Delayed Regrets: He Regretted Only After Her Death-Chapter 81: Aiden Grant’s Heartbroken Cry: Tiana Linden, You Can’t Die, Please Wake Up!
Emergency Room.
All the medical staff were racing against time to save Tiana Linden.
They completely ignored Aiden Grant’s intrusion.
Only the circulating nurse nearby stepped forward to remind him:
"Sir, this is the emergency room. Please step outside."
Tiana Linden on the operating table was fading in and out of consciousness.
In her mind, it felt as if a door was opening.
There was light behind that door.
That light was gentle and bright.
Her mother’s voice echoed from deep within:
"Tiana, come to mommy."
Mom’s voice was so gentle!
Tiana Linden couldn’t see her mom.
Is mom here to take her away?
But mom, what will happen to Daisy?
She wanted to ask her mom.
Back when mom had a difficult labor bringing her into the world—
Was it the same as now?
Such agonizing reluctance to leave her child.
And such utter despair and helplessness.
"Tiana, hurry and come to mommy."
"But mom, I can’t leave Daisy. Mom, I don’t want to go."
Doctor: "Adrenaline, 1mg. Defibrillator!"
On the vitals monitor—
The fluctuating lines all turned into flat ones.
"Beep!"
The doctor grabbed the defibrillator and tried another round of resuscitation.
But it was declared a failure in the end.
"Time of death: 7:05:20 p.m."
The resuscitation electrode pads on Tiana’s body were removed, one after another.
But suddenly, the hand removing the pads was grabbed.
"...Don’t touch her!"
This broken voice was thick with desperate pleading.
It had only been ten days since Aiden last saw Tiana, and now she was gaunt as dry kindling.
Aiden could barely recognize her.
Only the familiar black mole by Tiana’s ear stabbed painfully at his heart.
His hands were shaking now.
He, as someone trained in medicine, forced himself to calm down as quickly as possible.
Then picked up the electrode pads and stuck them back onto Tiana.
With the defibrillator in his hand, he pressed it to her chest again and again.
"Tiana, get up, you can’t just play dead."
"Tiana, open your eyes..."
Tiana had already been pronounced dead by the doctors.
The physicians remaining in the ER all stopped working and silently watched Aiden Grant.
They understood why Aiden couldn’t accept Tiana’s death.
But none of them could help.
Minutes later, Tiana’s vital signs were still a series of flat, unmoving lines.
Such flat lines left Aiden completely helpless.
But he was still frantic, switching back and forth from the defibrillator to CPR on Tiana.
"Tiana, you haven’t atoned yet! You can’t die!"
"Get up, get up!"
His roaring, despairing cries shook the very air.
The hand performing CPR was suddenly grabbed by Christopher Grant.
Before Aiden could react, Christopher punched him hard in the cheekbone.
"Tiana’s already gone and you still want her to repent. What crime did she ever commit?"
The shouts belonged to both Aiden and Christopher.
Tiana was like a little sister to Christopher, he’d watched her grow up.
But when he called Aiden for the password to get medication, Aiden had coldly refused.
Gripping Aiden’s collar, Christopher threw another punch.
With his heart on the verge of splitting apart, Aiden punched back. "Tiana’s not dead!"
Aiden like this made Jane Summers furious.
She charged forward and kicked Aiden a few times, then slapped him hard several times.
Catherine Armstrong couldn’t hold back either, rushing up to grab Aiden’s collar.
"You Grant bastard, give me back my daughter! Give her back!"
Catherine clawed, pinched, kicked, and hit Aiden.
She had lost her biological daughter, Kiera Chaucer.
Now her newly recognized daughter Tiana Linden was dead too.
Aiden was pummeled and berated by two women.
The scene was utterly chaotic.
Until Daisy’s tiny figure, helpless, walked over to the operating table.
Only then did the ER fall abruptly silent.
Every eye turned to Daisy.
"Mommy..."
Daisy’s childish voice seemed fit to shatter the air.
Her little body pressed close to Tiana.
Her cheek lay against Tiana’s cold face.
Tears slipped off Daisy’s nose.
Falling onto Tiana’s cheek.
And landing deep in everyone’s hearts.
Daisy begged, over and over:
"Mommy, get up and hold me."
"Mommy, hug me, please."
"Mommy, just hold me one more time, okay..."
The pleading tore through everyone’s heart.
No one in the ER was left dry-eyed.
That tiny figure, Daisy, made all Aiden’s guilt and remorse rush straight to his head.
He stepped forward.
At the operating table, he carefully and tenderly picked Daisy up.
"Daisy, I’m sor—"
Daisy didn’t let him finish ’I’m sorry.’
She kicked, flailed, grabbed and hit him in his arms. "Let me down! I want mommy!"
Aiden wouldn’t let go.
He comforted Daisy, "Daisy..."
Hiss—Daisy bit his hand hard.
Blood seeped out.
Aiden didn’t even flinch.
In that moment, he finally understood with perfect clarity.
Tiana had never lied to him.
She truly had cancer.
Three months ago, she brought Daisy to find him, she really truly had reached the end of her road.
But what did he do then?
He threw mother and daughter out of the house.
He refused to acknowledge Daisy as family.
He even insulted her with cruel words.
Now Tiana had no vital signs on this operating table, making him feel like a walking corpse.
He let the anguished Daisy bite his hand with all her strength.
Let her bite through flesh and blood.
He held Daisy tight, filled with regret and guilt, and hugged her tenderly.
"Daisy, I’m sorry!"
Only now did Aiden realize—
Daisy was very likely his own biological child.
But when Tiana later admitted Daisy was Hector Chaucer’s daughter, it was only because she was so hurt by Aiden, she wouldn’t let him and Daisy be family.
He was wrong—so deeply, unforgivably wrong.
He had lost the woman he loved most in this lifetime.
No apology would ever be enough.
"Let go of my daughter."
Seeing Daisy in so much pain, Leo Sutton pulled Daisy away.
He cradled little Daisy carefully in his arms.
"Aiden, Daisy is my daughter."
"You have no right to hold her."
Leo Sutton wanted to beat Aiden senseless.
But he was afraid of scaring Daisy.
So he lowered his voice and said, filled with disappointment:
"Aiden, what’s the point of apologizing now?"
Tiana is already dead!
She would never wake up again.
The bright, joyful Tiana Linden in his memory was gone forever.
Leo Sutton remembered so much of their youth.
Back then, Tiana followed Aiden Grant everywhere like a shadow.
All those excellent boys chased her, but she never looked at a single one.
Her heart was always full of Aiden.
She gave all her youth and trust to this bastard in front of them.
Hatred made Leo Sutton’s eyes redden.
"Grant bastard, because of you, Daisy lost her mom."
"From now on, stay far, far away from Daisy."
Leo Sutton knew Daisy shouldn’t have to see something this cruel.
But he also knew right now Daisy desperately wanted to hug her mom again.
Even if Tiana was already just a corpse.
He carried Daisy to Tiana’s side. "Go ahead, hug your mom one more time."
Daisy nestled into her mother’s arms.
Silently sobbing.
Beside them, Aiden Grant stumbled and crashed into the metal rail of the operating table.
With a thud, he sank to his knees.
On the table, Tiana’s arm hung limp.
Aiden grasped it tightly.
He remembered Tiana’s fingers—pale and delicate.
Now, they felt shriveled, lifeless, ice cold in his grip.
But he couldn’t believe Tiana was really gone.
She was only sleeping.
"Tiana, stop sleeping, get up."
"I believe you."
"I believe you about everything."
"This is my fault."
"I won’t get married."
"Let’s just be a family of three again, okay?"
"Come on, get up."
Desperate, bloody tears streaked his cheeks as he begged, self-deceivingly.
He leaned closer to Tiana.
His face nudged against her cold cheek.
"Tiana, darling, wake up, I’ll take you and Daisy home."
"Don’t touch my mom!"
Daisy shoved Aiden away.
"I won’t let you touch my mom!"
In a storm of grief and shouts, Daisy’s face turned blue and purple.
No one had reacted yet.
Daisy toppled, like a severed branch, straight to the floor.
Aiden rushed to her, but was a step too late.
Leo Sutton already caught Daisy in his arms.
He touched Daisy’s forehead.
It was burning hot!
The child had been out in the rain all night.
Now, grief was overwhelming her.
The medical staff quickly stepped over to check.
"Put her flat on a stretcher!"
The child had gone into sudden shock.
She had no heartbeat or breathing.
The medical team rushed to begin a whole new round of resuscitation.
The emergency room was cleared.
Security personnel ushered everyone outside.
The doors of the ER were shut tight once again.
Out in the hallway, night had fallen completely.
Night had descended.
The fluorescent lights overhead were painfully bright.
Everyone’s mood plunged into an icy abyss under that glare.
As Daisy was being resuscitated, Daniel Linden, James Linden, Vivian Linden, and Sharon Sullivan finally arrived.
Seeing the numb faces in the corridor, their panic grew.
No one said a word.
The silence was broken by Sharon Sullivan, her voice resentful.
"Aiden Grant, how could you leave Vivian all alone at your wedding?"
"Do you have any idea how humiliated Vivian was?"
Sharon’s accusations were met with utter indifference by Aiden.
He was slumped in a corner, devastated.
His mind was consumed by Tiana and her daughter.
Tiana’s death and Daisy’s sudden shock had virtually sucked the life out of him.
He drifted like a zombie, immune to people and noise outside.
Vivian Linden, still in her wedding dress, crouched down and softly asked,
"Aiden, how’s my sister?"
Aiden didn’t respond: "..."
The situation made Daniel Linden panic.
Could it be that Tiana had really gotten into trouble?
He asked Christopher Grant beside him, "Christopher, what happened to Tiana?"
Christopher said nothing: "..."
Panic twisted inside Daniel Linden, wrapping around his chest like vines.
Struggling to breathe, he seized Christopher’s collar.
"Christopher, just tell me—what happened to Tiana?"
Christopher shoved Daniel away angrily, "I sent you a video already, didn’t I?"
Joshua Grant, his eyes red, spoke up:
"Uncle Daniel, Aunt Tiana passed away."
"Daisy also suddenly collapsed from shock."
"The doctors are working to save Daisy now."
Sharon Sullivan snapped, "Kids, don’t talk nonsense. Today’s Vivian’s wedding—don’t mention death."
Joshua stared at her, choking with grief, "I’m telling the truth. Daisy doesn’t have her mom anymore."
Just those few sentences hit Daniel and James Linden like hammers.
Daniel staggered, barely staying on his feet.
"What did you say? Tiana’s passed away?"
Jane Summers stepped forward, led the grieving Joshua away, and choked out:
"Daniel, Joshua’s not lying."
"Your sister Tiana... She didn’t make it."
Jane Summers couldn’t stop herself from sniffling.
Tears of regret fell.
She shouldn’t have slandered Tiana before.
Listening, Daniel refused to believe it was real.
"No way. Tiana couldn’t just die like this."
"She must be pretending in order to get the cancer medicine."
"Where is she? I want to see her."
"Tiana, get out here."
His roar shattered the mournful atmosphere of the corridor.
Leo Sutton strode forward and yanked Daniel’s collar.
"Stop acting crazy here!"
"My sister isn’t dead. Leo, she’s still alive, isn’t she?"
Tears were streaming down Daniel’s face.
Deep down, with even Jane and Joshua confirming it, Daniel actually no longer doubted.
But he just couldn’t accept this thunderbolt of a blow.
He begged Leo, "Please take me to see Tiana. Dead or alive, I must see her."
Leo Sutton clenched his jaw. "You don’t deserve to see Tiana."
James Linden beside him couldn’t bear it either. "...Tiana’s really gone?"
After Jane Summers confirmed once more, James Linden stumbled and collapsed.
The scene descended into chaos.
Vivian Linden and Sharon Sullivan hurried to get James help.
Leo Sutton, meanwhile, watched, hurting and mocking at it all.
Each one of them was insane.
When Tiana was alive, no one believed she was seriously ill.
Now that she’s dead, suddenly everyone cares.
Just then, a doctor arrived with paperwork and stopped in front of Leo Sutton.
"Mr. Sutton, are you the family of the deceased?"
Leo Sutton nodded painfully.
The doctor offered condolences.
And handed over the papers.
"This is the death certificate. Please sign."
"And, will the deceased be kept in the morgue or sent straight for cremation?"
Leo Sutton’s mind was a tangled mess.
He could usually think clearly in court debates.
Now his head felt stuffed with glue.
He didn’t know.
With worry, he asked, "How’s Daisy?"
Doctor: "She’s still under resuscitation. You need to decide about the morgue or cremation, sign, hand it to me, then I’ll handle arrangements."
Just then, Hector Chaucer arrived at a brisk walk.
He saw Leo Sutton’s confused face, and said, "Let me take care of Tiana’s affairs. You look after Daisy."
"You’re here." Leo Sutton raised his grief-filled gaze.
Hector said, "Don’t worry, I’ll handle her funeral properly."
Leo Sutton trusted Hector Chaucer.
He nodded.
Hector added, "Call me when Daisy wakes up."
Leo Sutton nodded again.
Hector spoke again, "After Tiana’s funeral, there’s something I’ll need to tell you."
...
Children’s inpatient ward, Room 906.
Daisy finally woke up.
Leo Sutton gazed at her with pain and gently stroked her forehead.
"Daisy, you still have Daddy Leo, Daddy Chaucer, Laura, Laura’s grandparents, Joshua, Uncle Christopher, Aunt Jane."
"We’ll all love you so much."
Daisy’s lips pouted, tears streaming down her face.
"...But I don’t have a mommy anymore."
The child had cried too much.
Her throat was raw from sobbing.
Her voice hoarse, barely recognizable.
Leo Sutton quickly brought her water bottle, held the straw to her lips. "Good girl, have a sip."
The bottle had been bought by her mom.
It had her favorite Princess Elsa design on it.
This moment, Daisy’s longing for her mother became overwhelming.
"Daddy Leo, can I hug mommy one more time?"
"Don’t send her to be cremated, don’t let her get burned to ashes, please?"
Daisy begged pitifully.
Outside the door.
Devastated Aiden Grant was blocked tightly by security assigned by Hector Chaucer.
"Mr. Grant, you can’t go in."
Aiden bowed deeply to the security guards.
When he straightened, that once-arrogant man pleaded:
"I want to see Daisy, please, please let me in."
There were eight guards posted outside the ward.
All were big and imposing.
No matter how strong Aiden was, he couldn’t force his way in.
He showed them his utmost sincerity, bowing to all eight in thanks.
But the eight security guards remained icy-faced.
"Mr. Grant, Mr. Chaucer ordered you cannot enter."
Aiden said in anguish, "Daisy is my daughter!"
At that moment, a cold voice admonished from behind:
"Did Tiana ever tell you that Daisy is my daughter—Hector Chaucer’s?"
