From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 59: Chapter 59

By the time Reginald's group made it back to Vanderbilt Manor, it was deep into the night. After a day of constant worry, they all collapsed onto the living room sofas, too exhausted to do anything.
"Where's Grayson?" Lauren asked the butler.
"He is already asleep," he replied.
Lauren nodded, relieved. Given the situation at the hospital today, they couldn't have brought Grayson along. They'd had to leave him at home under the care of the butler and staff.
Kayla leaned into Lauren's embrace. "I hope Grandpa makes it through the night."
"He will," Reginald said with unwavering confidence.
"Well, Mr. Walsh and Mr. Hansen both said it wasn't serious." Lauren nodded in agreement. "Plus, we've got..." She trailed off awkwardly as Paisley came to mind. "We've got her watching over things."
Reginald and Kayla knew exactly who Lauren meant. Kayla sat up straighter, still reeling from the revelation that Paisley was Charles' mentor. "Can't believe Paisley's actually that skilled," she said and then pursed her lips. "Why didn't she just tell us from the start?"
"Would it have made any difference? Would you have treated her better?" Reginald knew his wife and daughter too well. They simply didn't like Paisley, convinced she'd taken what was rightfully Marissa's.
Lauren and Kayla shifted uncomfortably, caught out by Reginald's words.
"It's just facts, okay? Dom and Marissa grew up together. If Paisley hadn't swooped in out of nowhere, Marissa would totally be Dom's wife by now." Kayla saw nothing wrong with taking Marissa's side.
"But don't forget, your brother chose to marry Paisley. That means he genuinely wanted her," Reginald said.
Kayla pouted, "Only because Marissa wasn't around then. Paisley just took advantage of the situation."
"And why would she do that?" Reginald sighed.
"For the money, obviously," Kayla declared with absolute certainty.
"Does she really need money?" Reginald countered.
That stopped Kayla in her tracks. She had to admit that he had a point. She hadn't known back then just how incredible Paisley's medical skills were. With talent like that, making serious money would be a piece of cake for her.
Plus, when Paisley married Dominick, it had been almost like a secret—no grand announcement, no public embrace of her role as a lady of Vanderbilt. That meant she never got any of the perks that came with being a Vanderbilt.
When they divorced, Paisley walked away with nothing, refusing to take a single cent of Vanderbilt money.
Kayla tilted her head, thinking out loud. "So if Paisley didn't marry my brother for money or power, what was she after?" She thought there had to be something.
Reginald and Lauren just exchanged a knowing look, leaving Kayla's question hanging in the air.
The realization slowly dawned on Kayla as she mulled it over. 'Right, if it wasn't for money or power, what else could it be?' she thought. 'Love...She married Dom because she genuinely loved him.'
"Not that any of it matters now. They're divorced anyway," Kayla muttered under her breath and then turned to Reginald. "Dad, you were on board with the divorce too back then. Grandpa was literally the only one who fought against it."
Reginald was full of regrets now, too. Unlike Lauren and Kayla who were letting emotions guide them, his judgment had been purely calculated.
Back then, he'd decided Paisley wouldn't bring any value to the Vanderbilt family. She wasn't from old money, hadn't gone to the right schools, wasn't part of their world.
Reginald had thought that someone like her had no place in the Vanderbilt family. There was no way he could have guessed that years later, he'd end up being the one begging for Paisley's help.
Lauren glanced toward the kitchen, lowering her voice. "Let's drop it. We shouldn't let Marissa hear us talking like this."
As soon as Marissa came back, she headed straight to the kitchen to make everyone a late-night snack. Even with a full kitchen staff on hand, she still insisted on doing things herself.
Lauren held up her compact mirror, frowning at her tired reflection, "These fine lines around my eyes keep multiplying, and these bags aren't getting any smaller. I swear, even a little exhaustion ages me like crazy now. This never used to happen before."
Kayla's eyes suddenly widened as realization hit. "You know what? When Paisley was married to my brother, our whole family was crazy healthy. Do you think she was secretly taking care of us all that time?"
It was true. When Paisley had been around, they'd all been bursting with energy. The moment she left, everyone's health started going downhill, even though nothing else in their lifestyle had changed.
Reginald and Lauren fell silent, a bitter taste settling in their mouths. If that was true, then Paisley had quietly done so much for their family without anyone knowing.
"Still, I want Marissa to be Dom's wife." Kayla bounced back to her usual self, excitedly scrolling through her phone to look at her saved collection of Nion's artwork for what must have been the hundredth time.
"Marissa said she could help me meet Mr. Vaire." She grinned. "I can't wait."
Around the corner, Marissa lurked in the shadows, her face darkening as she caught every word of the Vanderbilts' conversation. She headed back to the kitchen and dialed Jack's number.
Jack picked up almost immediately.
Marissa took a deep breath and asked, "Jack, could you reach out to Mr. Vaire's assistant again for me?"
"Look, Marissa, it's not that I don't want to help. I've tried everything, but they won't budge. The painting's not for sale, period. No amount of money's gonna change that," Jack said.
"It's fine if they won't sell. I just want to meet with Mr. Vaire, just once. That's all I'm asking."
"Well..."
"Money's not a problem."
"It's not about the money..." Jack sighed. "Alright, I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks, Jack."
After hanging up, Marissa stood still for a long moment, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular, her eyes glinting with cold calculation. She'd noticed how the Vanderbilts were starting to feel guilty about Paisley.
The first rays of morning sunlight played across Paisley's face, making her stir. The sound of rustling fabric caught her attention. Opening her eyes, she found herself curled up on the couch with a plush throw blanket draped over her.
Paisley bolted upright, flipping off the blanket with a frustrated groan. Hurrying to Paul's bedside, she checked his condition. Relief washed over her as she observed his steady breathing, strong pulse, and healthy color, with no signs of any complications.
The bathroom door clicked open, and Dominick walked out, his face and hair still damp from washing up. "Hey, you're up," he said, his voice smooth and gentle.
"When did I fall asleep? Why didn't you wake me?" Paisley demanded. If Paul took a turn for the worse and they didn't catch it in time, all her hard work would be wasted.
"Don't worry. I'm wide awake," Dominick said, grabbing some tissues to dry his face. "If Grandpa's condition changes, I'll wake you up right away."
Paisley glanced at Dominick, noticing the telltale redness in his eyes that came from pulling an all-nighter. "Thanks for staying up." She turned back to check Paul one more time. "He should be waking up soon."
With that, Paisley retreated to the couch and sank down into it.
"You're the one who deserves thanks," Dominick said, tossing the tissues in the trash. "You've been here the whole time, doing everything you can to save Grandpa."
That was when Paisley noticed the pile of fancy takeout boxes stacked next to the trash can.
"You were already asleep when dinner arrived yesterday. They'll be bringing breakfast soon. We can grab something together," Dominick said.
"Sounds good." Paisley didn't object. Her stomach was definitely rumbling. Sure, she had those snacks Maria packed, but they were cold and stale by now. What she really wanted was something warm and fresh.
Thinking of Maria made her mind drift to Serena. Serena always slept curled up next to her at night. After being gone all night, Paisley wondered if her little girl had been asking for her.
As if on cue, Serena's call lit up her phone. "Hi, hi, Mommy. It's Rena."
The moment Paisley heard her daughter's voice, her whole face lit up, her pretty eyes crinkling into crescents, filled with pure warmth and love.
"Has my little girl been good for Maria?" Paisley's voice went soft and high, the way parents talk to young children.
"Yes, I was good. I went to bed when I was supposed to." Serena paused on the other end of the line. "I only cried a tiny bit, really."
Serena had still cried. Paisley's heart clenched at the thought. "Mommy will be back really soon, sweetheart," she promised.
Dominick stood there, watching Paisley talk to their daughter, and suddenly found himself lost in a memory. She used to talk to Grayson in that same sweet voice, smiling as she held him close.
Dominick got so caught up in the memory that he didn't even notice when Paisley ended the call.
Paisley looked up to find Dominick staring at her thoughtfully. She frowned, "What?"
Her sudden shift in attitude and icy tone snapped Dominick out of his daze, leaving a hollow feeling in his chest. "Do you love him, Paisley?"
"Who? Rena?" Paisley raised an eyebrow. Of course, she loved her daughter.
"I mean Serena's biological father," Dominick said.