CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: MOM, PLEASE DON’T DIE

"Mom, why are you suddenly unhappy?"

In her arms, Daisy looked up at her mother.

Tiana Linden gently stroked Daisy’s head and said, "Daisy, do you like Aunt Naomi, whom we met at dinner?"

"I do..." Daisy seemed to sense something.

These days, Aunt Kiera and mom often talked about finding someone to adopt her.

Sometimes, she would overhear it inadvertently.

Daisy asked confusedly, "Mom, is that Aunt Naomi the foster mother that Aunt Kiera found for me?"

In Tiana Linden’s arms, she was anxious and uneasy.

Seemingly insecure, her tiny arms hugged Tiana’s frail body tightly.

"Mom, Aunt Naomi is very gentle and kind. But I still prefer you, Mom."

"Mom, can you please not send me away?"

The childish voice carried a restrained sob.

Within the sobs, there was also pleading.

Tiana Linden’s heart was breaking.

She hugged Daisy tighter and gently stroked her tense, small back.

"Daisy, Mom can’t be with you for much longer."

Daisy started crying in Tiana Linden’s arms, "Mom, I don’t want you to die, I don’t want you to leave me."

Tiana’s nose tingled, and she was choked with emotion, unable to speak.

Something was stuck in her chest.

She struggled for breath.

Daisy’s innocent cries pierced through her body and soul, one after another.

All she could do was hold Daisy tighter.

"Daisy, Mom isn’t dying. Mom is becoming a star in the sky, always watching over you."

"Then can I turn into a little star with you, Mom?"

"No, Daisy. Your life is still very long, you haven’t grown up yet, you have a long way to go, many sights to see, and many beautiful things waiting for you."

Daisy cried and argued, "Without Mom, what’s the point of a beautiful future? Daisy doesn’t want those nice things, Daisy only wants Mom. Mom, please don’t turn into a star..."

The only response to Daisy was Tiana Linden’s helplessness.

All she could do was hold Daisy tightly, unable to say anything, "..."

That night, Daisy cried herself to sleep, soaking in tears.

In the morning, both mother and daughter had eyes like frogs.

Breakfast was made by Daisy.

Having just turned five, she already knew how to make many simple dishes under her mom’s guidance.

She made her mom egg pancakes, cooked apple and white fungus soup, and fried fragrant chicken chops.

After Tiana praised Daisy’s improved cooking skills, she added, "Daisy, the doctor said if Mom feels better, she can live a little longer. If you promise Mom to live well with Aunt Naomi, Mom will feel very happy and can stay with you a little longer."

Daisy, while serving chicken chops to her mom, did not answer.

After she finished serving, she buried her head silently.

At that moment, Tiana started coughing, causing Daisy to rush anxiously to her side.

Her small hands patted her mom’s back gently, again and again.

In the past, she would go to the bathroom when she coughed.

But today, she didn’t have time.

Blood spilled out.

Even as she covered with her hands, the breakfast on the table was not spared.

Crying, Daisy wiped away the blood, "Mom, I’ll listen to you. I promise to stay with Aunt Naomi. You must get better, you must."

"Really?" Tiana squeezed out a smile.

Daisy nodded vigorously, "Mom, I promise you. Do you feel a little better now?"

Such an understanding Daisy, Tiana couldn’t bear to part with her.

Knowing that Daisy’s foster mother had excellent qualities, and was not only unbothered by Daisy’s deafness in her right ear but also very compassionate towards her, Tiana felt comforted.

That afternoon, Tiana met with Leo Sutton and Nancy Carter to sign Daisy’s adoption agreement.

Tiana and Nancy signed the agreement.

Leo gathered up the agreement and said to both, "Tiana, Nancy, this agreement will have to wait until Tiana she..."

Leo couldn’t bring himself to say those two words.

Even after knowing for two months that Tiana was in Phase VI lung cancer, he still couldn’t believe that such a young Tiana was dying.

This bright April, life was thriving everywhere.

But in his memory, the vibrant and touching Tiana seemed gloomy, nearing death.

Halfway through, Leo was choking up.

Tiana smiled at him and comforted him, "Leo, it’s okay. Everyone has that day. Besides, having found such an excellent and kind foster mother like Lawyer Carter for Daisy before I die, I’m already very relieved."

Then she spoke the words Leo couldn’t say.

"Lawyer Carter, you should know, the law doesn’t allow any parent to abandon their child. So, Daisy’s adoption agreement can only take effect after I pass away."

Nancy nodded, "In the meantime, I’ll cultivate a relationship with Daisy and try to make her like me more."

Choking with emotion, Tiana said, "Thank you!"

To show her gratitude, she stood up and bowed deeply to Nancy.

Nancy quickly stood up and helped her up, "Don’t do this, Daisy’s mom. We are both Daisy’s moms now, and I will take good care of Daisy for you, pampering her like a little princess."

Tiana bowed deeply again.

Leo, watching everything quietly, turned away secretly to wipe his tears.

...

Daisy’s adoption was heard by Aiden Grant that very afternoon.

The reason was simple.

A few days ago, Kiera Chaucer had been enthusiastically looking for an adoptive family for Daisy, and half of the high society knew about it.

Someone continued to inquire about Daisy’s adoption in Kiera’s group chat.

Kiera replied uniformly: A family has already been found for the child, thank you everyone.

From the beginning, when Tiana wanted to send Daisy to that couple, Aiden paid a lot of attention to Daisy.

Instinctively, he always felt a mysterious connection with Daisy.

He absolutely would not allow Tiana to hurt Daisy in such a way.

He sent a WeChat message to his secretary: Look into the information about Daisy’s adoptive family, and leave no detail out.

After sending the message, Aiden walked out of the pharmaceutical lab.

He dialed Tiana’s number.

In the busy tone prompt, he remembered that he had already been blocked by Tiana.

So he called from another number.

An unfamiliar number, Tiana did not answer.

He called again.

Tiana answered the call.

Aiden, not letting her speak first, coldly questioned, "Tiana, are you really determined to send Daisy away from you? Do you have any conscience at all? How could there be such a heartless mother?"

At that moment, Tiana was arranging Daisy’s affairs with Nancy.

She would still continue to be with Daisy.

But the things she’s prepared for Daisy, she had to hand them over to Nancy in advance.

"..." Without saying a word, she hung up Aiden’s call.

When she looked up, she handed a thick stack of letters to Nancy, "Lawyer Carter, these are letters I wrote to Daisy, one each year on her birthday, one on Children’s Day, for times when Daisy gets her period for the first time, first likes a boy, first starts a relationship, when she gets married, has children... for days she faces setbacks, encounters confusion..."

Those parts of Daisy’s growth, she could no longer be part of.

Can only use letters to tell Daisy that Mom has always been there.

Suppressing the dull ache in her chest, she continued with a strong nasal tone, speaking with difficulty, "I’ve written all the letters for Daisy. Please, Lawyer Carter, deliver them to her one by one."

Lawyer Carter took hold of the thick stack of letters.

There were so many, weighing down heavily in her hands, as if she had taken on a huge responsibility.

She assured Tiana Linden, "Daisy’s Mom, I’ll tell Daisy in the future that you love her very much. You’ve given her so much love; her memories will all be sweet."

At that moment, Tiana Linden’s phone rang inappropriately.

Tiana Linden glanced at it.

Another unfamiliar number.

It must be Aiden Grant again.

She hung up the call and handed Lawyer Carter a thumb drive.

It contained the videos she’d recorded for Daisy.

She continued to instruct.

Aiden Grant called again from another unfamiliar number.

She hung up, and he called again.

So it went, repetitively.

In the end, Tiana didn’t answer any of the calls.

"Daisy’s Mom, how about you answer the phone?"

"Ignore him."

...

A little after four in the afternoon, Nancy Carter and Tiana Linden went to the kindergarten together.

The two were going to pick Daisy up from school and then head to Nancy’s home together.

As Daisy emerged, Nancy had already planned, "Daisy’s Mom, once we’re at my house, I’ll cook and you can keep Daisy company. After dinner, we can both play with Daisy for a while, then I’ll take you home."

She wanted to bond with Daisy.

So when Tiana passes away, Daisy would accept her better.

Tiana nodded and thanked her.

Looking at Tiana, with delicate makeup, though slim, she had a face that spoke of peace and prosperity.

So beautiful, yet fated to fade.

Nancy felt deep sympathy, "Daisy’s Mom, let me take care of you both during this time."

Tiana felt comforted.

As Leo Sutton said, she didn’t just have a terrible past or people who failed and hurt her, she also encountered much goodness.

Like Leo Sutton and Kiera Chaucer, like Nancy Carter.

"Lawyer Carter, thank you so much."

"Just call me Naomi from now on, like Kiera does, and can I call you Tiana?"

"Mm."

"Tiana." In the harmonious soundscape, a male voice suddenly interjected.

Tiana and Nancy both looked up.

Nancy saw Aiden Grant, the largest shareholder of Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals, and asked Tiana by her side, "Tiana, do you know President Grant?"

Aiden’s gaze settled on Tiana, and he started to reproach, "Tiana, why must you give Daisy away? I’ve said, if you don’t want to raise her, let me do it."

Daisy was such a lovely child.

"Tiana, how can you bear to?"

"You shut up."

Tiana didn’t want Nancy to know that Daisy actually had a father.

Otherwise, Nancy might give up the adoption, and Daisy would be pitiful.

She told Nancy, "Lawyer Carter, I apologize, please wait for me a moment."

She walked away, a hundred or two meters.

Aiden naturally followed behind, stopping in front of her.

"Tiana, Daisy has had a hard life being with you, a single mom."

"And you found her another single-mom household."

"Do you know Nancy is a lawyer? People like her work non-stop; how could she possibly take good care of Daisy?"

Tiana almost laughed in anger.

"Aiden, I beg you to stop haunting us."

"When I wanted to entrust Daisy to you, you refused. Now that I’m giving her to someone else, you’re opposing. What exactly do you want? Even if you want to stop it, do you think you have the right?"

"Daisy has nothing to do with you, who takes her in, is none of your business."

"..." Aiden was left speechless.

He truly had no right to interfere.

Tiana had personally admitted that Daisy was Hector Chaucer’s daughter; what right did he have to manage?

Inhaling a stifling breath, he looked at Tiana, saying, "If you must send Daisy away, let me take care of her."

Tiana said firmly, "I’ve already said, it’s impossible."

Aiden’s voice softened considerably, even becoming sincere, "The peanut allergy incident won’t happen again."

Tiana: "Perhaps you can ensure that, but Vivian Linden can’t, unless you break up with Vivian."

That woman was scheming and good at pretending.

If Daisy went with Aiden, she wouldn’t even know how she died in the future.

Seeing Tiana so determined, Aiden was silent for a while.

His silence was filled with worry.

Finally, he calmly said, "What did Vivian ever do wrong?"

Indeed, his Vivian once knelt for him for 9,999 steps at the Clear Spring Monastery after his car accident put him in a coma.

She stayed by his hospital bed day and night.

His Vivian was the best Vivian in the world.

Tiana sneered, "Aiden, I have nothing to say to you."

After turning away, she composed herself and returned to Nancy’s side, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Nancy said it was okay, then glanced over to Aiden, "Tiana, you and President Grant..."

Tiana replied blandly, "He is my ex-boyfriend, but it’s irrelevant now. Rest assured, Daisy has nothing to do with him."

She would never let Daisy get entangled with Aiden again.

At this time, Ms. Hayes led the kids of the kindergarten class outside.

Daisy was initially very happy to see her mom.

Thinking about the future when her mom would leave her.

She was about to live with Aunt Naomi; the smile on her little face disappeared instantly.

At this moment, Aiden came over, "Daisy, how about Uncle takes you out for dinner tonight?"

"No need." Daisy, with one hand holding her mom’s and the other holding Nancy’s, said, "Mom, Aunt Naomi, let’s go home."

Left behind, Aiden watched the small figure of Daisy, holding hands with her two moms, gradually walking away.

At 7:30 in the evening.

Nancy drove Tiana and her daughter back to the Axelburg District.

Originally, Nancy intended to have Tiana and her daughter stay at her place for a while.

Thinking about Tiana and her daughter needing space to be alone.

And realizing their opportunities to be together were limited, Nancy didn’t bring it up.

After the mother and daughter went upstairs, Nancy returned to her Porsche.

Just as she was about to start the engine, someone tapped on the car window.

Nancy lowered the car window to see Aiden Grant, exuding coldness. She couldn’t help but frown, "President Grant?"