Delayed Regrets: He Regretted Only After Her Death-Chapter 93: Clearing Tiana Linden’s Name

Aiden Grant walked out of the tea room, and at the door, he ran into Vivian Linden, who was crying her heart out.

He didn’t spare her a single glance and kept on walking.

Vivian grabbed his arm. "Aiden, can we please talk, really talk?"

The hand clutching his arm was forcefully shrugged off by him.

"We have nothing to talk about."

Vivian had no choice but to watch him walk away coldly, leaving her behind.

As she sobbed her heart out, James Linden came up behind, gently comforting her:

"Vivian, don’t be afraid. Dad will find a way to make Aiden Grant give you a proper wedding."

Vivian was completely at a loss.

She clung to James Linden’s arm, crying even harder, "Dad, everyone knows I was abandoned by Aiden Grant at my own wedding. I don’t have the face to live anymore. If I can’t marry him, I might as well be dead."

James wiped her tears for her:

"Don’t worry. As long as I insist on cutting ties with the Grant Family, Aiden wouldn’t dare not give you a wedding."

"When the time comes, you two can get your marriage certificate too. Then, have a daughter for him who’s even cuter than Daisy—he’ll definitely come around."

This suggestion rekindled hope in Vivian’s heart.

"Dad, will you really help me?"

"Dad owes you too much. This time, Dad will definitely make it up to you."

"But if we really break with the Grant Family, Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals’ hundred years of heritage will definitely suffer."

James Linden gently stroked Vivian’s head. "Nothing is more important than my precious daughter."

...

After leaving the Linden Family, Aiden got back into his car and called Hector Chaucer.

Hector hung up.

By now, evening had already fallen.

Hector had gone to the Sutton Family’s house for dinner again.

The Sutton dining table was lively and full of chatter.

Leo Sutton, Gabriel Chaucer, Catherine Armstrong, Tiana Linden, Laura, Daisy, and Penelope, the little granddaughter in Catherine’s arms.

Leo Sutton wasn’t polite with Hector either.

He deliberately asked, "Hector, what kind of delicacies do you not have at The Chaucer Estate? Why are you always crashing at my house for dinner?"

Hector replied, "It’s way too cold and quiet over there, nothing like the lively scene here."

As he said this, his gaze landed, almost unconsciously, on Tiana Linden.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment.

Not until Aiden’s call came in again did he pull his gaze away.

"Sorry, let me take this call. You guys go ahead and eat."

Watching him walk farther away, Catherine Armstrong said to Leo Sutton:

"Leo, Hector doesn’t have close ties to any of his relatives at The Chaucer Family Estate. Everyone wants a piece of him; he’s honestly pretty pitiful."

"Let’s invite him over for meals often in the future."

Leo Sutton chuckled, "Ma, do you really think Hector comes here in search of family warmth?"

As he said it, Leo glanced at Tiana Linden on purpose.

If he hadn’t met Kiera Chaucer later, he definitely would’ve pursued Tiana Linden.

Would’ve saved her from her suffering and pain.

Given her happiness.

After all, Tiana Linden had once been the light of his life.

But now, Leo Sutton’s heart belonged only to his late wife, Kiera Chaucer.

From now on, he’d treat Tiana as nothing less than family.

Looking over at Hector on the phone in the distance, Leo felt comforted.

From now on, Tiana Linden’s happiness—he’d leave that to Hector Chaucer.

By the window, Hector’s tone to Aiden on the other end was cool and distant. "I’m busy."

Aiden was in a hurry.

With Hector unwilling to meet, he could only say on the phone:

"Hector, among the M901 clinical trial patients, two went into a pseudo-death state after taking the drug, and then came back to life."

"Did you use the M901 anti-cancer drug on Tiana Linden too?"

"Do you also know about the commercial spy who’s been long planted inside the Linden and Grant Families?"

Tiana was truly at the terminal stage of lung cancer.

The fact that she survived could only mean she took the M901 anti-cancer drug.

The drug must’ve been given to The Chaucers by the commercial mole planted in the Linden and Grant alliance.

Right as Hector returned to the Chaucer Family and took charge as Patriarch Chaucer.

This all made sense the more he thought it through.

Aiden pressed urgently, "Hector, if you know who the mole is, will you tell me?"

Hector never forgot being wrongly blamed by Aiden—it was still a bitter grudge.

He let out a cold laugh. "Isn’t that mole supposed to be me?"

Aiden, guilt-ridden, said, "Hector, I’m sorry. I know how loyal you are. There’s no way you could do something like that."

Hector didn’t let go of the grudge. "You sure didn’t say that back then."

Aiden hurriedly said, "Hector, Tiana can’t have sat five years in jail for nothing, and she can’t be abandoned by the Linden Family. I want justice for her—I have to make it up to her."

Hector: "Aiden, here’s a word for you: Too-late love is worth less than dirt."

With that, Hector hung up and walked back to the dining table.

After dinner, Hector looked at Tiana. "Tiana, take a walk with me around the neighborhood."

Tiana: "Huh, a walk?"

There were so many people here—why did he want her to go?

Hector responded calmly. "The moon is lovely tonight."

A beautiful moon hardly requires her to be his walking companion.

She glanced at Leo, "Why don’t you go for a walk with Hector instead?"

Leo frowned. "What kind of grown men go for walks together?"

"Come on." Hector had already risen from his seat, his eyes still fixed on Tiana. "Accompany me to look at the moon."

Tiana let out a small "oh."

She saw Hector heading for the door.

It took her a beat before she followed. "Dad, Mom, I’ll be back soon."

Maybe Hector has something to say to her alone?

After the two left, laughter lingered around the table.

Catherine Armstrong had long since treated Tiana as her own daughter.

Discovering a man interested in Tiana made Catherine happy. "Leo, even though you and Tiana never had any intentions toward each other, if she and Hector become a couple, I think that’s pretty nice too!"

Even Daisy was giggling, "Daddy Leo, I think Mr. Chaucer likes Mom."

"You little mischief!" Leo Sutton gently pinched Daisy’s nose.

Daisy giggled. "Mr. Chaucer is so handsome. Mom should like him, right?"

Leo was feeling jealous. "Am I not handsome enough for you?"

Daisy answered seriously, "You’re handsome, but compared to Mr. Chaucer... he’s just a little better."

Even Laura chimed in with a laugh, "Dad, you really aren’t as handsome as Uncle Chaucer. When he came to pick me and Daisy up from school, our teacher even screamed."

...

At the very center of The Sovereign was a lotus pond.

The height of summer, August.

Towering lotuses bloomed, radiant and lush in the pond.

Hector and Tiana strolled and chatted along the wide lotus pool.

Hector was roughly the same height as Aiden.

But with each stride, he exuded a hard-bitten strength and masculine resolve that Aiden never had.

In the old days, when Tiana mingled among the heiresses of powerful families,

all the socialites had voted Hector as the "king of suits."

It was said no other man in a suit could match Hector’s presence.

In this moment, Tiana walked on Hector’s right side.

Clad in his suit, every step he took radiated that kingly air.

Walking beside him made Tiana seem all the more small and delicate.

Hector stopped suddenly. "When are you moving out of Leo Sutton’s house?"

Tiana stopped too. "Why are you asking?"

"Since you two aren’t actually married, living together isn’t really appropriate."

Beneath the moonlight, Hector gazed at Tiana.

The moon was soft and gentle.

So was the look in his eyes. "Tiana, move out and live on your own."

Tiana thought for a moment. "Daisy really loves being with Laura, and she likes the big family. She grew up lonely—this is the happiest she’s ever been."

Hector said, "If you want, I could buy the house next door to Leo’s. You and Daisy could live there, and Daisy could still play with Laura all the time."

Tiana smiled. "Hector, you must be kidding. The villa next door to Leo’s costs at least tens of millions."

Hector answered seriously, "It’s fine. You can pay me back slowly in the future."

Tiana muttered, "You still think I’m the Linden Family’s pampered princess? Where would I even get that much money?"

As she spoke, she took a few steps ahead.

Hector’s long legs easily closed the distance, walking by her side. "Have you never thought about returning to the Linden Family and reclaiming what’s yours?"

Just hearing "Linden Family" cast a gloom over Tiana. "I don’t want to go back."

"Let’s get to business." Hector changed the subject. "Aiden already knows you’re alive."

Last night while deleting the security footage for Tiana, Hector had predicted that Aiden would trace the IP of whoever hacked the cemetery cameras.

That man was a real bastard.

But he wasn’t stupid.

He only lost his head because he loved so deeply—and hated just as deeply.

The conversation took on a weight; the air grew heavy.

Tiana never wanted to mention Aiden Grant again in this lifetime.

Hector added, "He’s also guessed that there’s a commercial spy inside the Linden and Grant Families. I suspect he knows it’s Vivian Linden, but he has no proof."

At that, Tiana snorted, "Only starting to suspect now? Isn’t it a bit late?"

As the cool evening wind swept over the lotus pond, Hector asked, "Do you want me to hand over the evidence I have to Aiden?"

He continued, "That way, he’d have to clear your name."

Tiana was sharp enough to have figured out most things by now.

She stopped, turning slightly to look at Hector. "Did he ask you for proof already?"

An iron-willed man like Hector replied softly, "Yeah."

His voice was as gentle as the breeze that night.

Tiana hadn’t expected it.

The cemetery footage was already deleted by Hector.

Still, Aiden managed to trace her through that bouquet of Roselle roses.

Now that he knew she was alive, she no longer needed to hide.

With utter disdain, she made her position clear, "I don’t need Aiden Grant to do a damned thing for me. I will clear my own name—one day, I’ll return to the Linden Family myself."

Since coming back from her mother’s grave, she’d mulled over a lot.

Ever since it was revealed she wasn’t James Linden’s biological daughter, her mother had endured countless wrongs.

Her mother died from a difficult childbirth, all to bear children for James Linden.

But not just James—everyone who knew her mother called her promiscuous, said she betrayed James, called her a slut.

She couldn’t let her mother carry such injustice.

Now that she was alive, she had to clear her mother’s name.

She looked at Hector, her eyes unwavering. "Hector, please pass this to Aiden for me: I will reclaim my own innocence. I don’t need his help. If he really wants to make it up to me, tell him to show some decency and never appear in front of me again."

Bathed in moonlight and evening breeze, Tiana straightened her spine, her words ringing final and unyielding.

She was like tough grass bending in the wind.

Her strength made Hector’s voice go soft, almost helpless. "Tiana, you don’t have to keep pretending to be so strong."

She was like a shell.

No matter how hard outside, her heart was still soft within.

After what Aiden Grant did to her, that shell would only slam tight shut.

Never to let anyone else in again.

Hector already knew the answer.

Which is why the look he gave her grew so much deeper, and so much more complicated.