Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Father and Daughter
Watching her father’s hand move slowly startled Victoria. She immediately leaned her head closer to his face to confirm a miracle had occurred. Victoria had initially resigned herself to the idea that her father’s life would not be saved upon hearing the doctor’s devastating news. However, what was happening now was the complete opposite.
As her father slowly opened his eyes, Victoria let out a broken cry as she held his hand. "Dad, do you know me?"
The father nodded and smiled warmly. "My daughter..."
Victoria hugged her father tightly. "Dad, I missed you so much. I thought you’d forgotten about me."
"It’s impossible for me to forget you, my little princess. In my eyes, you’re still just a whiny little princess."
"By the way, are you in any pain? Would you like me to call a doctor?"
The father shook his head slowly. "No need. In fact, I’d like to talk to you a little longer. I’m sure you have a lot to tell me."
For a moment, Victoria stared nervously at her husband, who was still standing far away. She was starting to worry that her husband would be rejected by his father just because of business matters. Was now the right time to tell him everything? Including the evil stepmother?
"Dad, do you still love me now?"
"Why do you ask like that?"
"Because I feel like all this time you cared more about Fransisca than me. Actually, I was annoyed to see you caring more about your stepchild than your own biological child."
"Wait a minute! Since when did I care more about my stepdaughter than my biological daughter?"
Victoria’s eyes widened. "So, you didn’t love her all this time?"
The father, Devan, smiled warmly and stroked his daughter’s trembling head. "Why would I care about a child who isn’t my blood? I’m sorry I’ve seemed so indifferent to you. But you’re still my daughter, Victoria. I still care about you."
Victoria couldn’t hold back her tears, which grew louder. She felt guilty for holding a grudge against her father, even though he had always been kind to her. She continued to blame herself for being a disobedient child. Her father’s coldness toward her was merely an act.
"I’ll be nicer to you, Dad. Please, get well soon. There’s still so much we haven’t done yet. I want to take you on vacation. I want to protect you too from everyone who hates you."
Devan stared at his enemy with a weary gaze. "Seeing you have someone by your side makes me so relieved. Now I can’t protect you like I used to."
"Don’t say things like that, Dad! I’m sure you’ll recover as long as Matthias and I take good care of you! Even seeing you speak is a miracle for me."
"Actually, I still want to talk to Matthias for a bit." Devan looked back at his enemy guiltily. "Matthias, is it okay if we just talk alone?"
Matthias still looked away nervously. "Does Victoria mind if she’s sent away for a bit?"
"It’s okay. It’s best for you two to talk alone." Victoria patted her husband’s shoulder. "Don’t worry. My father definitely won’t hate you."
Now, only two men remained, enemies of years. Devan and Matthias stared at each other blankly, unsure of what to say. Matthias, in particular, had been torturing his father in law without knowing the truth. Watching the interaction between father and son deeply moved him. Was it time for him to change his ways?
"Is there something you want to tell me, Matthias?" Devan asked softly.
Matthias took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "I won’t ask how you’re doing because I’ve known about your condition for years. You’re so cruel to your own daughter!"
"Matthias, do you still hate me?" Devan extended his left hand to his future son in law. "Come here, I want to talk to you more closely."
Matthias felt increasingly awkward as he sat next to his father-in-law’s bed. He swallowed hard and waved his hand.
"Thank you, Matthias."
Hearing those disgusting words made Matthias laugh awkwardly. "What are you thanking me for? Do you like how I’ve treated you so cruelly all this time?"
"I mean, thank you for wanting to protect my daughter."
"I’ve loved your daughter for a long time. She’s the only woman who made me realize what love means."
"Regarding what I’ve done all this time at T&H Group, I actually did it out of necessity."
Matthias’s brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Do you think I did it out of selfishness?" Devan pursed his lips. "Actually, I was threatened too. How dare they threaten my daughter!"
"Wait a minute! Who exactly has been threatening you all this time? Why would they target your innocent daughter, to the point where she nearly died two years ago?"
"I suspect that person is the culprit." Devan touched his son in law’s right hand, his hands trembling even more. "Because you’re my son in law, you’re the only one I can rely on. I won’t blame you for putting my company in so much debt."
Matthias looked away with a shy smile. "I’ll only help you because you’re my father in law. Don’t misunderstand!"
"I am very grateful to have a good son in law like you."
After a lengthy conversation between her son in law and father in law, Victoria and her father were now alone in the room. Because her father’s body was still too weak, Victoria didn’t want to talk to him for too long. She wanted to let him rest. After all, if he recovered quickly, they would have plenty of time to spend together. Victoria also wanted to invite Matthias to have fun, as he was family to her.
However, just as her father was asleep, an uninvited guest suddenly entered the room. Victoria immediately greeted her stepmother and stepsister with surprise, releasing her father’s grip.
"You bitch! How dare you set foot in here!"
Victoria responded with a haughty smile. "Aren’t you more likely to be the one who doesn’t deserve to set foot here?"