CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 58: I LIKE SLEEPING WITH HANDSOME AND SKILLED MEN

It’s Daisy!

In the three days Daisy went missing, Tiana Linden felt as if she had lost half her life.

It wasn’t until she rushed over and hugged Daisy tightly that she felt she was alive again.

The small figure in her arms cried, feeling wronged.

"Mom, I thought I would never see you again, sob sob sob..."

Tears soaked Daisy’s dirty and smelly clothes, and also soaked Tiana’s dirty and smelly clothes.

The small figure was held tightly in Tiana’s arms.

She was afraid it was all just a dream, and even more afraid of losing Daisy again. She didn’t dare to let go for a second.

"Daisy, I’m sorry! It’s my fault, I didn’t take good care of you."

...

Late at night.

Tiana cooked a large bowl of fried egg noodles for Daisy.

Daisy, sitting beside her, was starving.

Smelling the delicious aroma, Daisy couldn’t stop swallowing her saliva.

Staring at the bowl of noodles that her mom placed on the table, her big eyes sparkled with golden light.

Without waiting for the noodles to cool down, Daisy quickly picked up the chopsticks and started slurping them up, sizzling... the hot noodles burned Daisy, making her gasp several times.

Tiana cried with pity, "Slow down, I’ll separate some for you to cool it down."

Daisy ate the portioned noodles heartily, with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Wow! Mom, the noodles you cooked are simply the best in the world."

"Daisy, have you not eaten anything in these three days?"

Looking at Daisy’s dirty little face, Tiana’s heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.

She couldn’t imagine how Daisy managed to get through these three days.

"No, I have eaten," Daisy said, her mouth full of noodles. She paused for a moment.

Tiana asked, "What did you eat?"

Daisy continued to pick up the noodles, slurping them into her mouth, "The bread I found in the trash can was still quite good, and there were some rotten fruits that were sweet too."

Rotten fruits?

Tiana suddenly couldn’t breathe.

When she gave birth to Daisy, she vowed to give Daisy lots and lots of love, to let Daisy be healthy and happy, to protect Daisy from a life of storms and stress.

But she had lost Daisy for three days. During these three days, Daisy had to scavenge food like a little beggar from the trash. When she found Daisy at the alley entrance, Daisy was barefoot, with blisters all over her feet. The blisters had burst, bleeding copiously.

Daisy’s body, arms, and legs were covered with wounds.

Daisy, who hadn’t finished drinking her soup, saw her mom’s eyes filled with tears and quickly held her mom’s hand to comfort her.

"Mom, Daisy will have good fortune after surviving such a formidable difficulty. Besides, for me, this was an adventure, growth, and experience."

Talking about this adventure, Daisy seemed quite intrigued.

Clearly, she had been thrown into the water, but when she woke up, she found herself near her home.

Daisy told Tiana about all of this.

Tiana suddenly became puzzled.

Who was it that threw Daisy into the water, then rescued her and brought her near home?

Vivian Linden?

No way.

If it were Vivian Linden, she would definitely have harmed Daisy.

How could she have returned Daisy safely?

This matter boggled Tiana’s mind.

She patted Daisy’s small head, "Let me first tell Uncle Leo and Aunt Kiera that you are safe; they were very worried about you."

Hearing the good news, Leo Sutton was overjoyed.

The phone was suddenly snatched by Kiera Chaucer, "Tiana, has Daisy really returned? Where is Daisy? Let me hear her voice."

"Aunt Kiera, thank you, Daisy is safely back home."

Daisy’s adorably cute voice brought tears to Kiera’s eyes instantly, "Daisy, I’m sorry, it was Aunt Kiera who didn’t take good care of you."

Kiera was about to become a mother to two children.

Daisy’s disappearance tore at her heart.

Finally found!

Kiera wept tears of joy.

Tiana then sent a message in the rescue group: Thank you all for your hard work in searching over the past three days. Daisy is safely back home, so there’s no need to worry anymore. Tomorrow, I will work with the police to report the details of Daisy’s return home.

The incident of Daisy being thrown into the water and then rescued and brought near home must be investigated thoroughly by the police.

...

Two in the morning.

Daisy was asleep.

A weary Tiana also fell asleep.

Thud thud thud, urgent knocking on the door startled Tiana awake.

She moved her body, while a small hand clung tightly to her clothes, not letting go even in sleep.

No guess was needed; the person knocking must be Aiden Grant.

The small hand clinging tightly to her clothes made her carefully lie back down.

She feared waking up Daisy.

These three days, Daisy must not have slept well.

Where did she sleep?

On grassy ground where snakes and worms slither in and out? On hard benches in the park? Or under a bridge where cold winds howl?

Thinking about this, Tiana held Daisy close with a pained heart.

At this moment, her world consisted only of Daisy, fearing that the second she let go, her beloved Daisy would disappear again.

She held Daisy like this, not even noticing when the knocking on the door stopped.

...

Daisy was truly exhausted and sleepy.

Adding to that, she lay in her mom’s arms, reaching out a hand to touch her mom’s warm face.

The familiar embrace of her mom, her familiar scent, filled Daisy with a sense of security.

Finally, she could have a good night’s rest.

By noon the next day, Daisy had finally had her fill of sleep.

Tiana cooked sparerib noodles for Daisy, and after lunch, the mother and daughter were ready to go to the hospital.

The door of the rented apartment was opened by Tiana.

She held Daisy, but froze in the doorway.

Because standing outside was a man—Aiden Grant.

At this moment, Aiden’s gaze was fixed on Daisy, noticing multiple abrasions on her arms and legs, and her small feet wrapped in bandages, soaked with blood of varying shades. Aiden’s gaze suddenly grew painful.

"Daisy, are you hurt?"

"..." Daisy didn’t answer.

She glared at Aiden in anger.

Then clung tightly to Tiana’s neck. "Mom, he wants to send me abroad so that I can never see you again."

Seemingly afraid of being separated from her mom, Daisy held Tiana’s neck especially tightly.

Tiana could feel Daisy’s fear and panic.

She gently patted Daisy’s back, "Don’t be afraid, I’m here; no one can separate us."

Soft and adorable Daisy, her body was tensed up.

The way she looked at Aiden was also filled with caution.

As long as Aiden was around, Daisy couldn’t help but be afraid.

At this moment, Aiden spoke with sadness and remorse, "Daisy, I’m sorry; I should have discussed it with you first."

There were some things Tiana didn’t want Daisy to hear.

She placed Daisy back on the couch in the room, "Daisy, let me have a word with that person, wait here for me."

"Mom." A small hand tightly grasped the hem of her clothes.

She gently patted Daisy’s head, comforting her tenderly, "Don’t worry, Mom will make him leave, and Mom will resolve it soon."

Aiden stood at the door, and as Tiana walked over, he said coldly, "Let’s talk outside."

Then he gently closed the door.

Aiden was wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

With summer approaching, the sweaty odor on him was even more noticeable.

From searching to now, it seemed he hadn’t showered even once, always on the road to find Daisy.

It wasn’t difficult to see that these three or four days he was exhausted and weary, yet kept pushing through.

The dark stubble witnessed his care and concern for Daisy during these days.

But what use is that, it was he who lost Daisy.

Tiana wondered if one day Aiden would truly understand, knowing Daisy is his biological daughter, would he regret the things he’s done over these years?

She probably couldn’t wait for that day.

Seeing Aiden develop feelings for Daisy, Tiana didn’t appreciate this late, predestined fatherly love at all.

"Aiden, let’s have a good talk."

In the narrow hallway of the rental apartment, Aiden’s distinguished and tall figure carried a few strands of coldness.

When he spoke, he replied inconsequently, "Daisy was found, why didn’t you inform me immediately?"

"Who do you think you are?" Tiana retorted.

With one sentence, she rendered Aiden speechless, "..."

After a few seconds of silence, Aiden said to Tiana in a negotiating tone, "Tiana, since you’re considering giving Daisy for adoption, why can’t the adopter be me?"

Tiana responded, "That’s exactly the topic I want to discuss with you. Aiden, given that we once loved each other, considering I was a virgin when I followed you, can you let go of me? Let go of Daisy? I don’t want Daisy to live with you. Can you fulfill my wish?"

"Did we ever love each other?" Aiden grasped onto some words of hers and chuckled.

The laughter contained a tinge of obvious sarcasm.

It was unclear if he was mocking her or himself.

He further asked, "Did you ever love me?"

"Aiden, don’t forget, you have a fiancée."

Aiden was rendered speechless again.

After a moment of silence, he returned to the main topic, "... Is Daisy injured seriously?"

Tiana replied, "Thank you for your concern, they are just superficial wounds. Daisy has grown up with me in prison, she’s much stronger than the average child. You don’t need to worry."

The life mother and daughter had in prison, Aiden dared not imagine.

How did such a small Daisy adapt?

Aiden returned to the main topic, "I want to treat Daisy’s ears, I’ve already contacted the specialists..."

"There’s no need," Tiana replied firmly, "If there’s hope for Daisy’s ears to heal, I will ask Leo to take Daisy for treatment in the future."

Leo!

Called in such an intimate way.

While she would only call him Mr. Grant, mere acquaintances.

The jealousy in Aiden’s heart drove him to lose his rationale.

He sneered coldly, "Tiana, is this how you call Leo Sutton in bed too? Or do you call him darling? Husband?"

Originally, Tiana wanted to have a good talk with Aiden.

Clearly, this topic couldn’t continue.

With repeated humiliations, she no longer cared.

But her heart still hurt.

She smiled wryly, straightened her chest, and said honorably, "Right!"

Let them misunderstand however they want.

Misunderstanding would be even better.

She did not need to prove her innocence in front of Aiden any longer.

She considered their past relationship as feeding a dog.

She calmly said, "Aiden, you’re right. I’m just that cheap and flirtatious. I slept with you and then Hector Chaucer, and now I’m sleeping with Leo Sutton. But I never slept with that Harvey Patton, because his looks weren’t up to my aesthetic standards. If I were to sleep, I’d sleep with a handsome and skillful man."

A handsome and skillful man?

During their past cohabitation, Tiana always praised him for being handsome and skillful.

Especially after they did those things, she liked to lay in his chest and tease him.

Often at these times, he’d turn the tables on her, teach her a lesson until she cried incessantly under him.

The flashbacks of those memories were no longer sweet.

Those memories became a giant blade of humiliation, forcefully cutting through Aiden’s heart.

He clenched his fists, and in anger, the veins on his neck bulged, "Tiana, why do you keep degrading yourself repeatedly, why can’t you find a genuinely excellent man who cares about you, and live a good life with Daisy?"

He thought he was doing it for her good, saying, "Leo Sutton has a wife, what future can he give you?"

"Because I’m despicable," Tiana deliberately said, "I love men, love lots of handsome and skillful men. Aiden, you should distance yourself from a person like me, yet after I returned to Veridia, why do you keep showing up in front of me repeatedly? Am I so despicable that you can’t let go of your feelings for me?"

As Aiden clenched his fist, the veins on the back of his hand tightly popped, "Tiana, don’t think you’re so important."

She was indifferent to past matters and Aiden’s views on her.

But she was not invincible, she would feel pain, especially in her heart.

But she suppressed the pain and said coldly:

"In that case, I ask Mr. Grant not to keep appearing in front of me for no reason."

Her gaze became solemn.

"And also, I must warn Mr. Grant to stay away from Daisy. She’s escaped from death in your hands, twice. Mr. Grant, do you think Daisy will be lucky next time?"

Aiden admitted this point.

Every time he took care of Daisy, not only was he unable to care for her well, but he also caused Daisy great harm.

Yet, he genuinely wanted to care for Daisy.

Tiana: "You should go, regarding Daisy, I plead for you not to interfere anymore."

...

In the afternoon, Tiana took Daisy to the hospital to visit Kiera, who was hospitalized to protect the pregnancy.

Kiera’s condition was not very good.

But upon seeing Daisy, her spirits lifted, "Daisy, if Aunt wasn’t hooked up to an IV, Aunt would really want to hug you."

Kiera cried with excitement, "Daisy, I’m sorry!"

Standing by the bed, Daisy used her small head to touch Kiera’s head gently, "Aunt Kiera, you must get well soon. Daisy really wants to see the baby in your belly safely brought to this world."

To let Kiera rest well, Tiana didn’t stay long in the ward.

After she left, Kiera looked towards Louis Sutton, "Leo, shouldn’t Tiana have few days left?"

This was a heavy topic.

Discussing this topic in such a vibrant April day was too sad.

More sorrowful was Louis Sutton.

He solemnly responded, "Yes."

Tears filled Kiera’s eyes, "Tiana’s life has been too hard. If there were such a thing as reincarnation, I wish Tiana could be reborn as my daughter, and I’d be the one to cherish her."

"Don’t think too much about it now, focus on taking care of your pregnancy." Leo felt guilt-ridden for not taking good care of Kiera these days.

He adjusted the blanket for Kiera, urging her to close her eyes and rest for a while.

However, Kiera continued to say, "Leo, let’s not find adoptive parents for Daisy. In the future..."

Tears choked her voice further, "In the future, if Tiana passes away, we can raise Daisy as our own, treat her as our own biological daughter, okay?"

"I’ll discuss it with Tiana later." Leo gently kissed Kiera’s forehead, looking at her with deep affection, "Rest for a while now."

...

After leaving the hospital, Tiana took Daisy to the police station.

The incident of Daisy’s disappearance, being thrown into the water, and waking up mysteriously near home was too bizarre.

After arriving at the police station, Tiana filed a report.

After completing these, she took Daisy back to the urban village.

At the entrance of the alley where the rental house was, a black car—Rolls-Royce, which seemed out of place here—was parked.

Leaning against the door of the Rolls-Royce, the man saw the mother and daughter returning and strode towards them.