Delayed Regrets: He Regretted Only After Her Death-Chapter 158: Tiana Linden’s Second Spring

Hector Chaucer smiled with such calm and natural ease.

This serene and ripple-free smile, however, spread subtle ripples, silently and quietly enveloping Tiana Linden completely.

At first, Tiana couldn’t understand the calm yet profound look in his eyes.

Now, she understood everything.

She was an adult who had given birth and experienced a passionate love affair.

She understood better than anyone else.

At this moment, she knew exactly what the calm and deep smile in Hector’s eyes meant.

She felt that the strength of her heartbeat at this moment was beyond her control.

Then she deliberately pushed his hand away and muttered:

"If you’re so careless with your life, your future wife would probably have to worry about you every day."

The glass of water by the bed was picked up by her and placed back into Hector’s arms.

"Your throat’s all hoarse from the fever, yet you’re in the mood to joke."

"Drink the water, finish it."

Hector, who received the glass, smiled again and said, "I’ll listen to you."

After hearing Tiana’s words, he obediently drank the entire glass of water in one go.

Then he shook the empty glass, as if to report to her that he had completed the task.

Having drunk a glass of water, he found it sweet.

This was the sweetest water he had tasted in his thirty-two years of life.

He held the glass, looking at Tiana, with a smile in his eyes, "Tiana."

Tiana responded with a smile, "Mm!"

"..." Hector quickly ran through what he wanted to say in his mind.

But in the end, when he spoke, he just said one unrehearsed sentence, "I will obediently listen to you, take good care of my life, and never let anything happen, never let you worry."

This sentence brought a peaceful smile to Tiana’s face.

But such peace lasted less than half a second. Thinking about Hector’s background, about the people around him, Tiana’s expression showed much unease.

"Hector, you must mean what you say, don’t go back on your word."

Hector did not directly respond to her.

He clasped her hand, holding it tightly between his fingers, using a gentle yet powerful grip to respond to her.

Tiana felt the force within that handhold.

At least at this moment, her heart was at ease.

...

Evening.

South Bank of the Pearl River.

Aiden signed contract after contract.

After signing, he shook hands with the blond foreigner in front of him.

Standing at the villa’s entrance, as he saw the blond foreigner off, Christopher Grant happened to drive up slowly in that Hongqi state car.

Christopher glanced at the departing blond foreigner and, after getting out of the car, approached Aiden.

"Who was that person?"

In the night, Aiden stood in the cool autumn breeze, one hand in the pocket of his suit pants.

His tall and elegant figure stood alone and solitary under the bright moon.

Even his voice carried a hint of loneliness, "Is the remaining cash flow ready?"

As he spoke, Aiden pushed the door and entered the villa.

Christopher followed him in, "Didn’t I just allocate fifty billion in cash flow to you? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Aiden entered the villa and walked to the bar.

He opened a bottle of red wine, poured a small half glass, and handed it to Christopher.

"It’s already spent."

What surprised Christopher was not just the fact that he spent fifty billion in such a short time.

More surprising were the various wines displayed orderly at the bar in front of Aiden.

Bottle after bottle, packed in boxes, sealed and neatly packaged.

"Aiden, did you pack the entire inventory of your wine cellar here?"

"What are you planning to do?"

Aiden placed the wine glass into Christopher’s hand, "Nothing."

As he spoke, he sat at the bar and locked the contracts inside a cabinet.

He wouldn’t let Christopher know the contents of the contracts.

Nor would he tell Christopher that he had secretly bought several islands.

He was quietly executing a major plan.

Lately, the closest companion to Aiden had been the glass of wine in his hand.

He sat on the bar stool, his elbow resting on the bar surface, swirling the glass gently.

In the past, he would drink leisurely, savoring every layer of the wine’s fragrance.

Every sip of wine had its nuances slowly savored on the tip of the tongue.

But now, he drank out of loneliness, a way of releasing unexpressed bitterness and pain.

He downed most of the glass in one gulp.

Then poured himself another.

Christopher pressed down his hand as he raised the second glass of red wine.

"Aiden, drink less, your stomach isn’t well."

Half a year ago, everyone thought Tiana had failed her rescue, Aiden had vomited blood for days.

Since then, he developed severe stomach pains.

Now Aiden had to take medication daily.

This was something Christopher was aware of.

But Aiden pushed away the hand pressing on his wine glass, "Except drinking, what else can I do?"

The tone carried a mocking smile directed at himself.

He knew that his current plight was entirely self-inflicted.

After another big gulp of red wine, Aiden could only smell the strong wine aroma.

"Christopher, Hector had a car accident the day before yesterday. Even if that crash-proof, bulletproof, explosion-proof Hongqi Guo Yao is repaired, its functionality won’t be as good as before."

"I’ve custom-made a domestic BYD with better safety features, more crash-proof, explosion-proof, bulletproof."

"Help me give him the keys, tell him it’s a gift from you."

Don’t underestimate today’s domestic BYD; it’s a national highlight.

The functions in the customization were something Aiden had specially arranged for.

As he spoke, Aiden already took out the car key, placing it on the bar, pushing it toward Christopher.

Christopher glanced at the car key, sighed deeply, "I know about Hector’s car accident. It was a plot by Caleb Chaucer and Lillian Jewel, intending to ruin him. The driver of the offending truck was a terminally ill cancer patient, suffering from the king of cancers—pancreatic cancer. Even Linden-Grant Pharmaceuticals’ M901 anti-cancer drug couldn’t improve the remission rate of his cancer cells. A dying man, he took Caleb Chaucer’s money, determined to end Hector’s life. This driver left no retreat for himself, even using chopsticks to pierce his throat in custody, dying instantly. Caleb Chaucer’s ruthlessness with people is evident."

"Aiden." Christopher patted Aiden’s shoulder, "Thanks to the Hongqi limousine you custom-made years ago, it saved Hector’s life."

He patted Aiden’s shoulder again and said, "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the car reaches Hector. You’ve got a good heart."

Despite the praise, Aiden didn’t feel good at heart.

He looked at Christopher with a sour expression, "Did he tell you about the car accident?"

But not me?

It seems Hector truly no longer sees him as a brother.

They were once inseparable, sharing life and death experiences.

Now Tiana treats him like air.

Has Hector started to treat him like air too?

Christopher understood the implication, patted his shoulder, "You just keep drinking your wine."

Reaching this point today, even Hector Chaucer ignored him, who could he blame?

He could only blame himself.

Having said that, Christopher Grant left.

After taking a few steps away, he turned back and added, "Oh, by the way, Aiden, the cash flow you requested will only be available by tomorrow. After all, it’s no small amount, and the group also needs cash for turnover."

Aiden Grant responded faintly, eyes plotting something, "Hmm."

Seeing that look in his eyes, Christopher Grant was quite puzzled, "Aiden, what are you going to do with this cash flow?"

Aiden’s answer was completely unrelated, "Christopher, for a long time to come, the group’s matters will be your responsibility to manage."

Christopher frowned, "What exactly are you planning to do?"

At that moment, Aiden received a phone call.

The caller was James Linden, "Aiden, could you come back to Star River Bay? I have a favor to ask."

...

Star River Bay.

James Linden was in the study, fiddling with a pile of broken porcelain.

When Aiden Grant rushed back, he saw James Linden looking distressed.

"Uncle Linden, what’s the matter?"

James Linden lifted his head from the shattered porcelain.

Those fragments, Tiana Linden recognized.

It was a set of blue and white porcelain tea sets.

This was crafted when James Linden turned fifty, Tiana had taken him to Klayburg to learn kiln making, personally firing it as a birthday gift for James Linden.

James Linden said in distress, "Aiden, I heard from Daniel that the porcelain doll Tiana broke, you managed to restore. How did you do it? Teach me. I also want to restore this blue and white porcelain tea set. When Tiana was a child, she loved staying in my study. While I was busy, she would sit quietly next to me. She loved drinking the tea I brewed."

James Linden still held on to the hope that one day, Tiana would return to this home.

The father and daughter could sit at a tea table, brewing tea and chatting like they used to.

And at that time, they would use the blue and white porcelain tea set Tiana gave him.

But this blue and white porcelain tea set, he accidentally broke.

Yes, it was just an accident.

He wasn’t intentional; he was just blinded by Vivian Linden and her mother, Sharon Sullivan.

He never intended to hurt Tiana.

Aiden saw James Linden’s hopeless fantasies and only then understood how laughable it was for him to bring a pair of restored porcelain dolls to Tiana back then.

"Uncle Linden, even if this set is restored, it won’t be the same as the original."

James Linden was displeased, "How could it not be? This is the blue and white porcelain tea set that Tiana personally crafted for me, enduring hardships at Klayburg, bringing it back as a birthday present."

Aiden helplessly said, "Yes, Uncle Linden, it is indeed something Tiana crafted personally for you. To learn traditional kiln craft, Tiana slept on a hard bed for two months, and without any air conditioning, she got heat rashes all over and was almost bitten by a dog."

As he said these words, Aiden was blaming James Linden, and himself as well.

And James Linden was in tears.

Aiden remembered their last meeting half a month ago, where James’ hair was only half white.

Now it seemed fully grey.

The spirited man with unique masculine charm, how did he become an old wreck?

"Aiden, teach me how to restore these porcelain pieces?"

James Linden grabbed Aiden’s hand, but Aiden pushed him away.

"Uncle Linden, there’s no point in doing this."

But even knowing it was pointless, he insisted on doing it over and over again.

At this moment, Uncle Cameron knocked on the door of the study.

James Linden looked towards the sound and saw Uncle Cameron looking troubled, "President Linden, Vivian has returned, she says she needs to see you about something important."

Hearing Vivian’s name made the veins on James Linden’s forehead throb with anger.

How dare she come back.

"Send her away!"

"Dad, I really have something important to discuss with you today."

Vivian Linden stepped into the study from behind Uncle Cameron with large strides.

Upon her entrance, James Linden’s face turned as dark as a scorched pot lid.

He snorted with disdain, "Who gave you permission to come in? Uncle Cameron, throw her out."

For this liar, he sent his own daughter to jail, nearly getting her killed.

In the end, his dearly favored Vivian wasn’t even his daughter.

At this moment, Vivian’s gaze fell on Aiden, who looked back at her with disgust and loathing, making her heart ache.

"Aiden, how have you been lately?"

"Don’t call me Aiden, you’re not entitled."

Vivian quickly burst into tears, one drop after another, looking pitiful.

She wiped her tears and turned to Uncle Cameron, "Uncle Cameron, could you please leave for a moment, I need to speak with them."

Uncle Cameron nodded, closed the door gently, and left.

Vivian even walked forward to lock the door, then turned back to look at James Linden and Aiden.

"Dad!"

"Don’t call me dad, I’m not your father."

Vivian knelt directly before James Linden, "Dad, although I’m not your biological daughter, all my living expenses, education fees, and other costs since childhood have been covered by you. You raised me, and for that, I owe you a debt of gratitude. It was my mother who taught me to use you and to sow discord between you and my sister. When she abducted me from the village, I was still in swaddling clothes and knew nothing. Whatever she taught me, I did. Dad, I never had a choice. No matter how bad or inhuman I may be, I saved your granddaughter’s life by pulling her out of the river, didn’t I?"

Vivian wept, "Dad, considering the fact that there’s still a bit of goodness in my heart, can you please listen to what I have to say and give me a chance to atone?"

Aiden looked at Vivian, dressed simply, her complexion sallow, and put in, "Uncle Linden, let her finish."

The Vivian of today bore no resemblance to the elegant and beautiful heiress of the Linden family she once was.

She resembled a flower battered by wind and frost, about to wither.

She wore slippers, her jeans were faded, and the neckline of her T-shirt was nearly warped from washing.

But Aiden felt no pity.

This woman deserved her fate.

"Speak, and then get out."

Vivian wiped her tears, remaining kneeling, "Dad, I saw my mother in the urban village. It’s Sharon Sullivan."

She continued, "Dad, you should know that she is not my biological mother. She abducted me to get close to you and exact revenge, pretending to be your daughter."

Years ago, James Linden indeed hit and killed a young boy over a year old.

It happened while he was driving under the influence.

In a panic, he had the boy’s corpse disposed of and later used money to hush things up.

That matter quietly faded away.

Unexpectedly, the boy killed was Sharon Sullivan’s son.

James Linden had Daniel Linden investigate this matter.

"Dad, Sharon Sullivan should be locked up in prison, so how is she out?"

"Also, she told me she wouldn’t let The Linden Family go. She mentioned having a husband, who might even be lurking within The Linden Family."

"Dad, please investigate; Sharon Sullivan swore to destroy your family. Don’t take it lightly."

At this moment, Daniel Linden called, "Dad, something’s wrong, there’s trouble..."

James Linden’s face instantly turned dark and grim.

Aiden quickly asked, "Uncle Linden, what happened?"

James Linden looked at Vivian kneeling on the ground, "You said you saw Sharon Sullivan in the urban village? But why does Daniel say she committed suicide in prison?"

Aiden, pondering this information, suddenly had a strong intuition, "Uncle Linden, you really should investigate the people around you; Sharon Sullivan’s husband might be lurking nearby."

At this moment, someone was eavesdropping at the door, unable to hear anything.

But fortunately, the tea room had listening devices installed.

The three’s conversation was crystal clear through the device.

Then, standing under a lonely tree, a message was sent out via WeChat: They’re starting to suspect; action must be taken immediately.