Chapter 118 What If She Doesn't Want to Marry Me
Fifteen minutes, twenty minutes...
Time ticked by relentlessly.
Jeremy had exhausted every trick in the book—singing nursery rhymes, sweet-talking—but no matter what he tried, the door remained stubbornly shut.
Jeremy pressed himself against the door, abandoning all dignity as he pounded on the wood. "Liam, please open up! I'm begging you! How about I take you out for ice cream?"
Alexander finished his board meeting and returned to find Jeremy still in his business suit, now kneeling on the floor in a rather pathetic state. He'd been pleading for twenty minutes without so much as a peep from Liam.
Hearing footsteps, Jeremy stiffly turned around to see Alexander approaching, his expression stormy and clearly out of patience.
"Mr. Hayes," Jeremy scrambled to his feet, looking miserable. "Liam still won't open the door."
Alexander's voice was ice-cold through the door. "Liam, open this door. I'm only saying this once."
No response.
"Three..."
"Two..."
Jeremy looked worried. "What if something's happened to him in there..."
"Step aside," Alexander commanded coldly.
Jeremy blinked in confusion, instinctively backing away. "Mr. Hayes, what are you planning to—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Alexander raised his leg and delivered a powerful kick to the door.
CRASH!
The solid mahogany door, with its reinforced lock, splintered under the force of his kick.
The thunderous impact sent papers flying from the reception desk.
Inside the office, Liam had been lying on the couch when the explosive sound made him jump, his head snapping up toward the door in startled terror.
Alexander stood in the doorway, casually kicking aside the broken lock. Jeremy had already slumped against the wall, shell-shocked by the display of raw power.
A door that solid, destroyed with a single kick!
If that foot had connected with a person, they'd probably be dead on the spot.
Alexander glanced at Jeremy. "What are you standing there for? Get someone to replace this lock."
Jeremy snapped back to reality, clutching his racing heart as he made his way to the maintenance department on unsteady legs.
Alexander stepped through the doorway. The moment Liam saw his cold, hard expression, he burst into tears.
"Waaaah..."
He'd never seen Alexander look so frighteningly stern, his eyes so intimidating.
Combined with the shock of the door being kicked in, he was still trembling and hiccupping through his sobs.
Alexander felt a pang of guilt, though he was still irritated. He'd been too lenient with Liam, which was why the boy dared to lock him out.
He approached Liam, crouching down and gripping his shoulders. "Will you ever dare do this again?"
Liam rubbed his eyes, looking up at him with wounded accusation.
"Do you have any idea how worried Daddy gets when you lock yourself away like this?" Alexander demanded.
This wasn't Liam's first time pulling this stunt.
Whenever he was upset, he'd lock himself away and refuse to see anyone.
Once or twice was manageable.
But when it became a pattern, Alexander couldn't tolerate it anymore.
Besides, he was just a little kid locked in an office alone—of course Alexander would worry.
Kicking down the door had been his last resort.
But Liam wasn't listening to a word Alexander said. The violent sound of the door being destroyed had terrified him, making his little heart skip beats. He pressed his small hand to his chest, staring at Alexander through tear-filled eyes.
Alexander realized he'd gone too far with the dramatic entrance. "Did I scare you?"
Liam nodded, his lower lip jutting out.
Alexander gently stroked his hair and pulled him into his arms. "Daddy's sorry. I was just too worried about you."
Caring too much sometimes led to mistakes.
"I'm sorry."
Alexander continued running his fingers through Liam's hair, repeating the gentle gesture.
Liam's emotions gradually settled, his crying slowly subsiding.
Alexander lifted him into his arms and stood. "Let's go home."
As they reached the doorway, Jeremy appeared with maintenance workers. The worker took one look at the destroyed door and gasped, "Good Lord... what happened here?"
Jeremy awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Someone kicked it in."
The maintenance worker's expression was one of pure disbelief. "Who has that kind of leg strength? This is top-grade mahogany with a reinforced security lock!"
Alexander stopped in front of him. "Can you have this fixed today?"
The worker looked up nervously. "Yes, Mr. Hayes. You can count on us."
Jeremy, seeing that Liam was safe but had clearly been frightened to tears, felt sympathetic. "Liam, next time don't lock yourself in like that. Everyone was so worried about you."
Liam stubbornly buried his face in Alexander's chest, refusing to acknowledge Jeremy.
"Take care of the paperwork on my desk," Alexander instructed.
"Yes, sir."
Jeremy watched as Alexander carried Liam away.
The car pulled into their residential complex.
When they arrived home, the house felt cavernously empty.
Since Grace's hospitalization, Max had moved his clothes and schoolbooks to the hospital. Originally, he and Liam had shared a room, but now Liam was all alone.
Liam was used to solitude, but things were different now. He'd grown accustomed to being with Max constantly—attending classes together, walking home together, doing homework together, playing together, sleeping together.
Now, suddenly being alone again, he felt unsettled.
Evening approached.
The housekeeper had prepared dinner.
The dining room felt cold and empty with just the two of them at the table. Liam had no appetite, pushing food around his plate listlessly.
Before, Max would often cook delicious meals that made Liam eager to eat—he'd even gained a little weight. But now, without Max around, the housekeeper's cooking held no appeal. Children's physical changes happen quickly, and since Grace's hospitalization, Liam had visibly lost weight.
"Liam, eat more protein. You need to grow," Alexander encouraged.
Liam dutifully took a few more bites of beef, chewing without enthusiasm.
Seeing his distracted state, Alexander suddenly asked, "Do you want me to pursue Grace?"
Liam's eyes lit up immediately, and he nodded.
Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I want to be with Grace," Liam replied simply.
"What else?"
Liam thought for a moment, then added, "And Max too."
Alexander set down his utensils and asked casually, "What if Grace doesn't want to marry me?"