The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back (Paisley)

Early the following day, Paisley officially sent Serena to her new kindergarten. At the school gate, the scene of reluctant goodbyes played out once again.

"Rena, be a good girl. Listen to what Ms. Johnson tells you, and if you feel unwell, tell her right away. Don't keep it to yourself." Paisley repeated, tirelessly reminding her daughter.

"Okay, I'll remember that, Mommy." Serena also dutifully responded, repeating her promises.

"And get along well with the other kids. Don't bully anyone, and don't let anyone bully you, okay? If someone does, tell me immediately." Paisley couldn't bear to have the same issues from the last kindergarten repeat.

"Okay, Mom, I really understand," Serena said again.

"Don't worry, Ms. Sutton. I'll take good care of her," Sophia smiled reassuringly.

"Thank you, Ms. Johnson." Paisley handed Serena over to Sophia and, reluctantly, watched her daughter

be carried into the classroom by Sophia. As she turned to leave, she ran into two other mothers who were also dropping off their children.

Although Paisley didn't know them well, she nodded politely at the two slightly aloof-looking parents-it was what parents did when their kids went to the same kindergarten.

"Hello." Paisley greeted politely, but without waiting for a response, she simply walked out of the kindergarten.

Millie's mother, Vivian, turned to look at Paisley's retreating figure as she frowned, "Is that the new kid's mom?"

Another parent, also watching, nodded. "She seems unfamiliar, so it must be her."

"She's decent-looking, but her clothes are so plain. And she has no makeup up on. She really doesn't care about her image at all." Vivian, on the other hand, was impeccably done up, her diamond-studded nails catching the light.

"She looks like a stay-at-home mom struggling with life. Her husband is probably a nobody who's not earning much," the other parent added, agreeing with Vivian. Though, truth be told, she didn't completely buy her own words. In fact, she did think Paisley was naturally beautiful, even without makeup.

Still, there was little choice for her. Vivian was the president of the parents' committee, and if she wanted her daughter to fit in, she had to follow along with Vivian's opinions.

Vivian, however, was unbothered. "I bet she doesn't have a husband. Yesterday, when I asked about her job, she was hesitant and sent me a question mark. Eventually, she said she's a freelancer."

Vivian sneered, "Freelancer? That's just a fancy way of saying she doesn't have a stable job. And if she had a husband, why didn't she mention him yesterday?"

Vivian had also asked about Serena's father in the group chat yesterday, but Paisley only mentioned her job as a freelancer and sidestepped anything about her partner.

Realization struck another parent and she immediately laughed, complimenting, "Mrs. Morgan, you always see through to the heart of the matter."

Vivian basked in the praise from the other parents and, with a patronizing tone, said to that parent, "At the end of the month, I'll throw Millie a grand birthday party. You and Elara should come too."

"Of course," Elara's mother, Isabella, smiled awkwardly, already thinking about what gift to buy for Millie. Then, Vivian spoke again, "You know, my husband's often away. He's the general manager of Cloud Crest Winery, and he has a lot on his plate. But for Millie's birthday, he promised he'll come back, and he'll bring a bottle of Cloud Crest Reserve for us parents to share."

Isabella, now more eager to please Vivian, couldn't help but feel a sting of discomfort. She realized that this time, she'd have to buy something much more expensive for the birthday gift.

*****

During the break, Grayson stood alone on the playground, staring at the pre-one class activities. Despite his efforts, he couldn't spot Serena anywhere.

Unable to hold back any longer, he walked toward the pre-one class. The younger children, busy with their games, paused and curiously watched him as he approached.

"What brings you here, little boy?" the new pre-one class teacher asked.

"Where's Serena?" Grayson asked.

The teacher paused in uncertainty, as she didn't know who Serena was. "Who's Serena? There's no one by that name in this class."

As the class' activity time ended, the teacher efficiently led the children back to the classroom.

Grayson stood there, motionless, his eyes fixed on the empty space. Serena wasn't here anymore, and the thought that he might never see his mom again filled him with a heavy, aching sadness.

"Sonny, what are you doing here? This is the area for little kids. Come back with me." Stella ran over and grabbed Grayson, trying to pull him back.

Grayson stumbled as Stella tugged on him, almost losing his balance. He pulled his arm away, his voice sharp. "I don't want to go back. I just want to be alone for a while."noveldrama

Stella didn't understand what was going on with Grayson and stubbornly tried to pull him back. "But I want you to come back and play with me."

Out of all the kids in the class, Grayson was the only one she hung out with, while the others had to be at her command.

Grayson usually gave in to Stella's requests, but he felt irritated today. "I don't want to play with you right now. I just want to be alone for a while.

Usually, Stella would always ask him to do this and that. Even though he didn't always want to, he'd put up with it because she was Marissa's niece. But for some reason, today, he didn't feel like putting up with it anymore.

Stella, clearly shocked by Grayson's reaction, blinked back tears. "If you don't play with me, I'll tell Aunt Marissa that you're bullying me."

In the past, whenever Stella said something like that, it always worked. Grayson had always been completely under her control. But this time, Grayson just gave her an impatient look and muttered, "Do whatever you want."

He turned and walked away, sitting alone off to the side, fuming. He couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't let Stella bully Serena back then, would she still be here?

'Serena wasn't wrong, after all. She is Mom's daughter, and even though we don't share the same father, she is still my sister. If I had treated her better, maybe Mom would have liked me more,' Grayson thought. Grayson slipped his hand into his pocket, where a piece of chocolate lay quietly. It was the one Serena had secretly given him at Paisley's place.