CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33: HE WRONGED TIANA LINDEN

Aiden immediately denied this possibility.

Daisy couldn’t be his daughter.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

The paternity test was done under absolute confidentiality, without anyone knowing. He went to several testing institutions.

No one would tamper with the results.

Thus, Aiden didn’t think much of it.

He gently stroked Daisy’s head and said softly, "Eat slowly, don’t rush. After finishing your noodles, I’ll let you call your mom."

Thinking of her mom, Daisy’s eyes filled with tears.

The noodles in her mouth could no longer be swallowed.

But her mom had told her to eat well, sleep well, and take good care of herself no matter what she encountered.

She had promised her mom.

Therefore, she took a sip of soup and forced the noodles down her throat.

Wanting to quickly call her mom, Daisy gobbled up the noodles.

In a few bites, she had eaten up the bowl of noodles.

Wiping her mouth, she looked at Aiden with eager eyes, "Uncle, can I call my mom now?"

Aiden was at a loss for words.

How could Tiana bear to deceive such a well-behaved and understanding child?

He patted Daisy’s head and said softly, "Yes."

Half a minute later, Daisy heard her mom’s voice.

The voice on the other end of the phone was from Tiana, who was tearful with joy, "Daisy, are you discharged from the hospital? Is your body okay now?"

"Mom, I’m fine now."

"Mom, hearing your voice makes me so happy."

"Mom, I miss you so much."

"Mom, I thought you already..."

Daisy choked up.

The one choking up even more was Tiana on the other end of the phone.

She hurriedly comforted her, "Daisy, mom’s okay, mom’s fine. Mom is just a bit busy with work and can’t come back to be with you these days. I’m sorry, Daisy."

Daisy asked, "Mom, where are you working?"

Tiana couldn’t answer, "..."

She couldn’t tell her child she was in detention.

"Mom will return as soon as possible. Daisy, wait for mom, mom will definitely come back to take you home."

With limited time, Daisy didn’t talk much with her mom.

After hanging up the phone, Daisy thought about how her mom couldn’t live much longer, and she couldn’t see her daily. She was even more tearful.

Aiden comforted her beside her, "Daisy, your mom is not ill. She’ll be with you healthily and forever."

Daisy disliked her dad.

Her dad always bullied her mom, and he didn’t trust her mom at all.

But when she handed the phone back to Aiden, she still politely said, "Thank you, Uncle!"

"You’re welcome!" Aiden patted Daisy’s head.

Then added, "If you miss your mom, I’ll let you call her again tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Uncle!" Daisy was grateful.

Suddenly, she realized her dad wasn’t that bad after all.

With complex emotions, Daisy asked, "Uncle, are you going to marry that aunt?"

Aiden: "Yes."

Daisy asked again, "Will you have your own baby?"

Aiden: "...maybe."

Daisy didn’t say anything else.

Dad having a baby with another aunt didn’t matter to Daisy.

She only cared about her mom.

If her mom died, she wouldn’t have a mom anymore.

Daisy, fearful and anxious, fell silent once more.

...

In the afternoon, Aiden left Star River Bay.

The key project of Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals——targeted anticancer drug development, finally overcame the last obstacle.

Once they get approval for clinical trials, they can enter the Phase I trial stage.

Aiden shared the good news with his critically ill mentor.

Veridia Central Hospital.

Professor Roland, the mentor, was excited to hear such good news, coughing relentlessly.

Accompanied by intense coughing, blood splattered out.

The coughing sound cast a shadow over Aiden’s expression.

"Teacher, in half a month, this batch of targeted anticancer drugs will receive clinical trial approval."

Professor Roland was in the late stage of lung cancer.

If he used the drug they developed, there was at least a fifty percent chance of surviving.

"Teacher, then I’ll be the first to invite you to join our clinical trial, so there is hope."

The coughs stopped, and Professor Roland weakly patted Aiden’s hand, "Aiden, you are my pride! You must persevere on this path for the nation and the people!"

...

In the evening.

Vivian Linden returned to Star River Bay.

She was accompanied by a little friend, Noelle.

She was her best friend’s child and the goddaughter of Vivian and Aiden.

Noelle was deeply loved by Vivian Linden and Aiden.

Every time she came to Star River Bay, Noelle acted like she was home, becoming the little master here.

When she entered the toy room, Noelle saw Daisy and immediately frowned.

Vivian patted Noelle’s head, "Noelle, play well with Daisy, don’t fight. Daisy was just discharged from the hospital; you need to take good care of her and share the toys, okay?"

Noelle nodded obediently, "I know, Mrs. Linden, I’ll take good care of Daisy."

"Good girl, Mrs. Grant is going to prepare dinner for you. Mr. Grant is also coming home for dinner later."

After Vivian left, Noelle glared at Daisy, "You’re not allowed to touch my toys. These toys were bought by Mr. Grant and Mrs. Linden for me."

Daisy couldn’t care less about those toys.

She was longing for her mom.

She just wanted her mom to come back quickly and take her home.

So, she got up and walked out of the toy room.

Seeing her not respond, Noelle reached out to stop her, "Hey, I’m talking to you, are you mute? I said you can’t touch my toys."

"If you don’t want to be hit, move!" Even kind Daisy would show her edge in front of a bad child.

This warning made Noelle a little scared.

Remembering Daisy pulling her hair painfully last time, Noelle instantly retracted her hand in cowardice, "Hmph, just you wait!"

Not wanting trouble, Daisy left the toy room.

In the Grant Family’s villa, she wandered aimlessly, lost and forlorn.

She didn’t know where to go.

Her mind was full of thoughts of her mom.

She missed her mom so much!

Walking, she entered a room.

The room was filled with portraits.

The person in the portraits... was it her mom?

Although the person in the portrait was a bit fatter, Daisy still recognized her mom at a glance.

Who painted these portraits?

Dad?

Her mom often praised her for having a talent for drawing, like her dad.

At that time, she would ask, "Where did dad go?"

Every time, her mom said dad had gone abroad for work and couldn’t return.

But in fact, dad had long abandoned her and mom.

If that’s the case, why are there so many portraits of mom here?

Daisy missed her mom so much, she touched the face of the mom in the portrait, tears streaming down.

Unnoticed, Noelle also came to this room.

Seeing the room full of portraits of Daisy’s mom, Noelle angrily tore one down and instantly shredded it.

"Don’t you dare rip my mom’s portrait."

When Daisy tried to stop her, it was already too late.

Fragments of the painting were scattered all over the floor.

She squatted down and picked up the fragments one by one.

However, no matter how she tried, she couldn’t piece them back into her mother’s face.

Seeing her so upset, Noelle found it particularly amusing and went for the second painting to tear it.

Daisy grabbed a nearby painting and slammed it down with force.

"Ah... whimper, whimper..."

When blood started to flow down Noelle’s fair, tender face, Vivian Linden and Aiden Grant rushed in at the same time.

They saw the two kids in their own studio.

This studio was a place Aiden wouldn’t allow anyone to enter.

He shouted, "Who allowed you to come in?"

Noelle turned around, covering the blood on her face, and cried out in grievance, "Daddy Grant, Daisy tore the painting and even hit me."

"You’re lying. It was you who tore my mother’s painting, and that’s why I hit you." Daisy was still indignant.

No one can tear my mother’s painting.

She won’t allow it!

And Vivian Linden was already stunned by the room full of paintings.

It turned out that the room Aiden never let her enter was filled with his paintings of Tiana Linden.

Vivian Linden was flustered.

...

Noelle’s face was wounded.

They went to the hospital and got three stitches.

With stitches, Noelle had tears on her cheeks, looking pitiful.

"Daddy Grant, it was Daisy who tore your painting, and it was also Daisy who hit me."

"Whaa... Noelle hurts so much."

Vivian Linden held Noelle’s little hand, "Noelle, did you and Daisy have a fight?"

"You didn’t tell the truth." Aiden liked children, but he didn’t like them lying.

Usually gentle, he spoke sternly, "Noelle, who really tore the painting?"

Noelle pouted, "Not me, Daddy Grant, you have to believe me, whimper, whimper, it really wasn’t me."

Seeing Aiden’s expression growing more serious and angry, Noelle knew she couldn’t deceive him any longer.

She lowered her head, feeling guilty, "Daddy Grant, I’m sorry, it was me who tore the painting. I know I was wrong, but I didn’t hit anyone."

Aiden squatted down, "Knowing your mistake and correcting it makes you a good child. Daisy hit you, so I’ll make her apologize to you. But in the future, you must not enter that studio again, or Daddy Grant will punish you severely."

In that studio, he wouldn’t allow anyone to enter.

After taking Vivian Linden and Noelle back to The Linden Family house, Aiden returned to The Grant Family home alone.

Seeing Mrs. Walsh, Aiden asked, "Did Daisy have dinner tonight?"

The plump Mrs. Walsh nodded, "She ate, but she hasn’t said a word, and she’s been sulking."

Aiden went to Daisy’s room doorway.

He knew the name Tiana Linden had chosen for Daisy was Ginny Linden.

If nothing went wrong, the daughter he and Tiana would have had should also be called Ginny.

Actually, this children’s room was decorated based on his fantasies at the time.

Back then, he imagined the daughter he and Tiana might have would look like Daisy, just like Tiana, with big eyes, exquisite and beautiful.

But, Daisy was Hector Chaucer’s daughter!

Pushing open the door, he saw Daisy sitting alone on the carpet, piecing together the painting torn by Noelle.

Even though she was someone else’s daughter, seeing her face full of brokenness, Aiden felt heartache.

However, no matter what, Daisy shouldn’t be hitting people.

And Noelle got three stitches at the hospital; if it doesn’t heal well, it would scar.

"Do you know your mistake?" his harsh voice resonated in the room.

At this moment, Daisy looked up from the fragments of her mother’s painting, a painting that could never be entirely pieced back together, "..."

"Because of you, Noelle had three stitches at the hospital. If she grows up, she will have scars. Tomorrow when you see Noelle, you must say sorry to her."

His voice was extremely stern.

Like a father educating his child.

Daisy dried her tears, retorting stubbornly, "It was clearly her tearing my mother’s painting first, and just as she tore the second painting, so I hit her. Why should I admit my mistake? She should admit hers first."

"It’s just a painting, once torn, it’s torn." Aiden coldly educated, "You shouldn’t hit people."

If he doesn’t teach her now to correct her mistakes, when she enters society, it will give her a harsh reality check.

At this moment, Daisy glared at Aiden.

Everyone bullied Mom.

Grandpa, Uncle, Dad, now even a little child wants to tear Mom’s painting.

Clearly, Mom was about to die.

She absolutely wouldn’t allow Mom’s painting to be torn like this.

"I did nothing wrong."

No one protected Mom.

Daisy would protect Mom.

Seeing such a stubborn Daisy, Aiden hummed deeply.

Even though she wasn’t his daughter, he didn’t want to see a child not correcting their mistakes.

Such an obedient child; he didn’t want Daisy to take the wrong path like Tiana did.

"If you can’t realize your mistake and aren’t willing to say sorry to Noelle, then you aren’t allowed to leave this room. Reflect well here."

Early the next morning, when Mrs. Walsh brought breakfast for Daisy, she was still piecing together her mother’s painting.

When Mrs. Walsh saw her at noon, she was still diligently piecing together her mother’s painting.

But the painting of Mom that Noelle tore could never be completely pieced together.

Just like her shattered, little heart.

In the evening.

Aiden returned home.

Mrs. Walsh took his briefcase and coat, "Mr. Grant, Daisy wants to call her mom. She’s asked me several times."

"I’ll go see her." Aiden went upstairs to Daisy’s room.

Seeing Daisy, he directly said, "If you want to call your mom, you have to apologize to Noelle. Otherwise, starting today, uncle won’t let you talk to your mom on the phone."

"If I don’t apologize, I can’t talk to Mom?"

"Yes."

Although Daisy was full of grievances, she finally chose to apologize.

Because she yearned to hear her mother’s voice.

In the afternoon, when she saw Noelle, Daisy endured the pain and grievances and said, "I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have hit you."

Seeing Daisy’s reluctance, Aiden patiently reminded, "Apologies need to be sincere. Be more earnest."

Daisy: "...I’m sorry!"

Noelle smiled sweetly, "It’s okay, Daisy, we are still good friends."

After apologizing, Daisy got the chance to talk with her mom on the phone.

On the call, she instructed, "Mom, you must take your medicine on time, eat well, sleep well, finish your work early, and come to pick up Daisy early. Daisy misses you a lot."

Daisy didn’t tell her mom about the bullying she suffered.

She didn’t want her mom to worry.

After hanging up the call, Daisy’s smile instantly vanished.

She shut her sullen self in the room.

Aiden went to comfort her, "Daisy, you don’t need to worry about your mom. She really isn’t sick; she will be fine."

Daisy lowered her head, "I don’t want to talk to you."

The next day, when Aiden checked on Daisy, he found her at the table, drawing a portrait.

He walked closer for a look.

On the white paper was a black sketch, with every line depicting Tiana Linden’s gentle smile.

The smile on the portrait of Tiana was so real.

It was as if even the strands of hair could softly drift out from the painting.

Aiden couldn’t believe it; this was drawn by Daisy, "Daisy, did you draw this?"

Missing her mom, Daisy could only draw her mom’s likeness.

She didn’t answer Aiden.

She just stared at the painting of her mom.

Her tiny heart was completely filled with longing and yearning.

Aiden looked at the lifelike painting, then at the distressed Daisy.

"Daisy, did you draw a portrait for your mom as a birthday gift when she was twenty-nine?"

That painting, he ruthlessly shredded it into pieces.

He clearly remembered how indifferent and cruel he was at that time.

Could it be that he had wronged Tiana?