Delayed Regrets: He Regretted Only After Her Death-Chapter 179: Hector Chaucer, It’s Me

Aiden Grant didn’t blink as he watched Tiana Linden enter the unlock password.

That day was the day after Tiana’s college entrance exam when they secretly tasted the forbidden fruit.

Six digits, the year and month of that day.

Tiana remembered it with absolute clarity, entering it swiftly and correctly, but Aiden was not particularly happy because of it.

On the contrary, his heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife.

This woman remembered that day, but she was eager to enter the password just to hear another man’s voice.

Her fair face was filled with anticipation.

Her shiny eyes were also full of expectation.

Aiden looked at the waiting Tiana, taking a deep breath.

Knuckles clenched tightly.

This woman truly didn’t care about his feelings at all, her heart was only for Hector Chaucer.

His clenched fingers trembled.

He felt like a living man standing in front of Tiana yet being ignored as if he were air.

The phone was playing the waiting tone, one second, two seconds...

Every second felt extremely long for Tiana.

In Veridia, at The Sovereign.

Hector Chaucer hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for several days and nights.

His phone was placed at the other end of the sofa.

Sitting in the single seat of the sofa, he rubbed his brow, with his cold, hard brow bone colored with deep worry.

The phone rang, Gordon Lowell picked it up, astonished, "Family Head, it’s a call from Mr. Grant."

He walked briskly to Hector Chaucer’s front.

Hector stood up, picked up the phone, and upon seeing Aiden Grant’s incoming call, his entire stiff expression suddenly froze.

It was as if the air was frozen.

This man’s call, couldn’t be reached for hundreds of years.

No information related to him could be found.

He, along with Daisy and Tiana, seemed to have evaporated from the human world.

Yet he actually initiated a call.

Hector answered immediately.

Before the phone reached his ear, Tiana’s anxious voice came from the other end, "Hector Chaucer..."

It’s Tiana!

The air carried a moment of frozen breath.

Hector’s spine lightly trembled, "Tiana, is it really you? Tiana, where are you, are you alright?"

The familiar voice fell into his ears.

On the other end, Tiana clutched the phone tightly, her hot tears streaming down.

"It’s me, Hector, it’s me."

"I’m alright, what about you?"

"Are you alright? I’ve imagined so many times that you were killed by someone, I..."

There were so many things she wanted to say to Hector.

But suddenly, her palm was empty.

The phone was snatched away by Aiden Grant.

The call was still ongoing, but the receiver was close to Aiden’s ear, "In half a month, I will personally send Daisy and Tiana back to Veridia."

The call was disconnected.

As Tiana wanted to say more, Aiden had already put away the phone.

His cold eyes stared at her, "You heard his voice; he’s not dead, you can rest assured."

Aiden’s heart felt sour like a lemon tree, tightly prickled by needles.

Painful, sour.

He couldn’t bear Tiana and Hector Chaucer flaunting their love in front of him.

Knuckles clenching tightly.

The call came again, and he cut it off.

Tiana looked at the phone screen pleadingly, then at Aiden, "Can I say a few more words to Hector?"

Aiden’s face was as dark as having thunderclouds hanging over; he turned off the phone after cutting the call, "Tiana, don’t push your luck, I am alive, not dead."

She was flaunting love with Hector Chaucer right in front of him.

Did she ever consider his feelings?

Beside him, Daisy’s eyes were full of disappointment, "I haven’t had a chance to talk to Dad yet!"

The little girl was thinking, after Mom was done talking to Dad, she would hold the phone and have a good chat with Dad.

She wanted to say she missed Dad, missed him very much.

But the call had already been disconnected.

The little girl looked very disappointed.

This disappointed expression fell into Aiden’s eyes, surely a knife in his chest.

Just earlier he was stabbed by this indifferent woman.

Now he was pierced by his daughter’s gaze.

His heart was full of sourness, "Daisy, you haven’t called me Dad yet."

Daisy bit her red lips, unwilling to call those two words.

Even if this person was willing to send her and Mom back to Dad, she still refused to acknowledge him as her Dad.

She couldn’t utter those words.

But she was afraid this person would change his mind.

She looked at him cautiously and asked, "Will you not send Mom and me back to Dad if I don’t call you Dad?"

Aiden didn’t answer, "..."

Just as Daisy was about to speak, Aiden firmly said, "You don’t need to. I won’t force you."

Even if Daisy called him Dad, it would be unwillingly.

He didn’t want to force his most beloved daughter like this.

Tiana looked at him and asked, "Aiden, will Hector Chaucer track our IP address based on this call record? Should we tell him our return date, in case he comes looking for us and we miss each other?"

"Are you so eager to go back?" Aiden took a deep breath.

The tight corners of his forehead reflected his pain and anger.

He clenched his fingers tightly, looking painfully at this woman eager to return home.

He suppressed his anger bit by bit.

Seeing the woman’s somewhat worried look, afraid he’d change his mind, his voice softened significantly, "Once your cold improves, I’ll prepare for departure. I’ll keep my word, won’t go back on it."

His only time going back on his word to her was not believing her.

Because of that broken promise, he pushed her into an abyss.

He let his biological daughter wander alone, endure hardships.

One broken promise destroyed everything.

How could he bear to go back on his word to her again?

"Rest assured, my phone has been specially processed. If Hector Chaucer attempts to track it, my IP address changes daily. He won’t track it to this island, nor will he miss you."

But Tiana still felt uneasy.

She didn’t speak it out.

The unease shone brightly on her face and in her worried eyes.

Aiden was helpless towards her, then called Hector Chaucer again in her presence.

On the call, he straightforwardly said: "Tiana has a cold, once she feels better, I’ll send her back to the country. At most half a month, Hector Chaucer, you win."

After speaking, he hung up the call, looking at Tiana, "Are you satisfied now, reassured?"

Tiana sighed in relief, "Thank you!"

Aiden looked at her, "Are those two words all you have for me?"

Tiana asked him back, "Then what else do you wish for?"

What responded to Tiana was Aiden’s eyes full of pain, "..."

He said nothing, picking up chopsticks again to eat the Chinese-style breakfast on the table.

Lately, his stomach pain was severe.

Adding to the old ailment, it hadn’t improved.

His stomach felt like it was burning with fire.

Eating anything felt like consuming dirt, hard to swallow.

Yet his face remained incredibly calm.

Seeing Tiana’s appetite seemed better than yesterday, he specially served her a bowl of chicken soup, handing it to her.

"Thank you!"

The distant and polite tone made Aiden Grant’s chest feel a burning sensation again.

"Hiss..."

Opposite, Tiana Linden suddenly put down her bowl of chicken soup, touched her belly, and furrowed her brow.

Daisy instinctively moved closer to her, "Mommy, what’s wrong, are you feeling unwell? Is the baby in your belly kicking you again?"

"Yes." Tiana patted Daisy’s head, "It’s alright, the baby is just too naughty."

Daisy touched her mom’s bulging belly, "Such a naughty baby, maybe it’s a little brother."

Tiana laughed, "Not necessarily, when you were in mommy’s belly, you were quite naughty too, kicking especially hard at this time."

Daisy responded with a smile, "Really? I hope it’s a little sister. After this sister is born, can mommy and daddy give me a little brother too?"

Aiden Grant watched the mother and daughter.

He couldn’t insert a single word.

He felt like an outsider, marginalized.

...

Five days later, Tiana Linden’s cold finally fully recovered.

When they got up in the morning, the three sat at the dining table having breakfast.

Tiana poured a glass of milk for Aiden herself, "Aiden, my cold is better now. When are we leaving? Daisy and I have packed our things."

Aiden took the milk cup, clenching his hand tightly, "In the next two days."

Tiana pressed on, "Can’t we leave today?"

Aiden said nothing.

He raised the warm milk Tiana had poured and drank two sips.

Even though it was warm, he felt cold inside.

After finishing the whole glass, he still wasn’t warmed, "After breakfast, can we go outside to see the snow?"

Tiana looked at him, silent for a few seconds.

She recalled many years ago, going to the snowy mountains to see the snow, walking through the snow was something they both dreamed of.

It was once her obsession.

But she had already let it go.

It was also Aiden’s obsession, but he hadn’t let it go.

Tiana didn’t refuse, "Alright!"

Upon hearing this, Aiden’s tightly clenched hand around the cup slightly loosened.

His tense and rigid body relaxed slightly.

He thought she wouldn’t even agree to fulfill his last wish.

Fortunately, she agreed.

With a touch of gratified gaze, he turned to Daisy, gently asking, "Daisy, do you want to join Daddy to see the snow too?"

Their family hadn’t properly enjoyed the snow scenery together yet.

This had been his wish from years ago.

Daisy didn’t immediately agree.

She sulked a little discontentedly.

She turned her small head left, looking at her mother.

Her gaze, carrying a desire for her opinion.

Tiana petted Daisy’s little head, "Go ahead, we haven’t truly enjoyed the scenery since we arrived on this island!"

Daisy pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded, "Okay!"

That adorable voice, a bit reluctant.

They had been on this island for almost half a year.

This was the first time Aiden interacted so harmoniously with the mother and daughter.

They did not reject him, nor resist.

It was their first time going out to see the scenery as a family of three.

Before going out, Aiden took a thick hat and placed it on Daisy’s small head.

The hat had ear flaps.

It was the first time Daisy didn’t push his hand away.

His hand, lingering on the hat, gently rubbed Daisy’s head.

Such close proximity.

He had dreamt of being this close to his daughter.

Wanting to embrace his daughter in his arms.

In the end, the outstretched hand was retracted with restraint.

A scarf was wrapped around his daughter’s slender and fair neck, just like her mother’s.

"Wrap up and stay warm, don’t catch a cold."

Daisy looked at Aiden, "Thank you!"

Aiden returned a gentle yet longing gaze, "Daisy, can you call me dad?"

Daisy shook her head.

Tiana didn’t say anything either.

For she knew, Aiden had left too many psychological shadows for Daisy.

She wouldn’t force her daughter, stepping forward, took Daisy’s small hand, "Let’s go."

Aiden took another hat from Mrs. Walsh’s hand, originally intending to help Tiana put it on, but Tiana tilted her head, released her daughter’s hand, took the hat herself, then held her daughter’s hand again to walk out.

Aiden longed to step forward, to hold Tiana’s hand in one, Daisy’s in the other.

But the mother and daughter wouldn’t give him such an opportunity.

In the snow.

The family of three walked side by side.

Leaving behind footprints of various sizes, deep and shallow.

It’s undeniable, the snow scenery on this small island was truly beautiful.

The mountains behind the castle, all blanketed in white.

The endless snow.

Snowflakes continued to fall petal by petal.

Soft, white, too pristine to bear stepping on.

Tiana’s big belly, bundled in thick clothing.

So she walked slowly.

Aiden frequently reminded her to be careful.

Several times, his hand brushed hers, wanting to hold it, but she quickly moved it away.

Aiden’s palm, empty.

Just like his heart, also empty.

If six years ago, he had trusted Tiana, shielding her no matter what others said or did.

Now he could have been frolicking in the snow with Daisy, carefully helping Tiana, intimately connected with the mother and daughter.

Now, a deliberate distance placed by Tiana separated them.

Daisy didn’t want to let him hold her small hand either.

Walking and walking, the three of them didn’t say a word.

Then Jesse, beside them, suddenly suggested, "Miss Linden, Mr. Grant, let me take a photo of you together?"

Tiana turned to her daughter, "Do you want to take a group photo?"

Daisy distinctly shook her head.

In the wind and snow, Aiden’s upright and lofty shoulders sagged.

Jesse continued, "Miss Linden, no matter what, Mr. Grant is Daisy’s biological father. Let them have a photo together. It can be a keepsake."

Aiden interrupted, "No need, there will be opportunities in the future."

Provided, Tiana and Daisy are willing.

Walking all this way, the snowflakes landed on their heads, shoulders, and clothes, turning them entirely white.

Walking and walking, they truly did turn white-haired.

Doesn’t that count as growing old together?

Loving in shared snow, willing in life to grow old together.

Aiden didn’t walk further, he took out his phone and snapped a picture of Daisy and Tiana walking ahead.

A large and small figure settled in the phone’s frame.

In the future, when he misses them, he might only be able to look at this picture.

He will return the mother and daughter, whole and intact, to Hector Chaucer.

Two days later, Aiden, with Tiana and Daisy, boarded the yacht on which they arrived, setting sail for the return journey.