CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60: SHE DIED! DIED CRYING!

Hospital, outside the delivery room.

Tiana Linden holds Laura and Daisy together in her arms.

Laura lifts her head, her little face covered with tears.

"Aunt Tiana, will my mom die? Waaa..."

Tiana, a mother herself, feels her heart break seeing the child cry like this.

"She won’t. Both your mom and the baby will come out safe and sound."

Daisy, beside her, also holds Laura tightly, "Laura, Aunt Kiera will definitely come out safe and sound. Don’t cry."

Kiera Chaucer is the person who treats Tiana the best in this world.

Kiera knew about Leo Sutton’s past crush on her.

Logically, Kiera should treat her as a rival, just like Vivian Linden, calculating against her, harming her.

But Kiera didn’t do that.

Kiera understood Leo, understood her, sincerely helped her, and loved Daisy like her own daughter.

How could such a wonderful and warm woman face a difficult childbirth?

Holding Laura and Daisy, Tiana prayed for blessings!

She didn’t have much time left in this life.

But she was willing to trade ten, twenty, thirty years of her next life for the safety of Kiera and her child.

...

Inside the delivery room.

Kiera Chaucer was weak and feeble.

When she spoke, her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.

Leo Sutton had to lean close to hear her voice.

"Leo, you must adopt Daisy..."

"Honey, stop talking." Leo held Kiera’s hand with eyes full of concern and gently kissed her forehead, "Rest for a while, dear!"

Kiera weakly blinked, "Leo, take good care of Tiana, raise Daisy well... let Daisy and Laura become loving and dear sisters."

"... don’t say anymore, rest for a while, dear!"

"Let me finish..."

"..."

"Leo, if..."

"..."

"If a miracle happens and Tiana can survive... I hope you marry her."

"I won’t marry anyone else, I want only you as my wife."

"Hear me out, treat Tiana well, take good care of... take good care of the kids."

To marry Tiana was Leo Sutton’s biggest wish in his youth!

Kiera didn’t want Leo Sutton to be lonely for the rest of his life.

She wanted Leo happy, she wanted him blessed!

And Tiana was the best choice.

"Honey, stop talking, you really need to rest."

Leo held his wife’s hand tightly, his cheek against hers.

Warm tears flowed down.

They couldn’t tell if they were hers or his.

"Leo, in the next life, next..."

She wanted to say she wished to be his wife again in their next life.

But she didn’t have the strength.

Suddenly, the doctor excitedly shouted, "The baby’s head is more than halfway out, can the mom push a bit more, push, keep it up."

Leo looked at the doctors, then hurridly glanced at his wife Kiera, "Honey, do you still have strength, again... honey..."

But no one responded to him?

At that moment, Kiera slowly closed her eyes.

Her tears continued to flow down from the corners of her eyes.

But when Leo reached out to wipe them, Kiera had already stopped breathing.

...

Kiera died in childbirth.

The baby was a girl.

She wasn’t in life-threatening danger, but had inhaled amniotic fluid.

A slight infection, nothing serious.

Tiana had Ms. Quinn, The Sutton Family’s housekeeper, take Laura and Daisy back home.

Kiera’s parents couldn’t bear the shock and fainted, needing hospitalization.

The family suddenly felt like it was falling apart.

Tiana stayed at the hospital to help Leo Sutton handle Kiera’s affairs.

Leo hadn’t eaten for a day.

Overnight, he seemed to age a lot.

Leo Sutton, a renowned figure in the legal world, wielded justice like a sword, standing as a beacon of hope in the dark against all injustices.

But that beacon seemed to have suddenly extinguished, with no light left in his eyes.

Tiana felt extremely sorrowful.

She forced the porridge she bought into Leo Sutton’s hands, "Leo, the children still need you, have something to eat."

Leo sat there in a daze.

His mind was filled with what Kiera said before she died.

Even near death, Kiera was still fulfilling his and Tiana’s wishes.

A wife so considerate and understanding was hard to find in this world.

Leo accepted the porridge box Tiana handed over, his hands trembling.

He bowed his head, weeping.

"Tiana, when my wife died, she said in the next life..."

She must have wanted to say that in the next life, she wanted to marry him again, but she didn’t finish.

"I want to tell her, in the next life I will actively pursue her, I will marry her as my wife."

"But I hadn’t spoken, and Kiera had already..."

She closed her eyes forever, leaving with regret along with her deep blessing and fulfillment for him, departing this world.

An iron-willed man couldn’t help but tremble and sob at this point.

Tiana didn’t know how to comfort Leo Sutton.

She thought of many good things Kiera did for her.

Such a bright, open-hearted, kind, and lovely woman deserved to live blissfully and sweetly with the outstanding Leo Sutton till old age.

Just that afternoon, Kiera was still smiling at her.

How could she have gone ahead of her?

...

The next day.

Leo Sutton gathered himself together.

There were three children at home who needed his care, Laura, Daisy, and the newborn baby.

He had to pull himself together.

He was handling Kiera’s affairs.

Tiana stayed at the hospital, helping him take care of the hospitalized baby and Kiera’s sick parents.

The two went from the neonatal observation room to Kiera’s parents’ ward together.

Seeing Leo’s tired face, lips dry, Tiana opened a bottle of mineral water and handed it to him.

"Leo, have some water first."

Leo stopped and took the bottle, thanking her.

From a distance, a pair of cold, jealous eyes watched the bottle transfer from Tiana’s hand to Leo’s hand.

It was Aiden Grant.

Christopher Grant beside him also stopped.

Seeing him watching Tiana and Leo together, with anger and jealousy in his eyes, Christopher asked, "Aiden, are you jealous again?"

Aiden’s response to Christopher was to stride away.

He walked straight towards Tiana and Leo.

Leo glanced at Aiden, losing his wife recently, he had no heart to talk to anyone.

Aiden looked at Leo at this moment, "I’ve heard Attorney Chaucer died in childbirth?"

Leo ignored him, "Tiana, let’s go."

Tiana followed Leo.

Her slender, frail figure, like a shadow, stayed close behind Leo.

The next moment, a man behind her stretched out his arm, pulling Tiana tightly towards him.

"Tiana, Kiera just died, and you can’t wait to be with Leo Sutton."

Aiden didn’t know where his anger came from.

Seeing Tiana with Leo, he couldn’t quench the fire in his heart.

Reason was eroded bit by bit by anger.

That face, stunningly beautiful, was gloomy as a coming storm.

"Tiana, have you no shame?"

"Let her go." Leo returned to Tiana’s side.

Aiden, not letting go, glanced between Tiana and Leo, let out a laugh.

"The wife barely cold, yet you parade with the other woman."

"Leo Sutton, you’re not fit to be a man."

Leo Sutton: "I said, let Tiana go."

Whether he was fit to be a man wasn’t for Aiden to judge.

He didn’t regard Aiden as worthy.

Aiden pretended not to hear him either.

Aiden pulled Tiana along, "Come with me."

"What are you doing, let me go." Tiana struggled.

But her strength was no match for Aiden Grant’s, and she was quickly dragged a few steps away by him.

Her other wrist was suddenly grabbed by Leo Sutton, "Let her go!"

When turning back, Aiden’s eyes were filled with a cold, possessive declaration, "What if I don’t let go?"

The two men locked eyes.

Their gazes clashed like swords, ready to erupt into chaos.

Not good!

A fight was about to break out!

Realizing this, Christopher Grant quickly stepped forward, pulled Tiana Linden away from both of them, and then released her.

"Don’t make things difficult for Tiana."

Tiana rubbed her wrist that had just been gripped tightly by Aiden.

Ouch... This man must be crazy. If Christopher hadn’t stepped in, Aiden might have broken her wrist.

She glared angrily at Aiden.

Aiden grabbed her wrist again, "Come with me."

"Lawyer Sutton, just let Aiden and Tiana say a few words, just a few words." Christopher blocked Leo, "Lawyer Sutton, I also have something to talk to you about."

Only then did Leo stop chasing after them.

Christopher reassured, "Lawyer Sutton, I know you and Tiana are innocent."

Christopher didn’t know Leo very well, but he knew Tiana.

Tiana was someone Christopher had watched grow up.

It’s impossible that she would seduce a married man, and even less possible she would have any inappropriate relationship with Leo Sutton right after Kiera’s body wasn’t even cold yet.

Thinking of the irrational Aiden, Christopher felt both ashamed and apologetic.

"Lawyer Sutton, just consider Aiden a madman. When it comes to matters concerning Tiana, he loses his mind easily. Don’t take his words to heart."

"And about Attorney Chaucer’s matter... my condolences!"

Saying this, Christopher patted Leo’s shoulder.

Drawing his hand back, he continued, "Lawyer Sutton, there’s something I’d like you to convey to Tiana."

Leo viewed Christopher as someone with proper values, "What is it?"

Christopher: "I want to talk to Tiana about Daisy’s background."

Leo: "Tell me more."

Christopher: "Aiden has been investigating Daisy’s background. He reflected on his previous actions and felt he let Daisy down. If Daisy is his biological daughter, he plans to fight Tiana for custody. I don’t want to see Tiana and Aiden ending up in a bitter confrontation."

At this point, Christopher spoke earnestly, "Lawyer Sutton, Tiana trusts you. Could you persuade her to have a good talk with Aiden?"

If this matter could have been discussed, it would have been settled long ago.

Tiana had been wronged, misjudged, suffered hardship, endured misery, and was deeply hurt.

Now even Daisy was repeatedly, almost jeopardized due to Aiden.

Leo understood the seriousness of the situation.

He said firmly, "Tiana told me that Daisy is Hector Chaucer’s daughter. Please also let President Grant know not to go to such lengths."

...

The hospital corridor.

Tiana could no longer tolerate Aiden.

She struggled vigorously, "Aiden, let go."

Aiden stopped, but still held her slender wrist tightly, "Tiana, why do you have to be with Leo Sutton? His wife just died and you’re in such a rush, does your conscience not hurt?"

Tiana gave up struggling.

She was almost amused with anger, "Aiden, why do you always have to interfere in my business?"

Upon hearing this, Aiden weakly let go of her.

Because...

Because he never truly let Tiana go.

As Christopher had said, from beginning to end, he never let Tiana go.

Seeing her with Leo Sutton made him burn with jealousy.

His anger was slowly escalating.

But his tone turned earnest, "Tiana, what kind of life do you really want?"

At that time, Tiana and he were inseparable.

Her eyes were only for him.

She said the life she wanted was simple.

She only wanted to give him a pair of children.

As long as she could see him every day upon waking, she would be content.

But everything changed.

Now Aiden couldn’t understand what kind of life Tiana wanted.

Hector Chaucer, Leo Sutton... which of these men could give her happiness?

Tiana was again amused with anger.

What kind of life did she want?

She wanted never to have met Aiden; she wished for Aiden never to appear before her again, nor get involved with her Daisy.

But this man always assumed, lingering like a haunting shadow.

She shook off Aiden, "My affairs are none of your business."

Aiden sneered, "Kiera treated you as a sister, yet you slept with her man, and while her body is barely cold, you waltz right in. Tiana, are you planning to thoroughly walk down this path of no return, disregarding all sense of honor, integrity, and conscience?"

"Yes." Tiana tightly clutched her clothes, "You have morals, you have a conscience, you’re noble—so why waste words on a vile and shameless person like me?"

"Kiera just died. Even if you want to be with Leo Sutton, can’t you wait for a while?"

"..."

"Tiana, aren’t you afraid people will talk behind your back? Or perhaps..."

"Let them talk behind my back then." Tiana refused to give any explanations, abruptly interrupting Aiden.

Seeing her so ungrateful, Aiden took a deep, heavy breath.

His disappointment in her was overwhelming.

"Tiana, since you’re so oblivious to everything, let’s discuss business."

After a brief pause, Aiden’s expression turned grave.

"Tiana, the police said that Daisy claimed someone put a sack over her head and threw her into the river."

"When Daisy woke up, she found herself mysteriously lying at the entrance of an alley in the slum. Is this true?"

Tiana countered with a question, "Who told you to look into Daisy’s matters?"

Aiden pressed further, "After Daisy came home, did she tell you anything else? Does she remember what the person looked like?"

Tiana warned, "Aiden, stay out of Daisy’s affairs. This has nothing to do with you."

His response was resolute, "Someone is plotting against Daisy from behind the scenes. I cannot stand by and do nothing."

This firm stance left Tiana silent.

She began to worry.

If Aiden discovered that Daisy was his biological daughter, would he fight her for custody?

Recalling her situation with Leo Sutton, anger surged through Aiden’s tense neck, "Tiana, someone as misguided and unrepentant as you can’t even set a good example for Daisy, let alone be fit to be a mother."

Slap!

Tiana used all her strength to slap Aiden hard.

Aiden had no idea how much effort she had put into being a good mother.

Being so slandered, claiming she wasn’t aggrieved or in pain, would be a lie.

As the tears she couldn’t hold back streamed down, her body trembled with rage, her voice shaking as well, "Aiden, you’re in no position to judge me."

Touching his burning cheek, Aiden slowly looked at Tiana, "You don’t admit Daisy is my daughter, fine. I’ll find out everything."

When the time comes, he would take Daisy away from her, allowing Daisy to live the life of a normal child.

Such intentions were so obvious; how could Tiana not know?

Watching Aiden leave, she was filled with a growing dread.

At this moment, Leo Sutton approached Tiana.

Tiana panicked, "Leo, there’s no time to find a foster family for Daisy. After Kiera is laid to rest, could you adopt Daisy?"

She felt immensely guilty, "I know bringing this up with you now is inconsiderate of me. But I have no choice, Aiden will only keep making Daisy suffer."

Besides, Daisy doesn’t like Aiden at all; she even hates him.

If Daisy stayed with Aiden, not only would she be unhappy, her life might even be in danger.

Without a second thought, Leo said, "Before Kiera died..."

Kiera’s passing made Leo choke up involuntarily.

After a pause, he continued, "Before Kiera died, she asked me to make sure to adopt Daisy. You don’t need to worry about that. But..."

"But what?"

"The adoption paperwork must be finalized after you..."

Leo couldn’t bring himself to say "die."

He had just sent off his beloved wife.

Soon, he would part with the ill-fated Tiana standing before him.

The old Chinese doctor in Kaneport told him that they were lucky to have sought him out; otherwise, Tiana’s demise was imminent in the coming days.

Even with the doctor’s miraculous skills, he could extend Tiana’s life by at most half a month.

Such partings were excruciatingly painful.

Leo’s eyes reddened suddenly, "Tiana, the adoption can only be formalized after your death."

As a lawyer, he knew the procedures at the notary office better than anyone.

Leo added, "If the adoption is not formalized, I won’t be Daisy’s guardian, and if Aiden fights for custody, I won’t even have the right to go to court against him."

Tiana quickly asked, "Once the adoption is finalized and you have guardianship, you can fight Aiden in court?"

"Yes. But if the adoption isn’t finalized, and Aiden files a lawsuit, you will be the defendant. Such lawsuits from filing to trial to conclusion take at least three months."

Three months... Tiana wouldn’t survive that long.

"After your death, there’s no need for the lawsuit; custody and guardianship will naturally fall to Aiden since he’s Daisy’s biological father."

"Leo, would it be possible to forge a death certificate to let you obtain guardianship in advance?"

"No. Forging evidence would be even more detrimental to us, unless..."

Leo continued, "There is another way, which could allow me to immediately gain custody and guardianship of Daisy."

But he didn’t know if Tiana would be willing.

Tiana just wanted Daisy to stay far away from Aiden, to avoid any more harm.

She was desperate to know this method.

Anxiously, she asked, "Leo, unless what? What other good method is there?"