Delayed Regrets: He Regretted Only After Her Death-Chapter 63: Daisy Has a Dad Now

Before leaving, Leo Sutton shot Aiden Grant a warning look.

The message was clear: Don’t bother Tiana Linden again.

Then he quickly turned around and caught up to Tiana.

"Tiana, where’s Daisy?"

Tiana opened the car door and looked at Leo Sutton.

"Christopher took his son and picked up Daisy."

"Don’t worry, Daisy will be safe with Christopher. Let’s go get our marriage certificate."

With that, she got into Leo Sutton’s Hummer.

The passenger seat was reserved for Kiera Chaucer.

Even though Kiera had already passed away, Tiana still tactfully sat in the back.

Thinking of Kiera, Tiana’s nose tingled, and she couldn’t help but feel a wave of sorrow.

Leo drove the car, slowly leaving the alley.

The alley was narrow.

The car couldn’t turn around, it could only slowly back out.

Tiana saw Aiden Grant standing motionless where he was. She glanced at him, then looked away.

Once, Aiden had stood like this in front of her too, standing in the whole of her youth, even in her life’s dreams, holding an immovable place.

No one could shake his position in her heart.

But now, she just wanted to draw a clear line with this man.

If she could never see him again, that would be true peace.

After looking away, she never spared another glance for Aiden Grant.

Backing the car up, Leo Sutton asked her, "Does Aiden know about us getting our marriage certificate?"

Tiana leaned back tiredly against the seat, and softly gave a hum in reply.

Leo didn’t say anything else, focused instead on backing out.

The car suddenly quieted down.

It wasn’t until the car left the old city neighborhood and sped along the main road that Leo finally broke the silence.

"Tiana, apparently Aiden really hasn’t forgotten you."

"He resents you, but he still deeply loves you, too."

Whether it’s love or not, Tiana didn’t care at all anymore.

Staring out the window at the passing scenery, her mind was flooded with scenes of Daisy being hurt by Aiden over and over again.

This time, Daisy went missing, got shoved into a sack and thrown into the water, then was mysteriously rescued by some stranger. It was even scarier than the last time, when Daisy had that peanut allergy.

She didn’t have time to wonder who it was that saved Daisy.

She only knew that Daisy almost died at Aiden’s hands once again.

So she had to make sure Leo Sutton got custody of Daisy, so Aiden would never have a chance to get close to her again.

As for Aiden’s feelings for her, she didn’t crave them at all, and cared even less.

She’d rather throw away all those foolish memories.

Staring out at the roadside scenery, she stated firmly:

"I wish I’d never met Aiden Grant."

But fate had made them childhood playmates, had forced upon them a tangled, complicated past.

Her life was coming to an end.

She couldn’t erase those ridiculous teenage years and everything that happened.

But she could keep Daisy away from this suspicious, untrustworthy man.

...

An hour later, Tiana and Leo finished getting their marriage certificate.

Then began the process of transferring household registration.

Daisy and Tiana, mother and daughter, were moved onto Leo Sutton’s household register.

Even though Daisy was Leo Sutton’s adopted daughter, the column next to Leo Sutton now read: Father.

Daisy: Daughter.

By law, Leo Sutton and Daisy now shared the same rights and responsibilities as biological parent and child.

Tiana was still worried.

Holding the household registration book, she asked, "Leo, does Daisy’s custody really belong to you now?"

Leo nodded, "Yes. If Aiden tries to sue for custody, I have the right to fight him. And with evidence that Daisy almost died twice under his care, he can’t win."

With the household registration in her hands, Tiana’s eyes welled with tears.

After she died, Daisy would have a dad—Leo Sutton—as well as a big sister, Laura, and a little sister, Penelope.

Daisy would never be all alone again.

That’s wonderful!

Relieved tears streamed down her face.

"Leo, thank you. Now I can die without regrets."

"Don’t say something so unlucky."

Leo Sutton had just buried his wife Kiera, and now he was about to lose Tiana too.

This constant parting by death weighed heavily on his chest.

No one spoke further about it.

The two of them went together to meet up with Christopher.

Tiana picked up Daisy, and thanked Christopher Grant.

Christopher saw Leo Sutton and Tiana together, clearly a couple, and wanted to ask something.

In the end, Christopher stayed silent.

Tiana took the initiative, "Christopher, I’ve registered my marriage with Leo."

Really married?

Christopher was shocked, unable to understand.

Why was Tiana in such a rush to marry Leo Sutton?

Before, he’d always predicted that Aiden and Vivian Linden’s wedding would be ruined.

Maybe Aiden, for Tiana, would call the wedding off.

He’d even hoped Aiden and Tiana could get back together.

But he’d misjudged.

Now, Leo Sutton was by Tiana’s side.

Aiden and Tiana getting back together was no longer possible.

Christopher felt a bit down, "No wonder Aiden kept watch downstairs at your place all night. Tiana, are you in some kind of trouble, is that why you’re rushing into marriage?"

Tiana didn’t answer his question, but asked back, "Christopher, what did Aiden say to you?"

"He..." Christopher didn’t tell the truth.

That bastard—what good could he possibly say?

If he said it, it would only make Tiana upset.

Tiana could guess too, "He probably said I have no moral boundaries, that Kiera just died and her vigil isn’t even over, and already I’m barging in, stealing her man. I must be despicable and shameless, right?"

"It wasn’t that ugly..." Christopher didn’t want the relationship between Aiden and Tiana to get any worse.

He sincerely said, "Tiana, if you ever run into something tough, you can talk to me. Maybe I can help."

Tiana truly felt grateful.

"Christopher, last time I made Jane misunderstand you because of me, I felt awful."

"You’ve already helped me so much. Just assume I have no moral boundaries."

She would never tell Christopher that Daisy is actually Aiden’s biological daughter.

Nor would she tell him the real reason she rushed so quickly to marry Leo Sutton—just to keep custody of Daisy out of Aiden’s reach, as fast as possible.

She didn’t have much time left.

She offered her blessing, "Christopher, you, Jane, and Joshua must be really, really happy together."

Christopher replied, off-topic, "Tiana, I don’t believe you’re someone without any boundaries. There must be a reason, right?"

"..." Tiana just smiled, saying nothing.

So many things in life change and shift.

Her love with Aiden was irrevocably broken, and now they were enemies.

The father she loved most, the brother who spoiled her most—both had sided with Vivian over her, and hurt her again and again.

But Christopher, the childhood neighbor always trusted her.

This trust, Tiana cherished in her heart, endlessly grateful.

When Tiana left with Daisy, Joshua Grant watched Daisy’s little figure from behind, stretching his neck, trying to see her.

Joshua asked his father, "Dad, will Daisy come play with me again?"

"Do you like playing with Daisy?" Christopher gently asked his son.

After his son nodded, Christopher glanced at him, then at Daisy in the distance.

If not for all these changes, Tiana would still be the beloved daughter of The Linden Family—maybe they could see each other all the time.

Maybe Joshua and Daisy could be like Aiden and Tiana, childhood friends, secretly in love.

It would be wonderful, if the two families could be joined in marriage some day.

But childhood friends tend to drift apart.

Aiden and Tiana had gone their separate ways.

Christopher let out a deep sigh.

Joshua lifted his head and asked, "Dad, why are you sighing?"

Christopher answered heavily, "Aunt Tiana’s life has been so hard!"

...

That afternoon, Tiana moved Daisy into The Sovereign.

From now on, The Sovereign would be Daisy’s home.

Leo Sutton took the mother and daughter to their room.

"Tiana, Kiera personally decorated this room for you before she passed away."

"After Daisy was found, Kiera discussed with me about adopting her. She didn’t want Daisy to keep wandering."

"I hadn’t had the chance to tell you yet, and then Kiera..."

Kiera’s death in childbirth—Leo still hadn’t recovered even now.

It was as if Kiera was still around, never having left at all.

It felt like a nightmare.

Leo truly wished he could just wake up from this nightmare.

Tiana looked at the cozy decorations in the room and saw a bouquet of purple lisianthus at the bedside.

That was her favorite flower.

But now, the flowers were dried.

So much had happened in these days, no one had gotten around to throwing them out.

Leo was about to remove the dried flowers from the vase.

Tiana stopped him, "Don’t throw them away."

That was what Kiera had left behind for her.

She wanted to keep it as a memento.

Seeing the new streaks of grey at Leo’s temples, Tiana comforted him:

"Leo, Kiera won’t be lonely. I’ll be going down to be with her soon."

"Once I’m gone, I’ll take care of her."

Leo Sutton: "That’s not comforting at all. I’d rather you didn’t join her down there."

If it were truly a choice, Leo would much rather go himself to be with Kiera.

But they still have their children.

The kids still need him to care for them.

Leo didn’t want to talk about things that hurt so much.

Soon, he changed the subject.

"Tiana, just live here for the rest of your days."

"With you here for Daisy, she’ll adjust to this new home much more quickly."

"Kiera had already told my in-laws about your illness. They feel deeply for what you’ve been through, and for Daisy losing her mom."

"They understand and support the fact that I married you so quickly for Daisy’s custody."

"So you and Daisy can stay here in peace. Don’t feel any psychological burden."

Hearing this, Tiana was moved to tears.

No wonder Kiera was so open-minded and wise—it was all thanks to kind, enlightened parents.

Such elders made Tiana’s heart feel like it was bathed in spring water. "I must properly thank your parents."

"Daisy," Leo crouched down and took Daisy’s little hand.

The love in his eyes poured over Daisy, "From now on, I’m your daddy. Now Daisy has a home."

Leo had been a father before.

Thinking how Daisy would soon lose her mother, and how his own daughters had lost theirs, as a father, his heart ached in sorrow.

From now on, he would shelter his three daughters.

He would lovingly raise the three sisters together.

Daisy gazed at Leo through her teary eyes.

This man wasn’t her real father.

But he was gentler than her dad, more loving, and even warmer.

"...Daddy!" For the first time ever, Daisy tried calling him that.

At this moment, a bridge called family connected Leo and Daisy’s hearts.

Looking up at him, Daisy obediently said, "Daddy, from now on I’ll be really good, I’ll cook, do laundry, mop the floor. I’ll help you take care of Laura and Penelope."

Hearing this, Leo was choked up.

Tiana had taught Daisy so many things at age five, just to make her welcome in her adoptive family—things most children couldn’t do.

He stroked Daisy’s little head with affection, "Here at home, Daisy doesn’t need to cook, do laundry, or mop. You don’t have to take care of Laura or Penelope, either. Daisy just needs to be a little princess and be cared for."

Tiana was already moved to tears beside him.

With Leo looking after Daisy, even death held no regrets.

...

At night, Tiana and Daisy lay on a soft, big bed.

Daisy’s soft, sticky voice was filled with sadness: "Mommy, Laura and Penelope are so pitiful. They don’t have a mommy anymore."

Aunt Kiera was the gentlest woman Daisy had ever met besides her own mom.

But Aunt Kiera, suddenly passed away.

And soon, her own mom would too.

Daisy was so scared.

Tiana comforted her daughter:

"Daisy, from now on you have a home—Daddy Leo, Laura, and Penelope, they’re all your family."

"Mommy and Aunt Kiera will watch over all of you together from the sky."

Overcome with grief, Daisy burrowed into her mother’s arms, sobbing low, "Mommy, but I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to!"

Laura’s mother had died.

Daisy had seen Aunt Kiera taken to the crematorium, placed in that little box, buried in the ground.

Would her own mother be burned to ashes and buried in the earth too?

Daisy didn’t want her mom burned by fire.

Even though she’d known early on about her mom’s grave illness, she still couldn’t accept it.

Her quiet sobs colored the night.

Even the night sky outside the window seemed so mournful.

...

On the other side of the night sky.

Aiden Grant sat in the rooftop garden.

Pen in hand.

A nightscape poured into the canvas, filled with desolation.

Whenever his heart was in turmoil, Aiden would find a quiet place, throwing himself into the peace of painting.

Only then could he find a bit of calm inside.

But in his mind played the image of Tiana turning away, leaving resolutely with Leo Sutton.

The more Aiden tried to be calm,

the less inner peace he found.

Just like back then, when Tiana and Hector had both betrayed him.

One—the woman he loved most. The other—his best friend. Both slept together, putting horns on his head.

Back then, he was just as restless, his mind as chaotic as a stampede.

His hands were impatient, drawing and then stopping, painting and erasing.

That simple picture of the starry night, Aiden worked at it all night.

Beside the easel, a pile of discarded drafts.

Torn into shreds, crumpled into balls, not a single one was decent.

Until sunrise, when the sun leaped over the city’s horizon, its light fell on his easel—the starry night remained unfinished.

He snapped his paintbrush in half with his bare hands.

What broke was the brush, and the arc of his life.

He had once mapped it all out.

In the plan for his life, there was only Tiana.

...

Seven a.m.

The Sovereign.

Tiana and Daisy sat at the Sutton family’s table, eating breakfast with Leo Sutton and Laura.

Leo’s youngest daughter, Penelope, less than a week old, was still in the hospital incubator.

Leo had already transferred Daisy to Laura’s kindergarten, so the two sisters could grow up together.

After breakfast, they planned to drop the two girls off at kindergarten, then go to the hospital.

Just then, the family maid, Ms. Quinn, came over. "Mr. Sutton, Miss Linden, someone’s here to see you."

"Do you know who it is?" Leo peeled some nuts for the girls, handing them out to Laura and Daisy one by one.

At that moment, Aiden Grant marched straight into the dining room uninvited. "Sorry, I let myself in. Leo Sutton, I need to talk to you."