C3 Chapter 3: The little girl with his eyes

The Billionaire’s Secret Baby

The name of the school was written in black ink on the corner of a document Alexander Hayes had found among the papers his assistant had gathered that morning.

Grace Carter. Age: Five.

He stared at the name until the letters seemed to blur.

Five years.

Five years since Elizabeth Carter had disappeared from his life, leaving him with unanswered questions, a wounded heart, and a hatred he had spent years convincing himself was justified.

And now she was back.

With a little girl.

A little girl whose eyes had looked disturbingly familiar.

Alexander picked up his phone and dialed the number printed beneath the school's name.

"Good morning, Westbrook Academy," a woman's voice answered. "How may I help you?"

"This is Alexander Hayes. I'd like to speak with someone regarding a student named Grace Carter."

"Are you her parent or legal guardian, Mr. Hayes?"

He hesitated.

The question struck harder than it should have.

"No," he replied carefully. "I'm a family acquaintance."

It was the first lie he had told that morning.

And it tasted bitter.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we cannot disclose information about our students to unauthorized individuals. If you're concerned about a student, you'll need to contact her parent or guardian directly."

Alexander tightened his grip on the phone.

"I understand."

He ended the call.

For several seconds, he remained motionless behind his desk, staring at the city through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his Manhattan office.

The school had told him nothing.

But the receptionist's refusal had not answered the question consuming him.

Was Grace his daughter?

Or was he losing his mind because Elizabeth had returned and dragged the past back into his life?

He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a photograph he had not looked at in years.

Elizabeth.

She was standing beside him at a charity gala, her dark hair falling over one shoulder, her face bright with the kind of happiness he had once believed belonged to them alone.

Alexander ran his thumb along the edge of the photograph.

"What happened to us, Elizabeth?" he whispered.

Then his expression hardened.

"And what are you hiding from me?"

---

Elizabeth was struggling to button Grace's coat when her daughter looked up at her.

"Mummy?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Why were you crying last night?"

Elizabeth's fingers stopped.

She had thought Grace was asleep when she had stood in the kitchen after midnight, staring at an old photograph and trying desperately not to remember the man in it.

Children noticed more than adults wanted to believe.

"I wasn't crying, baby."

Grace tilted her head.

"You had red eyes."

Elizabeth swallowed.

"Sometimes Mummy gets tired. That's all."

Grace considered this explanation before wrapping her little arms around Elizabeth's waist.

"You don't have to be sad. I love you."

The words pierced Elizabeth's heart.

She crouched and held her daughter close.

"I love you more than anything in this world."

"More than chocolate cake?"

Elizabeth laughed softly despite herself.

"Even more than chocolate cake."

Grace giggled.

For a moment, the world felt simple again.

Then Elizabeth's phone vibrated.

An unknown number.

She answered cautiously.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Mrs. Carter. This is Daniel from Westbrook Academy. I'm calling to inform you that we received an inquiry about Grace this morning."

Elizabeth went still.

"What kind of inquiry?"

"A gentleman called asking about her enrollment. Our policy prevented us from sharing any information."

Her heart began to pound.

"Did he give you his name?"

"Yes, ma'am. Alexander Hayes."

The room seemed to tilt.

Elizabeth gripped the edge of the kitchen counter.

He had already started looking.

Of course he had.

Alexander Hayes had never been a man who accepted unanswered questions. When he wanted something, he pursued it until the world moved out of his way.

And now he wanted answers about Grace.

"Thank you for informing me," she managed.

She ended the call and stared at her phone.

"Mummy?" Grace asked. "What's wrong?"

Elizabeth forced herself to smile.

"Nothing, sweetheart. Everything is fine."

But it wasn't.

Nothing had been fine since she had seen Alexander again.

And the terrifying part was that she could no longer tell herself that leaving New York had put enough distance between them.

He was already finding his way back into their lives.

---

Across the city, Richard Hayes stepped into Alexander's office without knocking.

"You look like someone has declared war on you," Richard remarked, loosening his tie.

Alexander didn't look up from the documents on his desk.

"Perhaps someone has."

Richard's smile faded slightly.

"What does that mean?"

"Elizabeth Carter is back."

For one brief second, Richard's expression changed.

It was almost imperceptible.

Almost.

Then he laughed.

"Elizabeth? I thought she had disappeared for good."

"So did I."

Alexander leaned back in his chair.

"She has a daughter."

Richard went quiet.

"A daughter?"

"Five years old."

Richard's fingers tightened around the leather handle of his briefcase.

Alexander noticed.

"Something wrong?"

"No." Richard recovered quickly. "I'm just surprised. Elizabeth always seemed too ambitious to settle down so young."

Alexander's jaw tightened.

"You don't know anything about her."

"Neither do you, apparently."

The remark landed exactly where Richard intended.

Alexander rose from his chair.

"I want to know who the child's father is."

Richard studied him carefully.

"And if the answer isn't what you expect?"

"Then I'll deal with it."

"Alexander, let the past stay in the past. You have a company to run, a reputation to protect, and a family that doesn't need another scandal."

Alexander's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you so interested in convincing me to leave her alone?"

Richard's smile returned, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I'm trying to protect you."

"From Elizabeth?"

"From making another mistake."

Silence settled between them.

At last, Richard adjusted his cufflinks.

"Just be careful, brother. Women like Elizabeth don't return without a reason."

He turned and walked out.

Alexander watched him leave.

Something about the conversation troubled him, although he couldn't identify exactly what.

Richard had always been protective of the Hayes family name.

But this time, his concern felt different.

It felt like fear.

---

That evening, Elizabeth sat beside Grace's bed, watching her daughter sleep.

Grace's favorite stuffed rabbit rested beneath her chin. Her small hand curled around one of its ears.

Elizabeth brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead.

For five years, she had protected this little girl from the truth.

She had endured lonely nights, difficult decisions, and moments when she had almost called Alexander just to hear his voice.

But she had never regretted choosing Grace.

Never.

Her phone lit up on the bedside table.

A message from an unknown number appeared.

Elizabeth. We need to talk.

She didn't need to ask who had sent it.

Another message followed.

I know about Grace.

Elizabeth's breath caught.

She read the words again, her hands trembling.

Then a third message appeared.

Tell me the truth. Is she my daughter?

For a long moment, Elizabeth couldn't move.

She looked at Grace, sleeping peacefully, unaware that the secret surrounding her birth was beginning to unravel.

Elizabeth had prepared herself for Alexander's anger.

She had prepared herself for his accusations.

But she had never prepared herself for the possibility that he might discover the truth before she was ready to tell him.

Her phone vibrated one final time.

I'm coming to see you tomorrow.

Elizabeth stared at the screen.

And for the first time in five years, she realized that running might no longer be enough.