Delayed Regrets: He Regretted Only After Her Death-Chapter 65: She Was Always His Biological Daughter
The people who came were Daniel Linden and James Linden, along with the Linden family’s butler, Uncle Cameron, carrying things.
They heard that Tiana Linden and Leo Sutton had registered their marriage, and came especially to offer their congratulations.
But to call it congratulations, they also had their own motives.
Tiana looked toward the Linden father and son.
As a child, these two had held up her whole world.
They cherished and spoiled her, never letting her suffer the slightest grievance.
They had once been the dearest, most beloved people in her life, ones she was willing to protect with her very life.
She had once hoped to be like before with these two, always living together in love and harmony.
But now, seeing the Linden father and son again, all those beautiful feelings vanished in an instant.
They made her feel suffocated, repulsed, disgusted, and hateful.
Her gaze toward the two was, naturally, cold as ice.
The moment her cold eyes met theirs, the enthusiasm on their faces dimmed by half.
The two called her, each in turn, but she didn’t respond, making the situation even more awkward and embarrassing.
The Linden family butler, Uncle Cameron, hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Tiana, your father and your brother heard that you got married, so they came specially to deliver your dowry."
The Linden family butler, Uncle Cameron, had always treated Tiana very well.
Even though she was no longer the Linden family’s heiress, Uncle Cameron still cared for her as before.
Though his face bore a long, ugly scar, he was kind-hearted and always gentle.
For Uncle Cameron’s sake, Tiana didn’t drive James Linden and Daniel Linden away on the spot.
At this point, James Linden hurried to add, "That’s right, Tiana, your brother and I came specially to bring you your dowry. Even though you aren’t my biological daughter, I was both mother and father to you and raised you with my own hands. I’ve always treated you as my real daughter. Now that you’re married, how could I not prepare a dowry for you!"
He spoke flawlessly, leaving no room for criticism.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think James Linden really treated her as his own daughter.
With Tiana being so cold, it turned out she was the unreasonable one instead.
But those present, be it Leo Sutton, or Kiera Chaucer’s parents Catherine Armstrong and Gabriel Chaucer, they all knew what Tiana had been through.
A father and real brother who had doted on her since she was little, personally sending her to prison—Tiana’s life was truly tragic.
The first to respond to James Linden was Catherine Armstrong, her face chilled:
"Our Tiana doesn’t need your dowry. Even if she did, I and Mr. Chaucer would prepare it for her."
Then, Catherine Armstrong slammed the chopsticks in her hand onto the table, "Leave. You’re not welcome here."
Tiana and Leo Sutton’s marriage was fake.
This binding marriage was merely so Daisy’s custody could smoothly transfer to Leo Sutton.
With no real marriage, Tiana also had no need for a dowry.
James Linden and Daniel Linden didn’t quite understand Catherine Armstrong’s words.
Daniel Linden shot a puzzled look at Leo Sutton. "Leo Sutton, these two are...?"
It was Gabriel Chaucer, Kiera’s father, with a dark face, who responded to Daniel Linden: "We are Leo Sutton’s father and mother-in-law, also Kiera’s parents. In the future, we’ll also be Tiana’s parents."
This daughter wouldn’t live much longer.
In her remaining days, when no one else would love and cherish her, he and his wife would.
Gabriel Chaucer and Catherine Armstrong had heard from their daughter Kiera about what James Linden and Daniel Linden had done to Tiana.
Those deeds were truly outrageous.
With just a few words, James Linden and Daniel Linden were totally confused.
If these were Leo Sutton’s ex-wife Kiera’s parents, shouldn’t they be opposed to Tiana marrying Leo Sutton?
After all, Kiera’s funeral had just ended; even the first seven days weren’t over yet.
These two not only agreed to Tiana marrying Leo Sutton, they even treated her as their own daughter?
What on earth was going on?
The reason behind all this was something James Linden and Daniel Linden just couldn’t figure out.
They both cast their questioning glances at Tiana.
Daniel Linden stepped forward, pulled Tiana up from the table, walked a few steps away, and asked in a low voice:
"Tiana, Kiera’s parents didn’t bully you, did they?"
Tiana marrying Leo Sutton before Kiera’s first seven days had even passed—she was in the wrong here.
But Tiana was still his real little sister.
If Kiera’s parents dared give Tiana a hard time, Daniel would be the first to object.
"The ones wanting to bully me... are you, aren’t they?" In a flush of disgust, Tiana shook off Daniel.
Angry, she coughed fiercely a few times.
Over at the table, Daisy and Catherine Armstrong, Kiera’s mother, hurried over in concern.
"Mommy, are you okay?"
"Tiana, are you alright?"
Daisy was afraid her mom wasn’t feeling well.
On their very first day moving into Leo’s house, Mommy had coughed up blood again.
The little girl glared at Daniel Linden.
Her big round eyes flashed with fierce anger.
"Big meanie! You can’t bully my mommy."
Daniel felt a pang in his heart. "Tiana, look at your child—you raised her. I’m still Daisy’s uncle, after all. Does she have any manners at all?"
The story of Daisy’s ear injury in prison, Kiera had also told Catherine Armstrong about.
Back then, Daniel stood by and did nothing, even considered Daisy a little bastard.
What right did someone like that have to call himself uncle?
Bah!
More like a pig or a dog.
Catherine Armstrong wasn’t going to let this scum bully Tiana and Daisy any longer.
She grabbed a big vase from the cabinet and raised it high over Daniel’s head.
"Get lost! If you don’t, I’ll smash your head open."
Daniel’s head had already been smashed open by Tiana before.
The pain of stitches was unbearable.
He quickly stepped back a few paces.
Retreating, he shielded his head with his hand.
"Auntie, don’t be impulsive."
"Calm down! Please calm down."
"Let’s just talk things over, alright?"
Catherine Armstrong and her daughter Kiera were both straightforward types.
She still held the vase aloft. "Bah, with scum like you, there’s nothing to talk about. Get lost!"
Since things were at this point, Daniel stopped beating around the bush.
He looked at Tiana, who was being shielded by Catherine Armstrong, and said, "Tiana. I promised you that if you got married, I’d prepare you a generous dowry. But I have one condition—from now on, you live peacefully with Leo Sutton, and you’re not allowed to see Aiden Grant anymore."
With that, Daniel pulled out a document.
"Tiana, as long as you sign this agreement—guaranteeing you’ll never see Aiden Grant again—I’ll give you the fifteen percent AI research and development shares I’ve prepared. But if you get involved with him again, those shares—"
Bam!
Catherine Armstrong couldn’t hold back any longer and hurled the vase at Daniel.
What dowry.
This was just guarding against Tiana as if she were a thief.
"Get out! My daughter doesn’t care for your dowry."
Crackling shards of porcelain clattered all over the floor.
Daniel jumped back.
No matter how quick he moved, he couldn’t completely avoid the flying shards—one even sliced his cheek open. Hiss... That hurt!
Pressing his wound, Daniel looked in utter incomprehension at Catherine Armstrong and Tiana.
Why would Kiera’s mother protect Tiana like her own daughter, instead of opposing Tiana taking Kiera’s place as Mrs. Sutton in the Sutton Family?
The scene had grown so unruly that James Linden stepped forward, his face grim. He dropped all pretense and said directly:
"Tiana, if you don’t need a dowry, then we don’t need to warm up to you anymore."
"Let’s be frank now and speak clearly."
"Since you’re married to Leo Sutton, just settle down and live your life. Don’t repeat your old ways of being fickle."
"Vivian is my daughter. When she was young, I’ve always kept her outside, I owe her too much. Now, with Aiden Grant and Vivian’s wedding approaching, I won’t allow any mishaps, and I absolutely won’t allow you to sabotage their relationship."
"You’d better just live quietly with Leo Sutton and stay away from Aiden Grant. Stop showing up in front of him every now and then."
"Otherwise, don’t blame me for cutting father-daughter ties."
Bam!
Another crash as porcelain shattered.
This time it was the furious Gabriel Chaucer smashing a rice bowl at James Linden as he shouted, "Get out!"
"Daniel, let’s go." Getting the cold shoulder, James Linden called out to Daniel.
The two of them skirted the shards and strode out.
Once the father and son left, they got in the car.
A stretch Lincoln pulled away from The Sovereign.
In the car, Daniel was still utterly confused.
"Dad, were those people who spoke up for Tiana really Kiera’s parents? Did they recognize Tiana as their goddaughter or something?"
James Linden was also unsure about this.
Daniel spoke to himself, "But that’s impossible. Kiera just died, and Tiana married Leo Sutton. Those two old people should be boiling with rage, if not laid up in mourning."
Yeah, James Linden was bewildered too.
Where else in the world would a couple, whose own daughter just died, be so unbothered that their son-in-law immediately married a new wife—and not only not angry, but treating the new wife like a daughter?
Daniel went on, "Could there be some hidden truth behind Tiana’s marriage?"
James Linden couldn’t care less about that; he said darkly, "As long as she doesn’t get involved with Aiden Grant again, that’s all that matters."
Back at The Sovereign, in the Sutton family’s dining room.
Ms. Quinn cleaned up the shards, and the kitchen made a few new dishes.
The family gathered back at the table.
Kiera’s parents, Catherine Armstrong and Gabriel Chaucer, served dishes to Tiana as they comforted her.
"Tiana, don’t pay any mind to those pigs and dogs."
"Let them go dote on their conniving little darling."
"Don’t feel bad, alright? From now on, you have us who care about you. If they dare bully you again, your Uncle Chaucer and I will never allow it."
They’re uncle and aunt, but to Tiana, they felt as dear as real parents.
She was so moved that hot tears rolled down her cheeks.
Catherine Armstrong, thinking of her own departed and ill-fated daughter as well as Tiana’s own tragic fate, couldn’t help but tear up too.
Choking up, she wiped Tiana’s tears. "My girl, don’t cry. Let’s make the most of the time we have left, and be well, really well!"
"Auntie, can I call you Mom?" Seeing Catherine Armstrong, Tiana thought of her own late mother.
On that day, that month, that year—just after Tiana was born into this world, her mother had died in childbirth, just like Kiera.
When her mother, Wanda Townsend, passed away, she didn’t know James Linden was already having an affair with Vivian’s mother, Sharon Sullivan.
Back then, Vivian was already two or three months along in Sharon’s belly.
In other words, when her mother was pregnant with her, James Linden was already cheating with Sharon.
And Sharon was her mother’s closest friend.
Her mother was so pitiful!
With Catherine Armstrong, Tiana felt the same strong motherly love.
She threw herself into Catherine’s arms, and even before Catherine could answer, she called out with heartfelt sincerity, "Mom, thank you!"
Thank you for giving her understanding, sympathy, tolerance, and unconditional love in the last days of her life.
"Oh!" Catherine Armstrong answered with excitement.
Thinking of her own late daughter, Catherine seemed to see Kiera in Tiana.
"Daisy, from now on these are your grandparents," Tiana hurriedly pulled Daisy over.
Daisy really liked these two kind elders.
When she called them Grandpa and Grandma, her eyes too were brimming with tears.
Leo Sutton, seeing this scene, got a bit misty-eyed as well.
He gazed out at the distant sky beyond the dining room window. If his wife Kiera could see this from above, she would surely be comforted too.
...
Leo Sutton’s study.
After lunch, Gabriel Chaucer called Leo in.
Gabriel Chaucer wore a heavy look: "Leo, Daisy’s biological father is Aiden Grant, the major shareholder of Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals, right?"
"Yes." Leo nodded. "Dad, are you worried he’ll try to take Daisy’s custody from me?"
Gabriel frowned, thinking, "That’s not a worry. He probably doesn’t even know Daisy is his biological daughter. Besides, didn’t Kiera say Daisy twice almost died at his hands?"
Leo poured Gabriel a cup of tea and handed it over. "That’s true."
Gabriel took the tea and said decisively, "If that’s the case, even if Aiden Grant does try to fight for custody, he wouldn’t win in court. I’m actually worried about something else..."
Leo sat down, "Dad, what are you worried about?"
Gabriel continued, "Daisy is clearly Aiden Grant’s biological daughter, but the paternity test says otherwise. Someone must’ve tampered with the result. So when Tiana and James Linden did a paternity test all those years ago, it’s very possible someone meddled then too. Tiana might actually be James Linden’s real daughter."
In wealthy circles, such despicable power plays are all too common.
Gabriel truly felt sorry for Tiana. He asked again, "Leo, has Tiana ever suspected this?"
Leo replied, "Lately, all of Tiana’s thoughts have been about finding an adoptive family for Daisy. She hasn’t brought up this matter."
Gabriel: "Leo, find a chance to talk to Tiana. That girl has had it so rough. Whatever help we can give, we should."
Leo: "...Dad, thank you!"
Gabriel: "I’m not doing it for you. Looking after Tiana was Kiera’s last wish."
He considered it a way of carrying merit for his daughter.
May Kiera be his daughter in the next life too, to be spoiled and loved, to stay safe and healthy, live long and never know such tragedy again.
Evening.
Tiana and Leo visited Penelope in the hospital.
Penelope was doing well and would be discharged in a couple days.
On the way back, Leo drove. "Tiana, do you remember the paternity tests you did with James Linden back then?"
Tiana wasn’t willing to talk about it.
But since Leo asked, she decided to tell him everything. "I remember. James Linden didn’t believe I wasn’t his real daughter, so he did a total of five tests, but the results were all the same."
Leo, driving, asked, "Anything suspicious there?"
Tiana, from the back seat, thought for a moment. "No. Everything seemed perfectly normal, but I suspect all five paternity reports were tampered with by Sharon Sullivan and Vivian."
The car stopped at a red light.
Leo turned around and looked at her, "So you think you actually might be James Linden’s real daughter?"
That was just Tiana’s intuition.
She had no direct proof.
And she didn’t want to seek proof anymore.
"Tiana." Leo suddenly wanted to restore justice for her. "Let me handle this. I’ll arrange a meeting with James Linden, quietly take the cup he drinks from, and do a paternity test with you. That way, we’ll know if he’s really your father."
Something this significant should have made Tiana excited.
But instead, her emotion only grew heavier.
How long did she have left to live?
A month, maybe—thirty days at most?
Even if she proved she was James Linden’s real daughter, what did it matter?
She gave a bitter smile. "Don’t bother. James Linden isn’t worth any more of my time or energy. Besides, if he knew I was actually his daughter, it would only add to the pain. Let’s just leave it. Cough, cough..."
As she spoke, Tiana suddenly started coughing.
She beat her aching chest.
After a few violent coughs, a gush of blood surged up.
Her red polka dot dress was instantly stained a deep color by the blood.
Leo hurriedly used a tissue to wipe blood from the corner of her mouth, torn with panic.
Just then, the traffic light turned green.
The car horns behind blared one after another, insistent and urgent.
Tiana took the tissue from Leo’s hand, her voice weak: "Leo, never mind me—pull over, don’t block the others."
Two minutes later, Leo parked the car under a tree by the roadside.
He opened the back door and bent over, gazing at Tiana in concern.
Tiana had already wiped off the blood at her lips.
But her clothes were still stained deep with blood.
"Tiana, let me take you to the hospital."
Tiana answered, barely holding on, "It’s useless. Leo, don’t worry about whether I’m James Linden’s real daughter. I don’t want any connection with him at all."
She couldn’t forget how the father who once cherished her like a jewel, sent her to prison and onto Harvey Patton’s bed.
Even if they were related by blood, she would never acknowledge him again.
The car was thick with a heavy scent.
It was the smell of blood.
And the breath of death.
Tiana knew her time was up, and there were many things she no longer wished to know the answer to.
With a gentle smile full of pain in her eyes, she said, "Leo, after I die, as long as you can keep James Linden, Daniel, and Aiden Grant from attending my funeral, I’ll die satisfied."
