Chapter 84 Did He Come to Confront Her?
Grace clenched her teeth upon hearing this.
She could never stand anyone humiliating her son. Emily's words had undoubtedly infuriated her completely.
"Emily!" Grace handed Liam to the housekeeper, walked towards Emily, grabbed her by the collar, and slapped her hard across the face.
With a sharp crack.
Emily stumbled back against the wall, her hair disheveled.
She clutched her stinging cheek, her eyes reddening with tears threatening to fall.
Grace said coldly, "I'm warning you—don't you dare humiliate my son! Otherwise I won't let you get away with it!"
Emily had never suffered such humiliation.
She had grown up with Alexander, always well-protected, and no one had ever dared to bully her.
Before Liam was born, she was Alexander's most treasured person.
Until this woman appeared and bore Alexander a son.
Emily glared at Grace with gritted teeth, then glared at Liam and Max.
Emily was so angry her chest ached, her eyes like they were stained with blood, almost losing all reason.
The housekeeper said, "Miss Blake, are you alright?" She worried things would escalate and become unmanageable.
Emily stood up unsteadily and suddenly said, "Fine, very fine... Grace, this slap you gave me—I'll make you pay back a hundredfold sooner or later!"
After speaking, she turned and left without looking back.
Grace picked up Max, still shaken. "Max, does it hurt?" She rubbed Max's head.
Liam also came over and gently touched Max's head with concern.
Max said, "It doesn't hurt." Even if it did hurt, he wouldn't tell Grace and make her worry.
Grace said, "If it hurts, tell Mommy."
Max smiled, "Mommy, I'm not hurt. As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone bully you!"
Grace was deeply moved and hugged him tightly.
...
Crest Corporation Building.
Emily's car was parked downstairs. She picked up her compact mirror and looked at her face.
The slap Grace had given her was forceful but not solid, and the mark had faded quickly.
She bit her teeth, suddenly raised her hand, and viciously slapped herself several times on both sides of her face.
Emily slapped herself hard several times until her own hands were swollen and aching. She picked up the mirror again and saw that face in the reflection—swollen and raised, with chaotic finger marks that were brutal and shocking. Only then did she dial Alexander's number with trembling hands.
The phone had just connected when Alexander's voice came through: "Did you pick up Liam?"
Emily covered her mouth without speaking, as if she had suffered great injustice, making intermittent sobbing sounds.
Alexander's voice became slightly tense: "What's wrong?"
Emily said, "Alexander, I'm sorry..."
Alexander's voice was slightly hoarse: "What happened?"
Emily said, "I'm downstairs at your building." After speaking, she hung up the phone while pulling at her own hair and building up her emotions.
Soon, Alexander's figure appeared at the entrance. He walked to Emily's car, opened the door, and saw Emily's disheveled hair that had been pulled, strands falling on her shoulders. Her face was also red and swollen with strikingly obvious handprint marks, making his expression darken.
Alexander got into the passenger seat and asked, "What happened?"
He had just closed the car door when Emily suddenly threw herself into his arms, sobbing, "Alexander, from childhood to now, no one has ever hit me, never."
Alexander's hands stiffened slightly. He looked down at Emily trembling in his arms and frowned coldly, "Who hit you?"
Emily bit her lip, tears flowing silently, but refused to say a word.
Alexander said, "I'm asking you—who hit you?"
Emily said, "I specially dressed up today to pick up Liam, wanting to take him out to play. But as soon as I walked in the door, that woman, without any reason, rushed over and pulled my hair, hit my face."
The more she spoke, the more her voice trembled. "What did I do wrong... why did she treat me like this? She's afraid I'll get along too well with Liam."
Alexander said, "Grace? Your face—she hit you?"
Emily said, "Alexander, I don't care that she hit me. She wouldn't let me pick up Liam. She can't stand me being good to Liam. Liam isn't even her biological son—what right does she have to keep him?"
Alexander suddenly fell silent.
He looked at Emily's red and swollen face, feeling a pang of guilt in his heart. "I'm sorry. This won't happen again."
Emily tightly hugged his shoulders and burst into tears of grievance.
...
As night fell.
After Grace coaxed Liam and Max to sleep, she returned to her room and lay in bed absent-mindedly.
The entryway suddenly echoed with the sound of the keypad lock being disengaged.
Then she heard familiar footsteps entering the living room.
"Mr. Hayes..."
Alexander asked in a lowered voice, "Are the children asleep?"
The housekeeper replied, "They're asleep. Ms. Foster is in her room."
Grace turned over but didn't move.
Through the door, she could tell Alexander's voice was especially deep, as if somewhat angry.
Footsteps approached her room.
Grace's breathing suddenly became difficult.
Emily wouldn't have gone to complain to him, would she?
So he was coming to confront her?
Grace was lost in these chaotic thoughts when the door was suddenly pushed open.
Cold air rushed into the room. She shrank her shoulders slightly, closed her eyes, leaving just a crack open.
In the darkness, the man walked to her bedside, looking down at her from above.
The man's aura was too intimidating. After a moment of silence, he said coldly, "How long are you going to pretend?"
He immediately saw through her pretense of sleeping.
Grace's face turned pale, but she still kept her eyes closed. Her heart was beating wildly, inexplicably feeling guilty.
This man had indeed come to confront her!
Alexander said impatiently, "Open your eyes. I have something to ask you."
Grace suddenly opened her eyes.
She silently stared at him, pursing her lips stubbornly without speaking.
Alexander's posture shifted slightly. He looked down coldly, his stern gaze carrying a suffocating pressure. "What did you do today?"
Grace's tone was very stiff: "I didn't do anything."
The next second.
His tall frame moved closer to her, his broad shoulders blocking out all the light.
Grace instinctively reached out to push him, but with the disparity in strength, the man's body didn't budge.
She struggled to get up, but Alexander suddenly pushed her back onto the bed, pinning her down firmly, his large hand gripping her small face tightly. "Who gave you permission to hit her?"