The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back (Paisley)

Marissa quickly composed herself and walked up to him. "I knew you were coming back today, so I came to pick up Sonny early. I ran into Ms. Sutton and chatted with her for a bit."

Dominick didn't overthink it. He figured she must have known he was coming back today, maybe called Grayson and found out Paisley's address.

Paisley glanced over at them nonchalantly. She and Serena had been standing in the freezing wind for quite a while now, and with Teddy about to arrive to drop something off, she had no interest in dragging this out any further.

So, Paisley said, "Alright, the kid is with you guys now. My job here is done. I'll be heading back now." Dominick wanted to stop her. "Paisley-"noveldrama

But Grayson cut him off, curiously asking, "Oh, you bought flowers, Dad? Are they for Marissa?"

Marissa had noticed the pink roses in Dominick's hand the moment he stepped out of the car and couldn't help but feel suspicious.

He had never given her flowers before, and he couldn't have known she'd be here to pick up Grayson today. So, Marissa was sure the flowers were meant for Paisley.

Grayson's comment gave Marissa the perfect excuse. She quickly took the bouquet and put on an expression of surprise and delight. "Oh wow, pink roses. My favorite. Thank you, Dom." As she spoke, she cast a sidelong glance at Paisley, gauging her reaction.

Though Paisley no longer held any feelings or expectations for Dominick, seeing him give flowers to Marissa still sent a chill through her.

During the years Paisley had been married to Dominick, he had never once given her flowers. Not even a single wildflower plucked from the side of the road. The irony wasn't lost on her-now Dominick had learned to create romantic gestures-pink roses, no less, which symbolized first love.

Paisley figured Marissa truly must have been Dominick's first love, just as his mother and sister had told Grayson. If Paisley hadn't come into the picture, Dominick would have married Marissa.

The thought made Paisley let out a self-deprecating laugh. She thought, 'So, from the very beginning, it was just me fooling myself."

Dominick hadn't expected to see Marissa here, let alone that the bouquet would be mistaken as a gift for her. Just as Dominick was about to explain, a man walked past him, carrying bags of fruit and supplements. With a bright smile, the man headed straight toward Paisley.

"Paisy, I brought some stuff over for you guys," Teddy called out as he walked over, raising his arms to show the bundles he was carrying.

The young man was the picture of charm, with his carefully styled spiky hair, a bright white T-shirt, and light denim jeans. His cheerful smile was infectious, and as he raised his arms, his well-defined biceps stretched the fabric of his sleeves. Everything about him radiated youth and energy.

Serena, who had looked a bit down moments ago, instantly perked up at the sight of Teddy. She pulled free from Paisley's hand and dashed toward him with childlike glee. "Daddy."

Paisley sighed inwardly, 'Geez. It's Teddy...not Daddy.' She couldn't help feeling exasperated at Serena's constant mispronunciations.

Meanwhile, Dominick froze on the spot when he heard the word. It was as if all the blood in his body had turned to ice.

Until now, he had only speculated about whose daughter Serena might be. At one point, he had even suspected Paisley of lying to him-that Serena might actually be his child.

Dominick had planned to get Serena's DNA sample for a paternity test after his return. But at this moment, he heard the little girl call that overly polished, annoyingly cheerful man "Daddy" with his own

ears.

He thought bitterly, 'So Serena really isn't my daughter. Paisley really did have a child with another man...' With this thought, his hands at his sides slowly clenched into fists, and a sharp, suffocating pain spread through his chest, radiating through his entire body.