Delayed Regrets: He Regretted Only After Her Death-Chapter 177: Time to Let Go

It felt like a heavy punch struck Aiden Grant’s heart.

His palm was still pressed against Tiana Linden’s raised belly.

The little one inside gave him another lively kick, as if even the little one didn’t quite accept him, angrily saying: You’re not my father.

Clearly, he was so close to Tiana, and so close to the little one inside her belly.

Yet he felt there was an insurmountable chasm between him and this mother and child.

The chasm was farther than the distance from The Pelagian Ocean to Veridia.

Even though he was right beside the child and Tiana, Tiana and the child’s hearts were thousands of miles away with Hector Chaucer.

He had lost completely.

The hand that was on Tiana’s protruding belly slightly curled up, trembling as he retracted it.

Then, pretending nothing was wrong, he used the local dialect to inquire with the doctor about the child’s development.

The local doctor had no idea that this child wasn’t his.

Seeing how thoughtful and attentive he was, the doctor smiled and said, "Sir, do you want to know if the child is a boy or a girl? We can tell you in advance here."

Aiden replied, "I like both boys and girls. But I would very much like to know the baby’s gender in advance."

The other person was a female doctor with slightly dark skin and gleaming white teeth, whose smile made her look particularly healthy, "Congratulations sir, it’s a very pretty little girl. You see, her nose is as high as yours. You can see it here."

An ultrasound scan not only shows if there are any abnormalities in the baby inside the belly.

If you’re lucky, you can even see the baby’s facial features.

Aiden leaned closer to take a look.

This little one’s high nose was not identical to his.

It was exactly the same as Hector Chaucer’s.

Sure enough, it was Hector Chaucer’s daughter.

Back then, before his relationship with Tiana had broken down, they went to her favorite Japanese restaurant and happened to run into Hector Chaucer.

At that time, he and Tiana were discussing whether to have a boy or a girl in the future.

Hector Chaucer walked in on them.

He casually asked Hector, "Hector, if you get married in the future, would you prefer having a boy or a girl?"

At that time, Hector responded confidently that he liked girls because they would surely be as beautiful as their mothers.

When Hector said this, he was looking at Tiana.

At that time, Aiden didn’t think much of it.

Only when he reflected did he realize, long ago, Hector had carefully hidden Tiana in his heart.

Now, Hector had finally gotten his wish.

Tiana was really having his daughter.

If Hector found out Tiana was carrying his baby, he’d be overjoyed, wouldn’t he?

Only Aiden, staying by the woman he loved, silently tasted this bitter fruit.

Recently, he’d taken up Buddhism.

Hoping to find some answers in front of Buddha.

But when contemplating Buddha, Buddha told him:

Everything in the world has cause and effect.

Whatever you sow, you shall reap.

The bitter fruit today was of his own planting long ago.

Due to the cycle, it was a deserved fate indeed.

When leaving the maternity hospital, the storm outside was still raging with wind and snow.

Aiden took off his wool coat and draped it over Tiana’s shoulders.

But the coat was gently pushed off by Tiana, falling from her frail shoulders.

The dark-colored coat lay conspicuously in the snow-covered ground, glaring.

Aiden picked up the coat, shook off the snow, and once again covered Tiana with it.

Tiana tossed it to the ground again.

Aiden had saved her from the brink of death, rescued her through danger, and she was greatly relieved.

But that didn’t mean she would forgive him for all his previous indifference and callousness.

She glanced at the wool coat she had discarded once more, and said calmly, "Hector is very possessive. He doesn’t like me interacting with other men, especially you. If he knew I wore your clothes, he would be jealous. Aiden, you can choose to keep me imprisoned on this island forever, but you will never have my heart. It’s possible for us to live like strangers if you can endure it."

No man can bear to have the woman he loves keeping her heart elsewhere.

Constantly cold and indifferent towards him every day.

Of course, Aiden couldn’t bear it either.

At that moment, he watched Tiana sit in the car with a cold expression.

Once more, he picked up the coat from the ground.

His fingers grasped the coat tightly, even the cracking sounds of his knuckles conveying his pain and anger.

Yet he firmly believed that if enough time passed, Tiana would see his sincerity.

He subdued his painful and miserable emotions and got into the car with Tiana.

This domestically made high-end BYD custom car was shipped over from home by sea with Aiden.

Because it was bulletproof, crashproof, waterproof, shockproof, and even had features for land and sea navigation.

If fully fueled, it could sail over three hundred kilometers on water.

After getting in, Tiana leaned against the car window, closed her eyes, and rested.

Not saying another word.

And Aiden quietly stayed by her side.

His gaze inadvertently fell on a pair of ceramic dolls placed on the car’s anti-slip mat.

Those were the ceramic dolls he had fixed for the fourth time.

Afterward, Tiana never smashed them again.

But as Tiana once said, even though he had restored this pair of ceramic dolls, the cracks fused by the golden liquid still existed.

They resembled the cracks on Aiden’s heart.

It became clear that he and Tiana really couldn’t return to the past.

In the carriage, Tiana said nothing, and unknowingly fell asleep leaning against the car window.

He looked at those ceramic dolls, now devoid of meaning, and then at the sleeping Tiana.

The morning sunlight pierced through the thin clouds and shone on her porcelain-like complexion.

He longed to reach out, as he did years ago, and gently caress her face.

But the hand he extended never made it all the way.

Curled up, it retracted.

Fearing if it touched, it would make her even more averse.

It had been a while since he had seen Tiana’s real smile.

Sitting in the car, he once more stared at that pair of ceramic dolls, which once symbolized his love with Tiana, absorbed in quiet contemplation.

Was it right to keep Tiana trapped by his side?

The answer was evident.

But Aiden didn’t want to face it.

Returning from the maternity check-up, Daisy came home after school and talked to Tiana about what happened at school.

The two of them, mother and daughter, were dressed thickly, wearing hats and scarves, building a snowman in the snow while having a heartfelt chat.

"Mom, school was good today, the teacher didn’t talk about that person anymore. And there was no nagging like an old lady urging me to forgive that person, giving my ears some peace."

Tiana paused while shaping the snow in her hands to form the snowman.

Looking up, she saw that Aiden was still maintaining the usual distance of more than ten meters from both her and Daisy, wanting to get closer but holding back.

The man watched them, keeping a respectful distance.

His eyes filled with longing and pain.

Tiana withdrew her gaze and continued shaping the snowman’s big belly, packing more snow firmly onto it.

Perhaps Aiden had told the teacher not to bother Daisy anymore.

Daisy placed a carved carrot on the snowman’s face.

Stopping to gaze at her mother’s belly, she asked, "Mommy, when the baby in your belly is born, can we go back to Daddy?"

This was a question Tiana couldn’t answer.

Given Aiden’s stubbornness, perhaps they could never return in this lifetime.

The world is vast.

The cruise ship that brought her and Daisy to this island had no fixed sailing route to check.

Even Hector would likely have difficulty finding them.

Her gaze traveled from near to far, looking towards the endless snowy horizon, wondering if Hector in distant Veridia was doing well.

"Mommy also hopes to return to Daddy’s side soon. Sigh..."

The baby in her belly kicked her again.

And even bulged into a small bump.

Daisy was astonished to see her mother’s stomach protrude.

She quickly wiped her little hands on the scarf and placed them on her mother’s belly, "Mommy, the baby moved. Mommy, do you think the baby will look like you, or like Daddy? Or maybe like Daisy?"

Tiana Linden smiled, "Probably more like Daddy."

When she mentioned Hector, the smile on her face was genuine.

In the distance, Aiden Grant took in this smile entirely, his chest cracking like shattered stones.

Was it only when she mentioned Hector that she felt joy?

...

After that day, Tiana fell ill.

Cold, fever.

The fever reached over 38 degrees.

Since she was pregnant, she couldn’t take medicine or receive infusions.

They could only use physical cooling methods.

Endure through it.

Fortunately, Aiden did a blood test for Tiana; it wasn’t a viral cold.

Luckily.

Tiana lay in bed, drifting in and out of sleep.

Every twenty minutes, Aiden physically cooled her down and replaced the fever pads on her soles and forehead.

Every ten minutes, he used a warm towel to wipe her arms, calves, and back.

He never left Tiana’s side for a moment.

Two days passed with Tiana’s illness, and the fever still hadn’t subsided.

Fortunately, she cooperated by drinking a lot of warm water to ensure adequate urination and eating foods like milk, eggs, meat, and fruit to maintain sufficient nutrition.

However, her feet were somewhat swollen.

Going to the bathroom required someone to support her.

Initially, Tiana refused Aiden’s help, but Aiden insisted on helping her.

She couldn’t resist him.

Moreover, Tiana was utterly weak and limp.

But she wouldn’t let Aiden stay in the bathroom while she urinated, insisting on chasing him out.

Aiden stood outside the bathroom door, "Tiana, why not see me as a life companion? No matter how much you dislike me, I’ll always put my heart and soul into you, taking care of your daily life. This way, there’ll always be someone till we’re old—it’d be so nice."

Inside, Tiana was very weak, but her voice was fierce, "You’re dreaming."

Outside, there was no response.

A silent silence.

Aiden curled his lips in a bitter smile.

As if mocking himself.

When the door creaked open, despite the bitterness in his heart, he hurriedly stepped forward, quickly supporting the frail Tiana.

She was still feverish.

As soon as he held her hand, it was burning hot.

So much so that as soon as Tiana fell back into bed, she faded back into drowsy sleep.

Aiden repeatedly used a hot towel to wipe her down.

Only when he measured her temperature with a thermometer, seeing it drop to 36.5 degrees, did he finally stop.

Worried it might rise again soon, Aiden didn’t leave.

He stayed by her bedside, wiping Tiana’s forehead every few minutes.

Mrs. Walsh came by to urge him, "Mr. Grant, I’ll take care of Tiana; you should rest a bit."

He had been by Tiana’s side these two days.

When tired, he would only nap briefly at her bedside.

Besides fatigue, his face showed strength he was forcing himself to maintain, with emerging dark stubble and bloodshot eyes.

"No need, I’m afraid Tiana’s fever will return. Please get me a bottle of Red Bull," Aiden told Mrs. Walsh, "Sorry for the trouble."

What could Mrs. Walsh say?

Two minutes later, she brought him a bottle of Red Bull, "Mr. Grant."

Aiden opened the bottle and tilted his head back to take several big sips.

The cold Red Bull was invigorating as it coursed down his throat.

Downing the drink, his long, powerful neck slightly lifted, the sexy Adam’s apple moving up and down.

After a few sips, he put down the bottle and continued silently watching over Tiana.

About half an hour later, Tiana’s fever spiked again.

He repeated the previous cooling steps, patient and detailed in applying physical cooling.

Finally, the fever subsided again.

In her half-dazed state, Tiana knew Aiden was cooling her down and wanted to refuse, but she was too weak to resist.

Besides, her fevered mind felt clouded.

It was like being in a dream.

Confused and disoriented, her head felt like it was going to explode.

Suddenly, she saw someone crawling in through the window.

"Hector, why are you here?"

Hector Chaucer climbed through the window, approaching her bed and gently, carefully taking her into his arms, "I’m sorry, I came late."

Suddenly, a gun was pressed against Hector’s back, "Hector Chaucer, go to hell."

As the trigger was pulled, Tiana woke up in cold sweat, "Hector, watch out!"

It was all just a dream.

When Tiana awoke, she saw everything in the bedroom was unchanged.

The window was tightly shut.

There was no Hector Chaucer in the bedroom.

Only Aiden Grant, sitting by the bed, wringing a hot towel.

Aiden paused in his action, "Had a nightmare?"

Tiana didn’t answer.

She looked at Aiden, whose eyes were bloodshot, his cheeks and chin covered in stubble. She knew he had been tirelessly taking care of her these two days.

Yet she remained unwilling to relent a bit, "Aiden, I want to go back to Veridia. Can’t you let me and Hector be together?"

Aiden rubbed the palm of the hot towel he had just used to wipe her with, in the hot water, "Rest assured, Hector is very safe in the country, members of The Chaucer Family aren’t a match for him. He won’t be in danger. Except for being frantically searching for you."

For dinner, Aiden had Mrs. Walsh deliver it to the room.

Leaving him and Daisy sitting at a massive dining table.

Daisy picked at her food.

At the entire dining table, only he and Daisy remained.

The light cast on the pair’s figures, making them appear somewhat desolate.

This wasn’t a father-daughter reunion; it seemed like a prison, stifling Daisy’s nature, destroying Daisy’s joy, taking away Daisy’s smile.

Suddenly, Daisy placed a cheese-stuffed snail onto Aiden’s plate, "Thank you for making the cheese-stuffed snails; they’re delicious. But could you send me and Mommy back to Daddy? Please!"

This was the first time Daisy had spoken so gently in front of him.

No glaring eyes, no cold tone.

The words ’please’ felt like a knife thrust into Aiden’s chest.

He recalled that rainy night when Daisy clutched his clothes, begging him for a box of medicine, pleading him to save her mom.

If only he hadn’t been so cold then, things wouldn’t be so diametrically opposite between him and the mother and daughter now.

Perhaps, it was time for him to let go.