CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: AFRAID THEIR OLD FLAME REKINDLES

Daniel Linden went back home and sat on the couch, flipping through Harvey Patton’s phone number.

Harvey Patton had always wanted him to send Tiana Linden to his bed.

Tiana was his sister.

He didn’t want to do anything that would hurt Tiana.

But judging by the frequency of Aiden Grant and Tiana Linden’s meetings, the likelihood of their old feelings rekindling was high.

Then Vivian Linden would be the only victim.

This kind of thing, Daniel Linden wouldn’t allow to happen.

However, he always remembered the sibling bond he shared with Tiana as children, so he ultimately didn’t make the call.

When James Linden came downstairs, he saw his son preoccupied with worry and couldn’t help but ask, "Daniel, what’s troubling you?"

"Dad." Daniel Linden looked up with his brow furrowed even tighter, "Aiden is only marrying Vivian out of gratitude. He hasn’t forgotten Tiana at all."

This matter, James Linden was well aware of in his heart.

When Daniel Linden stood up, he glanced around the living room.

Even though there was no one around, Daniel Linden lowered his voice significantly, and he was much more cautious.

"Dad, only by letting Tiana and Harvey Patton complete the affair can..."

"We can’t do that," James Linden said firmly.

He recalled many things from Tiana’s childhood.

After all, he had raised her as both a mother and a father.

James Linden sighed, "I’ll find some time to talk to Aiden. It’s not entirely Tiana’s fault. If Aiden were resolute enough, no matter what Tiana did, he wouldn’t waver."

One sentence woke Daniel Linden up.

Indeed, Tiana shouldn’t have returned to Veridia to entangle with Aiden.

But it’s not entirely her fault.

If Aiden knew his boundaries, he wouldn’t be caught in a tangled, unresolved situation with Tiana.

In the end, Aiden’s at fault too.

The father and son talked downstairs, while Sharon Sullivan stood at the second-floor staircase railing, quietly listening to everything.

After listening for a while, Sharon Sullivan went into Vivian Linden’s room.

"Vivian, those father and son still have deep feelings for Tiana. Even now, they aren’t willing to take action against her."

Vivian Linden lay on the bed, her delicate brows lightly furrowed, "Mom, you need to arrange something, or they might find out about what happened eight years ago. Otherwise, we’ll be exposed."

If the Linden family father and son found out that they had tampered with the paternity test between Tiana and James Linden eight years ago, everything would be over.

Tiana was James Linden’s biological daughter.

And she, as the illegitimate daughter raised outside by Robert Linden, had no blood relation to James Linden at all.

Sharon Sullivan’s eyes showed a steely determination, "Don’t worry, this game your father and I have set up for so long, I won’t let myself, and I won’t let you, be exposed."

...

Early the next morning.

Aiden Grant’s phone displayed: March 29, six o’clock in the morning, clear weather.

There was only a month and two days left until his wedding to Vivian Linden on Labor Day.

Vivian had done him a huge favor.

He knew he should marry Vivian and be responsible to her.

The wedding date was getting closer, yet he didn’t know why he felt so unhappy.

On the other hand.

Tiana Linden also looked at the calendar: March 29, another day gone.

The painkillers in the cabinet had changed from tramadol to potent morphine.

The doctor had said that if this painkiller didn’t work for her, she should start preparing for the end.

To leave Daisy with more beautiful memories, Tiana didn’t want Daisy to see her in painful despair.

Before Daisy woke up, she took double the morphine.

And applied beautiful makeup.

When Daisy woke up, she saw Tiana wearing a green floral long dress and a denim jacket, and her eyes lit up.

"Wow, Mommy, you look like you’re wearing the whole spring, so beautiful!"

"My little princess is also very beautiful. Get up and have breakfast so Mommy can take you to school."

"Mommy, can I skip school? I want to stay home with you."

Daisy was scared she might suddenly be unable to see her mother.

Tiana knew exactly what she was worried about.

She gently pinched Daisy’s nose, "Mommy is still feeling energetic, no need to worry."

Daisy didn’t say anything more.

She had seen her mother’s weak appearance without makeup.

She knew her mom was forcing herself.

On the way to kindergarten, Daisy tried hard to cooperate with her mom, pretending to happily chat with her.

At the school gate, as she waved goodbye to her mom and turned to walk inside, Daisy’s tears could no longer be held back.

Tearful and painful were both Daisy and Tiana.

She watched her daughter’s little bundled figure.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "Why are you crying?"

It was Aiden Grant’s voice.

Tiana wiped her tears and turned around, Aiden spoke again, "Tiana, are you feeling guilty?"

Tiana didn’t know what he was talking about.

He coldly asked, "Tiana, can you even feel guilty? Since you’ve decided to give up Daisy, what right do you have to feel guilty?"

In this early morning madness from Aiden, Tiana had no idea.

She didn’t plan on paying attention to Aiden.

Walking past him, she prepared to leave the kindergarten on her electric bike.

But her arm was grabbed by Aiden, "Tiana, Leo Sutton’s wife is looking everywhere to find Daisy an adoptive family. Do you have any conscience at all, wanting to abandon such a cute and well-behaved child again and again? Does your conscience not ache?"

Leo Sutton’s wife, Kiera Chaucer, was a very caring person.

In finding Daisy a foster family, she set conditions.

She wanted the adoptive family to love girls, accept Daisy’s hearing impairment in one ear, and always agree to her visits.

Even someone like Kiera, who wasn’t Daisy’s blood relative, knew to care for her and genuinely think about Daisy’s happiness.

But what about Tiana?

"Tiana, last time you wanted to send Daisy away."

"It’s not even been long, and you want to give her away again."

"Are you fit to be a mother?"

Slap!

Tiana responded to Aiden without saying a word, straight with her palm.

The person least qualified to say she was unfit to be a mother was Aiden.

With that slap, Aiden’s expression turned dark.

But he wasn’t angry because of the slap.

He was angry because Tiana didn’t want Daisy.

After a while, he asked through clenched teeth, "Why do you have to send Daisy away?"

"Because I have cancer, with at most only a month left. I must find Daisy an adoptive family before I die. You wouldn’t believe it, right?"

"Tiana, stop using this to trick..."

"I’ve said it, and you don’t believe it. Since you don’t believe it, why ask so much? Aiden, are you planning to ask if, when Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals’ anti-cancer drug is developed, I’ll con you for the drug?"

Aiden didn’t answer.

She continued to answer herself, "Yes, I’m a con artist. From beginning to end, I’ve been deceiving you; all of the past was never sincere on my part. Anything else to ask? If not, then please move."

Responding to Tiana was Aiden’s profound pain.

He hated this woman’s betrayal.

Now he hated even more she had never been sincere with him.

He found it laughable, "...Tiana, did you really never sincerely love me?"

The painful voice, tore apart all the beauty of this morning.

"Yes." Tiana said calmly.

Her voice was faint, as if she didn’t care about the past at all.

Aiden sneered, "Then when you were in bed with me? Holding me tight, the words you said, the promises you made, did you forget them?"

Slap!

Another ear-splitting slap landed heavily on Aiden’s face.

Not only did Aiden not feel pain, but he laughed.

This laughter seemed to ridicule his own stupidity, "Did you really never love?"

Tiana replied firmly:

"Yes, otherwise how could I have slept with Hector Chaucer, then with Harvey Patton, and simultaneously hooked up with Leo Sutton."

"Oh, by the way, I also flirted with your other good buddy, Christopher Grant."

She followed his subjective thoughts, was he satisfied now?

"I’m such a terrible person, you wouldn’t even want to take another look at me, right?"

Tiana Linden added, "Since you don’t want to see me, then please don’t look, and don’t show up in front of me. You don’t want to see me, and I don’t want to see you even more."

After saying that, she walked briskly toward the electric scooter parking spot.

As she was about to step on, she inserted the key, ready to leave.

The set of keys was suddenly snatched away by Aiden Grant, "Let’s talk about Daisy. Since you want to give her away, I’ll adopt her."

Unbeknownst why.

Obviously, Tiana Linden had already admitted that Daisy was Hector Chaucer’s daughter.

Yet, he always felt an inexplicable connection with Daisy.

Maybe it was because the child resembled him in many ways, like being allergic to peanuts, not eating scallions or cilantro, loving grapefruits, and having a remarkable talent for drawing.

Perhaps this was his destiny with the child.

Tiana Linden, sitting on the electric scooter, snatched the keys back, let out a cold laugh, and said, "Impossible! I would never choose you as Daisy’s guardian."

"Why?" Aiden Grant frowned, "Weren’t you begging me to help raise Daisy before?"

Because back then, she felt Aiden Grant could provide Daisy with a meal, let her go to school, and raise her.

But after the peanut allergy incident with Daisy, she became afraid.

Afraid that before Daisy could grow up, she’d die under Aiden Grant’s partiality.

"Because you’re not worthy!"

Leaving those words, Tiana rode off on her electric scooter.

...

In a secluded private club.

Vivian Linden and Sharon Sullivan sat face to face on the couch.

Sharon Sullivan removed the listening device from her ear.

"Vivian, did you hear that Aiden Grant wants to adopt Daisy? Both paternity tests showed Daisy isn’t his biological child, yet he still pays so much attention to her."

Vivian Linden, stirring her coffee cup, did not respond.

She was lost in thought.

Sharon Sullivan added, "Blood ties surely are strong."

"Vivian!" Sharon Sullivan’s eyes turned fierce, "It seems we must ensure Daisy is eliminated, or she’ll ruin our plans sooner or later."

Vivian Linden felt a pang of compassion, "Mom, can’t we avoid harming a child? Last time, Daisy almost died from the peanut allergy. After all, she’s just a child."

Sharon Sullivan slammed the cup down forcefully.

In her anger, the coffee splashed out of the cup.

Seeing the messy tabletop, Vivian Linden felt increasingly uneasy.

"Vivian Linden, you’re already struggling, and you still sympathize with a child that’s unrelated to you?"

"But..."

"No buts. You consider the pros and cons yourself."

...

March 30th, Daisy’s fifth birthday.

Because Daisy liked the sea, Tiana Linden arranged Daisy’s fifth birthday party at a seaside open-air restaurant.

Daisy loves Princess Elsa.

Tiana Linden personally made Daisy a blue two-tiered cake in the shape of Princess Elsa.

"Daisy, this year, Uncle Leo, Aunt Kiera, and Laura will celebrate with you too."

Laura is Leo Sutton and Kiera Chaucer’s eldest daughter and is only two months older than Daisy.

She gets along well with Daisy.

"Daisy, are you happy?"

Daisy didn’t nod and say she was happy because, in the morning, when she woke up, her mom locked herself in the bathroom for a long time.

Through the door, Daisy heard her mom’s restrained coughing.

From experience, Daisy knew that her mom was definitely coughing up blood again, but her mom didn’t want her to know, so she deliberately lowered her voice.

Daisy didn’t know if her mom would be with her next year.

The thought that her mom might soon die filled Daisy with pain.

Tiana Linden wanted to comfort Daisy, but just then, she received a call from Leo Chaucer, saying Kiera’s father suddenly had a stroke and they couldn’t come to celebrate Daisy’s birthday.

On the phone, she expressed her concern for a few words.

Leo Chaucer, who was busy, responded with a couple of sentences and then hung up.

Tiana Linden set down the phone and looked at Daisy, "Daisy, Uncle Leo and Aunt Kiera suddenly have an emergency and can’t come to celebrate your birthday."

"It’s okay, Mom. I’m just happy to have you with me on my birthday!" Daisy didn’t want to cry in front of her mom, so she forced a smile, "Mom, let’s blow out the candles."

In the night, the number five candle was lit by Tiana Linden.

The gentle breeze swayed, and Tiana shielded the candlelight with her hand, smiling at Daisy.

"Our Daisy is going to make a wish now."

Daisy softly closed her eyes.

Beneath her long lashes lay a careful shadow: Daisy wished for her mom to get better, for them to be together forever.

There’s no one who knows a child better than a mother.

Even if Daisy didn’t voice her wish, Tiana Linden understood.

But she couldn’t fulfill Daisy’s wish.

However, she had already prepared birthday gifts for Daisy from six to eighteen years old.

And she had recorded videos.

In every future birthday of Daisy’s, she would be there in another form.

"Happy birthday to you..."

Singing the birthday song, Tiana Linden felt a surge of mixed emotions.

The tender yet sour melody caused Aiden Grant to pause as he was pouring juice for Noelle in another flower house by the seaside restaurant.

Vivian Linden also tilted her ear, "It seems like my sister’s voice. Whose birthday is it, could it be Daisy’s?"

Before Vivian Linden finished speaking, Aiden Grant had already walked out of the open-air flower house.

Following the source of the birthday song, Aiden Grant arrived outside the flower house restaurant Tiana Linden had booked for Daisy.

Among the surrounding flowers, Daisy blew out the candles.

"Here, Mom will cut the cake for you."

"No, Mom, I want to cut the cake for you first."

"Is it Daisy’s birthday today?"

When Aiden Grant walked over, he disrupted the warmth and sweetness between the mother and daughter.

The smiles on the mother and daughter’s faces froze.

Daisy’s action of cutting the cake also froze.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat dull.

Daisy’s and her mom’s disappointment was clearly visible to Aiden Grant.

He realized he had come at the wrong time.

At this moment, Vivian Linden and Noelle also came to Aiden Grant’s side.

Seeing the cake on the table, Vivian Linden immediately understood what was happening, "Oh, today’s Daisy’s fifth birthday! Happy birthday, sweet Daisy."

Tiana Linden’s face remained cold, "We don’t need your fake well wishes."

Embarrassed, Vivian Linden didn’t know how to continue.

Aiden Grant suddenly turned and left.

Tiana Linden and Daisy continued cutting the cake at the table.

In front of Vivian Linden, Noelle looked at the beautiful Princess Elsa cake Daisy had and whispered, "Mrs. Linden, I really want some cake too! Can we have cake with Daisy?"

Just then, Aiden Grant returned.

He had an elegantly packaged box in his hand.

It was an Elsa gift box he had just bought from the boutique gift shop at the restaurant for Daisy.

"Daisy, uncle didn’t know it was your birthday today. This is something I just bought; hope you like it."

Aiden Grant bent down and handed the exquisite box to Daisy.

The box was slapped to the ground by Daisy with a bang, "I don’t care for your gift."

Having her mom was enough!

The box fell to the ground, and the outer packaging shattered.

Cracks appeared.

Aiden Grant looked at the broken gift.

The cracks seemed to split open from his chest, making it painful to breathe.

Squatting down, looking at Daisy whose eyes were filled with pain and resentment, his voice softened a lot:

"Does Daisy not like the Princess Elsa uncle sent?"