The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back (Paisley)

Those former classmates who had once dismissed Paisley and chose to suck up to Marissa were now experiencing a complex mix of emotions.

Alexis' eyes went wide, pure fear written all over her face.

She couldn't believe it. The equestrian champion she'd looked down on and mocked turned out to be Dominick's ex-wife. Which meant Paisley was actually Grayson's birth mother.

And if that wasn't enough, Nathaniel from Axion Enterprises was now begging to be Paisley's student.

They'd all watched it happen right in front of them-Nathaniel acting all sweet and charming, trying to get on her good side, defending her at every turn.

'I'm screwed,' Alexis thought, feeling her heart sink. She'd definitely picked the wrong person to mess with.

At least there was one small mercy. All that trash Alexis had talked about Paisley at the party had been behind closed doors. Neither Paisley nor Nathaniel had heard any of it.

'No...wait a second,' Alexis suddenly thought. 'Dominick heard everything. No wonder he stormed off like that. It was because of what I said."

At that moment, whatever hope had been flickering in Alexis' heart died completely. She couldn't even focus on Marissa anymore. All she could think about was getting out of there, her feet stumbling beneath her as she tried to escape.

Alexis couldn't risk staying here any longer. He couldn't risk catching his attention. It wouldn't matter if she alone went down, but if the whole Foster family got caught in the crossfire because of her, that would be her fault.

With that thought driving her, Alexis spun around and bolted, her shoulder slamming into Marissa in her desperate rush to get away.

"Sorry, Marissa, something came up at home. I've got to go," Alexis blurted out, gathering her skirts as she disappeared into the crowd.

Marissa's face fell. She knew exactly why Alexis was bailing.

The awkwardness was palpable as their other classmates shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact before making their own flimsy excuses and taking off.

The whispers from the other guests kept swirling around her. Even with her thick skin, Marissa couldn't take it anymore.

"Watch your mouths," Marissa snapped, shooting a venomous glare at the surrounding guests. For once, she couldn't care less about their status or who she might offend. Without another word, she ducked her head and bolted.

It was a first. Marissa didn't stick around for Dominick and didn't bother keeping up their perfect couple act. She just left.

Julian watched the whole scene unfold, his expression growing more conflicted as he studied Paisley's retreating figure. 'Maybe... Maybe she really doesn't want Dom back after all...'

But that thought didn't last long. Julian's features hardened again. 'No way,' he thought. 'That woman's always got an angle. She's probably pulling some new trick to keep Dom wrapped around her finger.' Shaking off his suspicions, Julian turned to address the crowd of rubbernecking guests. "Alright, folks, it's getting chilly out here. Let's head back inside where it's warm."

Julian's voice was velvet-smooth, but his message was crystal clear to everyone present. Dominick's drama wasn't free entertainment. It would be wise for them to remain silent and return to their own place. The crowd got the hint. No one wanted that kind of trouble, so they all filtered back into the ballroom. Inside, the party picked up right where it left off-music playing, glasses clinking, guests mingling like nothing had gone down. Classic high society move, pretending the mess never happened.

The whole scene wrapped up with Dominick cutting Teddy a fat check for medical expenses. Dominick threw the first punch, but Teddy hit back. Even if he got his ass handed to him, technically, it was a two- way fight.noveldrama

If they were being realistic, Harrowfell was Dominick's territory. Teddy was just a regular college guy who didn't stand a chance against someone like him. In the end, they probably wouldn't even get the compensation they deserved.

Emery knew this, too, even if she hated to admit it. So when Dominick asked them to name their price, saying he'd pay up, she didn't miss a beat. "Three million dollars," she shot back without hesitation.