From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

They didn't need too many people watching over Paul through the night. Besides Paisley, they just needed one more person from the Vanderbilt family to stay.
The Vanderbilts were still debating who should stay overnight to watch over Paul when Dominick cut straight through their discussion. "I'll stay. No need to arrange anyone else."
"Dom, you can't stay here," Marissa protested quickly. "You've got that board meeting tomorrow. You need proper rest."
Dominick shook his head. "The meeting can wait."
Marissa felt uneasy about leaving Dominick and Paisley here alone. Sure, nothing would happen, but she just didn't want them spending time together, just the two of them.
Marissa quickly came up with an idea. "Look, Dom, why don't I stay instead? Ms. Sutton and I are both women. It'll be more practical."
"No need. Go home and get some rest." Without another word, Dominick walked straight into the hospital room, effectively shutting out the rest of the Vanderbilt family.
Paisley couldn't care less what arrangements the Vanderbilts were making out there. She was exhausted, so she just dragged her backpack into Paul's VIP room. The space was massive, decked out like a luxury suite with every amenity one could think of.
Paisley dropped her bag and collapsed onto the sofa against the wall, letting her eyes fall shut. Within minutes, she was asleep.
Her body slumped against the sofa's backrest, head drooping forward. Under her messy ponytail, the elegant curve of her neck peeked through, smooth and delicate. Her long lashes fluttered slightly, giving away that her sleep wasn't exactly peaceful.
This was the scene Dominick walked in on. He stood there, watching Paisley in silence.
Paisley had only just dozed off and wasn't fully under yet. Through the haze of sleep, she vaguely sensed someone touching her. Her eyes snapped open, meeting Dominick's gaze just as he was about to help her lie down.
The room was absolutely silent except for their breathing.
"If you're going to sleep, at least do it properly," Dominick said, his brow furrowing in mild annoyance.
Paisley pushed him away coldly and straightened up. "Why are you the one staying here?"
Her ice-queen act made Dominick laugh darkly. "Why shouldn't I? That's my grandpa lying there."
Paisley just shrugged, her voice dripping with indifference. "And Marissa was okay with this?"
She knew better. Marissa would never willingly let her and Dominick be alone together. Marissa should have fought tooth and nail to prevent it and let herself stay here. That would be more like her.
"What are you trying to say?" Dominick frowned.
"Nothing." Paisley wasn't in the mood to keep this conversation going with Dominick. "All I want is one peaceful evening without any drama. So do me a favor and keep your distance, you and your precious Ms. Prescott both. Just leave me alone."
"Paisley, can you try not being difficult for once?" Dominick was getting frustrated.
"I'm being perfectly reasonable," Paisley said calmly. Her face remained calm, but her words were driving Dominick absolutely crazy.
Fed up, Dominick stood and moved to the couch by the window, with Paul's hospital bed now between them. "Want me to keep my distance? Is this far enough for you?" He knew he was being petty, but he couldn't help it.
Paisley didn't even bother responding. She just closed her eyes and tried to rest.
The hospital room fell silent again. They sat there facing each other from opposite sides of the room, neither one willing to break the heavy silence that had settled between them.
Sometime later, a doctor on duty knocked and entered the room. He was a well-groomed man with a polished, professional demeanor.
The doctor gave Dominick a respectful nod as he walked in. "Mr. Vanderbilt," he said before making his way straight to Paisley's side. He stopped next to her. "Ms. Sutton, Mr. Walsh asked me to look after you tonight. Is there anything you need?"
"I'm fine, but thank you," Paisley replied with a polite smile.
"It's no trouble at all." The doctor was all eagerness, his eyes fixed on Paisley with undisguised admiration. "Oh, have you eaten? I could order something for you. There's this amazing restaurant nearby. Let me get you something from there."
Before Paisley could turn him down, someone else had already shut down the young doctor's offer.
"Thanks, but we're good." Dominick's refusal was blunt, his eyes holding a clear warning. He towered over the doctor, his presence downright intimidating.
The doctor took a couple of steps back, clearly unnerved by Dominick but still mustering up some courage. "With all due respect, Mr. Vanderbilt, I wasn't asking you. I was asking Ms. Sutton."
Dominick's expression darkened. "She's not interested either."
The doctor was about to question what right Dominick had to answer for Paisley. But one look at Dominick's intimidating face killed that thought really quick.
He was just a regular doctor. No way was he going to mess with someone who had Dominick's kind of financial power. "R-right, okay," he stammered before making an awkward beeline out of the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, Dominick turned to Paisley. "Could you maybe not flash those smiles at every guy who's obviously hitting on you?"
Paisley stared at him, speechless. "Dominick, you're actually insane."
She couldn't even deal with this crazy man right now. Rolling her eyes, she leaned back and closed them, trying to get some peace and quiet.
Out of sight, out of mind—that was the plan.
Footsteps faded away, and the hospital room fell quiet again.
A few moments passed before Dominick's voice drifted over from the window. "Paisley, can I ask when you started studying medicine?"
Paisley kept her eyes closed, but she wasn't quite drifting off yet. When she heard Dominick's question, she answered without giving it much thought.
As a patient's family member, it made sense that Dominick would want to know about the doctor's credentials.
"Three years old," Paisley mumbled, eyes still shut, her voice heavy with fatigue.
"Three years old?" Dominick was floored. In his mind, three-year-olds were basically living dolls, completely helpless. He couldn't even remember what he was doing at that age.
No one in their right mind would make a three-year-old study something like this. But something about Paisley's tone told him she wasn't making this up.
"Why?" Dominick suddenly realized he barely knew anything about Paisley at all.
Paisley said softly, "I was three when my adoptive grandfather found me. He was already in his eighties then.
"Grandpa was completely obsessed with medicine. He spent his whole life studying Ancient Medical Arts. Never got married, never had a family or kids of his own, never passed on his knowledge.
"Then he found me and took me in. Just like that, I became his only successor."
"But he was so old by then, there wasn't time to teach me slowly. So..." Sleep was starting to pull at Paisley, and her voice grew fainter. "I had to learn his entire life's work in just ten years..."
Dominick's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't even begin to imagine how Paisley had survived those ten years.
Paisley had started studying medicine at just three years old. A decade later, she was barely thirteen. And here she was, brushing off those painful years like they were nothing more than a footnote.
"Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" Dominick whispered. But all he got in response was the soft sound of Paisley's steady breathing.