Chapter 176 Grace, Are You Afraid?
Alexander chuckled. "So you figured it out. How did you know I have ulterior motives?"
Grace eyed him suspiciously. "What exactly are you planning?"
Alexander began, "I—"
"Daddy..."
Liam's voice interrupted at the worst possible moment.
Alexander looked up.
On the adjacent bed, Liam rubbed his eyes and sat up, his cherubic face still heavy with sleep.
He blinked a few times and saw Grace sitting against the headboard. His expression immediately brightened with excitement.
"Grace is awake!"
He nudged Max beside him.
Max jolted upright. "Mommy, Mommy!"
Still calling for his mother, he looked toward Grace. The moment he saw she was awake, he rolled out of bed and ran barefoot to her bedside. "Mommy, you're awake!"
He wrapped his arms around Grace's arm and rubbed against it affectionately.
Grace didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Max, put your shoes on. The floor is dirty and cold."
Max looked down at his bare feet and muttered, "The cleaning lady mops this floor every day. It's very clean."
Liam, however, obediently put on his shoes before hurrying to the other side of Grace's bed. He hugged her hand contentedly and nuzzled the back of it. "Grace... you're finally awake. Liam was so worried."
Grace gently pinched his nose. "Don't be silly."
Liam nodded earnestly. "Okay! Liam will listen to everything Grace says."
Looking at him, Grace suddenly thought of the baby whose whereabouts were still unknown.
She turned to Alexander. "That Jenny..."
Alexander replied calmly, "She was silenced permanently."
Grace said slowly, "She was connected to that organization. I imagine when we went to find her that day, she realized her cover was blown, so she tried to contact the organization to have me killed. What about the Black Mass leader?"
Alexander answered, "Dead."
Grace looked startled. "Dead?"
How did he die?
Alexander said matter-of-factly, "Negotiations broke down, so I killed him with one strike."
He spoke such shocking words with unsettling calm.
Grace stammered, "You killed him..."
She had always known he could be ruthless, but she hadn't realized just how ruthless.
A trace of nervousness appeared in Alexander's eyes. "Are you afraid?"
Grace shook her head. "I'm not afraid. Because... I killed people too."
She had been worried about being held responsible, which was why she had never dared mention it.
Talking about it now triggered a stress reaction. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
"I didn't want to kill anyone... but if I hadn't killed those people, I would have died."
Alexander said quietly, "I never expected you would actually kill someone."
Grace asked nervously, "Did I break the law? Will I face legal consequences?"
She had always been a law-abiding citizen for more than twenty years. She had never imagined her hands would one day be stained with blood.
Alexander asked gently, "Is that what you're worried about?"
Grace nodded guiltily.
Alexander explained patiently, "First, they were members of a criminal organization who broke the law first. Everything you did was simply legitimate self-defense to protect yourself. Second, that was in international waters, which falls outside any country's legal jurisdiction."
Only then did Grace let out a long sigh of relief. "I was afraid of going to prison."
Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "What did you mean when you said the negotiations broke down?"
Alexander replied, "The talks reached a stalemate. I was desperate to see you, and I didn't have much time. I didn't want to waste another second negotiating with him. At that moment, he was holding you as leverage. I was worried that every second of delay would put you in greater danger."
So, as a necessary measure, he killed Dietrich.
Of course, he reported the matter honestly to Interpol afterward.
Apart from expressing regret, they didn't take any particular stance.
After all, as the leader of Black Mass, Dietrich held significant investigative value. His death meant many leads could no longer be pursued.
Although the criminal organization had been completely dismantled, the broken evidence chain made prosecution difficult.
But there was no alternative
Dietrich had simply chosen the wrong person to cross—the one man he should never have provoked.
Alexander had once served in special forces, and his combat record during his service had been exceptional.
Liam suddenly piped up proudly, "My daddy was in special forces. He's really amazing!"
Grace looked curious. "How did you end up in special forces?"
Alexander said casually, "When I was young, I wanted to join the military. Later, though, I had to return home to take over the family business."
Grace suddenly fell silent.
He made it sound so simple.
The truth was, he excelled at everything he did.
During his service, he had been an elite operative.
After returning home, he turned Crest Corporation into a massive empire.
Some people seemed destined to excel at everything.
Max asked worriedly, "Mommy, do you still hurt anywhere?"
It was exactly the same question Alexander had asked earlier.
Grace smiled gently. "Mommy is much better now. Nothing hurts anymore."
Only then did Max relax. "That's good. If Mommy hurt anywhere, Max would be heartbroken."
"Liam would be heartbroken too!" Liam added quickly.
Max suddenly remembered something. "Max made chicken soup for Mommy. Did Mommy drink it?"
Grace glanced at the time. "I still have to wait another hour before I can eat or drink anything."
Max looked at Alexander.
Alexander explained simply, "Doctor's orders."
Max crossed his arms. Watching Grace go hungry made him anxious and heartbroken.
Liam had just woken up and was hungry as well. He stared longingly at the thermos containing the chicken soup, his eyes wide and mouth already watering.
Max turned and noticed Liam starting to drool.
Realizing Liam was craving the soup he had made, Max immediately said disdainfully, "That's the soup I made for Mommy. You're not allowed to sneak any!"
Liam lowerd his head sadly, poking his fingers together and pouting.
Seeing this pitiful expression, Max sighed in frustration. "Don't try to act cute with me! When the soup was fresh, you already gulped down two bowls."
Grace smiled. "That just proves Max's chicken soup is delicious. That's why Liam can't forget about it. Liam, it's okay. I'll give you a bowl later."
Hearing this, Liam's face immediately lit up with excitement.
Max couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed Liam's chubby cheeks, tugging them lightly. "Mommy just got injured. You're not hurt or sick, so you can't steal my mommy's chicken soup!"
Max didn't pull very hard, but Liam's face was still stretched into a funny shape.
Liam tried to look tough, but the temptation of Max's chicken soup was simply too strong.
Even under Max's obvious "threat," he clasped his hands together devoutly, as if praying—though it was unclear whether he was begging Max for mercy or begging Max to give him a bowl of soup.