Delayed Regrets: He Regretted Only After Her Death-Chapter 72: It’s Confirmed, Daisy Is His Daughter!
Tonight’s banquet, Hector Chaucer didn’t invite Aiden Grant.
Aiden came uninvited.
That tall, upright figure strode calmly past all the security guards trying to stop him and walked inside.
"Mr. Grant, you can’t go in."
"Without an invitation, you’re not allowed inside."
Under the lights of the banquet, Aiden kept his relaxed pace.
He didn’t make things hard for those security guards.
He responded, gentlemanly:
"When you see President Chaucer, I’ll explain everything. I won’t make trouble for you."
Aiden refused to believe it.
He and Hector Chaucer had been friends for nearly thirty years.
He hadn’t received an invite for tonight’s banquet in advance—surely a staff oversight.
Hector couldn’t have intentionally left him out.
"I’m your President Chaucer’s best friend."
"I don’t need an invitation."
Aiden did have a strong point.
Long legs.
He walked at his own calm pace, but several security guards were struggling to keep up, jogging behind him.
They were polite as well, "Mr. Grant, you’re Aiden Grant from Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals, President Grant, right?"
Aiden kept his stride, replying with a cool "Mm."
The guard hurried after him, still polite, "Mr. Grant, President Chaucer gave explicit instructions—anyone with an invitation can enter, except you, sir. Please understand, don’t make it tough for us workers, okay?"
Only then did Aiden stop, turn sideways, and look at the guard speaking to him, "Hector Chaucer himself gave those orders?"
He was calm and poised, the picture of civility.
But it felt like there was a ball of soaked cotton stuffed in his chest.
Heavy.
A wave of suffocation.
Seeing the guard nod, Aiden said decisively, "Impossible."
He was Hector’s best friend.
Even back during the medical dispute incident, Hector took a knife for him, saved his life—his savior.
But when Hector was a boy, at the Zane grandson’s birthday party, thrown into water by his own family, unable to swim—it was Aiden who jumped in to save him.
He and Hector were friends to the death.
Their friendship had survived life-and-death trials.
Even with Tiana Linden between them, Hector shouldn’t have turned against him to this extent.
He refused to believe it.
He started moving again, striding swiftly through the crowd.
...
Hector Chaucer knew Aiden Grant would force his way into the banquet.
Not bothered, he whispered to Gordon Lowell, "Don’t worry about him."
He knew Aiden well.
The man knew his limits—he wouldn’t cause trouble at an event like this.
If he did, he wouldn’t be Aiden Grant.
It was the little Daisy cuddling in his arms that made Hector feel especially warm.
He couldn’t help but hold her a little longer.
Right now, Daisy’s chubby little hand was wrapped around his neck, talking to him.
As she spoke, the adorable girl snuggled close to his ear and whispered a secret.
Actually, the little one didn’t say much—she just thought Mr. Chaucer really was handsome, handsomer than Leo Sutton and Uncle Christopher. So she whispered it to him.
Leo Sutton, holding Laura, saw Daisy instantly getting along with Hector at their first meeting, and felt gratified.
But after all, he was Daisy’s guardian.
He suddenly felt jealous of Hector.
"Daisy, what did you say to your daddy Chaucer?"
Daisy was already used to Leo Sutton and spoke without fear, "Daddy Sutton, that’s a secret between me and Daddy Chaucer. Can I not tell you?"
Leo Sutton smiled, "You say it’s a secret, and I’d still have the nerve to keep asking?"
A pair of cold eyes watched this warm scene between them.
At that moment, Aiden Grant believed that Daisy really was Hector Chaucer’s daughter.
No matter how much he liked Daisy.
Every time Daisy saw him, she’d push him away.
But right now, the little girl, in Hector’s arms, was hugging his neck with her soft, chubby hand.
And Hector, whose eyes were usually empty and numb, now looked at Daisy with such tenderness.
Father and daughter, how close they appeared.
Aiden admitted, he was jealous.
Back when he and Tiana were together, he’d imagined so many times what their daughter would look like.
She would definitely be just like Tiana—delicate, beautiful.
With big, bright eyes.
A perfect oval face, with a gentle, quietly captivating charm.
Just like Daisy.
Even Daisy’s name—he’d picked it himself, back then: Ginny Linden.
To cherish and hold, wholehearted devotion.
But Daisy was Hector Chaucer’s child.
Tiana had once said—
She’d always be Aiden Grant’s woman.
She wanted to open her eyes every day and see him.
She wanted to give him a daughter.
Yet right now, the picture of Hector holding Daisy shattered all the dreams Aiden and Tiana once shared.
Aiden kept telling himself to stay calm, to let go.
And last night, he made one final call to Tiana Linden.
He urged her, one last time: since she’d married Leo Sutton, she should live her life well, be a good Mrs. Sutton, and stop her shameless ways.
As the ex-boyfriend she’d hurt so deeply, this was all he could say.
So his gaze at Daisy and Tiana went from burning pain, to disguised indifference, to forced calm.
He tried to appear composed, walked up to Hector and stood before him, "Hector, congratulations!"
The banquet was to celebrate Hector’s acquittal in court.
As Hector’s best friend, Aiden of course had to offer congratulations.
Just then, Hector broke his gaze from Daisy’s cute face.
Hector responded to Aiden with a look that dulled, chilled: "I don’t need it."
The meaning couldn’t have been clearer.
Hector Chaucer didn’t need Aiden’s congratulations.
Aiden instantly understood, "Hector Chaucer, did you deliberately not give me an invitation?"
Grown-up quarrels—Hector didn’t want the kids to see.
He handed Daisy over to Leo Sutton.
Leo quickly led Laura, Daisy, and Tiana away.
Every time Daisy saw Aiden, her mood dropped instantly: "Mommy, I don’t want to see that man again."
Leo, holding Laura, leaned his head gently to Daisy’s:
"Don’t worry, Daddy Sutton will protect you. I won’t let him hurt you again."
Just then, Jane Summers brought Joshua over to Leo and Tiana.
Jane said, "Lawyer Sutton, can you take the three kids to play for a while? I need to talk to Tiana, just five minutes."
Leo looked at Tiana.
Tiana said, "Leo, take the kids out to play. I’ll come find you soon."
At that, Leo was still worried.
She’d only fainted at the cemetery yesterday.
Leo didn’t want Tiana out of his sight, "Tiana, I’ll be right nearby. Call me if you need anything."
Tiana nodded gratefully, "Okay."
The night breeze softly swept the outdoor banquet.
Not far away, glasses clinked, mingled laughter and luxury.
Jane Summers sat down on a plush sofa.
When a waiter passed, she ordered two glasses of red wine, handing one to Tiana.
When Tiana sat, she declined, "Sorry, I don’t drink now. Let’s talk."
"Alright." Jane raised her glass and downed it in one go.
The wine, all emptied in a gulp.
A rush of suffocating emotion surged up.
Once, she and Tiana were childhood best friends.
But because Tiana betrayed both the Linden and Grant Families, and Aiden Grant— the sisters had long stopped speaking.
It wasn’t that Tiana avoided her.
She just didn’t want to be friends with shameless Tiana anymore.
But Jane couldn’t stand seeing Tiana be so stubborn; after all, they’d grown up together.
"Tiana, I don’t want to meddle in your past."
"But since you married Leo Sutton, why are you still flirting with Hector Chaucer?"
"Why can’t you just settle down, why abuse yourself over and over?"
Her tone was exactly the same as Aiden’s.
Tiana found it laughable.
So much for sisterhood.
"Jane, unless I flirt with Christopher, you’ve got no right to lecture me."
"No right? Tiana, I’m just trying to help you..."
Tiana cut her off, "Jane Summers, if you really care about me, next time you visit, bring me some eustoma flowers. They’re my favorite."
Facing death, a lot can be let go.
She didn’t blame Jane Summers.
Jane didn’t understand.
She would only realize, too late to regret, at Tiana’s funeral not long after.
But that’s another story.
...
The banquet brimmed with guests.
Everyone dressed impeccably, exuding grace and ease.
But in this lively banquet, Hector never gave Aiden a welcoming face.
"Mr. Grant, are you going to kindly leave of your own accord?"
"Or shall I call security?"
To Hector’s cold words, Aiden responded with a mocking laugh.
He laughed at their old friendship.
"Hector Chaucer, from beginning to end, I’ve never done anything to let you down."
"You really want to break up with me?"
Christopher Grant, standing nearby, saw things getting so ugly between them. He tried to chime in a few times, but couldn’t.
Christopher tugged Aiden’s arm, lowering his voice, reminding, "Aiden, ease up a little."
Aiden turned his head, "Christopher, you’re on Hector’s side now too?"
In fact, regarding Tiana and Hector, Christopher had advised Aiden long ago.
He’d told Aiden not to just look at the surface.
The more normal things seemed outside, the more turbulent they were underneath.
But Aiden never listened.
Hector’s hostility today seemed to have its reasons.
"Come on, I’ll go drink with you." Christopher put an arm around Aiden’s shoulder.
But Aiden angrily shook off Christopher’s hand.
Then Aiden looked at Hector, "Hector Chaucer, you’re really determined to cut me off?"
Calm and unhurried, Hector didn’t answer—he asked, "Do you still remember what I told the prison guard to say to you when you visited me?"
Aiden frowned.
He had no idea why Hector was bringing this up.
Seeing him silent, Hector turned to glance at the man beside him.
That man was his loyal right-hand—Gordon Lowell.
All these years, when Hector was in prison, it was Gordon who played strategist and liaison with him inside and outside.
Gordon nodded, "President Grant, Mr. Chaucer said: If he died, he’d haunt you as a ghost. If he survived and got out, your good days would be over."
The tension suddenly snapped tight, ready to explode.
Their exchange was thick with gunpowder—Aiden and Hector’s standoff bristled with hostility.
Christopher quickly tried to mediate, grabbing two glasses of red wine and pressing one into each of their hands.
"Aiden, Hector, everyone’s watching. Don’t make a scene."
Aiden took the wine.
He let out another low, bitter laugh.
Then, raised his glass.
"Fine. Guess I brought this on myself."
"This drink—to congratulate President Chaucer on his new start."
"Since President Chaucer doesn’t see a brother in me, from now on, we’re done. No more brotherhood."
Aiden drained the glass in one go.
He gripped it tight.
With a crack,
The glass shattered in his hand.
Shattered like so many fragments of glass—and Aiden’s heart.
Blood dripped from his palm onto the floor, but Aiden didn’t care.
He’d always valued his friendship with Hector most.
Even after sleeping with the woman he loved most, he’d run himself ragged while Hector suffered in prison, always trying to make sure someone looked after him inside.
Before Hector’s execution, a man who’d never begged for anything spent days running everywhere for help.
That’s how much Aiden cared about Hector.
But Hector insisted on cutting ties.
"Hector Chaucer, may you reclaim the Chaucer Family, rise high, and find great success."
Hector replied with utter contempt, "Don’t need your blessings."
Since his acquittal, one family disaster after another had struck the Chaucer Family.
The Second and Fourth Chaucer brothers seemed to die by accident, but were really murdered.
Even old Mr. Chaucer, Caleb Chaucer, barely escaped with his life on the way to tonight’s banquet.
Everyone thought Hector had killed for the power to lead the Chaucer Family.
Other people’s opinions didn’t matter to Hector.
Aiden thought so too.
Just like before, when he stubbornly misunderstood everything between Hector and Tiana.
What broke wasn’t just their friendships—but trust.
Hector, ever skilled at hiding behind numb eyes, now spoke flatly: "See him out!"
...
That night, Christopher Grant drank with Aiden Grant all night.
Toward gray dawn, Aiden insisted on seeing Hector Chaucer.
After Hector moved out of the Chaucer Estate, he lived in the Imperial Villa of Star River Bay.
Back then, the three of them bought the same brand of Hongqi car and villas in the same upscale neighborhood.
Some things hadn’t changed.
Everything had changed.
Christopher helped the drunken Aiden to the entrance of the Imperial Villa.
Just in time to see Hector, sweaty from his morning workout, returning from his run.
"He insisted on coming to see you," Christopher explained to Hector.
Hector took a white towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Let me shower first."
About ten minutes later, Hector’s tall, upright figure came down slowly from the second floor.
Aiden lay passed out on the sofa in the living room.
Hector glanced once, said coolly, "Help him to the guest room to sleep."
Christopher looked his way.
These years in prison hadn’t made Hector slack or bitter.
He worked out more—his lean muscle lines sharper, radiating manly power.
Slender and toned, he walked over to Christopher.
Christopher had to admit, among the three brothers, Hector was best looking, strongest, and most commanding.
He was relieved that prison and death sentence hadn’t broken Hector.
If anything, he was tougher now.
Christopher stood up from beside Aiden, "Hector, I never believed what people said about you and Tiana. Just tell me the truth: you and Tiana, you were always innocent, right?"
Hector replied with his signature calmness.
He sat down on the sofa, coolly said, "If Aiden had just a tenth of your sense, things wouldn’t have gotten so bad."
Christopher seemed struck by lightning, his gaze turned steady and strong, "So you’re saying—you really were innocent all along? Does that mean Daisy is actually Aiden’s biological daughter?"
