Mrs Hale, I Surrender
Chapter 220 - 219 Recognition: Hope my daughter is blessed by heaven, safe and smooth (2 more - s, must see)_2

Chapter 220: 219 Recognition: Hope my daughter is blessed by heaven, safe and smooth (2 more Chapters, must see)_2

"Are you feeling alright? Just don’t eat too many sweets," Mario Payne half-squatted by the wheelchair, observing her expression, only to find her eyes suddenly brimming with redness.

Tears quickly filled them.

Streaming down in beads...

In an instant, they broke through the dam and flowed freely.

"What’s wrong?" Mario Payne became flustered, hurriedly grabbing tissues wanting to wipe away her tears, but there were too many, he simply couldn’t keep up, "Did you get burnt? Or is your leg hurting? I’ll call the doctor--"

As he said this, he rose to rush out.

But Zoe Bell suddenly grasped his hand!

Most of the Payne Family were involved in jewelry design related industries. Before his daughter’s accident, Mario Payne was mainly responsible for mining, purchasing gemstone rough, and he would also cut and polish the gems; therefore, his hands were rough and calloused.

Calluses, like dry branches in autumn, were uncomfortable to touch.

"You..." Suddenly having his hand held by his daughter, Mario Payne’s heart was touched, but all he could think about was whether she was feeling any discomfort.

"What is it exactly?"

"You tell... tell Uncle,"

Zoe Bell, with her head lowered and struggling to suppress her shaking voice, asked, "Are you... my uncle?"

"How could I not be, I’m your..." Mario Payne’s words trailed off as he froze and stared at her intently.

Watching as she held tightly to his hand,

And in a flash,

He realized something.

He slowly knelt down, on one knee beside her wheelchair, and extended his other hand to gently pat the back of her hand. His movements were tender and careful. With his head bowed, tears warmed his eyes.

"I’m sorry..."

His voice was hoarse, with a quivering tone.

"What are you sorry to me for?"

By now, Zoe Bell had guessed the relationship she had with him.

"I shouldn’t have lost you..."

"Letting you suffer so much all these years."

Zoe Bell looked at the slender middle-aged man before her.

Kneeling directly before her wheelchair, looking up at her:

"Daddy..."

"I’m sorry for letting you down, when you were born, I said I would protect our family’s little princess for life, yet I let you wander lost for so many years."

"All these years, your mother, your brother... our whole family has missed you deeply."

"We never stopped searching for you."

His voice choked up, and by the end, he trembled so much that he could no longer speak, clutching her hand, his head slightly bowed.

Losing control, breaking down, erupting...

All the emotions piled up together.

He kneeled before his daughter, crying uncontrollably.

Zoe Bell’s eyes reddened instantly as well.

She had always thought that Director Hall was lying to her, or perhaps, she was somewhat resistant to searching for her family, fearing she might end up like Mina Bell. Maybe her relatives had long since had their own lives.

That home...

Wasn’t welcoming her arrival.

Thus, she dared not search for her family.

But when her own kin truly appeared before her, her mind was in chaos, her heart ached, and tears involuntarily streamed down.

"Dad, I’m sorry to you, I should have searched for you myself, if so, our family might have reunited earlier, and all these years, I’ve never stopped thinking about you."

Zoe Bell bit her lip hard, "Are you so certain... I am your daughter?"

"Your brother has confirmed it."

"You are our Payne Family’s daughter."

"This time..."

"I’ll be with you always, I’ll never lose you again!" Mario Payne gripped her hand, his body still trembling uncontrollably, from excitement and the joy of father-daughter reunion.

Zoe Bell had just made a guess, and suddenly she was recognizing kinship; her mind hadn’t caught up yet.

Hearing familiar footsteps and seeing William Hale enter the room, she looked at him with her eyes moist with tears, feeling bewildered, nervous, joyful... but also a bit scared.

Everything happened too suddenly.

It felt unreal to her.

"Uncle Payne, please get up first," William Hale said upon seeing the situation, probably guessing the reason, and helped him to his feet.

But Mario Payne was unwilling to let go of Zoe Bell’s hand.

He had been very restrained these days,

yet no matter how careful or composed he was, he couldn’t suppress his longing for his daughter.

Watching over the hospital these days, he barely slept, and every night, he would check outside the ward to confirm that Zoe Bell was still there, only then could he feel at ease. Occasionally, if he managed to fall asleep, he would wake up abruptly.

He was terrified it was all a dream.

His daughter had vanished again.

If he had never found her in this lifetime, maybe he could convince himself that his daughter was somewhere in the world, living her life properly, especially during holidays, their family’s reunion dinner tasted bland.

Now that he had found her and lost her once, he couldn’t bear to lose her a second time.

He wanted to touch her,

to hold her,

to ask her, "Did you miss mom and dad these years?"

Did she ever blame them.

"You... please stand up first," Zoe Bell managed, her voice trembling as well.

"Okay."

Upon hearing his daughter speak, Mario Payne moved quickly, just that he had been kneeling for too long, and his emotions had fluctuated greatly recently, added to the lack of sleep, his legs were so weak that he almost fell, thankfully William Hale supported him in time.

"Dad, why is your phone unreachable, my mom..." Junior President Payne suddenly rushed into the ward.

Seeing the scene, he was stunned for several seconds.

His gaze met Zoe Bell’s, and seeing his little sister with tears in her eyes, his own eyes reddened instantly.

"What happened?" Mario Payne frowned, casually wiping away the tears.

Tim Payne gestured for his father to step outside with him; although Mario Payne was reluctant to leave his daughter, he followed his son out of the ward, "Your mother, is her mental state bad again?"

"My mom..." Tim Payne clenched his teeth, "committed suicide."

Mario Payne’s breaths came fast.

Ever since his daughter went missing, and a search turned up nothing, his wife had turned to superstition, her mental state deteriorated, and in recent years she even experienced moments of delirium, unable to recognize people.

Mario Payne had told her a few days ago that he had found their daughter, and she seemed quite calm.

Even smiling she said: "Then I’ll wait for you to bring her home."

How could it suddenly be...

She wasn’t excited, she didn’t even say she would come to Capital City; thinking about it now, her behavior was too calm.

Perhaps,

his wife didn’t believe that he had really found their daughter!

Mario Payne took out his phone, which had many missed calls. With rapid breathing, he asked, "How is your mother now?"

"She’s being resuscitated. It was timely discovered, and the family doctor acted promptly. She should be fine."

Mario Payne finally took a deep breath...

He remembered how his wife would spend whole days kneeling in the temple, praying to heaven:

"I believe that she is living somewhere in the world."

"Buddha, I am willing to give up the rest of my life, even if she can’t return to my side, it’s okay, I..."

"Only wish my daughter to be blessed by heaven, to be safe and prosper!"