The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back (Paisley)

"What's wrong? Chickening out?" Paisley asked casually as she sat confidently atop her horse, gazing down at Marissa with a commanding presence.

Marissa bristled at Paisley's condescending attitude but kept her composure. To her, Paisley was still the same woman she had always dismissed a homemaker who spent her life revolving around her husband and child. Deep down, she had always looked down on Paisley.

Hearing Paisley's provocative words now, Marissa was convinced she was just putting on a show, trying to grab Dominick's attention. Smiling faintly, Marissa replied, "You may not know this, but I'm

professionally trained."

"Her coach is Mr. Larsen, the renowned equestrian athlete," Alexis chimed in, finally standing up from the ground. She glared at Paisley indignantly. "But talking to you is probably a waste of time-you don't even know who Yohan Larsen is, do you?"

Paisley raised an eyebrow and replied, "Oh, I know him. He's one of the people I've beaten."

"What did you just say?" Alexis burst into laughter, spinning around to address the group behind her. "Did you hear that? She said Yohan is someone she's beaten." The crowd erupted into mocking laughter as if Paisley had just told the most absurd joke.

Grayson's expression darkened further, his grip tightening on the pony's reins. All the respect he had started to develop for her vanished in an instant. He thought irritably, 'She's still the same clueless woman, saying such idiotic things. Beating Yohan? Ridiculous."

Dominick's brows furrowed slightly. He knew Paisley wasn't the type to make baseless claims, but he couldn't recall ever seeing her ride a horse-after all, she had never ridden one in front of him.

Just earlier, he had seen Paisley holding her daughter as she rode a gentle, docile brown horse, moving slowly with an instructor walking beside them. He figured she must have only just started learning. Dominick's brows furrowed deeply at the thought. Then, he wondered, 'Paisley, have you lost your mind, or are you just being foolish, trying to compete with Marissa in horseback riding?'

Paisley didn't care about anyone's thoughts at the moment. What mattered to her was protecting her daughter's dignity and confidence. She didn't want Serena to think her mother was weak or easily pushed around. Paisley needed to instill self-assurance and trust in her daughter.

And, of course, Paisley wouldn't take on this challenge unless she was absolutely sure of her own ability. Lifting her chin, Paisley glanced at the horse Marissa had chosen and said, "Stop wasting time, Ms. Prescott. You've picked your horse, so get on. Let's settle this. Loser leaves." Her patience was wearing thin. "I'm curious to see just how impressive someone trained by Yohan really is."

Marissa pressed her lips together, pretending to hesitate. Inside, she was practically giddy, thinking, 'Paisley, since you're asking for this, then don't blame me for not holding back.'

"Well then, since you insist, I'll oblige." Marissa swung onto her horse with practiced ease, her movements swift and smooth, exuding effortless charm. "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you."

Paisley smiled faintly as she adjusted her reins, "How do you want to compete?"

Marissa's eyes gleamed with a sly light, though her expression remained one of concern as if she were looking out for Paisley. "You probably aren't skilled at much else, so let's just race and see who's faster," Marissa suggested.

Without hesitation, Paisley nodded in agreement. "Fine."

Dominick's tall figure suddenly appeared beside Paisley, his large hand gripping her reins tightly. "Are you crazy? You want to stay here? Fine, I'll let you stay here. But why are you picking a fight with Marissa?" Paisley yanked the reins back with a sneer. "Oh? Mr. Vanderbilt, are you afraid I'll bully your childhood sweetheart?"noveldrama

Paisley reflected, 'How many times has this happened? How many times have I been in this exact situation? Every time Marissa and I clashed, Dominick always spoke to me like this-like I was always the unreasonable one.'

Dominick's gaze deepened, his furrowed brows reflecting his growing frustration. He huffed inwardly, 'What nonsense are you spouting? Do you even know how skilled Marissa is at riding? What if you get hurt?' Through gritted teeth, he said, "Don't overestimate yourself. Get down now."