Chapter 191 Does She Still Acknowledge Me as Her Father?
Grace replied gently, "That's right. I took it seriously. I've cut all ties with you long ago. Please don't bother me again."
With that, she hung up the phone.
David never call back.
Even so, the conversation left Grace feeling troubled and unsettled.
She wasn't some cold-blooded monster.
It's just that when the only thing left between family members was cold calculations of interest, with no emotional consideration at all, why should she cling to sentimentality?
Sometimes, when she watched other women get married, walking down the aisle on their fathers' arms, she felt a sharp pang of envy.
She had never had the chance to have a wedding of her own.
And she would never have the opportunity to walk down the aisle with a loving father.
Because that father had long since stopped caring about her.
The next day, Alexander’s phone rang. It was Mary.
She sounded urgent. The Foster family had shown up at her place, complaining bitterly to her that Grace was so desperate to marry into money she refused to acknowledge her own father anymore—she had cut all ties with the Fosters completely.
Alexander frowned.
Grace walked into the living room just as he ended the call. His expression was somewhat troubled.
“What’s wrong?” Grace asked.
Alexander hesitated for a moment. "Your father brought people to the Hayes family estate. Grandmother just called me."
Grace's brow furrowed. Her tone turned ice-cold in an instant. "What is he doing at the Hayes estate?"
Could it be that yesterday's phone call left David feeling resentful, prompting him to drag others to the Hayes family to complain about her?
“Tell him to get lost,” Grace said flatly.
Alexander asked, "Have you formally disowned him as your father?"
Grace’s voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it. "I stopped having any contact with him long ago. He was the one who refused to acknowledge me as his daughter, and now he's accusing me of being heartless. I think he just found out I'm remarrying you and can't stand it."
Alexander said, "I'll go back and handle this."
Grace walked over and took his hand. "I'll go back with you."
Grace glanced at Max and Liam, then met Alexander’s eyes. “Let’s take them with us. Hasn't your grandmother always wanted to meet Max? She must miss Liam terribly too.”
Alexander nodded.
Half an hour later, the car rolled to a stop before the towering gates of Hayes Manor.
Alexander stepped out first, gently lifting Max in one arm and Liam in the other.
Grace followed behind him as they got out. The four of them had just crossed the threshold into Hayes Manor when David’s incessant voice drifted from the living room. "Originally, it should have been Mia who married into this family. Who would have thought that, in a moment of confusion, Grace would be sent instead? After all, this daughter was raised with painstaking care from childhood. Her good life today is thanks to our devoted efforts. But I never expected her to be so ungrateful. Now that she's remarrying your grandson, she's turned her back on us, as if she's afraid we'll drag her down!"
Grace walked forward and caught sight of David’s hypocritical face.
“She can rest assured!” David continued, his voice rising. "Does she think I'm someone who covets wealth and status? I want a straight answer from her right now—does she still acknowledge me as her father or not? If she doesn't, in front of you, Mary, I'll sever our relationship once and for all!"
Mary wore a troubled expression. When she saw Grace arrive with Max and Liam, she immediately stood up and walked over to greet them. "Grace, you're here."
She turned to Max and Liam, her heart filled with joy, reaching out to hug Max.
But Max quickly hid behind Grace instead.
He wasn't shy—he simply had no emotional attachment to Mary.
Grace gently prompted him, "Max, say hello to Great-grandmother."
Max pouted and asked, "Do I get a present for calling her Great-grandmother?"
Grace was both amused and exasperated. "You little money-grubber."
Mary quickly chimed in, "Yes! Yes, I prepared one early this morning."
She immediately turned to a nearby servant and instructed, "Go to my room and bring the gift from the third drawer of my dressing table!"
"Yes, ma'am."
The servant went upstairs and quickly returned with a box, handing it to Mary.
Mary beamed as she pulled out a red envelope and handed it to Max. "Max, this is Great-grandmother's gift for you!"
Max accepted the red envelope with both hands and obediently called out, "Great-grandmother!"
Seeing his brother with the red envelope, Liam piped up immediately, "Great-grandmother, I want a present too."
“Of course,” Mary replied warmly. “There’s one for everyone.”
Alexander turned to her. "Grandmother, please take Liam and Max upstairs. I'll handle things down here."
Mary nodded. She gestured to the nanny, who gently took Max and Liam by the hands and led them upstairs.
Alexander slipped his arm around Grace’s waist, guiding her to sit down in the living room—directly across from David.
David had brought Evelyn and Mia with him.
Mia sat restlessly, her eyes darting around the room. The luxurious splendor of the Hayes Manor far exceeded anything she had ever imagined, deepening her regret over refusing the marriage arrangement all those years ago.
Especially now, watching Alexander settle across from her—his strikingly handsome features calm and composed—her heart swelled with fresh resentment. She reached over and secretly tugged at Evelyn’s sleeve.
Evelyn gave the back of her hand a gentle, reassuring pat, then turned her gaze toward Alexander.
Alexander's face remained coldly indifferent, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Mr. Foster, what brings you here uninvited with your wife and daughter?"
David replied, "My daughter has been avoiding me, so I had no choice but to presume upon your hospitality."
Grace remained silent throughout.
She simply felt heartbroken that blood relations could be so worthless in the face of money and interests.
Especially when Grace saw David's fawning and ingratiating manner toward Alexander, she understood exactly what David's true intentions were for this visit.
He wanted to use Alexander as a bridge to repair the father-daughter relationship between them.
In the future, the Foster family could also climb higher by leveraging the Hayes family's influence.
Alexander leaned forward slightly. "So, Mr. Foster, what exactly is your purpose for this visit?"
David replied, "I just want to ask her—does she still acknowledge me as her father or not?"
Grace met his eyes without hesitation. "No."
David's face darkened.
Beside him, Evelyn spoke up excitedly. "Grace, people can't be so heartless. I don't care what grievances exist between you and your father—he's the man who gave you life and raised you. I know you resent him, but you're too close to the situation to see clearly. You have no idea how much your father loves you. Otherwise, how could you have married into the Hayes family and become their daughter-in-law? Your father went to great lengths to ensure you'd have a good life, yet you hold grudges against him. That's completely unreasonable."
Grace found the words laughable. "That's absolutely ridiculous. Why did my father marry me off back then? Wasn't it because the Hayes family offered enough money? Foster Corporation was having business troubles and needed the Hayes family's investment. Didn't you ask Mia first? She refused to marry, so you sent me instead."
She paused, then frowned. "Having second thoughts now? Regretting that you didn't let Mia marry over and let me get the good deal instead?"