Chapter 45 I Never Betrayed You
Grace said, "He probably ran into some trouble at work."
Jeremy analyzed, "If there's anything that could upset Mr. Hayes, it would probably be something about Liam."
He stayed by Alexander's side and knew his situation at the company best.
In the corporate world, this man was always strategizing, with a ruthless nature that cut through any situation with decisive, swift action—never dragging things out, always clean and efficient.
Only when it came to Liam was he completely at a loss.
Liam waved his hand dismissively.
Daddy's bad mood definitely had nothing to do with him.
He'd been on his best behavior lately.
Jeremy muttered quietly, "It would be great if Mr. Hayes had a wife—he'd definitely be whipped."
Grace laughed, "How could a man like him ever be afraid of his wife?"
Jeremy said mysteriously, "Mr. Hayes is ticklish, and ticklish men are always afraid of their wives."
Grace was speechless, Did he really believe that theory?
"Just kidding!" Jeremy suddenly caught a whiff of something delicious. "That smells amazing!"
Max said, "I made pizza!"
Jeremy was surprised, "You can cook?"
Max nodded proudly.
Jeremy shamelessly asked, "Can I try some?"
Max said, "No way!"
Grace interjected, "Max, Jeremy helped us move all afternoon. Let him stay for dinner."
Since Grace had spoken, Max finally relented, "Fine!" He glanced disappointedly at Alexander's closed door, seeing that he hadn't come out.
He had originally wanted Alexander to try his cooking too.
The four of them sat down at the dining table.
Grace could see the disappointment in Max's eyes, so she stood up and cut two slices of pizza to take to Alexander.
Jeremy stopped her, "Ms. Foster, don't go."
Grace asked, "Isn't he hungry?"
Jeremy said, "Mr. Hayes seems to be in a bad mood." He was the best at reading Alexander's moods. "Besides, he never eats in his bedroom."
Grace sat back down.
Liam had already taken a bite of the pizza, and his eyes lit up with delight!
So delicious!
This was better than any pizza he'd ever tasted!
The Hayes Manor's kitchen was staffed with Michelin-starred chefs, and Alexander occasionally took him to high-end restaurants, but he'd never eaten pizza better than Max's!
Liam happily held his pizza slice, still chewing when he took another bite. The stretchy cheese had a rich creamy flavor, the crispy crust paired with the soft filling—Liam had demolished one slice in no time.
Grace was also surprised, "When did you learn to make pizza?"
Max said, "Just recently!"
He had learned it specifically after hearing that Liam loved pizza.
But he wasn't about to let Liam know he'd learned it especially for him.
Liam looked at Max with admiration in his eyes.
Grace said, "Max, you start school tomorrow. You need to get up early, so go to bed early after dinner."
"Okay."
Grace glanced at Alexander's tightly closed door. He seemed strange today—usually he wouldn't ignore Liam like this.
After putting Liam and Max to bed, Grace took a shower and decided she should check in with Alexander.
She walked to Alexander's bedroom door and knocked gently, "Liam and Max are asleep. I'll take them to school tomorrow."
No response from inside.
Grace tried again tentatively, "Alexander?"
She pushed the door open, only to find the room was dark.
Alexander was lying on the bed fully clothed, apparently asleep.
This was really unusual behavior for him.
For someone with such strict cleanliness habits, lying down on the bed without showering or changing into pajamas was very strange.
Could he be overworked?
Grace walked to the bedside.
Moonlight streaming through the window cast a soft glow over the room.
She tiptoed to the bed, seeing him with his eyes closed, breathing almost inaudibly.
When he slept, he looked peaceful, as if there wasn't a dangerous bone in his body.
Grace found a light blanket in the closet and turned back, ready to cover him with it. In the moonlight, the man on the bed suddenly opened his cold eyes.
Her brain short-circuited for several seconds with a buzzing sound, and she nearly dropped the blanket in fright.
Alexander stared at her coldly, his sharp features tense and hard, his eyes filled with displeasure at being disturbed.
How dare she enter his room without permission?
She seemed to have no concept of boundaries.
Grace explained, "I was worried you'd get cold."
Alexander continued to stare at her coldly, his expression glacial.
Grace bit the bullet and set down the blanket, turning to leave.
Alexander suddenly sat up slowly on the bed.
"Stop."
He called out to her.
Grace paused mid-step, turned around, and asked, "Is there something you need?"
Alexander countered, "Shouldn't I be asking you that? Barging into my room—what do you need?"
Grace said, "I saw you didn't eat dinner and thought you might be feeling unwell."
"Oh?" Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Are you concerned about me?"
Grace's heart rate kept accelerating.
It wasn't really concern—she had just wanted to let him know about taking the boys to school tomorrow.
Alexander said, "Grace, who is Max's biological father?"
His sudden question caught Grace completely off guard.
Alexander continued, "I think I have the right to know Max's background."
Grace asked, "Does it matter who his father is?"
Alexander said, "You had an affair during our marriage, and now rumors about it are spreading. Don't you think that matters?"
After a pause, he suddenly let out a cold laugh, "Rumors? I think the truth is probably exactly that—the truth."
Grace said, "Alexander, I never betrayed you! Even though our marriage was just in name, even though we had no feelings for each other, I never betrayed you."
Alexander said, "How noble of you to say that! Are you telling me Max is my son, that you and I conceived him out of thin air?"
Grace was speechless again.
Alexander pressed on: "Why aren't you talking now? Or do you know the consequences of betraying me and don't dare admit it honestly?"
"What about Liam?" Grace shot back. "He's not my biological child either. He's the same age as Max—he's your child with another woman! But I still treat him like my own."
Alexander said, "He..."
Grace continued, "I don't question Liam's past, so why must you dig into Max's background? Neither of us is more virtuous than the other. You're the one who entrusted Liam to me, you're the one who asked me to take care of him. If you can't stand Max, then Max and I will move out!"
Alexander said, "I agreed to all your conditions. Are you planning to break our agreement now?"