Chapter 138 There's Something I Want to Ask You
Liam was so incensed by Alexander's shameless behavior that he raised his little hand and smacked Alexander across the face.
Alexander immediately caught his small hand, his tone turning serious. "Didn't I teach you never to hit someone's face?"
As he spoke, he opened his mouth as if to bite Liam's hand.
Liam quickly curled his hand protectively against his chest, staring at Alexander with wary eyes. He looked like a frightened little rabbit.
Grace soothingly kissed his cheek and cooed, "Don't be scared, Liam. If he bites you, I'll bite him right back."
Liam clung to Grace adoringly.
Grace was the only one who truly cared about him...
His heart swelled with overwhelming gratitude!
Alexander watched Liam hanging onto Grace like a koala, and for a moment, he felt strangely dazed.
This scene before him seemed oddly heartwarming.
---
Late that night, Grace tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
She turned on the light and sat down at the desk, pulling out those files again to carefully examine each photo one by one.
Alexander had said that all the medical staff records from Loving Child General Hospital—including temporary workers without formal contracts—were included in these documents.
The nurse who had delivered her baby had to be somewhere in these files.
Even though seven years had passed, she refused to give up.
Grace racked her brain, trying to remember, her finger sliding across each photograph. She insisted on studying every photo multiple times before moving to the next.
Before she knew it, dawn had broken.
Gradually becoming tired and drowsy, her eyes grew dry from overuse.
Grace pulled open a drawer, took out her prescribed eye drops, and squeezed a few drops into her eyes. Once her vision cleared, she flipped to the last page and continued looking.
Finally...
On the very last page, she spotted a photograph.
A nurse smiled at the camera, her expression cheerful. Though she had slightly tucked in her chin, if you looked carefully and zoomed in, you could still make out half of a red mole on her chin.
It was tiny, barely noticeable unless you were looking at just the right angle.
The facial features seemed unfamiliar and didn't leave much of an impression.
Single eyelids, slightly puffy face. The photo didn't show her full body, but you could tell she had a fuller figure.
But Grace quickly recalled something else. Back then, when she was recovering in the hospital room, she'd heard some nurses chatting outside her door. She'd been drowsy but retained fragments of their conversation.
Two nurses had been discussing the trendy cosmetic thread lifts.
The nurse who had delivered her baby mentioned she'd just had a nose thread lift and double eyelid surgery. Her skin had tightened, making her face appear much smaller and more defined.
Could it be...
This nurse had undergone cosmetic procedures.
This photo was taken around the time of her hiring, so it was from before the cosmetic work. That's why she looked different from what Grace remembered, which explained why she hadn't recognized her immediately.
Was it her?
Grace studied the name more carefully.
"Jenny Lawson."
Could it really be her?
Grace felt a flutter of disbelief.
---
The next day, Grace didn't wake up until the afternoon.
Max and Liam hadn't returned from school yet, and Alexander was at the office.
Only Grace and the housekeeper were home.
After showering and getting dressed, Grace emerged from her room to find the housekeeper cleaning.
"Ms. Foster, you're awake! Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?" the housekeeper asked immediately upon seeing her.
"Yes, please."
Grace sat down at the dining table and called Alexander.
Jeremy answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Is Alexander available?" Grace asked.
Jeremy chuckled. "Is this Ms. Foster? Mr. Hayes is in a meeting right now—he left his phone with me."
"When will his meeting end?" Grace inquired.
"I'm not sure of the exact time, but as soon as Mr. Hayes is free, I'll have him call you back. Does that work?"
Grace nodded.
She was still a bit groggy from just waking up.
Jeremy paused, confused. "Ms. Foster? Did you hang up?"
Grace suddenly realized that Jeremy couldn't see her nodding over the phone.
She laughed. "Sorry, yes, that sounds good. I'll hang up now." She ended the call and checked her phone.
There were several missed calls.
She recognized the number.
Even though she hadn't saved it in her contacts, she knew from the last digits that it was Henry's. He'd kept the same number all these years.
Grace hesitated briefly, then returned the call.
"Hello?" came Henry's calm voice from the other end. "Grace?"
"I saw that you called. My phone was on silent while I was sleeping, so I missed it," Grace explained, then asked tentatively, "Was there something you needed?"
"Are you free? I'd like to meet with you," Henry asked.
Grace felt uncertain.
She was free, but why did Henry want to see her?
Wait.
Henry...
He was the future director of Radiant Wellness Center. Phillips Group controlled stakes in multiple private hospitals, and Henry was well-connected in the medical system. Perhaps he could help track down that nurse.
"Yes, alright," Grace agreed to meet. "When?"
"Send me your location and I'll come pick you up," Henry said.
"Sounds good. Actually, there's something I'd like to ask your help with."
Grace hung up and sent Henry the address.
Henry quickly texted back: [Give me 30 minutes.]
The housekeeper brought out steaming hot food, saying warmly, "Ms. Foster, you must be starving! Please eat up!" Seeing that Grace had slept until noon, she knew Grace must have stayed up late, so she hadn't woken her but had kept food warm.
The housekeeper served Grace rice, and Grace, absolutely famished, devoured her meal.
After eating, Grace stood up and told the housekeeper, "I'm going out later. If I come back late tonight, please tell Alexander not to wait for me for dinner."
The housekeeper nodded, then asked with concern, "Where are you heading, Ms. Foster?"
"I'm meeting a friend. We have an appointment, and I want to ask for his help with something," Grace explained, then grabbed her purse and headed out.
---
In the underground parking garage, Henry's car sat waiting.
Seeing Grace exit the elevator, Henry got out and opened the passenger door like a perfect gentleman.
Grace felt a bit nervous. "Mr. Phillips, you really didn't need to get out to greet me..."
Her somewhat formal address made Henry frown slightly, though he smiled gently. "Get in."
"Okay."
Grace gripped her purse strap tightly and got into the car. Henry returned to the driver's seat, buckled his seatbelt, and reversed direction.
At the parking garage entrance, Henry's car emerged just as a Maybach was entering.
From the driver's seat of the Maybach, Alexander spotted a familiar silhouette in the passenger seat of the oncoming vehicle through the window.
Grace...
She was sitting next to Henry.
The screech of brakes pierced the air.
The Maybach came to an abrupt stop on the ramp.
Alexander watched in his rearview mirror as the car drove away from the garage, disappearing into the distance.
He pulled out his phone and scrolled to Grace's number, his eyes darkening.