CHAPTER 10: CHAPTER 10: DID DAISY DISCOVER THE TRUTH ABOUT TIANA LINDEN’S ILLNESS?

How could Tiana Linden not care for her life?

She wanted to live a few more days.

She cherished Daisy’s drawings as much as she cherished her life.

But Aiden Grant tore them to pieces.

In the middle of the night, Daisy fell asleep.

Tiana got up and pieced together the shredded portrait that Aiden had torn apart, one piece at a time.

Not a corner was missing.

But the reassembled portrait was crumpled, fragmented.

It was impossible to restore it.

This was the portrait that Daisy had drawn for her with her own hands. It hadn’t even been framed yet, but Aiden had torn it to this state.

It seemed to foreshadow Daisy’s life, as if no matter how hard this mother tried, she couldn’t give Daisy a complete childhood and life.

Was it destined that after her death, Daisy’s life would be full of patches and fragments?

How could a mother bear the thought of her child living with countless difficulties and hardships?

"Mom, what are you doing?"

Daisy’s sleepy voice prompted Tiana to quickly wipe her tears away.

She wanted to hide the reassembled portrait, but she couldn’t.

The adorable figure, wearing an one-piece pajama with a little round belly, had already come to her side.

The portrait she had drawn for her mother, how did it end up like this?

The little figure with a round little belly suddenly seemed on the verge of falling apart too.

"Mom, how did the portrait I drew for you end up like this?"

Tiana didn’t know how to answer, "..."

"Mom, who tore it?" Daisy’s little mouth quivered, about to cry, but she held back her tears.

The tears of grievance and sadness pooled in Daisy’s eyes, tearing at Tiana’s heart.

As she held Daisy, Tiana nearly lost her breath.

"I’m sorry, Daisy, it was my fault. I was going to frame the painting you drew for me, but on the way I was attacked by a fierce dog that bit the painting to pieces..."

A clumsy excuse full of holes.

She didn’t even know how she came up with it.

Daisy was a little skeptical, blinking her tearful eyes in grievance and said, "But mom, little dogs are usually so well-behaved, how could one jump up and tear my painting?"

"..." Tiana didn’t know how to explain further.

Realizing something, Daisy quickly examined her mother.

"Mom, are you hurt?"

"Did the dog bite you?"

Luckily, her mother wasn’t hurt.

It gave her a fright.

She quickly hugged her mother, softly comforting her:

"Mom, it’s okay, I’ll draw you another one, as long as you’re not bitten by the dog."

"Okay!"

The sobbing Tiana took a deep breath.

Finally, she managed to cover it up!

If Daisy found out it was her father who tore her painting, who knows how heartbroken she’d be.

"Quickly, get under the covers, or you’ll catch a cold."

She carried Daisy into bed.

Both mother and daughter snug under the quilt.

Little hands wrapped around her thin body, "Mom, tomorrow can you come to pick me up early? I waited so long for you today, I really, really missed you."

She gently replied, "Mom will definitely come early tomorrow."

"Mom, how come I feel like you’re thinner again?"

"No, maybe it’s just that mom hasn’t had much of an appetite these days and hasn’t eaten much."

Tiana suddenly felt discomfort in her lungs.

She couldn’t help but cough.

"Mom, are you coming down with a cold?"

"Cough, cough... maybe, mom might have caught a cold, I’ll go drink some water," Tiana lied.

Her coughing had notably increased these days.

And she would even cough up blood.

Afraid Daisy would see, she quickly turned away.

Daisy turned even faster, swiftly wearing her little cotton slippers, running towards where the water was boiling.

"Mom, wait for me, I’ll get you some water."

She heated the water in the electric kettle.

When it reached sixty degrees, Daisy poured it into a cup and brought it back to her mom.

Tiana quickly balled up the tissue in her hand, clenching it in her palm.

Because inside the paper ball was the blood she had coughed up.

She didn’t dare let Daisy see.

After pondering for many days, Tiana still hadn’t figured out how to arrange for Daisy’s future after her death.

The next day, Christopher Grant arranged to meet Tiana at a club.

The weather today was a bit gloomy.

It was only four in the afternoon, and the sky was already overcast, as if it were about to rain.

Darker still was the unhealthy pallor of Tiana’s face in the cold wind.

Christopher always felt a bit sorry for this girl-next-door.

When he approached, he quickly ushered her into a private room.

As he brewed some warm ginger tea, Christopher said:

"Tiana, Aiden asked me to come."

As he poured the freshly brewed ginger tea and handed it over, he also handed her a bank card.

"Aiden said he saw that you’re having a bit of a hard time and hopes this money can help you."

"The password is your birthday."

"Tiana, you see, he still remembers your birthday, which means he hasn’t forgotten many things from before."

"It’s just that during the time he had the car accident, you two did have some misunderstandings, and indeed, Vivian was always there taking care of him, comforting him, and keeping him company."

"Tiana, don’t dwell on the past, take this money and live well with your child."

Tiana smiled bitterly.

Today’s Aiden is so cold and unfeeling, so sharp and harsh, she wasn’t unaware.

This wasn’t Aiden’s original words.

She asked, "Christopher, Aiden said that I should mend my ways, be a good person, and that if I do bad things again, he won’t let me go, right?"

"..." Christopher didn’t answer directly.

Exactly as she guessed.

Christopher was unwilling to say those harsh words to Tiana.

He pushed the bank card towards Tiana again, "Anyway, take this money, it’s from Aiden, don’t waste it."

Tiana accepted the card without hesitation, "Could you please thank Aiden for me?"

Let’s treat this money as child support for Daisy.

As Daisy’s biological father, he should provide this money.

After she dies, this money will be left to Daisy.

Christopher did not expect her to accept it so quickly; at first, he was puzzled for a moment and then thought she might be in trouble.

Given her character, she wouldn’t repeatedly backstab the Linden and Grant Families by colluding with The Chaucer.

"Tiana, about your cancer..." Christopher was still a bit worried.

"Christopher, you don’t need to worry about my affairs. Just consider me a liar."

Anyway, no one would believe her.

The most important thing is that Aiden doesn’t believe her and refuses to take Daisy in.

She doesn’t want to involve others.

She is very grateful.

"Christopher, thank you for helping me so much."

"From now on, don’t worry about me. No matter what happens, I will get through it."

The last sentence made Christopher feel very sad, "Tiana, if you are really sick, we will go for treatment. If the money is not enough, I will help you..."

"Christopher, I know my body well; I’m fine now." Tiana got up, "You don’t need to worry about my affairs anymore. I know how to handle it."

If it could be treated, she would definitely treat it.

She bought health insurance herself and even purchased comprehensive medical coverage.

Being a single mom for so many years, she’s afraid no one would take care of Daisy if she collapsed.

So she’s already prepared many backup plans for herself.

It’s just that in late-stage lung cancer, the doctors all say there’s no need for treatment anymore.

...

These days, Aiden has been staying in the medical laboratory.

The specific anti-cancer drug has taken two generations of hard work.

Seeing that results are imminent, Aiden wants to speed up the progress.

To allow the anti-cancer drug to enter the clinical trial stage earlier.

To benefit people sooner.

Christopher saw him at night after eleven o’clock.

He walked out of the laboratory, removing his white lab coat and heading outside, "Have you been waiting for long?"

"Aiden, let’s talk about Tiana’s case again." Christopher followed beside him.

Aiden, his hand on the white lab coat he took off, asked while walking, "Did she accept the money?"

"She accepted it, but..."

"Two million, she accepts it just like that. The Chaucer must have given her quite a few benefits." Aiden stopped and smiled sarcastically; it was disdain and also resentment.

If this woman dares to collude with The Chaucer again, he won’t go easy on her.

The last time, her sentence was reduced, thanks to him.

She should have stayed inside longer for proper reform.

The sight of Tiana leaving today stuck with Christopher.

She was no longer the sunny, cheerful, always-smiling Tiana she used to be.

When Aiden picked up the pace again, Christopher persistently followed.

"Aiden, think about how miserable Tiana’s life is."

"Her mom died when she was born."

"At twenty-one, Sharon appeared with Vivian, saying she wasn’t James Linden’s biological child, just wasn’t."

"At twenty-five, she went to prison and gave birth to a hearing-impaired child in jail."

"If she really has cancer this time, she’s truly at a dead end, with nowhere to turn."

"You have Vivian now, indeed. Hating Tiana isn’t wrong. But can you calm down and think rationally about this at this time?"

Aiden did rationally think it over.

He’s afraid he wronged Tiana previously.

That’s why he keeps the paternity test results extremely confidential.

No one knows.

There’s no way anyone could manipulate the paternity results.

He glared at Christopher, "Is Tiana your wife, or Jane Summers your wife? You’re more concerned about Tiana than Jane Summers."

"Why are you so venomous with your words? Jane is my wife; Tiana is the little sister I grew up watching next door. Have you no brain and no conscience?"

Christopher got angry.

Even angrier was Aiden.

At this time, he had already reached the car, opening the door and getting in.

Before stepping on the gas and driving away, he said coldly, "Don’t meddle in Tiana’s affairs."

That night, Tiana coughed blood again.

But the blood was not much, bit by bit, like watermelon seeds.

The doctor said if the coughing becomes overwhelming, it’s the countdown to the last few days.

Daisy heard her cough, even though she was sleeping soundly, yet she got up sensibly, poured her some water, and helped pat her back.

"Mom, your cold has gotten worse. You must see a doctor tomorrow."

She brought the medicine bottle on the bedside and fed herself one pill.

It was a painkiller, tramadol.

Used for cancer pain relief.

The doctor said if tramadol doesn’t relieve the pain, then switch to stronger painkillers.

Fortunately, shortly after taking the medication, the pain in her body slowly eased a lot.

After breakfast the next day, Daisy poured warm water for her, opened the drawer, and helped her take out the cold medicine.

Just like Aiden, Daisy remembers everything she’s seen and learned.

Tiana taught her Chinese characters, and she remembers many.

She started recognizing words earlier than kids of her age.

So she was sifting through a pile of medicine bottles, searching for mom’s cold medicine.

How strange!

Why has there been so much medicine in the cabinet lately?

All medicine, densely packed.

Daisy casually picked up a certain medicine bottle and began to inspect it carefully...