissfully unaware that someone else was there. She playfully swatted at Teddy and said, "No way. You'll ruin my makeup."
"Then I'll kiss you instead," he said.
"Stop it. What if someone sees us?"
"So what if they do? You've been ignoring me for days. Do you have any idea how much I have been missing you?"
Emery and Teddy had arrived in the afternoon. After dropping off their luggage in the room, they decided to explore the area and ended up wandering into the garden. Unfortunately, with all the photos they'd been taking, their phones were now out of battery.
Knowing the grand opening cocktail party would be held in the ballroom ahead, they decided to stay put and wait for Paisley there.
Lately, Emery had been incredibly busy—so busy that she'd barely had time for her personal life, leaving Teddy feeling a bit neglected for the past week. And Teddy, being the clingy type, couldn't resist using any chance he got to stick close to her.
"Kiss me. Please, just one kiss," Teddy pleaded, nuzzling his head against her like a puppy trying to get attention.
Emery knew full well that if she didn't give him a quick peck now, he wouldn't stop pestering her. With a resigned sigh, she crooked her finger, motioning him closer. He happily leaned in, and she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Happy now?" she asked.
But Teddy wasn't satisfied. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her deeply and passionately before reluctantly letting her go.
From where they stood, Emery could already hear the lively chatter and music coming from the ballroom ahead. Realizing the party had started and worried that Paisley might be getting anxious, she nudged Teddy. "Alright, that's enough. Let's go."
Teddy, knowing Emery was concerned about Paisley, decided to stop fooling around. With his tall frame towering over Emery, he wrapped an arm around her and guided her out of the garden, past the statue, and toward the ballroom.
Suddenly, Teddy's vision went dark. Before he could even see who was in front of him, a solid punch landed squarely on his face.
Emery let out a startled scream and rushed to steady him. "Who the hell punches someone out of nowhere?" she yelled, spinning around in anger. But her words caught in her throat when she saw who it was—Dominick, Paisley's jerk of an ex-husband.
"Are you out of your fucking mind? Why did you hit him?" Emery snapped, glaring at Dominick.
Dominick ignored her completely, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Teddy. He began wrapping his tie tightly around his fist, giving Teddy no time to recover before throwing another punch.
When Teddy finally got a chance to fight back, he was already pinned to the ground. He tried to shield his face while figuring out how to counterattack. But each punch felt heavy, almost brutal as if Dominick was trying to pummel him into the ground.
In a brief moment of opportunity, Teddy managed to wriggle out from under Dominick. Despite his efforts to protect himself, Teddy couldn't escape unscathed—a cut now marred his face. Standing up, he shot Dominick a venomous glare and sneered, "Oh, so it's you, the infamous jerk."
Teddy pondered, 'Well, well, isn't this perfect timing? Might as well help Paisy teach this jerk a lesson.' With that thought, he raised his fists and lunged forward.
Unfortunately, Teddy had overestimated himself and underestimated Dominick. After just two punches, Teddy was back on the defensive.
Emery cried out in panic, "Stop it. What the hell are you doing? Dominick, you disgusting jerk, let him go."