Chapter 25
Standing right behind Dominic, Marissa had overheard every word of the exchange between Dominick and Paisley.
As she watched Dominick’s fixation on Paisley’s daughter, the uncase in Marissa’s chest only grew more intense.
Why ca
can’t you just disappear for good. Paisley? You’ve been gone for four years. Why did you come back now? Marissa silently cursed in her mind, her resentment boiling beneath her composed exterior.
But she knew it wasn’t the time to dwell on those thoughts.
Marissa shot a sharp glare at Stella and thought bitterly. This whole mess was
as the little brat’s fault! Can’t she figure out what to say and what not to say? She almost blew everything up!.
Steeling herself. Marissa adjusted her expression, softened her tone, and took Grayson’s hand as she quickly walked up to Dominick “Dom” she called gently and closely watched his reaction.
But Dominick d didn’t even glance her way. His gaze was locked in the direction where Paisley had driven off, his face dark with thought
Marissa’s face looked darker, but she pressed on. This whole situation is my fault. I didn’t explain things clearly to Stella, so she got the wrong idea.
“I was just trying to teach her to look out for Sonny, you know! After what happened before, I’ve been extra cautious about who gets close to him.”
Back when Grayson was still in preschool, a troubling incident had left its mark.
A little girl coaxed by her parents, had befriended Grayson and lured him to their house.
Her father, a former business partner of Vanderbilt Group, had lost his contract due to quality issues and had held a grudge ever since. He planned to use Grayson to exact revenge on Dominick.
Luckily, the situation was resolved before it escalated, but Grayson had been badly shaken, leaving emotional scars that lingered.
Ever since then, the Vanderbilt family had been vigilant and would scrutinize anyone who came near Grayson.
“This time, Stella was in the wrong She acted rashly without understanding what really happened, Marissa said, her tone full of regret
She paused, letting a small silence hang in the air before carefully adding, “But who would’ve thought… that little girl was Paisley’s daughter? I mean, four years after your divorce, she shows up with a three–year–old daughter. It’s really… She trailed off, letting the implication hang
Marissa didn’t need to spell it out–she knew Dominick would connect the dots. The growing storm cloud on his face told Marissa her words had landed exactly where she wanted.
Still, she shifted gears, adding a humble note to her tone. “Anyway, today’s mess is on me and Stella”
Dominick finally y tore his gaze away from the empty road and said in a heavy tone. “It’s not your fault. You were only protecting Sonny. If anyone’s at fault here, it’s Paisley. She’s the one failing as a mother.”
Marissa picked up Grayson, giving him a comforting squeeze as she murmured, “Dom, don’t be so harsh. I can understand Paisley. Not every mother loves their child the way you expect.”
Dominick’s expression darkened even further, his jaw tightening with barely restrained anger.
ret. You don’t love
The thought grawed at him. Paisley, Grayson is your child too, yet you walked away without a second thought or an ounce of regret Grayson, but you love a child you have with another man. Paisley, you are heartless
