CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: TIANA LINDEN STRIKES BACK

"Tiana, does sleeping with other men feel that good?"

"Going from one to another. Are you that desperate for men?"

The man speaking is Aiden Grant.

He pinned Tiana Linden against the wall behind the tree, glaring at her with fury.

Seeing that she dressed so beautifully today, with makeup meticulously done, Aiden felt increasingly suffocated.

As his arm pressed down, the lean, tall man’s body nearly pressed against Tiana’s.

With no place to escape, Tiana heard Aiden’s nonsense and accusations again.

"Tiana, how desperate are you? You’re even willing to sleep with Harvey Patton?"

"Do you not find it disgusting doing it with him?"

Aiden felt disgusted.

Harvey said Tiana had slept with him; how could she be attracted to a man like Harvey?

This solid chest made Tiana deeply resistant.

She pushed out forcefully.

But no matter how she pushed, it was futile.

"Aiden, move."

"What, you don’t find Harvey repulsive, yet you despise me?"

Aiden effortlessly kept Tiana restrained in front of him, with a mocking laugh.

No matter how hard Tiana pushed him, he remained immovable like a mountain.

"Tiana, do you despise me that much?"

"Haven’t we slept together?"

Once when they slept together, she loved him kissing her ear.

She would cling tightly to his waist, gripping his shoulder intensely.

But at this moment, Aiden’s mind was full of images of Tiana and Harvey in bed.

The more he tried to calm down, the more his anger surged.

Reason was entirely overridden by hatred.

The more Tiana resisted, the harder he pressed down.

At the next moment, Tiana slapped him.

With a loud smack!

Having lost his mind, Aiden received a slap, which somewhat sobered him up.

The force on his wrist lightened a bit.

Only then did Tiana seize the chance to push him away.

Since he refused to believe anything she said, she decided there was no point in explaining.

After all, she had said she hadn’t slept with Hector Chaucer, but Aiden never believed her.

"Yes, I just love sleeping with other men. Be it Hector or Harvey, they are hundred times, thousand times better than you."

Her latter words were true; although Hector was sentenced to death and escaped, he was more of a man than Aiden.

At least he never flirted with his friend’s woman.

He wasn’t as bad as the rumors suggested.

Even the malicious Harvey was better than Aiden.

She detested Aiden, who hurt her countless times, stabbing her repeatedly.

Pressing down the dull pain in her chest, she coldly warned, "Aiden, you’re getting married soon, stop bothering me for no reason. You’re only making others mistakenly believe I want to reconnect with you."

However, she had long drawn a line between them.

She didn’t mind reiterating, "Aiden, to me, you’re nothing but discarded trash. Kindly stay far away from now on."

Whatever Aiden’s reaction was, Tiana didn’t bother to observe.

She got around the tree behind her and walked out along the wall.

At this moment, Harvey stood there.

Seeing Tiana come out, he deliberately stepped ahead and took Tiana’s hand.

Aiden emerged from behind the tree, making Harvey feel jealous, yet deliberately flaunted, "Aiden, you heard it just now. To Tiana, you’re nothing but discarded trash. The man she wants now is me, please be clear about that."

"Let’s go." Tiana didn’t want any more entanglements with Aiden.

Perhaps overwhelmed by hatred, she didn’t notice Harvey holding her hand as she left.

Under the night lights, Aiden watched them leave.

Harvey’s bulky frame completely misaligned with Tiana’s petite figure.

Yet Tiana let Harvey lead her away.

He watched as their contrasting silhouettes moved toward the bustling party, Aiden furiously kicked.

A pebble at his feet was kicked into the swimming pool.

Ripples suddenly spread, reflecting his unsettled heart which refused to calm.

Walking farther away, Tiana only then noticed Harvey holding her arm.

She stopped.

Harvey stopped with her.

His towering figure completely enveloped her.

"Tiana, since you truly don’t want to deal with Aiden anymore, why not be with me sooner?"

"..." Tiana didn’t respond immediately; she first shook off Harvey’s hand.

Harvey curled his lips into a smile, "Tiana, the moon is so beautiful tonight; don’t go back, stay with me to enjoy the moonlight, will you?"

Disgusting!

"Harvey, if you want to sleep with me, just say so directly."

"I’m your fiancé, can’t I make such a request?"

Tiana felt so nauseated she wanted to vomit out all the meals from past lifetimes.

At this moment, Harvey’s smile carried a hint of threat, "My kids are excited to meet Daisy soon. Hoping to bond early with her. You wouldn’t mind them meeting Daisy, would you?"

Like father, like son.

Harvey’s eldest son, not yet eighteen, once conspired with friends to assault a schoolgirl.

If they saw Daisy, they would definitely have vile intentions.

Tiana shuddered at the thought.

Would she capitulate under such threats?

"Harvey, come here, I need to whisper something to you."

Tiana deliberately beckoned with her finger.

Harvey thought she would obediently comply since his sons were infamously notorious.

If they targeted Daisy, Tiana as the mother would surely worry.

Harvey leaned in following Tiana’s gesture.

He even dared to attempt a bold kiss on Tiana’s cheek.

Yet the next second, as Harvey approached, Tiana immediately grabbed his tie.

Using a knee-jerk move, she forcefully struck Harvey’s crotch.

Ouch... Stunned by the pain, before Harvey could react, Tiana released his tie and kicked him backward.

Then, looking at Harvey clutching his abdomen and groin, Tiana coldly warned:

"Harvey, I agreed to accompany you to this party today to warn you, don’t target me or my daughter."

"I have footage of your son assaulting a young girl."

"I also have videos of your public charity acts while privately evading taxes, indulging luxuriously, and exploiting women."

"Touch my daughter, and I’ll ruin you."

Luckily she sought Leo Sutton’s help.

And Leo Sutton, indeed a prominent figure in the legal world.

In just one day, he pinpointed Harvey’s vulnerabilities.

Harvey bent over, clutching his aching groin, refusing to believe she alone could truly grasp his weaknesses.

She was no longer The Linden Family’s heiress.

The Linden Family wouldn’t protect her.

To him, she wasn’t a threat.

She was just gossiping.

He tightened his grip on his sore groin area, lifting his head fiercely:

"Tiana, do you still think you’re the Linden Family’s heiress? Your brother and father have already abandoned you. You have no power or influence, and you still dare to threaten me?"

Without another word, Tiana pulled out her phone and opened a video.

After pressing play, an unsightly scene appeared in front of Harvey Patton, turning his face red instantly.

"Tiana, where did you get this video?"

The sound from the video made Tiana feel disgusted.

She deleted it, saying, "The original is somewhere else. If you dare let your son near my daughter—if you dare target us—I will make sure everyone sees this video. Recently, Patton New Energy’s stock price has indeed been rising sharply. I wonder if it will plummet when your hypocritical tax evasion and decadent lifestyle are exposed?"

The response to Tiana was Harvey Patton’s drastic change of expression.

With a sullen face, he snorted, "Tiana, if you don’t want me near you that much, then why did you agree to marry me? Do you think that marrying me three months later will make you avoid this disaster?"

Tiana put away her phone, "You don’t need to know why."

Three months later, she would no longer be in this world.

By then, even if Harvey wanted to forcibly marry her, all he could marry would be her lonely grave.

In the night, her eyes turned sharp, "Harvey, don’t even think about pulling any tricks. I have more dirt on you than just this. You better behave yourself."

A few minutes later, she left the party.

The Sutton Family’s driver waited in the parking lot and opened the car door for her, "Miss Linden, my lady asked me to come and pick you up."

Tiana nodded and thanked him.

She didn’t expect Leo Sutton’s wife to be so kind-hearted.

After getting in the car, it drove to the Sutton Family villa.

Mrs. Sutton Kiera and Leo Sutton, together, brought Daisy to Tiana.

Daisy waved to the Sutton couple, "Aunt Chaucer, Uncle Sutton, thank you for taking care of me. I should go home with mom now."

Mrs. Sutton Kiera, pregnant with a nine-month belly.

Bending slightly, with some effort.

But Kiera gently patted Daisy on the head.

"Daisy, come and play at Auntie’s house often. Uncle, Auntie, Sister, and the little brother in Auntie’s belly all like you very much."

"Okay!"

Then, Mrs. Sutton instructed the Sutton Family driver, "Dunn, make sure Tiana and Daisy get home safely."

Tiana was deeply moved, merely being high school classmates, and she was only Leo Sutton’s high school classmate, yet Mrs. Sutton took such care of her.

This warmth made Tiana suddenly feel a little nose-tinged with emotion.

A mere thank you couldn’t express her gratitude.

But she still said earnestly, "Mrs. Sutton, thank you!"

Tiana, with a nose tingling, was not the only one, but also Mrs. Sutton Kiera.

Kiera had heard from Leo Sutton about Tiana’s stage IV lung cancer and returning to Veridia to entrust her child.

But neither Aiden nor the Linden Family believed her and kept bullying her.

Such things made the always rational Kiera feel pity and sorrow.

Both being mothers, looking at Daisy, thinking that Daisy would soon be without a mother, Kiera felt suffocated with sadness.

On the surface, Kiera forced a smile, "Tiana, don’t call me Mrs. Sutton anymore, it’s too distant. After all, we’ve known each other since high school. In Veridia, you have no family, so consider us your family. From now on, just call me Kiera, we’re roughly the same age."

Tiana choked up a bit, "Thank you, Kiera!"

Driver Dunn sent Tiana and Daisy away.

Kiera and Leo Sutton gazed at the car from behind.

Kiera sighed, "Leo, Tiana and Daisy have such hard lives! Let’s help find Daisy a reliable adoptive family."

Leo Sutton was very grateful to have such an understanding wife, "Alright!"

Under the night wind, he draped a coat over Kiera, "Come on, let’s go inside, don’t catch a cold."

The two walked back hand in hand.

Kiera continued, "Leo, that Harvey Patton is not a good person. Why don’t you have someone watch him to prevent him from secretly causing trouble? Tiana and her daughter have suffered enough, if Harvey pulls any more tricks, there will be no one to help them."

The response to Kiera was Leo Sutton’s pause and gaze.

Such a gaze made Kiera a bit puzzled, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Leo Sutton asked, "Tiana was the girl I had a crush on in high school. Aren’t you at all jealous with me helping her like this?"

Kiera chuckled, "I believe you’re a responsible and sensible man."

With the smile fading, she sympathized, "Tiana’s fate is so tragic, I also want to help her."

Leo Sutton moved deeply and half-hugged his wife into his arms, "Kiera, I will treat you even better in the future."

"Tiana doesn’t have much time left." Kiera looked up at him, "Aren’t you going to let her know that you once had a crush on her?"

Leo Sutton didn’t answer.

Kiera asked again, "Leo, do you regret not taking Tiana away from Aiden back then?"

The response to Kiera was Leo Sutton’s honesty, "Of course I regret it! But there’s no going back in life. A person should live in the present. The person I need to cherish the most is you."

If he could live again, Leo Sutton wouldn’t have conceded to Aiden.

Nor would he have let Aiden ruin Tiana’s beautiful youth.

But there are no "ifs" in life.

All he can do is cherish the understanding Kiera right in front of him.

He gently brushed Kiera’s loose hair from her forehead, "Kiera, thank you!"

"Ow..." Kiera frowned, "Leo Sutton, your son kicked me."

Leo Sutton, touching Kiera’s belly, there a bump rose up, "What if it’s a daughter?"

Kiera suddenly changed the topic, "Leo, since Tiana came back to Veridia to entrust her child, hoping for Aiden to acknowledge Daisy, why not help her sue Aiden? If Aiden knows Daisy is his biological daughter, having her biological father raise her is certainly more reliable than adoptive parents."

While talking, they went inside.

Leo Sutton led Kiera to sit down, "Aiden refuses to acknowledge. The paternity test results have also been tampered with by someone with intentions; there’s too much involved."

Kiera glared at him, "You’re a lawyer, a prominent figure in the legal world, can’t you resolve these issues?"

Leo Sutton said no more, and in the silence, Kiera added, "Tomorrow I’ll arrange for you to meet with Tiana and discuss this matter. Even the most reliable adoptive parents can’t compare to a biological father."

The next day was March 28th.

Tiana calculated the days.

If she could live until the end of April, she had another thirty-three days to live.

Thirty-three days!

A number that was terrifying and yet unwilling to accept.

After dropping Daisy off at kindergarten, she watched Daisy’s small figure walking into the school gate from a distance.

Really wanted to see this little figure grow into a graceful young lady.

But she couldn’t wait for that day.

Half an hour later, she arrived as scheduled at a floral design studio.

Busy Leo Sutton wasn’t planning to come.

Because today he had a very important court case.

But Kiera insisted on bringing him along.

Before coming, Kiera had said, no matter how big the case was, not even the potential fees for winning it, were as important as Tiana’s matters.

So, Leo Sutton handed the case to the team’s other members.

Tiana didn’t know why Kiera had arranged to meet here.

Seeing Leo Sutton there, she was even more puzzled.

The heavily pregnant Kiera stood up, pulled her to sit down, and handed her a pair of scissors, "Tiana, let’s chat while arranging flowers."

Taking the scissors, Tiana casually picked up a stem of her favorite lisianthus.

Kiera, by her side, looked at her, "Tiana, let Leo help you with the lawsuit. With Leo taking charge, he can guarantee victory."

"Lawsuit?" Tiana’s hands paused, pruning the flower stem, looking questioningly at Leo Sutton and Kiera.

Leo Sutton said, "Kiera means that since Aiden refuses to admit Daisy is his daughter, I should help you sue. If we win, Aiden will have to raise Daisy."

Aiden’s name made Tiana’s face darken.

Her thoughts became inexplicably chaotic.

The lisianthus in her hand had been vibrant and beautiful.

But at the mention of Aiden’s name, it suddenly seemed dull.

No matter how she looked at it, it wasn’t pleasing anymore.

She placed the flower stem on the table, no longer in the mood for floristry, "Leo, Kiera, thank you for thinking of me and Daisy, but I no longer want to entrust Daisy to Aiden."

She told Leo Sutton and Kiera about Daisy’s flower allergy and Aiden’s favoritism towards his goddaughter Noelle Sullivan and Vivian Linden.

Kiera was infuriated.

In anger, she slammed the table, "How can there be such a biased jerk like Aiden in this world. Does Daisy’s life not matter either?"