Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 15: Chapter 15 He Unlocked Her Phone With His Birthday

Rose’s mind went blank for several seconds.

Rose genuinely hadn’t expected Margaret to be serious about setting her up with someone new.

Had it really moved onto the agenda this quickly?

"Grandma, I’m really not interested in that right now."

Rose rubbed her temple.

Even if it came from good intentions, she found Margaret’s enthusiasm a little overwhelming.

"But Grandma has already arranged the meeting. Just think of it as getting to know someone new. It’s always good to make more friends, and we can talk about everything else later, okay?" Margaret coaxed patiently.

"Eight o’clock tonight. Make sure you dress nicely."

Afraid Rose would refuse again, Margaret quickly ended the call.

Rose stared at her phone screen, speechless.

Margaret’s idea of making Ryan compensate her was a little too aggressive.

She glanced at the time.

It was already 6:30 p.m.

After a moment of consideration, she decided to go anyway.

At the very least, she could explain the situation in person and avoid putting anyone in an awkward position.

*****

The meeting had been arranged at Skyview Club, one of the most luxurious venues in New York.

Its extravagant reputation rivaled the most exclusive entertainment clubs in the country.

The e-ticket indicated the fifth floor.

The floor contained private dining suites and performance lounges.

After confirming the room number, Rose walked to the door, checked it once more, and knocked.

No one responded.

Either they hadn’t heard her, or the other party hadn’t arrived yet.

Without thinking much of it, she pushed the door open slightly.

The moment her gaze landed on the room inside, she froze.

Someone was already there.

Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows was Ryan.

One hand rested casually in his pocket, his tall frame outlined by the city lights beyond the glass.

Facing him, Samantha stood on tiptoe, adjusting his tie.

Then, after their eyes met, she slowly leaned forward and pressed her lips toward his.

Even though Rose already knew about their affair—

Witnessing it with her own eyes still left her momentarily stunned.

For several seconds, her mind went blank.

She forgot how to react.

Seven years of marriage.

There had been love once.

And habits formed over years didn’t disappear overnight.

Even though she had already pulled herself out of that emotional swamp, the lingering bond of husband and wife still stirred a fleeting ache inside her chest.

Instinctively, she tried to close the door.

But before she could, a small pair of hands shoved her hard.

A childish, angry voice rang out.

"You bad woman! Why are you spying on my sister and her date?"

Rose looked down.

A little boy stood before her.

He couldn’t have been more than five or six years old.

Clearly spoiled rotten, he was built like a tiny cannonball, his round face full of arrogance.

His voice was loud.

The people inside immediately heard the commotion.

The door opened fully.

Ryan remained composed and dignified, his gaze settling on Rose’s pale face.

"What are you doing here?"

There was no obvious anger in his tone.

No embarrassment.

No panic.

As though he were merely an uninvolved bystander rather than a man caught red-handed.

The door to the neighboring suite opened as well.

James leaned lazily against the doorway and raised an eyebrow.

"You didn’t follow us here, did you?"

It sounded like a joke.

Yet the implication was obvious.

Samantha stood beside Ryan and reached out to pull the little boy toward her.

"This is a private gathering," she said coolly. "Don’t you think it’s inappropriate for you to be here?"

"Sis, isn’t she the bad woman who stole your place?"

Mike’s voice was loud and clear.

Though only five or six years old, he was already quite heavyset.

As he spoke, he stuck out his tongue at Rose.

Samantha affectionately ruffled his hair.

She didn’t directly answer, but neither did she deny it.

James watched Rose, waiting to see her lose her temper.

True, Mike wasn’t being particularly polite.

But given everything Rose had done in the past, wasn’t this simply a taste of her own medicine?

With a grin, James teased, "Mike is a smart kid."

The praise only made Mike more smug.

Clutching Ryan’s hand, he glared triumphantly at Rose.

Ryan made no effort to correct him.

Instead, he continued looking at Rose with cold indifference.

By now, Rose had already pieced everything together.

Margaret had tricked her.

The person she was supposed to meet wasn’t some eligible bachelor.

It was Ryan.

Margaret had wanted the two of them to reconcile and had gone to great lengths to bring them together.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t anticipated Ryan bringing Samantha and her younger brother.

There was no place for Rose here.

Rose didn’t look at Samantha.

Nor did she spare Ryan a second glance.

She couldn’t care less about their picture-perfect little family.

Instead, she crouched down and looked directly at Mike.

"Yes, I’m a bad woman. But you’re rude, spoiled. If you keep acting like this, no one is going to enjoy being around you when you grow up."

Her tone was calm.

Almost gentle.

Yet the words landed hard.

For a moment, even Rose felt like the villain in someone else’s story.

Destroying a child’s innocent worldview.

Disrupting the harmony of someone else’s "family."

Samantha’s expression instantly darkened.

Of course she understood the deeper meaning behind Rose’s words.

Mike didn’t fully understand.

But children that age often possess strong pride.

Hearing himself called rude and unlikeable, his face immediately flushed red.

Then he burst into tears.

He cried so loudly that his words became nearly unintelligible.

Tugging desperately on Ryan’s sleeve, he wailed, "Make her apologize! Make her apologize to me! Waaah..."

Ryan lowered his gaze toward Rose. "Arguing with a child? How old are you?"

Another accusation.

Yet another accusation.

As though she deserved to be criticized no matter what happened.

As though her dignity wasn’t worth consideration.

A sharp pain pierced Rose’s chest.

Then she laughed.

Not because it was funny.

But because sometimes anger reached a point where laughter became the only possible response.

"Isn’t teaching basic manners supposed to be a parent’s job?" she asked lightly. "You can’t even teach basic manners properly, and when I help you out, I’m not even supposed to expect a thank-you?"

Her words made Ryan’s expression turn colder.

Holding Mike, who was still crying loudly, Samantha frowned. "Rose, he’s just a child. What kind of person takes their anger out on a child?"

As she spoke, her eyes landed on the phone in Rose’s hand.

Then something flashed across her face.

"I think you were secretly recording us just now."

She looked directly at Rose.

"Let us see your phone."

Rose almost laughed.

The audacity was astonishing.

"No."

Before she could react—

Her phone was suddenly gone.

Ryan had appeared beside her without warning.

Holding her phone, he entered the passcode with practiced ease.

The screen unlocked instantly.

The moment Rose saw it happen, she felt as though ice water had been poured over her.

Every bone in her body seemed to crack apart.

A wave of humiliation swept through her.

As though she had been stripped bare in public.

She had never hidden anything from Ryan.

Not her phone.

Not her computer.

Not her bank cards.

Almost every password she used was based on his birthday.

Yet when it came to Ryan...

She knew absolutely nothing.

He never shared anything about himself.

He guarded his privacy with absolute vigilance.

Only now did she realize how ridiculous she had been all those years.

She had been too busy lately.

Or perhaps too accustomed to using that combination of numbers.

Either way, she had forgotten to change it.

And now, during the final stage of their marriage, Ryan had unlocked her phone using his birthday.

It felt like the ultimate humiliation.

James noticed the passcode as well.

Looking at Rose, he smiled. "Miss Bennett, that’s actually kind of adorable."

They were right.

Rose had always been a hopeless romantic.

Perhaps even her recent indifference had been nothing more than an act.

Ryan certainly didn’t care.

He had long grown accustomed to Rose treating him as the center of her world.

Rose didn’t have the energy to argue.

Because her phone contained photos and messages from Ariel.

There was no way Ryan could see them.

Ryan casually opened the photo gallery.

The thumbnails were too small to make out clearly.

Still—

Several appeared to contain images of a young child.

He couldn’t quite tell.

At that moment, a faint citrus scent drifted past him.

Rose’s heart tightened.

Without thinking, she lunged forward.

She snatched the phone from his hand.

Then—

Smash!

She hurled it onto the floor.

The screen shattered instantly.

The device was nearly unrecognizable.

The abrupt action plunged the room into complete silence.

For several long seconds, no one spoke.

Then Samantha let out a soft laugh.

"Really?"

She folded her arms. "Wouldn’t letting us look at it have been the easiest way to prove your innocence?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Acting like this only makes you look guilty."