The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back by Juliette Vaughan

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In the CEO's office at Vanderbilt Group, the atmosphere was thick, the air heavy with tension. The pressure hung like a storm cloud, threatening to burst at any moment.

Dominick, standing by his desk, slammed a thick stack of papers onto the floor with an almost violent force.

His secretary, visibly shrinking from the anger emanating from him, quickly bent to pick up the scattered papers, her hands trembling slightly as she did so.

"I'll go speak to Mr. Parker right away and have his team redo it..." she stammered, not daring to linger any longer. The moment she straightened, she bolted from the room, her footsteps hurried and frantic. Julian Hale, Dominick's assistant, closed the office door behind the secretary with a quiet click, his eyes lingering on the tall, imposing figure of Dominick standing near the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Dominick's posture was rigid, his brow furrowed in annoyance, and the weight of his frustration seemed to settle in the room like a dense fog.

Julian sighed, leaning against the doorframe, "Mr. Vanderbilt," he began with a knowing look, "this is the sixteenth proposal you've thrown away today. Sixteen. Not one of them has caught your eye?"

Dominick tugged irritably at his tie, his expression darkening. "What's your point?" His voice was sharp, but Julian wasn't intimidated.

Julian's eyes flickered briefly before he spoke again, his voice lowering slightly, "Is it her return that is affecting you?"

"Paisley has no effect on me," Dominick snapped, his tone a little too quick, too defensive.

Julian's lips quirked slightly as he took a slow step forward, unfazed. "I didn't say it was Paisley," he murmured.

Dominick froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he caught the glint of amusement or perhaps something deeper in Julian's gaze.

After a beat of silence, Dominick turned away, his frustration boiling over as he yanked the tie from around his neck and tossed it carelessly aside. "You got something to say, or you just want to keep playing games?"

Julian straightened, his demeanor becoming more businesslike. "Actually, I do have something to say," he said, his voice lower now, tinged with a certain level of authority. "I've followed your orders. I've applied pressure on the investors. Ms. Sullivan is officially the lead for that series."

Dominick's expression shifted, his usual icy demeanor slipping back into place. He gave a single, almost imperceptible nod, signaling his acceptance of the news.

"Okay," he said flatly, sitting back down at his desk, the weight of the conversation easing as his attention turned back to the documents in front of him. His gaze, however, was distant, clouded with thoughts that no one could read.

Julian had already turned to leave, but after a brief pause, he couldn't help himself. He turned back and spoke with a slightly more probing tone, "Dom, the way you've been looking out for the Sullivan family... that's because of Paisley, isn't it?"

wasn't until recently that Julian had learned the Sullivans were Paisley's real family-something he hadn't realized before. But

overthinking it," he said,

going out of your way to look after the Sullivan family,

walked away without a second thought, even abandoning your son. Now

Dominick since high school, knew him inside and out

been fierce, and the standards were impossibly high.

his first business in high school, expanding it rapidly throughout college, and by his sophomore

alongside him, serving as his right-hand man. Over the years, their bond had deepened, transcending the typical employer-employee relationship.

voice cut through the air like a knife, sharper than usual. He turned abruptly, his eyes narrowing with a hint of annoyance. "I've told you already. There's nothing going on between me and Marissa. I see her as a

that, he tossed his phone toward Julian, the device skidding across the desk. On the screen, the latest tabloid headline splashed in bold letters about Dominick and Marissa's relationship scandal. Dominick's expression darkened even further, his tone frigid.

*****

first day of kindergarten was supposed to be a milestone, a step toward growing up. But for little

spent her entire life in the safety of Paisley's arms, and now, for the first time, she was expected to spend an entire day

mess. She wanted to cry. The lump in her throat was hard to swallow, but Paisley's words echoed in her mind, "You're a big girl now, Serena. Big girls don't

the tears, just like Paisley had taught her. But it was so hard. The absence of her mother and Maria made everything feel cold and empty, and she missed

while she just sat there, feeling out of place. She didn't want to play. She didn't want to do anything but go home and curl up next to her mom. But just as the tears began to well up again, something shifted in Serena's gaze. Her big doe

audible but filled with wonder

*****

was happily running around the playground, kicking the ball with carefree energy, when suddenly he

ready to snap at whoever dared disturb him. But what he saw made him pause. A

little defensive. He wasn't one for playing with girls, and the only exception was Marissa's niece, Stella-but that was only because he'd promised Marissa he'd

of him. Despite his usual dislike for distractions, she didn't bother him that

Serena said, her voice bubbling with excitement as she looked at him like she had just met

brother. You've got the wrong

fazed. "I know who you are and what you look like. You're my brother. I'm sure of it," she smiled, the same bright,

exactly like him. She had asked Paisley who it

older than the picture, but his features hadn't changed. She could tell,

brother," Serena said again, her voice

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