From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

The massive bedroom felt oddly empty with just Marissa and Dominick inside.
Watching him lying there with his eyes closed, Marissa's emotions were all over the place. For the longest time, she'd convinced herself she was irreplaceable in Dominick's life. That feeling had only gotten stronger after his divorce from Paisley.
But these past four years, Paisley had tried every trick in the book to push their relationship past that invisible barrier, but nothing had worked.
Paisley had even gone as far as selling photos and videos of their meetings to paparazzi and gossip sites, desperately trying to paint this picture of them being super close. All just to get people thinking she was Dominick's fiancée. She'd hoped to test Dominick's reaction with those posts, too.
But to her surprise, the news had barely hit the trending topics before Vanderbilt Group's PR department swooped in and shut it all down.
Before Paisley showed up, Marissa could tell herself comforting little lies. Maybe Dominick was just protecting the company's image, keeping himself off the entertainment headlines. Or maybe he just wanted to keep his private life under wraps.
But then, Paisley came back. Marissa had to admit it. Paisley's return had thrown her completely off balance, especially after that dig about how she still wasn't Dominick's wife after four whole years. That one stung.
Now, watching Dominick's peaceful face as he rested, Marissa knew this was her shot. Her chance to change everything. "Dom?" she called out softly.
Dominick's eyelids fluttered but didn't open, his sleep undisturbed.
Marissa let out a quiet breath of relief and leaned forward, drawing closer to him. Her eyes traced over his features, now just inches away, and her breathing grew heavy and uneven.
Unable to resist, Marissa reached out with trembling fingers to undo the buttons of his shirt. As she inched closer, her crimson lips hovering over his.
In that split second, Dominick's eyes snapped open. His gaze was razor-sharp, almost predatory, the kind of instinctive alertness that kicks in when danger lurks nearby.
Marissa froze, her lips just inches from his face. Their eyes met, and she felt a chill run down her spine at the fierce intensity in his stare. Her fingers stayed frozen mid-button, her whole body going rigid.
Only when recognition flickered across Dominick's face did that dangerous edge fade from his eyes. "Marissa?" His voice came out rough and low, still heavy with alcohol.
Marissa snapped back to reality at the sound of Dominick's voice. She quickly straightened up, caught off guard. He had been dead asleep just seconds ago, after all.
"You had too much to drink," Marissa said, keeping her voice steady as she flashed her usual polished smile. "I stayed to keep an eye on you."
Dominick sat up, feeling a cool draft across his chest. Looking down, he realized half the buttons on his dress shirt were already undone.
"I... I just wanted to help you change," Marissa explained smoothly, her face a perfect mask of innocence. "Your shirt reeks of alcohol."
Marissa was playing it cool, like she was just being helpful, nothing more, nothing less.
Dominick started rebuttoning his shirt, one by one. "Go get some rest," he said. "I'm fine." His voice came out soft, clearly still tipsy. He was barely keeping it together enough to talk to her.
"Come on, Dom. We're family," Marissa pressed, not backing down. "Of course I should stay and take care of you."
The truth was that Marissa noticed how deeply he was sleeping and figured he couldn't do anything to her. Her real plan was to snap some cozy photos and send them to Paisley.
Marissa could make Paisley believe that she and Dominick had sealed the deal. And with him drunk like this, maybe fantasy could become a reality.
The wheels were turning in Marissa's head. But Dominick cut her plans short before they could take root. "You should go," he said bluntly. "It's not appropriate for you to stay."
Marissa knew better than to push it. Trying to stick around would only make him resent her, and that was the last thing she wanted.
"Of course," Marissa said sweetly. "I'll head out. Get some rest, Dom. Call me if you need anything, okay?"
Dominick just massaged his temples, the room spinning. All he wanted was to crash and sleep this off. "Sure," he mumbled.
Marissa slipped out of the bedroom, closing the door with a gentle click. But she couldn't bring herself to leave just yet. Instead, she paced the living room, her mind racing with possibilities.
Paisley woke up early, unfazed by last night's drama.
It was Serena who was all worked up. The moment she heard her beloved Teddy was hurt, she couldn't sit still, insisting on checking on him right away.
Paisley had barely stepped into the hallway with Serena in her arms when she spotted Marissa coming out from room 3302 next door.
Marissa was still wearing the same outfit from when she'd rushed off with Dominick last night—which could only mean one thing—she'd spent the night in his room.
Marissa moved stiffly, one hand pressed against her lower back. The dark circles under her eyes were hard to miss. Clearly, she hadn't gotten much sleep.
When Marissa spotted Paisley, she flashed an easy smile. "Morning, Ms. Sutton."
Paisley ignored her completely, holding Serena close as she waited for the elevator.
Marissa didn't bother with the cold shoulder. Instead, she sauntered over to where Paisley stood. Between her unsteady legs and the way she kept rubbing her back, she had that unmistakable morning-after look.
Paisley could tell Marissa's discomfort wasn't entirely an act, but she was definitely playing it up for effect.
"Dom was crazy last night," Marissa said, her voice dripping honey. "I barely got any sleep. My whole body aches, and just look at these bags under my eyes."
Too bad for her—Paisley wasn't some guy who'd fall for that act.
Paisley's brows furrowed with a hint of warning. "Ms. Prescott, do you really think it's appropriate to say things like that in front of a three-year-old?"
Even though Serena was too young to understand, the suggestive comments still made Paisley's skin crawl.
Maria stood to the side, shooting daggers at Marissa. 'The nerve of this woman,' she thought, 'starting drama first thing in the morning.'
"Marissa?" Grayson's voice cut through the tension as he appeared in the doorway of room 3302. "Shouldn't you be packing your bags?" He'd come out after hearing Paisley's voice.
Grayson hadn't seen Paisley since their run-in at the stables yesterday afternoon.
As they walked out, Grayson noticed Marissa rubbing her lower back, clearly uncomfortable. "Don't tell me your back's killing you from sleeping on that couch all night?"
Marissa tensed up, trying to stop Grayson. "No, Grayson... I didn't... I mean, I..."
"Why wouldn't you just crash in your own room? The couch had to be awful," Grayson pressed, genuinely confused. "What made you stay here?"
None of this was adding up for Grayson. Especially after yesterday at the stables, when she'd used that brooch to hurt the horse and then lied about it.
His eyes drifted to Paisley, guilt written all over his face. The apology was right there on the tip of his tongue, but Grayson couldn't find the right words to say it.