CHAPTER 16: CHAPTER 16: DON’T DISTURB DAISY AND ME

"Tiana Linden, you can refuse to acknowledge me as your brother, but you cannot refuse to acknowledge Dad."

"Dad raised you for over twenty years, holding you in his palm afraid you’d fall, and keeping you in his mouth afraid you’d melt."

"Even if mom betrayed Dad and had you with another man, after learning about your origins, Dad still kept you with The Linden Family, pampering you."

"Why don’t you even call him Dad?"

"No wonder Aiden Grant dislikes you so much."

"You deceive people with lies about cancer, aren’t you afraid of karma, that you’ll fall seriously ill and lose your life?"

Daniel Linden, who brought Tiana Linden inside, stood in the living room and admonished her.

Daniel Linden felt regret for misplaced affections, "Tiana Linden, quickly call Dad!"

James Linden, still brewing tea at the tea table, sighed with emotion:

"Daniel, forget it."

"Tiana has suffered a lot outside these years, and it’s normal for her to have resentment."

"I won’t hold it against her."

Daniel Linden didn’t want to see his sister lose her conscience like this.

He wanted to pull her back to the right path.

The voice of stern reproach rose again:

"Tiana Linden, think about how much Dad pampered you before."

"Grandfather and grandmother are typical Gablemerian people, hoping Dad would remarry, and with dad being their only son, they wanted the big, prosperous Linden Family to have many descendants."

"But Dad feared a stepmother might treat you poorly, so he didn’t remarry for over twenty years, playing both mom and dad, leaving management of Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals to The Grant Family, accompanying and spoiling you every day."

"For this reason, the gender-preferential grandfather and grandmother have caused so much trouble?"

"They called you a dead girl, and Dad broke up with them for you, even bearing the label of being unfilial, you know all this."

"After mom’s scandal was exposed, grandfather and grandmother made even more noise, and Dad broke up with them even more, yet his love for you never diminished."

"But what about you, has your conscience been fed to the dogs?"

An angry Daniel Linden truly wanted to slap Tiana Linden several times to vent his frustration.

But seeing her so frail, he suppressed his anger without bursting out.

Meanwhile, Tiana Linden, hearing Daniel Linden’s brief remarks, recalled past events.

Yes.

James Linden did indeed pamper her.

The grandparents of The Linden Family preferred males over females, she was revealed to be non-biological, causing much conflict back and forth with James Linden.

James Linden always protected her.

But that was before Vivian Linden was formally recognized.

After the leak of Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals secrets, they had no trust in her anymore, treated her like an enemy and sent her to prison.

She painfully asked, "When Daisy was sick in prison, I begged you to pull strings and let Daisy seek medical help quickly, do you forget what you said?"

Daniel Linden and James Linden hadn’t forgotten.

But the matter of Daisy’s encephalitis damaging her ears made them feel guilty but unwilling to admit it.

Seeing them silent, Tiana Linden sadly said:

"You said a minor cold won’t kill someone."

"I cried begging, saying Daisy was burning up beyond recovery, and you even said she was Hector Chaucer’s bastard, dead would be better."

Daniel Linden guiltily said, "How could Dad and I know a common cold would be so serious?"

Forget it, it’s all in the past.

Tiana Linden didn’t want to say more:

"If you think I’m heartless, think I’m despicable, then I’ll be heartless and despicable."

"But please don’t insult my mom. She hasn’t wronged anyone."

In the past, she didn’t believe mom would betray James Linden for a first love.

Now Daisy’s paternity test has been tampered with.

Several institutions simultaneously provided non-biological reports.

This is exactly like when she did a paternity test with James Linden back then, same story.

Back then, James Linden refused to believe she wasn’t his biological child, went to several testing centers, the results were all non-biological.

This way, Tiana Linden further believed her deceased mom was being wrongly accused.

In this world, she only cared about two people.

Mom and Daisy.

Vivian Linden was born of Sharon Sullivan, but Daniel Linden was born of Wanda Townsend.

How could he slander his own mother so?

"Daniel Linden, if you dare to defame my mom again, I’ll fight you to the death!"

Daniel Linden angrily said, "She’s done such disgraceful things, I’m already ashamed, and..."

Slap!

Tiana Linden, using all her strength, slapped Daniel Linden.

Though exhausted, breathing heavily, she still glared fiercely at him, "Daniel Linden, you don’t deserve to be mom’s son. You don’t even deserve to be a human!"

Slap!

Daniel Linden slapped her back.

Directly slapping her to the ground.

"Tiana Linden, don’t think I’ll continue to tolerate you."

"If you insist on taking the wrong path, trampling on everyone’s tolerance and care for you, fine."

"But I will never allow you to harm Vivian."

"Vivian and Aiden Grant are getting married on May 1st, you return here talking about terminal illness and asking us to care for Daisy, do you want to turn everything upside down?"

"If you can’t get Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals’ research secrets, do you want to die?"

"Why must you harm those who once loved you the most?"

After slapping once, Daniel Linden clenched his fist, fearing she’d collapse, and did not strike again.

She was once his only pampered sister.

How could he ever bear to hit her like this?

But she needed to be hit.

He and Tiana Linden are half-siblings from the same mother.

And half-siblings with Vivian Linden from the same father.

All are sisters.

But now he was more willing to protect Vivian Linden.

So, gritting his teeth, "Tiana Linden, Vivian’s getting married soon, if you dare to destroy her relationship with Aiden Grant, don’t blame me for ignoring bygones."

Alone at the tea table, James Linden put down the teacup.

Silenced for a long time, he finally spoke solemnly:

"Tiana Linden, what your brother said is also a warning I give to you."

"Don’t target Vivian Linden and Aiden Grant, and don’t target the research secrets of Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals."

"Otherwise the next time you enter prison, it won’t just be a two-year sentence."

"If such things happen again, The Linden and Grant Families will make sure you rot in jail."

Lying on the ground, Tiana Linden had no strength left.

Seeing their true colors at last, she felt they were finally being reasonable.

The previous setup and emotional words were laughable.

As she struggled to stand, James Linden looked at her with a mix of hatred and pity, solemnly said:

"If you’re willing to mend your ways, The Linden Family will always have a room for you."

"I’m also willing to provide Daisy with a good environment to grow and get a good education."

Standing up, Tiana Linden almost collapsed.

The antique-styled living room of The Linden Family was too spacious, contrasting her frail and pitiful posture.

James Linden and Daniel Linden couldn’t bear to see her like this.

Yet they still let her stand there, looking at her with mixed emotions.

Finally having the strength, she spoke up, "No need for Mr. Linden to worry about me."

From now on, she wouldn’t even call Uncle Linden anymore, "From now on, I will not step into The Linden Family again. I ask you not to disturb my life with Daisy in the future."

She would rather let Daisy go to a foster family than let Daisy enter The Linden Family.

"Where’s Daisy, I want to take her home."

Suppressing his anger, James Linden said, "Dinner is ready in the kitchen, eat before you leave."

Tiana Linden responded sorrowfully, "Though Daisy and I are not wealthy, we don’t lack food to eat."

Daniel Linden: "Tiana Linden, don’t be ungrateful."