CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: TIANA, DON’T BE AFRAID, IT’S ME!

Aiden’s voice was filled with reproach for Tiana.

Daisy hated his reproachful tone.

Mom was going to die soon.

Yet the man in front of her was strolling the mall with others like a family of three.

Clearly, she was his daughter.

Crying bitterly, Daisy angrily pushed Aiden away.

"Don’t you dare talk about my mom like that."

No one was allowed to slander her mom.

Especially not the man in front of her.

Aiden stood unmoving, frowning at Daisy while still holding the young girl named Noelle.

Aiden had watched Noelle grow up since she was little.

He spoilt Noelle as if she were his own daughter.

Noelle was deeply attached to him, naturally not allowing anyone to push her Mr. Grant like that.

The next second, Noelle struggled out of Aiden’s arms and got down on the ground.

As she approached, Noelle gave a strong shove, "Don’t push my Mr. Grant."

When Aiden tried to stop her, it was too late.

By this time, Daisy had already been forcefully shoved to the ground by the overbearing Noelle.

The defiant Daisy immediately scrambled up, grabbing Noelle’s hair, pulling and tugging, "Who are you to teach me a lesson?"

Her mom had always taught her never to start trouble or bully others.

But when bullied, repay it doubly.

Noelle immediately burst into tears.

Vivian and Aiden hurriedly grabbed each child, pulling them apart.

Aiden held Daisy’s thin arm, looking at her with disappointment:

"How come you’re as unreasonable as your mom?"

"Don’t think just because you’re a child, Uncle doesn’t dare to discipline you."

Clearly, he was the one who spoke badly about mom first.

Clearly, it was that girl named Noelle who shoved her first.

Daisy felt both pain and grievance in her heart.

As she glared at Aiden, resentment was still in her eyes.

Suppressing her pain and hate, with a strong flick of her small arm, she threw off Aiden.

But the grievance in her eyes refused to spill her tears, "Hmph! Who are you to discipline me?"

This tone was identical to Tiana’s.

Aiden snorted even more, "Tiana really spoiled you."

Vivian quickly advised on the side, "Aiden, don’t say that about Sis either. It’s not easy for her to raise Daisy on her own."

Daisy is actually a very lovable child.

From the first time Aiden saw her, he inexplicably felt a kind of heartache.

But seeing Tiana teach the child to be like this, he felt deeply disappointed.

He naturally disliked Tiana even more, "Tiana is not qualified to be a mom, let alone have children."

Daisy, with her watery eyes full of pain, grievance, and anger, said, "My mom is about to die, why are you still badmouthing her?"

Finally, Daisy almost shouted.

These words were heard by Tiana, who had just returned.

Standing behind Daisy, she seemed to turn to stone.

So Daisy already knew she was going to die.

No wonder Daisy had been particularly obedient and understanding lately, saving her a lot of worries.

She actually knew.

She stepped forward, squatted down, and hugged Daisy, "Daisy, I’m sorry."

Tiana had long cleaned the bloodstains on her mouth and hands.

She had also put on makeup in the bathroom.

Seeing her with a delicate appearance, Aiden coldly questioned her:

"Tiana, you’re even using the child to deceive."

"If you can’t get the specific cancer drug from Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals, you won’t give up, will you?"

Tiana turned a deaf ear.

She looked at Daisy, with tears in her eyes, full of heartache for her, her heart breaking.

"Daisy, you know, don’t you?"

When Daisy nodded, she could no longer hold back her tears, which fell one by one, "Mm..."

The small figure sobbed, choking, as if about to fall apart.

Aiden watched, unable to bear it.

He asked in pain:

"Tiana, having no resort left, you now set your mind on the child?"

"Daisy is so young. You use her innocence and kindness like this; doesn’t your conscience hurt?"

Hugging Daisy, Tiana lifted her head, "What did I use Daisy for? To gain sympathy from you, hoping that when your specific cancer drugs are developed, you’ll give me some?"

Aiden coldly retorted, "Isn’t it the case?"

Tiana stood up, holding Daisy’s hand, her back straight, "Rest assured, I won’t come to ask you again."

Holding Daisy’s little hand tightly, she went to the cashier to pay for the Elsa princess dress Daisy was wearing.

Then wrapped her with a coat, turned around with Daisy, and left without looking back.

Aiden watched the mother and daughter’s figures, one big and one small, disappear around the corner of the mall.

The figures were no longer visible, but he stared in that direction for a long time, lost in thought.

...

Tiana and her daughter took a taxi home.

They got off at the alley of the village in the city.

Mother and daughter walked back, holding hands.

Suddenly, Tiana coughed, releasing her daughter’s small hand.

She hit her chest forcefully against the tearing pain in her lungs.

A pool of fresh blood welled up.

Immediately splattered on the ground.

Daisy hurriedly stepped forward, crying as she wiped it off, "Mom, are you alright? Does it hurt?"

"Daisy, I’m fine, don’t worry about me."

Tiana pushed away her daughter’s small hand, "...Mommy’s dirty, don’t wipe it."

The dark-colored blood carried the smell of life decaying.

Fearing to scare Daisy, she quickly wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve.

Daisy hugged her tightly, her voice fractured, "Mommy, you’ll be fine, you’ll definitely be fine."

Daisy had seen life and death before.

Half a year ago, she had a dog named Doudou.

When going out, a car rushed by, nearly hitting Daisy.

It was Doudou who shielded her.

It was crushed to death on the spot.

At the time, Doudou also spat blood from its mouth.

So did Mommy.

Daisy was so afraid of losing Mommy.

Helpless tears filled her round eyes.

Truly heartbreaking.

Since Daisy already knew, Tiana had to make arrangements for her afterlife.

She gently patted Daisy’s head, "...Daisy, before I die, I’ll find you a good adoptive family. When you go to the adoptive family, you have to be good, sensible, and diligent, so that your adoptive parents will like you and love you more, okay?"

She had thought of a million ways to come clean with Daisy.

Unexpectedly, it would be in this most brutal way.

Daisy shook her head desperately, "Mommy won’t die, I don’t want Mommy to die, Mommy, don’t die..."

Sobbing and trembling, her voice was tender yet helpless.

Tiana’s heart broke.

That night, for once, Tiana let Daisy sleep in her arms.

She ultimately couldn’t bear to refuse Daisy’s embrace.

How many more chances would there be for the mother and daughter to hold each other like this?

Daisy indeed needed to be independent.

But she needed her mom even more.

Daisy cried in her mom’s arms for a long, long time.

When she fell asleep from exhaustion, even in her dreams Daisy was sobbing.

Holding Daisy’s small figure, Tiana had another sleepless night.

...

The next morning.

Star River Bay.

Aiden locked himself in the studio, sitting there all night.

Christopher was right. Ever since Tiana Linden was imprisoned while pregnant, he had never truly been happy.

His chaotic thoughts crashed against him like waves against rocks, over and over again.

He simply couldn’t calm down.

The reason he loved painting was partly because he had a talent for it.

And partly because the process of painting could soothe his troubled mind.

But on this day, the more he painted, the more his heart felt restless and chaotic.

This studio, he never allowed anyone to enter.

It was filled with portraits of Tiana Linden.

In every picture, Tiana’s face was once vibrant, youthful, and exquisitely delicate.

But in today’s painting, Tiana had a sharp and thin chin, with eyes deeply sorrowful and pleading.

He clearly despised her feigned vulnerability.

Yet, this pitiful image was etched deeply into Aiden Grant’s mind, tormenting him day and night.

To the right of Tiana’s portrait was one painted earlier in the night, a portrait of Hector Chaucer.

One was the woman he once loved the most.

The other, the best friend who had once taken a knife for him.

They had been together, had a child, stolen his pharmaceutical secrets, and deeply betrayed him.

He suddenly tore the two paintings from their frames.

In just a few moves, he shredded them into pieces.

The fragments fell to the ground, scattered everywhere.

Impossible to piece them back together.

Just like his broken heart over these past few years.

On April 1st, next month.

It was the day Hector Chaucer was to be executed by firing squad.

Christopher didn’t need to remind him of this; he remembered it well.

He hated Hector Chaucer, hated him for being with the woman he loved most.

Yet, he never wished for Hector Chaucer to die.

He always remembered that the year of the medical incident, he was almost fatally stabbed by an out-of-control bereaved family member.

It was Hector Chaucer who risked his life to take a stab for him.

The knife had pierced Hector Chaucer’s stomach and spleen.

Slightly deeper, and he could not have been saved.

Putting down his brush, Aiden Grant made dozens of phone calls in a row.

Lawyers, courts, prisons, city hall, provincial hall, the capital.

He called everyone in his circle who might be able to help.

The never-begging Aiden Grant used a pleading tone.

"I’m begging you!"

"If that’s not possible, can you at least seek a reprieve, please!"

This morning, Christopher was going to the prison to visit Hector Chaucer.

He came personally to Aiden Grant’s villa.

Seeing Aiden Grant, Christopher noted his dark circles, "Did you have a bad night?"

"What’s up?" Aiden Grant stood by the bar, took a sip of warm water.

Christopher asked, "There are only fourteen days until Hector is executed, and you..."

"I don’t have the time to visit the prison." Aiden Grant interrupted decisively.

Christopher: "...Alright, I’ll go on my own."

...

Esterhall Prison.

When Christopher walked out, his mood was extremely heavy.

On April 1st, Hector Chaucer would be executed by firing squad.

He had exhausted all his connections and still found no way to save him.

In the distance, a black state limousine was parked there.

It was Aiden Grant’s car.

Christopher walked over and knocked on the window.

As Aiden Grant got out of the car, he looked at the suffocating prison and asked in a deep voice:

"What did he say to you?"

Christopher looked at him, "Hector only asked about Tiana, and hung up after just a few words."

The matter of Tiana and Hector was a knife embedded in Aiden Grant’s chest.

It couldn’t be mentioned, nor pulled out.

Taking a deep breath, he said nothing as he walked towards the prison gate.

Christopher called after him, "Aiden, I know you’re trying to pull some strings, trying to buy Hector some time."

As Aiden walked forward, he stopped with his back to Christopher, and responded coldly, "Only because I owe him a life."

The visitation procedure was complete, but Hector Chaucer refused to meet.

Hector only asked the guards to pass a message to Aiden Grant: Aiden, even if I become a ghost, I won’t let you go.

Two days later.

Shocking news exploded on social media.

[Hector Chaucer, the Young Master Chaucer of Chaucer Pharmaceuticals who bore multiple human lives, escaped from prison at 6:30 this afternoon.]

The Young Master Chaucer from Chaucer Pharmaceuticals referred to Hector Chaucer.

He carried numerous charges.

Violating trade secrets, bribery, illegal possession, murder...

Declared a top danger.

Approaching his execution, his jailbreak attracted special attention from the authorities.

The news exploded in Veridia.

Many connected to Hector Chaucer were summoned.

Besides The Chaucer Family, there was Christopher and Aiden Grant.

Naturally, Tiana Linden was involved as well.

Back then, Tiana and Hector Chaucer were jailed for stealing trade secrets.

However, Tiana was in Westside Prison, while Hector Chaucer was in Esterhall Prison.

When Tiana was summoned, Christopher and Aiden Grant had just left the questioning room.

Seeing Tiana, Aiden paused.

Tiana also stopped, but she did not give Aiden a glance.

Her eyes fell on Christopher, who accompanied Aiden, "Christopher."

Christopher looked at her worryingly, "Tiana, did you hear about Hector Chaucer’s escape?"

Tiana nodded, "Yes."

In truth, Tiana could barely remember what Hector Chaucer looked like.

Hector was indeed Aiden’s good friend, but after she and Aiden got together, Hector seldom appeared before them.

Christopher added, "Tiana, if Hector makes contact, you must report it truthfully. Don’t do anything foolish, understand?"

How could Hector contact her?

They never had the affair.

Still, Tiana nodded, "Understood, Christopher."

As she was about to leave, Aiden beside Christopher scoffed coldly, "Your old lover broke out successfully, are you happy?"

The accusation of her and Hector’s involvement had hung over Tiana for five years.

She no longer cared about those wrongs.

The only grudge she held was against Aiden for so cruelly hurting little Daisy.

She didn’t even spare Aiden a glance, nor did she pause, as she walked into the questioning room, ignoring him.

Tiana’s slim, upright back appeared yet so cold in Aiden’s eyes.

Aiden felt the temperature in the air plummet several degrees.

Christopher, who saw it all, shook his head helplessly.

When Tiana left the questioning room, the sky was dark.

She got on her electric scooter, intending to pick up Daisy from Ms. Hayes.

Just then, Ms. Hayes called.

The voice on the phone was filled with guilt and anxiety:

"Daisy’s Mom, I’m really sorry, I didn’t take good care of Daisy. When we entered the elevator, there was a malfunction. Now Daisy has hurt her head and fainted; please come to the hospital quickly..."

The crying on the other end tore Tiana’s heart to pieces.

She hurried to the hospital.

From the hospital’s scooter park to the emergency building, there was a long alley.

Suddenly, someone shouted her name from behind, "Tiana!"

She turned back, the night enveloping the figure, making the face under the baseball cap look even more mysterious and blurred.

"Who?"

Tiana frowned in doubt as the person raised the cap slightly.

Only then did Tiana see the person’s face clearly.

"Tiana, don’t be afraid, it’s me, listen to me..."