Chapter 202 She Has a Ghost in Her Heart
"Children are naturally inclined to cry and fuss. When a child is too quiet and well-behaved, It usually means something's off—just like Liam," Grace explained.
The housekeeper, hearing that Lily came from the orphanage, worried she might also have been abandoned due to intellectual disabilities.
"No, she's very bright," Grace assured her. "She's just... too compliant."
The housekeeper nodded. "She must be hungry. I'll bring in some food."
"Good idea. You haven't eaten either—join us."
"Of course."
The housekeeper quickly returned with dinner.
Grace beckoned to Lily. "Come eat with us!"
Lily looked around in wonder. She'd never seen such a luxurious house, with its spacious room, enormous bed and plush carpet soft under her bare feet.
Feeling shy in the unfamiliar environment, she only approached when Grace called her.
The housekeeper set up a small table, arranged the dishes, and provided Lily with a chair.
As soon as Lily sat down and Grace encouraged her to eat, she grabbed her utensils and began devouring the food with desperate hunger, eating as though she hadn't seen a proper meal in days.
Grace watched in stunned silence.
Lily ate like someone who'd been starving for weeks, cramming food into her mouth as fast as possible, packing her cheeks full without pausing to taste anything. It was purely survival eating, leaving her mouth greasy and her face smeared.
The housekeeper stared in amazement. "She's eating like she's never seen food before."
"She probably hasn't eaten a decent meal in days," Grace said quietly.
"Is the food at the orphanage really that bad?"
Grace shook her head. "I wouldn't know—I've never lived in one."
"When Mr. Hayes first brought Liam home from the orphanage, he ate exactly like this too."
Grace's heart clenched painfully. "Lily, slow down. There's plenty more if you're still hungry."
But Lily's frantic eating continued unabated, as if the mechanical motion of consuming food was driven by a survival instinct she couldn't control. She was truly starving.
---
Meanwhile, in Mary's room, Samantha knocked and entered.
"What is it?" Mary asked. "Did you need something?"
Samantha sat across from her. "Don't you think there's something suspicious about that little girl Grace brought home?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think Grace is as charitable as she pretends to be. She and Alexander have been divorced for years, and that child looks about six or seven years old. What if she's Grace's illegitimate daughter from another relationship? Why else would she suddenly decide to adopt this particular child?"
Mary frowned. "Those are baseless accusations. You shouldn't make such claims without proof."
"That's exactly why we need to verify it somehow!"
"How do you propose we do that?"
"We could arrange for Grace to take the child for a paternity test. If it turns out to be her biological daughter, Alexander would never accept it. No man wants to raise another man's child."
Mary sighed. "Whether Grace agrees to a paternity test is another matter entirely."
"If she refuses, that would prove she's hiding something!"
"Enough," Mary said firmly. "Let's table this discussion. Grace might just be talking—she may not actually go through with the adoption. The child is supposedly from an orphanage, right? Her background would be easy to verify. There's no need to make a big drama out of this. If the child really were Grace's illegitimate daughter, don't you think Alexander would have discovered that already? The fact that he's decided to remarry Grace suggests he knows enough about her."
"I think Alexander's marriage proposal is just an impulsive decision. He barely knows her at all."
Mary had no interest in continuing the conversation.
Realizing she'd hit a wall, Samantha left Mary's room feeling frustrated. Mary didn't take her seriously, undoubtedly because she and William had no children.
But if she had a child, maybe Mary would finally respect her.
"Be patient," she told herself. "Just wait a little longer."
As Samantha headed back to her room, a housekeeper came upstairs and knocked gently on Grace's door. "Ms. Foster, Mr. Hayes is home."
Grace opened the door, noticing Samantha lingering in the hallway. She acknowledged the woman with a brief glance before ignoring her entirely.
Samantha snorted disdainfully and retreated to her room.
"Is he going home tonight?" Grace asked the housekeeper.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Please ask him to wait downstairs. Lily isn't finished eating yet."
"Of course."
The housekeeper went downstairs while Grace returned to the room, where Lily had just finished her meal.
Grace handed her a delicate handkerchief.
Lily accepted it but looked uncertain, staring at Grace with confusion.
"For your mouth," Grace explained gently.
Lily had oil stains around her lips, but she seemed reluctant to use the beautiful handkerchief with its intricate floral pattern.
"This is so pretty," she whispered.
Grace noticed her hesitation. "If you like it, you can keep it." She reached for tissues instead. "Here, use this."
Lily carefully cleaned her face with the tissue, then folded the handkerchief with reverent care. "Thank you, Grace," she said shyly.
Grace stroked her hair. "You're welcome."
Looking around the room again, Lily asked, "Is this your home?"
"This isn't my house, this is—"
The door suddenly opened.
Alexander stood in the doorway.
Startled, Lily jumped up and hid behind Grace, peeking out nervously from behind her protector. She clearly didn't recognize him.
Alexander glanced at Lily before addressing Grace. "Why did you bring her back here?"
Lily flinched at his tone, clutching Grace's clothes fearfully. She sensed Alexander's disapproval and worried he wanted to send her away—back to the orphanage.
She didn't want to be separated from Grace.
"Don't frighten her," Grace said quietly. "I wanted to bring her here temporarily. She wasn't eating or drinking at the orphanage, and she was being bullied by the other children. I'm concerned about her psychological state, so I thought I'd bring her home and arrange for counseling."
Alexander didn't argue in front of Lily.
"The company meeting ran very late tonight," he said instead. "I just got back."
"Are Liam and Max downstairs?"
"Yes. Liam's getting tired—we should head home."
"Of course."
Grace took Lily's hand and led her out of the room.
Lily stayed close behind Grace while Alexander walked ahead. His tall, imposing figure clearly intimidated the little girl, who remained silent and anxious.
Grace smiled reassuringly. "Don't be afraid, Lily. He's not a bad person."
"But he looks so scary..." Lily whispered.