CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: AIDEN GRANT, DO YOU WANT TO CALL OFF THE ENGAGEMENT?

Children’s likes and dislikes are all written on their faces, not concealed at all.

Daisy said coldly, "Dis-like!"

Such directness made Aiden Grant’s breath catch.

His voice softened, becoming much gentler, "Then what does Daisy like? Uncle will buy you a new one."

He didn’t know today was Daisy’s birthday.

But since he had already met her, he absolutely had to give Daisy a birthday gift.

It was as if he was giving it on behalf of Hector Chaucer.

Yet Daisy said coolly, "Thank you, Uncle Grant, but Daisy doesn’t like anything you give."

"Don’t be so ungrateful." Noelle burst out, shoving Daisy with force.

The small Daisy staggered back two steps.

The strong impact caused her small backside to fall heavily on the ground.

It hurt as if her bottom was splitting.

But Daisy wasn’t afraid of pain at all.

She hadn’t provoked Noelle.

As she quickly climbed back up, she charged forward and grabbed Noelle’s hair.

The usually sweet and understanding Daisy suddenly erupted with a resilient strength like that of a tough girl.

Amidst Noelle’s loud sobbing, Daisy scratched and hit.

She only stopped after pulling out a lock of Noelle’s hair.

"Noelle Sullivan, I’m warning you, don’t mess with me."

"Don’t think that just because you have your godfather and godmother backing you, I will become a pushover for you."

"Next time you see me, act properly, or I’ll hit you every time I see you."

This was Daisy’s attitude towards Noelle.

It was also a principle taught to her by her mom.

Aiden Grant felt Daisy was wrong to hit, and Daisy’s actions were indeed a bit heavy-handed.

But Noelle shouldn’t have shoved Daisy so hard just now.

At this moment, Noelle’s loud crying only made Aiden Grant feel somewhat annoyed.

He said, "Alright, stop crying."

"Boohoo, Dad Grant, Daisy hit me, ah, it hurts so much!" Noelle cried more fiercely.

Aiden Grant’s face was dark, "Noelle, you shouldn’t have pushed Daisy just now. But Daisy, you also shouldn’t have hit so hard."

Vivian Linden chimed in adding fuel to the fire, "That’s right, Daisy. Regardless of the reason, you shouldn’t have hit so hard. Look at Noelle’s hair; you pulled out a lock. Being so ruthless from a young age will lead to troubles when you grow up."

"Vivian Linden." Tiana Linden glared sharply, "It’s not your place to educate my child."

After speaking, Tiana looked at Daisy with appreciation.

Her Daisy, was a brave child.

"Tell mom, what did I teach you about dealing with people?"

Daisy stood straight with confidence, "Be kind. Don’t start trouble, but if someone disturbs me, I’ll return it tenfold."

Her bright voice injected a surge of strength into Tiana’s frail body, "Very good!"

Her Daisy would be a kind child in the future.

But also one who would not be easily bullied.

Aiden Grant couldn’t find words to refute.

Daisy’s remark wasn’t without merit.

He began to teach Noelle, "Noelle, don’t start trouble on purpose in the future."

Noelle cried in grievance, "Dad Grant, it’s because Daisy broke the gift you gave her, a perfectly good gift, but she broke it, boohoo..."

Vivian Linden added, "Yes, Aiden, Noelle didn’t mean any harm."

At this moment, Vivian softly pulled Daisy over.

Her intention was to let Daisy and Noelle shake hands to resolve the conflict.

But just as Vivian touched Daisy, Tiana slapped Vivian across the face.

With a slap!

Vivian couldn’t react at all.

After slapping, Tiana sternly warned Vivian:

"Vivian Linden, I warned you not to touch Daisy, or I’ll hit you every time I see you."

Daisy’s peanut allergy had frightened Tiana too much.

She would never allow Vivian to touch Daisy again.

Vivian started crying, tears flowing, "Sister, you’ve misunderstood me; I just wanted the two kids to shake hands and make peace."

Tiana said forcefully, "My Daisy doesn’t need to make peace with such children. Daisy, remember, we don’t bully others, but if someone bullies you, you return it tenfold."

Daisy nodded, "Mom, I’ve remembered."

Then, Tiana gave all three of them a cold look, made a please gesture, and said:

"Please leave; I want to continue celebrating my daughter’s birthday. I hope you don’t spoil the mood here."

Those last words made Aiden Grant’s face even darker.

Picking up the smashed gift box Daisy had shattered.

He found an unusual constriction in his chest.

As he spoke, his voice was unnaturally muffled, "Vivian, let’s go..."

At this moment.

A middle-aged male manager dressed neatly approached.

He handed over a box with a smile, "Sir, you and your girlfriend haven’t dined here for many years. These were left behind by you six years ago; I’ve kept them."

Left behind six years ago?

This beachfront garden restaurant was a place Tiana enjoyed visiting many years ago.

Aiden had taken Tiana here before.

But after the Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals’ confidential leak incident, which resulted in Tiana’s imprisonment, he never set foot in this restaurant again.

Today occurred only because Noelle’s mom, Shelly Hayes, had business abroad and left Noelle with Vivian to care for, bringing Vivian to play by the sea and dining here.

Seeing Aiden slightly surprised, the middle-aged manager continued, "Sir, please open it and see if there’s anything missing."

The box was handed over to Aiden.

Inside was an amber-blue wallet, which he took out.

It was a wallet Tiana had given him.

Inside it contained a photo sticker of him and Tiana, and a Red Bean Love Rope hand-tied by Tiana.

At the time, it was nowhere to be found.

Turns out, it had been left here.

Tiana and Aiden both gazed at the wallet.

The middle-aged manager handed the wallet to Aiden, "Sir, at that time, it struck me how loving you and your girlfriend were; now you have children, you must have already found happiness together. May your lives keep getting better!"

Standing beside him, Vivian’s face suddenly turned awkward, yet she offered no explanation.

Noelle said discontentedly, pouting, "You got it wrong; Dad Grant and Mom Linden are the couple, and they’re going to get married."

Noelle held Dad Grant and Mom Linden’s hands, as if they were a family.

The middle-aged manager was embarrassed and in a difficult spot: this, this...

What can be done?

"Well, well, what about this wallet?"

Tiana took the wallet.

She knew its contents well.

A photo sticker of her and Aiden, showcasing youthful exuberance and Aiden’s vigor, extracted smoothly.

She didn’t even glance at it.

The photo shredded into several pieces in her hand.

As the fragments fell, she courteously told the middle-aged manager, "Thank you for holding onto this for us, but we no longer need it."

The remaining wallet, along with the two Red Bean Love Ropes inside, were casually tossed into the trash bin.

Returning to Daisy’s side, Tiana wore a gentle smile, "Daisy, let’s continue with the cake."

Then, she lifted her gaze towards the middle-aged manager, "Manager, can I trouble you to escort these guests out so as not to disturb our dining?"

The manager found himself quite embarrassed.

Once such a loving couple, six years later, why do they seem like enemies?

Truly, fate plays tricks!

Due to responsibilities, he had no choice but to politely tell Aiden, Vivian, and Noelle, "Sir, this lady and her daughter want to dine, please move along."

Aiden’s face darkened, feeling a beast of fury within his chest.

Eventually, he made his heavy steps away, leading Vivian and Noelle out of that place.

After returning to the dining table, Vivian Linden picked up some food for Aiden Grant, "Aiden, you must be hungry, have some food. Don’t blame Daisy and Tiana. It’s nothing that Noelle and I got hit, I’m just worried you’ll be upset."

Aiden Grant responded to Vivian Linden’s words with silence.

He looked at the gift box thrown by Daisy, his brows furrowing: Does Daisy really hate him this much?

Vivian Linden started crying beside him.

Initially, she was silently shedding tears.

Later, when Aiden Grant ignored her, she cried even more pitifully.

The sound of her sobbing interrupted Aiden Grant’s thoughts. He raised his eyes to look at Vivian Linden, "Is your face okay?"

Vivian Linden shook her head, "It’s fine."

Her face wasn’t red, nor swollen, so Aiden Grant didn’t say anything further.

At nine o’clock at night.

Vivian Linden looked in the mirror.

Tiana Linden’s slap was indeed heavy, but her face no longer showed the slap marks.

She deliberately put on makeup.

The left cheek that got slapped immediately appeared somewhat unnatural, as if she’d been hit.

When Daniel Linden returned home, he saw Vivian Linden sitting on the sofa, wiping tears, her left cheek red, and felt an immediate pang of sympathy.

He tossed aside his briefcase and strode forward, "Vivian, what’s wrong, who hit your face?"

"No one, I accidentally bumped it." Vivian Linden wiped her tears, "Brother, are you hungry? I made you supper."

Daniel Linden was too worried to eat.

He kept asking Vivian Linden what happened to her face; Vivian Linden remained silent.

"Vivian, weren’t you with Aiden Grant today, taking Noelle to the seaside? Who bullied you? Was it Tiana again?"

"No, Brother, I’ll go to the kitchen to get you a bowl of soup."

Watching Vivian leave tearfully, Daniel Linden decided to ask Noelle Sullivan.

So, he called The Sullivan Family.

Eventually, through Noelle Sullivan, Daniel Linden learned that Tiana Linden had slapped Vivian Linden.

...

At eleven at night.

Veridia’s nightlife had just begun.

A black Honqi National car slowly drove into the seaside garden restaurant parking lot.

Aiden Grant got out of the car, heading directly to the garden restaurant from that evening.

The middle-aged manager recognized him immediately and approached, "Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

Aiden Grant politely said, "No need, thank you."

He headed directly towards the garbage can from that evening.

When squatting down, he started searching through the garbage can.

The middle-aged manager immediately understood, "Sir, I am so sorry. We’ve already cleaned out the garbage bags from the evening, thrown them away. The wallet you are looking for is not here."

Aiden Grant’s arm searching the garbage fell dejectedly.

Eventually, he stood up and handed over a business card, "Manager, could you please help search again? If you find it, contact me, and I’ll offer a reward of five hundred thousand."

Five hundred thousand!

The restaurant manager’s eyes lit up.

Looks like that wallet is very important to him!

The next day’s late night.

The sky was full of stars.

Aiden Grant sat by the window in the studio, holding a paintbrush.

This time, on the canvas on the easel, in addition to Tiana Linden’s portrait, there was also a child’s face.

It was Daisy’s cute little face painted from memory.

Aiden Grant didn’t even know why he was painting them.

During the day, the seaside open-air restaurant called, saying the wallet had been found.

He went to retrieve it himself.

After coming back, he stayed in the studio the whole time.

Initially, he just wanted to paint landscapes to calm his mind.

He didn’t even notice when Tiana Linden and Daisy’s images appeared on the canvas.

Unknowingly, he painted a mother-daughter portrait, and as he quietly gazed at it, he realized he hadn’t painted any landscape.

Outside the door.

"Step aside."

As Daniel Linden strode forward, Mrs. Walsh’s husband, Butler Carter blocked him from entering.

"Mr. Linden, Mr. Grant has instructed that no one should disturb him while he paints."

Butler Carter, with open arms, was very much in difficulty.

But Daniel Linden relentlessly pressed forward, forcing Butler Carter to step back.

"Mr. Linden, please don’t make it hard for me. You truly can’t go in."

"Butler Carter, you’re of a certain age, I don’t want to resort to force. Move aside, let me in."

Daniel Linden was determined to see Aiden Grant today.

He wanted to confront Aiden Grant since yesterday, only now did he get the chance.

In a rage, he pushed Butler Carter aside and kicked the door open.

At this moment, Aiden Grant was still gazing at the painting on the easel.

He calmly said, "Didn’t I say not to let anyone in?"

Butler Carter felt quite troubled, "Mr. Grant, Mr. Linden was very insistent, I couldn’t stop him."

"Aiden." Daniel Linden strode forward, "Vivian got slapped by Tiana yesterday, why didn’t you protect her?"

Aiden Grant responded to Daniel Linden’s inquiry with silence.

He gripped the brush, sketching the downy hair beside Daisy’s ear.

Daniel Linden angrily shouted from behind:

"After Daisy’s peanut allergy, Vivian’s face was slashed by Tiana, and it hasn’t healed the scar yet."

"Yesterday, that slap from Tiana left Vivian’s face still swollen till now."

"Have you stood up for Vivian, given her medicine?"

"Are you planning to wait till the wedding day, let Vivian attend with scars on her face as your bride?"

Daniel Linden knew Tiana Linden’s temperament.

After all, she is the sister he raised from young.

If she really is determined to provoke someone, no force could hold her back.

She appears quiet, but inherently stubborn.

Daniel Linden was distraught over Tiana hitting others, dissatisfied with Aiden Grant even more.

"Aiden, I’m talking to you, did you hear?"

Aiden Grant’s arm was tugged by Daniel Linden.

The brush slipped.

Daisy’s originally adorable face suddenly was marred by an unexpected scratch.

A perfectly good painting was ruined by Daniel Linden.

As he stood, Aiden Grant snapped the brush in his hand.

His expression quickly darkened, "Didn’t you know I don’t like being disturbed when painting?"

In his childhood, he never let anyone disturb his painting.

Except Tiana Linden.

Everyone knew this.

If anyone interrupted while he painted, he’d throw a huge fit.

The ruined portrait of Tiana Linden and Daisy made Aiden Grant feel a heaviness in his chest.

Daniel Linden felt even heavier.

Seeing Aiden Grant seclude himself, refusing to meet anyone, yet painting Tiana Linden and Daisy’s portrait here.

Daniel Linden swung a punch.

Aiden Grant did not dodge.

But he reciprocated with a punch to Daniel Linden.

As tension hit a new peak, Butler Carter rushed in to intervene, "Stop fighting. Mr. Linden, Mr. Grant’s wedding is approaching soon, what if you both get injured for the ceremony?"

At this moment, Daniel Linden finally withdrew his hand.

He tightly clenched his back teeth, "A pity he doesn’t know, the wedding is imminent."

Humph!

"Aiden, What do you mean by painting Tiana Linden and Daisy’s portrait here?"

"With your and Vivian’s wedding near, are you trying to sabotage it?"