Chapter 7 Irrefutable Evidence of Her Motherhood
Seeing Alexander holding a stack of documents, his expression growing darker by the second, Max urged impatiently, “Can you please return my mommy to me first?”
Alexander arched a brow. “Didn’t you want to see your mommy?”
Max nodded firmly. “Yes.”
“Fine.” A sinister smile curved across Alexander’s lips. “I’ll take you to see her right now.”
He rose from his seat and effortlessly scooped Max up with one arm.
Seeing the man's menacing demeanor, Zara worried for Max's safety and immediately stepped forward to block Alexander's path, spreading her arms wide. "What are you doing? Where are you taking Max?"
Alexander shot her a frigid glance. His voice was glacial. “Escort this lady out of Crest Corporation.”
The office doors swung open at once, and two bodyguards strode in, moving to seize Zara by the arms.
Zara’s face drained of color. “W-What are you doing?”
Max’s expression turned icy. “Be gentle with Zara. Otherwise, every time you fix Crest Corporation’s security system, I’ll hack it again.”
The bodyguards froze mid-motion and instinctively looked toward Alexander for instructions.
Alexander looked down at the clearly adorable yet precocious Max, still finding it hard to believe that Crest Corporation's security network had collapsed because of him. “Did you really hack Crest Corporation’s security system?”
Max replied, "The Quella virus code that attacked Crest Corporation's network was written by me. Even if you spend millions rebuilding and maintaining it, the virus will remain dormant in the system's deep layers—I can activate it anytime!"
After a pause, Max smiled elegantly. "However, as long as you return my mommy to me, I can permanently seal the virus."
Quella.
Anyone in the tech industry had heard that name.
A few months ago, Quella had swept through financial markets. In just three days, it infected hundreds of thousands of computers, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
It infiltrated host systems, executed malicious code, and wiped out critical client records without mercy. .Within a week, multiple financial giants had suffered unprecedented losses.
And then—
It vanished without a trace.
Hacker alliances around the world had been scrambling ever since, speculating about the genius behind such a terrifying creation.
Alexander stared at the child in his arms, disbelief flickering across his sharp features.
The mastermind behind that catastrophic virus… was a seven-year-old boy?
Jeremy leaned closer and whispered urgently, “We’ve already called in engineers. It’s definitely the Quella virus. They’re completely helpless. Crest Corporation’s entire network is paralyzed.”
Max let out a cold snort. “Whether you believe it or not, I always keep my word. Return my mommy to me safe and sound. Otherwise…”
His gaze turned frighteningly calm.
“You’ll regret it.”
Alexander’s lips curved upward into a faint smirk.
“You just want to see your mommy, right?” he said coolly. “Fine. I’ll grant your wish.”
The Hayes Manor.
Grace lay in bed, drowsy and half-asleep.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.
"Mr. Hayes, you're back!"
"Mr. Hayes, the child you're carrying is..."
The bedroom door was flung open without warning.
Grace jolted upright, her heart slamming against her ribs. She turned toward the doorway—
And froze.
Max was in Alexander’s arms.
All the color drained from her face.
"Max!"
"Mommy!" The moment Max saw her, his eyes welled up and reddened, but seeing that she was safe and unharmed brought him some relief.
Grace was terrified, thinking Alexander might hurt Max. "Alexander! What are you doing!" She scrambled out of bed without even putting on her shoes and rushed barefoot toward him, reaching out to snatch Max back.
But Alexander shifted slightly to the side.
She grabbed nothing but air.
"Grace, you haven't explained about the child yet." He looked down at her condescendingly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Didn't you say you never had children?"
Alexander’s gaze slowly shifted to Max’s face.
He lifted a hand, his long fingers brushing lightly across the boy’s cheek.
“Whose child is he?”
Grace’s lips trembled uncontrollably. She stared at Max, panic flooding her eyes.
Had Alexander discovered everything?
Her mind raced, but she couldn’t think of a single excuse.
If he knew the truth… what would happen?
Would he hate her—for secretly carrying his child and hiding it from the Hayes family?
The premature birth.
The other baby who hadn’t survived.
She hadn’t been able to save him.
The guilt had haunted her for years.
Because of that loss, she had poured every ounce of her love into Max. He was the only light left in her shattered world.
If Alexander claimed custody, she wouldn’t even have the power or resources to fight him in court.
Her face flushed red, her throat tight and dry, but no words came out.
Alexander’s expression darkened.
“What’s wrong?” he asked coldly. “Can’t think of a lie now?”
Grace’s lips parted, but only silence followed.
Alexander’s voice sharpened. “In the hospital forms you filled out, the father’s name was listed as Henry. What’s your relationship with him?”
Grace’s mind went completely blank.
Back then, when she was heavily pregnant and needed to register, the screening procedures had been strict. Desperate and alone, she had asked her college friend Henry to sign the papers for her.
Alexander’s gaze turned icy.
“Is this child yours and that man’s?”
Grace was completely stunned.
Max glanced at Alexander, then at Grace.
Max glanced at Alexander, then at Grace. With intelligence far beyond his years—sharper than many adults—he instantly grasped the situation. Lifting his chin, he said to Alexander, “You’re not my biological father. You have no right to question who my real father is.”
Grace covered her mouth, instinctively wanting to explain. But the moment the truth rose to her lips, she swallowed it back down. If she revealed Max’s true parentage, the Hayes family would surely claim custody.
She would rather endure the stain of adultery than lose her son.
Biting her lip, she forced herself to say, “He’s not your son.”
Alexander’s icy voice sliced through the air. “So you really dared to betray me?”
Grace’s face drained of color. She looked up at him, then instinctively reached for Max. The boy threw himself into her arms, and she held him tightly, trembling as she faced Alexander.
Alexander said angrily, "Back then, when I was severely injured and in a coma, you agreed to marry a man in a vegetative state—were you coveting the Hayes family fortune? Were you planning to use this child to pose as mine and inherit my estate?"
“I never had such thoughts!” Grace shot back. “Don’t judge me by your own low standards. Alexander, we’re already divorced. Whoever I choose to have a child with is none of your business.”
She lowered her gaze to Max and said coldly, “This child was the result of an accident between Henry and me.”
She was someone who had never been good at lying; whenever she lied, her face would turn red.
However, in Alexander's eyes, this only confirmed that she was feeling guilty and panicking!
"An accident?" Alexander sneered. "You make adultery sound so noble!"
Grace said, "Alexander, our marriage was always a sham. Since we're divorced, can't we just leave each other alone? I have nothing to say to you."
Alexander's brow furrowed with cold fury. "So what about Liam? Is that child really yours or not?"
Grace replied, "I only have Max. I haven't had any other children."
Alexander said, "Grace, how many true words come out of your mouth? You claim you haven't lied to me, yet you're full of lies!" He naturally wouldn't trust Grace's words easily. "I've already ordered my people to conduct a paternity test. The results will be ready by tomorrow at the earliest. If I find out that Liam is your child and that you abandoned him, you'll pay dearly for it."
