From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 62: Chapter 62

Since the hospital had placed Paul under special protection, no one could reach the floor where his room was located without permission. As a result, the Sullivans had to exit the elevator early and take the stairs to Paul's floor.
When they reached the floor and pushed open the stairwell door, they were immediately blocked by two security guards. "You're not allowed here."
The Sullivans froze, caught off guard by the unexpected obstruction. But then they remembered Paul was a respected elder of the Vanderbilt family, so having security stationed here wasn't entirely surprising.
"We're from the Sullivan family. I'm Gregory, and these are my wife and daughter. We're here to visit Mr. Paul Vanderbilt. Step aside, we're going in," Gregory said.
His tone was laced with arrogance as he addressed the guards. He believed his family's status warranted respect, especially since Dominick had shown interest in his daughter, Brittany. He knew surely the Vanderbilt family wouldn't turn them down.
Unexpectedly, the two guards stood their ground, their expressions growing even sterner. "The Sullivan family? I never heard of you. Without specific instructions from Mr. Dominick Vanderbilt, no one is allowed through."
At the mention of Dominick, Brittany's eyes lit up. "Please inform Mr. Dominick Vanderbilt that I'm Brittany, and I've brought my parents to visit Mr. Paul Vanderbilt. Once he hears about this, he'll definitely let us in."
"Exactly, so go tell him now," Christina added sharply, waving a hand dismissively at the guards. "If you keep wasting our time, Mr. Dominick Vanderbilt might come down hard on you later."
The two security guards exchanged uncertain glances, somewhat thrown off by the trio's confidence that Dominick would see them. Finally, one of them decided to leave and get Dominick's approval, while the others remained behind to ensure they didn't cause any trouble.
Inside the hospital room, Grayson had cried himself to sleep. Dominick sat silently by his side, expressionless and lost in thought.
Marissa, seated attentively at Paul's bedside, fussed over him with concern. "Grandpa Paul, do you still feel unwell anywhere? If you do, you must tell us about it."
Paul turned his head away from her, clearly uninterested in talking. He'd never liked Marissa. There was always something off about her. Despite her sweet and gentle look, he couldn't shake the feeling that she had an agenda behind everything she did. It all just felt insincere.
Back when the family's chauffeur from the Prescott family had passed away, Paul had intended to give the Prescott family a substantial sum of money as a gesture of goodwill from the Vanderbilt family.
But Lauren had insisted on raising Marissa by her side. When Paul objected, she even accused him of being heartless. Now, every time he looked at Marissa, he felt nothing but frustration. If not for her, he believed Paisley wouldn't have left all those years ago.
"Grandpa Paul..." Marissa, sensing Paul's disdain, stubbornly called out again.
"Don't talk to me. My head hurts." Paul shut his eyes, pretending to fall asleep.
Marissa thought, 'You old geezer...why didn't you just kick the bucket this time?' Just then, a light knock sounded on the door from outside the room.
"What is it?" Dominick asked.
"Mr. Dominick Vanderbilt, there are three individuals in the stairwell claiming to be from the Sullivan family. One of them is a woman named Brittany. They're asking to visit Mr. Paul Vanderbilt," the security guard reported.
'The Sullivan family? Brittany?' Marissa wondered who they were as she turned to Dominick with a frown. In her memory, the Vanderbilts weren't associated with any Sullivans. On top of that, Brittany's name didn't ring a bell at all.
Hearing it was the Sullivan family, Dominick felt a fleeting emotion, but he quickly masked it. "We won't meet them," he replied curtly. He wouldn't see them because that family would only remind him of Paisley.
Just recently, Paisley had torn into him with a scathing verbal attack. He couldn't handle seeing anyone from the Sullivan family right now. Over the past four years since their divorce, he had been searching tirelessly for Paisley. In the process, he'd learned that Paisley was from the Sullivan family.
He didn't know why, but years ago, she had chosen to leave her family behind. When they got married, Paisley had told him she had no family in Harrowfell and that he would be her only family from then on.
The only reason he had ever helped the Sullivan family was because they were Paisley's blood relatives. He had always hoped that if Paisley ever wanted to return to her roots, he could help mediate the situation. The security guard, having received Dominick's answer, promptly returned to relay the message.
Marissa pulled her gaze back, a smirk tugging at her lips. Over the years, far too many people had schemed to cozy up to the Vanderbilt family. To her, this Sullivan family was just another name on that endless list of opportunists.
The Sullivans were still holding onto hope, but when the security guard returned, he simply shut the stairwell door in their faces. Gregory froze for a moment before pounding on the door. "What's going on? Why did you shut the door?"
"Mr. Dominick Vanderbilt said he won't see you. Just go back," the security guard replied coldly.
Gregory stared at him in disbelief before turning to Brittany, who asked, "Did you mention that Brittany's here?" She couldn't believe that Dominick would turn her down. Yet, the guards didn't even bother to respond, leaving the Sullivans stranded in the stairwell.
By the time Paisley got home, she was utterly exhausted. But as she opened the door, she forced herself to summon every ounce of energy and put on a radiant smile. "Rena, Mommy's home."
"Mommy." Serena came running out of her bedroom in excitement, barefoot and ready to leap into Paisley's arms.
Paisley longed to scoop her daughter up and smother her with kisses, but having just come from the hospital, she didn't want to bring any of its lingering germs near her child. "Stop right there, and don't move," she said gently.
Serena pouted but obediently stopped in her tracks. "Mommy..."
"Be a good girl, Rena. I will take a shower and change my clothes, then I'll hug you," Paisley said softly.
Maria quickly stepped in and scooped Serena up. "Rena, let your mommy take a shower first."
While Paisley showered, Serena stayed right outside the bathroom, refusing to leave. She was like a little puppy guarding its owner, occasionally letting out small whimpers as if asking how much longer it would take.
Paisley had no choice but to shower quickly. As soon as she stepped out, Serena threw herself into her arms. Picking up her daughter, Paisley planted two big kisses on Serena's soft, rosy cheeks. All her fatigue and gloom melted away in that moment.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you?" Maria asked with a warm smile as she laid out a steaming breakfast. "Come eat quickly. You've been up all night, so get some rest after breakfast."
"Okay." Paisley felt a wave of warmth fill her heart. This was exactly what she wanted—a cozy, lively home. Honestly, her wish had always been this simple.
After breakfast, Maria urged Paisley to take a nap. Serena, being an obedient child, kept herself occupied with picture books while her mother slept. When she grew tired of reading, she went off to play with Maria.
Paisley ended up sleeping until the afternoon. When she woke up, she found Maria teaching Serena how to read. That reminded her—it was time to enroll Serena in a kindergarten.
"Oh, by the way, I got a call yesterday from Ms. Johnson, Rena's previous teacher," Maria said. "She mentioned she's now at a different kindergarten and asked if Rena had found a new school yet. If not, she said Rena could join her there."
Serena's eyes lit up at the mention of Sophia. "I want to go to Ms. Johnson's school."
Paisley knew how much her daughter adored Sophia. "Alright, where's the kindergarten located? I'll take Rena there later to check it out. If everything looks good, we'll enroll her there."
Hearing that she'd get to see her beloved teacher again, Serena was overjoyed and clamored for Maria to help her change into her prettiest dress. While Serena got dressed, Paisley took the chance to check her phone and work emails.
As expected, she received numerous missed calls, unread messages, and a backlog of work emails. She sighed and decided to return Lucy's call first.
"Ms. Sutton, are you coming to the studio today?" Lucy asked.
"Not today. I'm taking Rena to visit a kindergarten later. If it's not urgent, put it on hold. If it's pressing, handle it as best as you can, and if you can't, then let me know," Paisley said.
Lucy was competent, and Paisley trusted her judgment completely.
"Got it," Lucy replied, her voice suggesting she was multitasking—typing while talking. "Oh, there's one thing that needs your confirmation. Ms. Flynn from Crown&Culture asked me to double-check. Are you sure you're okay with submitting your oil painting for their charity auction? If so, I'll proceed with the contract."
Crown&Culture was a magazine dedicated to empowering women. The funds raised from this charity auction would be allocated specifically to support girls in impoverished remote areas.
Paisley had reviewed the proposal Janet sent and found it meaningful. Breaking her usual rule, she decided to contribute her painting to the cause. "Yes, go ahead."
"One more thing, Ms. Sutton. Will you attend the event? Ms. Flynn hopes you'll be there and even suggested doing a feature interview with you for the next issue of the magazine," Lucy added.
"Let's skip the interview, but I'll attend the auction." Paisley was curious to see how much her painting would ultimately sell for.