Chapter 6 How Dare She Betray Him?
This society called itself the world's premier high-IQ organization, where exceptional intelligence was the sole criterion for membership.
Within the society, Max was both the highest-scoring member and the youngest.
Max sat on the couch, tablet in one hand while his fingers flew across the keyboard with the other, inputting commands. Using his self-developed Quella virus, he successfully breached Crest Corporation's entire system and accessed Alexander's schedule.
At the reception desk, Zara was still arguing with the front desk staff.
The reception manager's face was stone cold. "Mr. Hayes isn't someone that people like you can just demand to see! Leave now, or I'll call security!"
Several security guards approached, about to escort Zara away, when a sweet childlike voice rang out.
"Don't you dare touch her!"
Everyone turned toward the voice.
Max stood with his hands clasped behind his back, every inch the elegant little gentleman. His deep eyes remained eerily calm, yet carried an unmistakable threat, "Get Alexander down here to see me. You have ten minutes."
The manager let out a cold laugh. "Where did this little brat come from? How dare he use Mr. Hayes's first name—no manners whatsoever!"
Max narrowed his eyes slightly. "Shut up. You don't get to judge me."
The manager pointed at Max. "Throw this little punk out too!"
The bodyguards moved toward Max.
But Max showed no sign of panic. Instead, he smiled faintly and held up three fingers.
"Three..."
Max began his countdown.
Everyone stared at him skeptically.
"Two..."
Max suddenly snapped his fingers, raising an eyebrow slightly. "One!"
BOOM!
The entire row of computers at the reception desk erupted in harsh static noise.
"Ah!"
The receptionist suddenly cried out.
The manager spun around to see several staff members frantically trying to operate their systems, their faces pale with panic.
"What's happening?"
"System crash!"
The secretary stared at the screen as endless dialog boxes kept popping up, the entire system completely paralyzed.
"It's a virus! A virus!"
"We're being hacked!"
Then, an animated screen saver appeared on the main display, a cartoon pig wiggling its round bottom at the screen.
...
Alexander had just left the conference room when he received word from his subordinates.
Crest Corporation's internal security network had been breached by a seven-year-old child. Now every computer terminal throughout Crest Corporation was displaying a butt-wiggling pig on their desktop, with the entire network down.
His chief of staff approached Alexander. "The child who hacked our system is named Max. He's been brought to the conference room. Mr. Hayes, would you like to meet with him?"
Alexander let out a cold smile, his face turning grim with rage, his cold gaze sharp enough to kill.
Crest Corporation's entire security network had been built by top programmers at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.
Now that the network was breached, just rebuilding the system would cost over ten million dollars.
And the culprit was a seven-year-old child?
Alexander pushed open the door.
The boy sat on the couch, his cute profile both handsome and refined.
Max turned his face toward Alexander, his gaze settling steadily on him as he smiled elegantly, his lips curved in a graceful arc that carried a hint of disdain.
For a moment, Alexander felt like he was looking at a miniature version of Grace.
Max was only six or seven years old, dressed quite ordinarily, yet his every gesture carried the bearing of an aristocratic young gentleman.
His features resembled Grace's closely, but his expressions and micro-expressions were strikingly similar to Alexander's own.
Zara sat nearby, becoming somewhat nervous upon seeing Alexander.
But Max lifted his fair little face, and upon seeing Alexander, was momentarily stunned for a few seconds.
He had expected Alexander to be a pot-bellied old pervert, never imagining he'd be so young and devastatingly handsome.
But regardless, getting Grace back was the priority.
Max said coldly, "Alexander, you need to hand over my mommy right now!"
Though his lips were clearly turned upward in a smile, his eyes held cold contempt.
Alexander's sharp brows furrowed slightly. "Who is your mommy?"
"Grace." Max demanded, "Is she in your custody?"
Upon hearing Grace's name, Alexander's lips curved in an ambiguous smile.
So Grace actually had a son?
She had adamantly claimed she'd never given birth to a son, yet here was this child—living, breathing proof to the contrary?
She had dared to lie to him.
Alexander sat down across from Max, crossing his legs elegantly, his long fingers brushing across his lips as he asked probingly, "You're so certain she's in my custody?"
Zara was also beginning to feel uncertain, gently tugging at Max's sleeve. "Max, could you have made a mistake?"
This was Alexander Hayes!
The most prestigious man in Novaria—how could he possibly be a kidnapper?
Max said, "Alexander, I wouldn't dare demand someone from you unless I was certain you had her. So either you return my mommy to me, or..."
"Or what?" Alexander interrupted.
Max replied, "Don't force me to take action, or you'll lose very badly!"
Alexander chuckled softly. "Are you threatening me?"
He was actually being threatened by a seven-year-old.
His assistant Jeremy Wright approached, lowering his voice near Alexander's ear, "Mr. Hayes, we found everything."
He handed Alexander a file.
Alexander opened the document. As Alexander's capable assistant, in just one day's time, everything about Grace had been investigated thoroughly.
The information about mother and son was compiled and crystal clear.
Alexander flipped through page by page, from Grace's family background to her pregnancy records, and Max's birth records—everything was listed in detail.
The records showed that Grace had been pregnant with twins. When registering the pregnancy, the father's name listed was that of a stranger.
When Grace gave birth, it was also this man who signed the surgical consent forms.
Henry Phillips.
Could this man be the child's biological father?
This crucial piece of information immediately caught Alexander's attention.
He parsed every key detail of this woman's life history word by word.
Twins, private clinic, premature birth, one child died early.
Two children, but only one survived?
Could this damned woman have cheated on him? While he was still in a coma from his injuries, had she actually carried on an affair with another man while bearing the title "Mrs. Hayes"?
Alexander's suspicious gaze fell on Max's face, carefully searching his features for clues.
They say boys tend to look more like their mothers, and this was certainly evident in Max from an early age. Though he hadn't fully grown yet, it was clear at first glance that he was practically a carbon copy of Grace's mold. Beyond that, no other telltale signs could be found.
This child was evidence of Grace's infidelity.
Though he didn't acknowledge his marriage to Grace, she had once been his wife in name. The thought that this woman, as a member of the Hayes family, had dared to have an affair during marriage made Alexander's eyes flash with anger.
What audacity—how dare she betray him?