The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back by Juliette Vaughan

Chapter 48

Soon after, everyone went to the dining room and had already taken their seats. But Dominick was nowhere to

be seen. So, Lauren asked, "Where's Dom?"

The butler replied, "Mr. Dominick is in the study."

Kayla pulled a face and said, "What's up with Dom anyway? He cback and immediately locked himself in the

study, won't talk to anyone, and won't cout." She turned to Marissa and asked, "You cback with him,

right? Did something happen earlier?"

Marissa forced a somewhat awkward smile as she replied, "I'm not sure. Probably something to do with work."

But she knew the real reason for Dominick's behavior-Paisley.

Dominick had seen Paisley with another man, and on top of that, she had a daughter. Today, he had even bought

Paisley pink roses, symbolizing first love.

Marissa couldn't stop herself from wondering what might have happened if she hadn't been there or if Paisley's

daughter's father hadn't appeared at just the right moment.

Deep down, Marissa didn't want to face the possibility that Dominick still harbored feelings for Paisley. Marissa

couldn't bring herself to accept it, nor did she dare dwell on it for too long.

Marissa couldn't deny that Paisley's words today had deeply unsettled her. Marissa mused, 'Four years. It's been

four years since they divorced. Paisley has already moved on, found someone new, and even had a daughter. So

why won't Dominick accept me?

'Have | not made myself clear enough? He's always been so good to me, treatingdifferently from any other

woman. | thought | was the one who stood out, the one who was special.

Still, Marissa refused to believe or accept that Dominick only saw her as a sister. She didn't want to be his sister-

she wanted to be his wife, the future matriarch of the Vanderbilt family.

Lauren then instructed the butler, "Go call Dom downstairs for dinner."

"I'll go." Marissa stood up, volunteering to fetch Dominick.

Kayla and Lauren exchanged a glance, and a knowing smile spread across both their faces. Kayla

teased, "Yeah. Let Marissa go. She can comfort Dom's tired body and soul."

Lauren tapped her daughter on the head. "Sonny and Stella are sitting right here. Watch what you say." Kayla

giggled. "I didn't say anything wrong. They'll all be family sooner or later anyway." For a moment, the

atmosphere around the table was light and cheerful.

But then, Reginald, ever kind, said, "Marissa, there's no need for you to go. Let the butler take care of it." Marissa

blushed and quietly sat back down.

It wasn't long before Dominick arrived, having changed into casual attire, and settled in the seat next to

Reginald. His expression was neutral, almost cold, and his quiet demeanor cast a cloud over the previously lively

mood.

Reginald glanced at Dominick and raised his hand to say, "Okay. Now that everyone's here, let's eat." With those

words, everyone picked up their utensils and started eating.

Dominick quietly grabbed his plate, eating slowly and deliberately, without engaging in any conversation. Seeing

this, Marissa silently observed him, her grip on her fork tightening.

Lauren sighed, "Oh dear, my sweet grandson, you've had a rough couple of days. Eat up. Eat more. These are all

your favorites." As she spoke, she kept piling food onto Grayson's plate-mostly meat and seafood.

She genuinely felt bad for Grayson, thinking, 'l have no idea what kind of crazy idea Dominick had, insisting on

sending Grayson to Paisley's house for two days. Talking about how kids need their biological mother's

companionship and how adults shouldn't drag children into their problems. What nonsense! 'Paisley? A mother?

If she cared about Grayson even a little, she wouldn't have been so determined to divorce back then. Now she's

gone and had a kid with another man-how can she possibly treat my precious grandson well?"

The more Lauren thought about it, the angrier she becand the more she felt sorry for Grayson. But with so

many people around, she couldn't lash out.

All she could do was keep piling food onto Grayson's plate, making sure he got to eat what Paisley could never

provide for him.

When Lauren reached out again with her fork to drop another piece of meat onto Grayson's plate, he pulled it

away, stopping her. She froze for a moment before asking, "What's wrong, Sonny? Don't you like this anymore?"

Grayson shook his head in response. Then, right in front of all the adults, he picked up a forkful of greens -his

least favorite-and put it in his mouth, chewing it in big bites. Lauren was stunned to see that.

This was the sGrayson who was famously picky about food, especially vegetables. It used to take all kinds of

coaxing and bargaining to get him to eat even a bite.

And when the little guy got stubborn, he wouldn't budge no matter what they tried. In the end, the adults would

always cave in. After all, he was their precious treasure, and they'd do anything to make him happy. Nutrition?

Well, they figured it didn't have to cfrom vegetables. Families like theirs had plenty of ways to ensure a

healthy diet. Lauren had even hired a top-tier nutritionist for Grayson at an exorbitant price. That was why,

despite his picky eating habits, Grayson had always been in excellent shape. But now, watching him voluntarily

take such a big bite of greens, all those fancy nutrition plans and expert advice suddenly didn't matter.