The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back (Paisley)

Jonathan came out first, followed by Paul on a gurney, wheeled out by the medical staff.

"Mr. Walsh, how's my father?" Reginald rushed forward.

"Grandpa," Kayla called out.

"Paul," someone said.

Marissa and the rest of the Vanderbilts crowded around, all trying to get a look.

"Everyone, step back a bit. Give him some air," Jonathan warned before turning to Reginald. "Don't worry. Paul pulled through this time."

They all looked at Paul. Though still unconscious, his complexion had improved dramatically, the sickly pallor replaced by a healthy flush. Lying there in the hospital bed, he looked like he was just taking a peaceful nap.

"Thank goodness." Reginald's legs nearly gave out as all the tension drained from his body. Someone quickly grabbed his arm before he could fall.

The rest of the Vanderbilt family finally let out the breath they'd been holding.

They weren't blind-Paul's color was visibly improving, and his breathing had steadied. Only Marissa felt a bitter taste in her mouth.

A part of her had wanted Paul to die right here. That would have made Paisley the ultimate villain in the Vanderbilt family's eyes. But, of course, things just couldn't go her way.

"Mr. Walsh, where's Paisley?" Dominick stared at the operating room doors. Everyone else had come out. He wondered why Paisley was taking so long.

Jonathan had already learned in the operating room that Dominick was Paisley's ex-husband. Now, looking at this guy, he couldn't keep the scowl off his face. "Paisy's exhausted. She's resting inside." Dominick started heading for the operating room, but Jonathan blocked his path. "Where do you think you're going? You can't just walk in there."

Just then, Paisley walked out, nibbling on a now-stale pastry as she walked out. She was deep in conversation with Charles, explaining something as they moved.

Charles looked like the world's most eager student, nodding along to every word. The way he hung on her every sentence made him look like a first-grader who was about to whip out a notebook and start taking notes.

"Don't forget to practice everything we talked about. If you get stuck on anything, just ask me," Paisley said.

"Yes, I'll practice super hard. Promise I won't bug you too much, Ms. Sutton." Charles grinned sheepishly. Paisley rolled her eyes. "Like you don't already bug me enough."

"Heh." Charles ducked his head with an embarrassed smile.

Paisley turned her attention back to her food, taking small bites. She was starving. "And don't forget to take the medicine I made for you. You're not getting any younger, and your health comes first.

"Stop taking on every job that comes your way. All that money won't mean anything if you work yourself to death." Paisley laid it out straight, not caring if her blunt words made Charles look bad in front of others. "I've been taking your medicine right on schedule, Ms. Sutton. See how great I'm doing?" Charles thumped his chest proudly to prove his point.

Paisley ignored him and walked into the room where everyone was waiting.

The way the Vanderbilts looked at her now had completely shifted. The change in their expressions was unmistakable.

Gone was any trace of the housewife they'd known four years ago. The transformation was so dramatic that none of them quite knew how to act around her now or even what to call her.

"Paisy..." After a moment's hesitation, Reginald stuck with her old nickname. "Is my father okay?" Paisley's voice came out soft and drained. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, and exhaustion was written all over her face. Whatever had gone down in there clearly hadn't been easy. "Mr. Paul Vanderbilt is stable for now," she said.

Reginald tensed up. He could tell that Paisley was making a point to distance herself from the Vanderbilts. Otherwise, she would have called Paul "Grandpa," not "Mr. Paul Vanderbilt".

"What do you mean 'stable for now?" Reginald pressed.

Paisley popped the last bite of her now-stale snack into her mouth, only to find herself struggling with how hard it had gotten.

As she tried to swallow, a water bottle appeared in front of her. The hand holding it was large and elegant, making the bottle look almost dainty in comparison.

"Here, drink something," Dominick said softly.

Paisley glanced at him and decided not to refuse. Taking the bottle, she noticed the cap was already twisted off. Her eyebrow quirked up slightly. 'Since when did this jerk get so thoughtful?' she thought. "Come on, Paisy, tell us," Reginald pressed, anxious for news about Paul.

"Let her drink first," Dominick cut in, seeing her struggle.

Only then did Reginald notice Paisley's pained expression. She'd gotten something caught in her throat. He backed off, waiting as she drank her water.

Paisley could feel everyone's eyes on her as she tilted her head back to drink. Their stares came from every direction. The cool water soothed her throat, finally clearing the blockage that had been causing her so much discomfort.

After taking a moment to clear her throat, she continued, "Mr. Paul Vanderbilt's vital signs are stable for now, but we're not out of the woods yet. Tonight will be crucial. If he makes it through without any complications, he should wake up by tomorrow morning at the latest."

The Vanderbilts felt their anxiety creeping back up.

But then Paisley spoke again, "Don't worry, I'll stay here tonight. I'll make sure Mr. Paul Vanderbilt is safe until he wakes up tomorrow morning.

Her words instantly put the Vanderbilts at ease again.

"Thank you, Paisy." This time, Reginald's gratitude was genuine.

Paisley just shrugged it off. "Don't thank me," she said, glancing at Charles. "Thank him." She was only here to clean up Charles' mess, after all.

It just happened to involve the Vanderbilts. And it just happened to be Paul. If it had been any other Vanderbilt, she would've walked away without a second thought.

Reginald let out an awkward laugh, watching Dominick with a mix of sympathy and resignation.

It was obvious that Dominick still had feelings for Paisley. From the moment she'd walked in, his eyes hadn't left her once. Too bad she was dead set on cutting all ties with the Vanderbilts.

Now, as Reginald looked at the whole mess, regret started creeping in. If he had known just how capable Paisley was, he would've moved heaven and earth to stop that divorce from happening.

*****

At Sullivan Villa, Gregory called Christina and Brittany over. "Just got some intel through my contacts. Mr. Paul Vanderbilt's been hospitalized."

Christina looked completely lost. "Okay, and? What's that got to do with us?"

"What's it got to do with us?" Gregory shot Christina an exasperated look. "First thing tomorrow morning, we're heading to the hospital as a family to visit Mr. Paul Vanderbilt. We'll pick up some gifts on the way."