CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26: TIANA LINDEN: I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MR. GRANT ANYMORE

James Linden, Aiden Grant, and Vivian Linden all stopped simultaneously when they saw Tiana Linden.

James called out with a complicated expression, "Tiana, are you back to see me? Why didn’t you bring Daisy along?"

Tiana looked up.

At this moment, Vivian Linden was holding Aiden’s arm. Upon seeing her, Vivian quickly withdrew her hand from Aiden’s arm, "Sister."

Tiana did not respond.

Aiden Grant, next to Vivian, focused his gaze on Tiana.

Fragile Tiana had delicately applied her makeup.

Her posture was also straight as a board.

She hid her ailments so well.

So much so that Aiden was even more convinced that the first few times he met her, she had deliberately worn sickly makeup for the role she was playing.

Now that she knows he won’t fall for it, she doesn’t even bother to pretend around him?

Aiden’s expression grew darker and more somber.

At this point, Tiana didn’t even glance at him, standing up to face James Linden, "Mr. Linden, I’m here to claim the dowry my mother left for me. Are you available today?"

If it weren’t for Daisy, she wouldn’t have come to claim it.

A dying person has no use for material things.

But for Daisy’s sake, she needed to take everything back.

Daisy will need money for education, for marriage, for many things in the future.

Her words made everyone present darken their expressions a little.

James hadn’t expected her first words to be about money.

He sighed heavily, his gaze on Tiana no longer kind, his expression growing cold, he asked:

"Do you have any proof that Wanda Townsend left you a dowry?"

He had personally told Tiana this when she was young.

If he hadn’t, Tiana wouldn’t have known.

Tiana, struggling with the lack of evidence, couldn’t answer for a moment, "..."

Standing nearby, Uncle Cameron, with a scarred face, suddenly interjected at an inappropriate time:

"President Linden, the Madam indeed left a lot of assets for Tiana as her dowry. Everyone heard it before she passed away."

James glanced at Uncle Cameron, "I didn’t ask you to speak."

But at this moment, Aiden also interjected inappropriately:

"Uncle Linden, if Aunt Townsend did leave a dowry for her, it should be returned in full."

He hated Tiana.

He wasn’t doing this to help Tiana.

He just hoped that once she had money, Daisy would have a slightly better life with her.

James ignored Aiden’s words and continued, "Tiana, Wanda Townsend betrayed me, and you deeply backstabbed me despite my twenty years of nurturing you..."

Tiana and Wanda Townsend were once the two women James loved most in the world.

One was his beloved wife, the other his dear daughter.

Even though Sharon Sullivan remained by his side now as Vivian’s mother, he never gave Sharon the status of Mrs. Linden.

He had once considered Wanda and Tiana as the most important parts of his life.

But both women stabbed him in the back.

Many old wounds were reopened by Tiana, and James felt a growing resentment, making his face turn rather unpleasant.

Tiana simply asked, "Mr. Linden, are you trying to deny it?"

Her grandparents had passed away.

And Wanda was the only daughter they had.

Now she had no evidence, but her mother definitely left her a fortune.

With much hatred in his heart, James recalled the deep father-daughter bond they once shared, considering the happiness and joy of those times, the harshness on his face softened significantly.

He then sighed, thinking himself magnanimous, "After all, we are father and daughter; I never intended to withhold that dowry."

After thinking for a moment, James added, "The day after tomorrow, Thursday, at seven in the evening, come to the Lindens. I will return the dowry that Wanda left for you, in full. I, James Linden, have lived a life of integrity and have never engaged in the act of embezzling someone else’s money."

Tiana felt his agreement was too quick.

She felt this matter wasn’t that simple.

Soon, Thursday arrived.

Tiana entrusted Daisy to Ms. Hayes for care.

Once again alone, she came to the Lindens.

At this moment, The Linden Villa was filled with servants, bustling amid the clinking glasses and overlapping voices of The Linden night banquet.

At the night banquet, there were many guests in glamorous attire, including quite a few single men in their thirties and forties.

Tiana was full of doubt.

Wasn’t she supposed to come for the dowry her mother left for her?

What was James Linden planning?

At this point, someone came up beside Tiana, calling out to her.

"Tiana!"

Tiana turned sideways to look, "Uncle Cameron!"

"Tiana, why is there a bloodstain on your sleeve, where are you injured?"

It was from her earlier coughing, but Tiana falsely claimed, "Recently got overheated, just some nosebleed."

milliliters of tramadol, the pain relief was no longer as effective.

At this moment, the pain crept through her entire body.

She quickly supported herself against a nearby lemon tree.

"Tiana, are you alright?"

"I’m fine, gave birth to Daisy in prison, never fully recovered, it’s an old ailment."

She quickly took out her pain medication and took another 50 milliliters of tramadol.

The doctor had warned, if the increased dosage failed to suppress the pain, it was time to prepare for the end.

The time Heaven left for her was getting shorter and shorter.

"Tiana, President Linden called you here today, actually..."

Uncle Cameron’s words were interrupted by Aiden, who approached with large strides, "Uncle Cameron, I need a word with her, you go ahead and take care of your tasks."

After Uncle Cameron left, Aiden watched Tiana, who was still supporting herself against the lemon tree.

In the interplay of light and shadow, it wasn’t hard to notice that Tiana’s face seemed a bit off.

She wore makeup, but there were tiny beads of sweat on her forehead, and her eyes looked somewhat fatigued.

Aiden wanted to ask her what was wrong.

On second thought, all her previous frailty and sickly appearance were acts put on with makeup.

A person like her, why should they be pitied?

Ultimately, the complex emotions in Aiden’s eyes only turned into a trace of coldness and hatred.

"Tiana, let me remind you kindly, the dowry your mother left in Uncle Linden’s hands won’t be so easily obtained by you."

"Take my advice, stay clear of the conflicts between the Linden and Grant Families and Chaucer Pharmaceuticals, leave Veridia."

"If you agree to leave Veridia, name the price, and I can give it to you."

Perhaps the medication took effect, Tiana wasn’t in as much pain now.

She let go of the lemon tree’s trunk she was holding.

She didn’t even glance at Aiden, "I’ve said it before, my affairs are none of Mr. Grant’s business, you have no right to meddle."

Aiden said nothing more.

Earlier, when Tiana pretended to be soft in front of him, he might have felt a bit better.

At least compared to now, where she wouldn’t even let him have a conversation.

Watching Tiana turn and walk away, his entire expressionless demeanor was mirrored in the night, making him appear even gloomier.