From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Because Marissa had injured her knee, Dominick personally took her and Grayson to Vanderbilt Manor. He had originally planned to stay at the company that night, but he rarely stayed over there.
Dominick returned to the room. It had originally been his own room. After he married Paisley, it was decorated as their marital home.
Later, because Paisley was uncomfortable living there, they moved to their previous villa and lived there together for four years.
Since the divorce, Dominick rarely returned to this place. He mostly stayed at the company or in hotels.
At that moment, Dominick looked at the furnishings in the room and felt both familiar and strange. His gaze swept over the photo frame on the desk, and a hint of tenderness appeared on his frosty face.
It was a family photo of the three of them. Paisley sat in a chair, holding the newborn Grayson in her arms. Dominick stood behind them, his hand gently resting on Paisley's shoulder.
At that time, they all wore smiles. Those genuine smiles confirmed that they had once had sweet moments.
Dominick thought, 'But when did it start to change? Who changed?' Dominick did not believe he had changed. He loved Paisley, and he was very clear about that. So he could not understand why they ended up in divorce.
A knock sounded at the door, and Dominick composed himself and walked over to open it.
Marissa stood outside, holding a plate of exquisite snacks. "Dom, I saw you didn't eat much for dinner, and I was worried about your stomach, so I brought you some desserts."
Marissa held up the plate, looking up at Dominick. The burgundy slip dress she wore looked particularly alluring under the light. Before coming to find Dominick, Marissa had dressed up and even put on makeup that made her look pure.
Dominick looked at the plate and did not want to eat. However, he did not want to dismiss Marissa's kindness, so he reached out to take it. "Thank you."
Yet after Dominick took the snacks, Marissa still stood at the door.
"I will eat it. And it's time for you to rest," Dominick said.
Marissa looked at Dominick with hope. She thought he would understand her meaning, at least letting her into the room. But Dominick did not. He just stood at the door and took the snacks from her, showing no intention of letting her in.
"It's late. I need to rest," Dominick said.
Marissa felt reluctant but could only nod, as she did not want to make her intentions too obvious. "Okay, good night."
Just as Marissa turned around, Dominick's voice came from behind. "Wait a moment."
Marissa's eyes lit up, and she turned around excitedly, looking at Dominick with anticipation.
But Dominick only handed her a piece of clothing. "Wear this. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"Uh...okay..." Marissa awkwardly took the clothing and put it on, her last glimmer of hope fading away. "Dom, good night."
"Good night," Dominick replied.
Just as Dominick was closing the door, Marissa saw a photo frame hidden behind the door in his hand, and the photo was of him, Paisley, and Grayson.
The moment Marissa saw the photo, it felt as if Paisley was smiling at her, saying, "What if I really let go of all my grudges and followed your advice to remarry Dominick?"
Marissa angrily thought, 'No way. Absolutely not. I have waited for so many years. I will not allow Paisley to come back and take my place.'
In an instant, Marissa felt all her rationality drain away. She quickly returned to her room and dialed her cousin, Jeremy Prescott. "Come out tomorrow. I need to talk to you." At the same time, Marissa shouted in her heart, 'I want Paisley dead.'
The next morning, by a sparsely populated road, a taxi was parked there, and Jeremy, who had stayed up all night, was sitting in the car yawning.
Before long, another taxi stopped by the roadside, and Marissa, with a mask on her face, got out and climbed into Jeremy's car.
"Marissa, why did you call me out so early? What's the matter? I was looking forward to going back to catch up on sleep," Jeremy complained while yawning.
"Did you gamble all night again?" Marissa mocked.
"Is that really gambling? I was just having some fun with friends," Jeremy argued defensively.
Marissa did not want to argue with Jeremy. After the taxi that brought her left, she darkened her expression and got straight to the point. "I want that woman dead."
Jeremy was taken aback. "Who?"
"Paisley, Dominick's ex-wife." Marissa now had a stress response whenever she mentioned Paisley's name, fearing that Paisley might pop up from somewhere.
Jeremy was not surprised to hear this. He chuckled, "I told you to get rid of her a long time ago. It would solve everything."
"Yes." Marissa regretted not having killed Paisley sooner. "I'll leave this matter to you. Find reliable people to do it. After it's done, you can have whatever you want."
"As long as you become the mistress of the Vanderbilt family, I'll have everything." Jeremy had a clear mind.
"Exactly, then the entire Vanderbilt family will be mine." Marissa's eyes were filled with longing. She seemed to envision her future self standing above everyone, ruling the world.
At that time, Marissa would no longer be a mere lodger without a name or status but the true mistress of the Vanderbilt family.
"Are you sure you only want to kill that woman?" Jeremy added, "What about the girl?"
Marissa had not thought of that. Hearing Jeremy mention it, she changed her mind. "Deal with them both. That girl is annoying, too. Who knows, she might really be Dom's child."
"Sure, it's an easy task." Jeremy was unconcerned, as if they were not two lives but two ants.
"And..." Marissa spoke again, her gaze darkening. "Find an opportunity to kill Grayson, too."
"What?" Jeremy did not expect Marissa to be so ruthless, wanting to kill Grayson as well. "I thought you liked that kid."
Marissa sneered, "I was just using him. He's just a beast with Paisley's blood. Why should he be my son? I will have my own child with Dominick. Wouldn't that be better?"
Jeremy fully agreed. "That's true. We can't let that beast inherit the Vanderbilt family's fortune. The future heir of the Vanderbilt family must have the blood of our Prescott family."
The more Jeremy spoke, the more excited he became. His expression twisted in a perverse way. "I'm curious. If the Vanderbilt family finds out that you killed their beloved heir, what will their reaction be?"
Marissa scoffed, "They won't know. Those fools trust me. They believe whatever I say. Just like back then, when I said Paisley deliberately made me eat mango cake, causing me to have an allergic reaction and almost die. They believed it without even checking."
"They really are foolish," Jeremy laughed heartily. He enjoyed the thrill of mocking those who were more successful and wealthy than himself.
Marissa said proudly, "Not only are they foolish, but Julian is also foolish. I said Paisley didn't treat them as family, and they believed it. I hinted that Paisley had bad intentions, and they believed that, too."
After a while, Marissa stopped laughing and looked coldly ahead. "You must get this done. I really don't want to see Paisley's face again."