My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 1008

Melisa let out a long breath. “This is certainly a difficult situation.” She looked at Emily, her gaze deep. “But you already have an answer in your heart, don’t you?” Emily paused, then gave a slight nod. “She is his biological daughter, after all, and he said he wanted to make things right. I think if he knew his daughter had ended up in this situation, he wouldn’t abandon her. He’d want to help her through it. I promised him I’d find her, so my inclination is to tell him the whole truth. But his health is so poor… I’m genuinely worried he can’t handle the shock.” An elderly man in his condition could easily be overwhelmed by such news. Emily feared that her discovery would only worsen his health. “I understand,” Melisa said, rubbing her temples. “My father’s health is deteriorating, but the search for his daughter is what’s keeping him going. I’m just as worried as you are about the potential fallout.” Emily remained silent. Melisa closed her eyes, thinking for a moment before letting out a long sigh. “He’s an old man. At this point, we should just try to fulfill his last wish. I think… I think we should tell him. I can’t let my father die with that regret.” “I respect your decision,” Emily said. Melisa smiled and patted her arm. “Thank you for everything. I’ll be the one to tell him. Coming from me, his daughter, perhaps the shock will be a little less.” Emily agreed. “Do you want to go up and say hello to him?” Melisa asked. “Yes,” Emily replied. Melisa tucked the documents Emily had brought under the coffee table. “I need to think about how to phrase this,” she said with a small smile. “Tonight is too sudden. I won’t tell him just yet.” Emily understood. They went upstairs together. As they pushed open the door, the rhythmic beeping of medical equipment filled the air. Emily’s gaze fell on the white-haired old man lying in the bed, and for a moment, she was lost in a daze. It had been a while, and Professor Vargas seemed to have aged even more. Tubes and wires snaked across his body, and an oxygen mask covered his mouth. He was gaunt, with sunken cheeks, and wrinkles seemed etched into every inch of his skin. His eyes were deep-set and cloudy, and he had to squint to make out who had entered. Emily walked over to his bedside. “Professor, I’ve come to see you,” she said softly. Tate Vargas nodded, his fingers twitching slightly. “Sit.” Melisa closed the door behind them as Emily sat in the chair by the bed. “Professor, how are you feeling?” she asked gently. Tate managed a faint smile, his voice old and raspy. “Fine, I’m fine. Don’t you worry.” A wave of sadness washed over Emily. “I hope you’ll stay healthy. Please take good care of yourself.” Melisa moved to the head of the bed, carefully checking the numbers and lines on the monitors. “He will,” she said warmly. Tate coughed lightly, his eyes on Emily. “Emily, about… about my daughter. Is there any news?” Emily paused for a moment, sensing Melisa’s gaze on her from the corner of her eye. She looked at the tubes connected to Tate’s body and said softly, “I’m still looking. Please be patient, Professor.” A flicker of disappointment crossed Tate’s eyes. “Alright,” he said slowly. “I’ll wait. I lost her for so long… I made a mistake, and I have to face the consequences. I’ll wait as long as it takes, as long as she comes back…” Emily and Melisa exchanged a look. She decided to probe Tate's feelings. “Professor, your daughter has been away from you for so long. She might be completely different from Melisa. She might have suffered greatly, or she might have made many mistakes. She could be unsuccessful, living an ordinary life. Anything is possible. She might not even accept your help. Would you… would you still accept her?”