Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 229

Chapter 229: Reunion

Hailee’s POV

We stepped quietly into the room. The air smelled faintly of herbs and medicine. The curtains were drawn halfway, letting in a soft, golden afternoon light that fell across the large bed in the center. Then my heart squeezed when I saw him. My father, once the strongest man I knew, the king whose voice could make warriors tremble, now looked so small, so fragile. He was pale and thin, his skin almost blending with the white sheets. His once-broad shoulders had sunk, and his hands trembled slightly where they rested on the blanket. For a moment, I just stood there, frozen. I didn’t know how to breathe, how to move, or what to call him. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Father?

My lord?

Sir?

The word father felt too heavy, too strange on my tongue. It had been ten long years since I’d said it.

Peter quietly closed the door behind us, and the soft click seemed to echo in the stillness. My mother walked closer to the bed, her voice gentle. "Dear, someone’s here to see you."

His eyes opened slowly, tired and heavy. At first, he looked confused. Then his gaze found me. He stared. And I saw it, that same mix of shock, anger, and disbelief that had haunted my nightmares for years.

His voice was rough and dry. "What are you doing here?"

The words hit me harder than a slap. Not Hailee, not my daughter, like I was a disease he didn’t want to catch.

My throat tightened. "I... I came home," I said quietly. "Peter brought me back."

He scoffed weakly, a bitter sound that ended in a cough. "Home?" he repeated. "You lost the right to call this place home the day you defied me."

"Dear," my mother whispered, her voice trembling. "Please."

"Silence!" His voice, though weak, still carried command. "You don’t understand, woman. The day she was banished, she shamed this family. The daughter of the Stones, defiling herself with gods-know-who, and now she stands here like nothing happened?"

His words cut deep. My eyes burned, but I refused to look away.

"I didn’t come here to argue," I said softly. "I came because you’re sick. Because despite everything, you’re still my father."

He looked at me again, and for a brief second, I thought I saw a flicker of guilt, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

"You should have stayed away," he muttered, turning his face slightly toward the window. "You bring trouble wherever you go."

Peter stepped forward, his voice authoritative but calm. "Father, enough. She’s not the same girl you threw out. She’s done nothing but survive, and you owe her at least respect."

My father’s eyes hardened. "Respect? She broke every rule I lived by. She broke this family."

I swallowed hard, stepping closer. "I didn’t break the family," I said, my voice shaking but strong. "You did, when you turned your back on me."

The room went still. For the first time, he didn’t answer right away. His jaw tightened, his breathing uneven.

Finally, he said, "To me, I no longer have a daughter."

"Maybe," I whispered. "And I’m not here for your forgiveness."

He didn’t look at me. His eyes drifted to the boys standing near the door. His face changed, not soft, but confused. "Who are they?"

I hesitated. "They’re my sons."

His eyes sharpened again. "Your sons," he repeated slowly, his tone like ice. "You never cease to amaze me, Hailee. Tell me, are they the product of your shameful act?"

"Enough," Peter said sharply. "They’re part of this family whether you like it or not."

My father looked furious but too weak to yell. "This, this is what she calls family?" He turned to me, his voice hoarse but biting. "Do you even know what shame you’ve brought upon this house?"

Tears filled my eyes, but I didn’t back down. "Those boys are not shame," I said firmly. "They’re my pride. They’re innocent, they don’t deserve your anger."

For a moment, the fire in his eyes faded. He looked at me again, really looked, and I could see the war inside him. Pride against pain. Love buried under years of disappointment.

He didn’t speak again. He just turned his head away. "I’m tired," he muttered. "Leave me."

My mother’s voice cracked as she wiped her tears. "Please, just."

"I said leave," he growled weakly, though his hand trembled as he pointed toward the door.

Peter took a slow breath and nodded to me. "Come, Hailee. Let’s give him time."

I stood there for a moment longer, my heart breaking all over again. I wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come.

Finally, I whispered, "I’ll come back later, Father."

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