From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Serena wasn't too happy about Paisley's late return, making her displeasure crystal clear.
It took Paisley ages to calm her down, including an impromptu performance as the "evil witch" before Serena finally agreed to go to sleep.
Maria, exhausted from the long day, crashed soon after Serena did.
Finally having a moment to herself, Paisley started going through Lucy's work messages. She'd just gotten out of the shower and was ready to call it a night when the doorbell rang.
Paisley glanced at the time—past ten-thirty at night. 'Who in their right mind would be dropping by at this hour?' she thought.
Making her way to the door, Paisley checked the video display. To her surprise, it was Dominick standing there. "Seriously? What's this jerk doing here at this hour?" she muttered under her breath, not bothering to answer the door.
Dominick seemed dead certain she was watching through the door, so he planted his face right in front of the video doorbell. "Paisley, let me in."
Paisley stared at the stupidly handsome face filling up her screen and let out a resigned sigh. She had no clue what his deal was, but Serena and Maria had just crashed for the night, and she didn't want to wake them. Reluctantly, she buzzed Dominick in.
The moment Paisley opened the door, his tall frame practically collapsed on her. "Are you drunk?" She caught him instinctively.
Dominick leaned heavily against her, his usually sharp, intense eyes now completely unfocused. He just stared at her with this lost expression. "Paisley...don't teach him equestrian."
It took Paisley a moment to realize Dominick was talking about Nathaniel. She hadn't planned on taking Nathaniel as her student, but hearing it from Dominick just made her want to argue. "That's my business, not yours.
"You should head home. You're drunk," Paisley added, trying to usher him out.
"No, I'm not..." Dominick brushed off her attempt to guide him away, making his way to the couch and sinking into it. "Paisley, I feel awful..." His voice dropped to barely above a whisper, probably remembering the kid and nanny were asleep.
Dominick leaned back against the cushions, his breathing heavy.
Seeing he was genuinely unwell, Paisley dug through her bag for a hangover pill. She dropped it in some water and handed him the glass. "Here, drink this. It'll help you feel better."
Dominick obediently took the glass and sipped the water, his movements slow and deliberate. The veins in his neck stood out slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing with each swallow beneath the warm glow of the living room lights. He looked beautifully wrecked—all sharp edges and vulnerability.
Dominick drained the glass quickly, then ran his tongue across his bottom lip like he was chasing the taste. "This flavor... I remember it."
Of course he did. Paisley had developed these hangover pills specifically for him back then. It felt like forever ago when Dominick had just taken over the company and was drowning in a sea of business meetings and networking events.
Every time Dominick stumbled home from those business dinners, she'd have a glass of water ready with the medicine dissolved in it.
These days, Paisley never left town without packing an assortment of pills in her bag—just in case.
"You can leave now," Paisley said coldly, dismissing him for the second time.
Dominick stayed put on the couch, suddenly giving her that puppy-dog look, his eyes getting slightly red at the corners. The air of vulnerability around him was even stronger than before.
'Such a player,' Paisley thought, and once the idea popped into her head, she couldn't shake it off.
"Why do you keep pushing me away, Paisley?" Dominick's eyes were intense, glistening with what looked suspiciously like tears.
Paisley froze, completely thrown off guard. 'Is this man...actually pulling the puppy dog eyes on me? Seriously?' she thought.
Paisley broke into a cold sweat as realization hit her. She was deeply stunned—this was completely unprecedented, beyond anything she could have imagined.
"Paisley..." Dominick slurred. "Why are you so dead set on divorcing me? Did you... Did you really fall for someone else? Who is he? Is he better than me?"
Before Dominick could finish, the alcohol finally got the better of him, and he passed out on the couch.
Paisley stared at his unconscious form, letting out a bitter laugh. 'Typical. You still don't get why I want this divorce, do you?' she thought. 'Whatever. Someone like him will never understand anyway.'
Paisley contacted Julian and Marissa through the hotel's front desk.
Soon enough, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Thankfully, Paisley had been waiting by the entrance with the door cracked open, worried that the doorbell might wake Serena and Maria.
Despite her best efforts, there was no stopping Marissa's shrill voice from piercing the air. "Dom, what happened to you?"
Paisley's brows furrowed. "Keep it down. My daughter's sleeping."
But Marissa couldn't care less, clicking across the floor in her heels toward Dominick. "Dom. Paisley, what the hell did you do to Dom?"
"You really want to test me by waking up my daughter?" Paisley's ice-cold glare stopped Marissa in her tracks. At that moment, Paisley looked every bit like a lioness protecting her cub.
One wrong move from Marissa, and she'd be toast.
Though clearly frustrated, Marissa caught herself and lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "What's going on with Dom? Why is he even at your place?"
Paisley couldn't be bothered to argue with them. "Just drunk and got the wrong room. Get him out of here." She found them incredibly annoying.
Julian didn't say a word, just gestured to someone outside. Two hotel staff quickly came in, helping Marissa get Dominick to his feet.
"Come on, Dom. Let's get you to bed." Marissa hovered anxiously by Dominick's side, her eyes never leaving Paisley.
"Just go already," Paisley snapped, too annoyed to deal with her.
The group made their way out, with Marissa and Dominick heading back to room 3302 next door.
Julian hung back. "Look, I don't know why you're back in Harrowfell, but let's get one thing straight. You and Dom are divorced. Stop living in a fantasy. He's with Marissa now, so do everyone a favor and stay in your lane. Nobody wants you playing homewrecker."
Paisley laughed in disbelief. It turned out Julian was here just to threaten her. Without hesitation, she landed a solid kick, sending him stumbling out the door. "Get out," she spat, her voice ice-cold.
The door slammed shut behind him with a satisfying bang.
Julian stood frozen outside, still processing what had just happened. For someone who was second only to the CEO himself, this kind of treatment was unthinkable. The spot where Paisley had kicked him throbbed, and he couldn't help but wonder, 'When did she get such a temper?'
After having the staff help get Dominick settled in bed, Marissa shooed them out. Instead of leaving herself, she pulled out her phone and shot Julian a quick text, saying she'd take care of Dominick so he should head to bed.
Shrugging off her jacket, Marissa perched on the edge of the bed and found herself watching Dominick's peaceful sleeping face. In the quiet of the room, a wild idea started taking root in her mind, growing stronger by the second.