Chapter 486

"Grandpa..." Simon’s deep, contemplative eyes flickered with a faint ripple of emotion. "I'm back," he said softly, crouching slightly as he met his grandfather’s gaze. The old man's initial excitement gradually settled into something softer—something more fragile. His cloudy, aged eyes studied his grandson, and his voice trembled as he whispered, "It's good that you're back... it's good that you're back..." But as the words left him, another emotion surfaced—one heavier than joy. "Susan, she..." At the mention of her name, Simon’s expression faltered ever so slightly. Grandpa Whales half-closed his eyes, sorrow settling deep into the creases of his face. "That child… she suffered so much. After we brought her back, she should have had a comfortable life… Who would have thought… It's all my fault. I didn’t protect her well enough." His frail frame was then seized by a violent coughing fit, his body trembling like an old, brittle branch on the verge of snapping. "Grandpa..." Simon’s gaz