Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 144

"Child, could you... come a little closer?"

The patriarch's gaze landed on Meredith. His voice was frail as a thread, yet it carried a cautious sense of hope.

Meredith stiffened slightly. Meeting the elderly man's cloudy but affectionate eyes, the grievances and bitterness she had suppressed for so long suddenly surged up like a tidal wave.

She had thought she would hate this old man, that she would feel nothing upon seeing him again.

But seeing this once-commanding figure lying so weakly in the hospital bed, the instinctive ache of familial ties was impossible to suppress. Seeing him awake, an uncontrollable spark of joy and excitement still flickered in her heart.

"Merry?" Seeing Meredith frozen in place, Thaddeus called out softly before turning to his father, softening his tone. "Dad, this is Meredith, your granddaughter."

Meredith took a deep breath, clenching her fists to fight down the turbulence in her chest, and walked slowly to the bedside.

"How... are you feeling?"

The old man gave a slight nod, his gaze never leaving her face. "I feel fine. Child... although I can't remember anything, you make me feel... very familiar. More familiar than anyone else in this room."

Hearing this, Meredith bit her lower lip hard, her eyes instantly reddening. Her clear eyes were a swirl of struggle, pain, and unspeakable bitterness.

The patriarch caught the emotion in her eyes and seemed to understand something. His wrinkled fingers trembled slightly. "Child, was I... very bad to you in the past?"

He could see the deep sorrow hidden in the girl's eyes.

Even with no memory, looking at this girl brought a natural pang of affection to his chest. His past self should have treated her like a precious treasure.

So why did this child look at him with such a broken gaze?

Meredith managed a smile that was more heartbreaking than tears, her voice trembling. "I suddenly remembered I have some urgent matters to handle. You rest first. We can talk about everything else... later."

Before she even finished her sentence, she spun around and practically fled the room.

"Merry?!" Milo frowned, instinctively wanting to chase after her.

"Mr. Miller, leave Merry to us," Phoenix stopped him, her tone steady. "She's a strong girl. Don't worry."

With that, she exchanged a glance with Cyan and quickly followed after her.

Thaddeus let out a long sigh, his posture suddenly seeming a bit more stooped. Looking back, when he had learned that Meredith had stolen secrets and was caught red-handed, he had been consumed by rage and said many heartless things.

He knew full well that given Meredith's fierce pride, those words had been like knives to her heart.

But to maintain his authority as the head of the family and his so-called "impartiality," he hadn't investigated deeply, ultimately allowing Meredith to suffer an unjust wrong and spend three whole years in prison.

Now, this chasm lay between father and daughter. Mending it would likely be as difficult as reaching the sky.

...

At the end of the hospital corridor, Meredith was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Phoenix and Cyan stood quietly beside her, offering no unnecessary words, only silent companionship.

Even after being hardened in that dark place for three years, Meredith still kept the softest corner of her heart intact. Seeing the once-imposing old man display such a bewildered, innocent look caused her long-built emotional defenses to instantly collapse.

"Phoenix, do you think... I'm being too dramatic?" Meredith turned around and buried her face in Phoenix's shoulder, her voice choking with sobs. "Seeing him like that, I really wanted to call him Grandfather. But the trauma from back then... it's like a thorn in my throat. I just couldn't bring myself to say it."