Mrs Hale, I Surrender
Chapter 217 Father and Daughter Meet for the First Time, Emotional Breakdown (3 more updates)

Chapter 217: 217 Father and Daughter Meet for the First Time, Emotional Breakdown (3 more updates)

Mario Payne furrowed his brows, his eyes trained intensely on his daughter’s photo, barely paying any attention to the man who had wronged his daughter, "Does it contain his information? I’ll have to look it over again later."

"You don’t need to take a close look, you know that person..."

"What?"

Ever since his wife’s mental health deteriorated, and they had gone to the south for her treatment over a decade ago, he had almost no recollection of the people and affairs in Capital City.

Let alone the younger generation who was about the same age as his daughter.

"Do you remember the Hale Family?"

"She married Finn Hale?" Mario Payne frowned.

"..."

"That young man’s a good bit older than her, isn’t he—practically an old cow eating young grass," Finn Hale was about the same age as his own son.

Junior President Payne rubbed his temples, "Not him."

"Then who?"

"His nephew?"

Mario Payne, too agitated and having almost forgotten everything about the Hale family, blurted out, "His nephew? Should be in kindergarten, right?"

After saying this, he suddenly remembered, "Which nephew?"

The Hale family had quite a few grandsons.

"Wyatt Hale, you’ve met him before and even praised him for being sensible and polite, a rare good kid, and even gave him candy and snacks."

That’s when Mario Payne remembered.

It was also at the award ceremony of his son’s competition, almost the entire Hale family had been there.

Wyatt Hale was very young then, just sitting quietly, looking mature beyond his years. Hearing that his mother had passed away, Mario Payne, who had lost his daughter, felt even more compassion for him.

He usually disliked socializing, but he had exceptionally interacted with him.

Naturally, he had a deep impression of him.

"It’s him," Mario Payne said, somewhat dazed.

He hadn’t expected that his daughter, after all the twists and turns, would end up with the Hale family.

——

In the hospital

Hannah Johnson, unaware of the situation, brought Zoe Bell some trinkets to pass the time and mentioned the incident upon arriving at the hospital.

"I really didn’t expect it. It was just a simple civil dispute, yet Junior President Payne’s father even stormed into the police station with such intensity, it was frightening!"

"Junior President Payne’s father came?" Zoe Bell was surprised.

Because of her own matters?

"It’s my first time meeting him. I heard his mother’s health is poor, so the couple has been in the south where the climate is better and suitable for recuperation. The season here in Capital City is just too cold in winter," Hannah Johnson said with a laugh.

"But I didn’t expect the Payne family to be so strict."

"Entering a police station, it shouldn’t warrant his father coming all the way to scold him."

Zoe Bell just smiled.

Feeling she had troubled Junior President Payne.

Wyatt Hale sat silently listening to the conversation, his face showing no emotion.

Around noon, Hannah Johnson left, and Lily Lott specifically brought food, maintaining a very regular schedule in the hospital. Around one o’clock, Zoe Bell felt sleepy.

"If you’re sleepy, take a nap," Wyatt Hale suggested.

"Wait till the IV is done."

At this moment, only the two of them were in the hospital room, even Zac Cruz and Kyle Lowe had been sent away by him.

Wyatt Hale thought:

The Payne family members could arrive at any moment.

Too many eyes around.

Zoe Bell had started her IV early at around 8 a.m., which was supposed to last until about 3 p.m. In the meantime, Wyatt Hale had come by, astonished at the amount of IV fluids being administered:

"So much fluid into the body? Even water-injected pork doesn’t get this treatment."

And then Wyatt Hale was chased out!

Zoe Bell said so, but once sleepiness hit, she still fell deeply asleep, while Wyatt Hale kept watch by her side until he heard some noise outside. Looking through the hospital room’s glass door, he saw Junior President Payne.

His heart tightened, showing no expression, he stood up to open the door.

It was not just him,

But also a middle-aged man.

Wyatt Hale had seen him before and politely said, "Uncle Payne."

Mario Payne just nodded, his gaze fixated beyond her on Zoe Bell lying on the hospital bed. Wyatt Hale spoke softly, "Zoe just fell asleep not long ago."

"I..." Mario Payne had prepared many things to say, but at this moment, it seemed all were stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word.

"You two come in. I have some things to sort out. Please watch over her, and just call a nurse when the IV is finished."

Knowing when to approach and retreat, Wyatt Hale picked up his phone and jacket and walked out.

Leaving the space to Mario Payne and his son.

Junior President Payne watched his retreating figure, feeling contemplative:

Had he sensed something?

After all, being Finn Hale’s own nephew, he was indeed sharp. He hadn’t said anything, yet he knew.

Zoe Bell, already lean from dancing and further weakened by surgery, lay there pale and quiet, her sleep undisturbed. Mario Payne approached slowly, his fingers trembling, wanting to touch her, yet not daring to...

His fingers hovered, cautious and reluctant to make contact.

Yet tears once again welled up, and he tried his best to hold them back, afraid of waking her.

My daughter...

Dad’s here.

After all these years, I’ve finally found you.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Mario Payne eventually staggered out of the hospital room, seeking a secluded spot to freely express his feelings.

Wyatt Hale hadn’t gone far, seeing Mario Payne staggering as he left the hospital room, he grew concerned and followed him, soon hearing his muffled sobs...

Men of his age rarely lost control like this.

Wyatt Hale’s expression darkened somewhat.

Zoe Bell was woken by the noise as the nurse came to remove the IV.

Opening her eyes, she instinctively looked for Wyatt Hale, who was not there.

But she saw Junior President Payne and a foreign middle-aged man whose features bore some resemblance to hers, and she immediately guessed his identity, her lips twitching into a smile.

"Hello, Uncle Payne."

Uncle?

Mario Payne’s emotions collapsed, a sour sensation at the tip of his nose, his eyes turning red.

Zoe Bell was taken aback, had she said something wrong?

Her cousin said the man from the Payne family was eccentric, extremely aloof and unfeeling, how had her simple words brought him to tears?