Chapter 71
Nathaniel and Paisley’s departure brought a temporary sense of relief to David and the staff at the stables. But deep down, David knew he had caused a major problem this time, Just because Nathaniel hadn’t confronted him now didn’t mean he wouldn’t later.
At this point, David figured his best option was to curry favor with Paisley, hoping she’d put in a good word for him with Nathaniel. Even so, David couldn’t afford to neglect Dominick the more intimidating figure.
David turned toward Dominick and lowered his head slightly. He was just about to speak when lie noticed Dominick’s dark expression and the suffocatingly tense atmosphere surrounding him,
David hesitated for a long moment, too scared to say a word. He thought, I’m done for this time. Ms. Prescott is Mr. Vanderbilt’s partner, and now she’s injured here at the club’s stables.
To make matters worse, Mr. Beaumont just walked off like it didn’t matter. Who wouldn’t be furious? It’s clear that Mr. Vanderbilt values Ms. Prescott a lot.
Left with no choice, David forced himself to speak. “Uh, Mr. Vanderbilt, about Mr. Beaumont, he—”
Dominick shot him a cold glare that immediately shut him up again. Then Dominick turned to Grayson. “Do you still want to ride?”
Grayson had already lost all interest and shook his head. He pondered with a heavy heart, ‘No, I don’t want to ride anymore…
“Then let’s go, Dominick said cuntly.
Just then, a choked voice called out from behind them. Dom Sonny
Grayson suddenly remembered–she was still hurt. He hesitated before speaking. “Dad, what about Marissa…
His emotions were a tangled mess. He had always liked Marissa, but today, she had lied and even wronged Paisley. He wasn’t sure how to deal with
Marissa now.
“The Marissa 1 liked would never lic, Grayson reflected. “But that other woman–she lies all the time. Why does it feel like everything’s so different today?
Yet, Marissa had always been kind to him. Grayson couldn’t bring himself to ignore her, leaving him caught in an internal struggle he’d never experienced before
Dominick, on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking about Paisley–how her daughter had clung to Nathaniel, calling him “handsome“, and how Paisley had chased after them, her expression tinged with amused resignation.
Dominick mused bitterly. “Why is it that you can be warm and kind to everyone else but always give me the cold shoulder. Paisley And your daughter–why does she smile and hug everyone else but see me as the scary and bad guy?”
Dominick spoke sharply. “Julian, take Marissa for a detailed checkup. After leaving that instruction, he took Grayson’s hand and walked away from. the stables. The others were left exchanging uncertain glances, unsure of what to do next
The truth was, they were only here because of Dominick’s connections. Without him, they didn’t have the privilege to use the premium members- only facilities. If they wanted to ride, they’d have to return to their own level–appropriate grounds. But with Dominick gone, what was the point of
staying
For a moment, everyone’s thoughts diverged, and they regarded Marissa with mixed expressions. One person wondered, “Does Dominick truly care about Marissa? If he does, why leave her in the care of an assistant while taking his son and leaving first?
“But if he doesn’t care, why does he constantly protect hert And after all these years, she’s still the only woman who has been able to stand by his side. That much is obvious to everyone!
Marisa could feel all the probing gazes in the room directed at her, and she gritted her teeth silently
In the infirmary, the medical staff conducted another thorough examination of Marissa again. Thanks to her full riding gear, there were no open wounds or cuts on her body or limbs.
The only noticeable injury was a minor scrape on her forehead, but it barely bled. Bruises marked several parts of her body, but none of them were serious and would fade in a few days. All in all, she looked more battered and pitiful than she actually was
Alexis handed the brooch to Marissa with a complicated expression. “Marissa, here’s your brooch. I had the blood cleaned off it”
Alexis had stayed with Marissa throughout the checkup and saw everything clearly. The tiny amount of blood from Marissa’s forehead couldn’t possibly have stained the brooch. It was olivinan whose blood had been on it.
