Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 17: Chapter 17 The Date Was All a Lie

James had come over with good intentions, hoping to offer a few words of comfort.

Did Rose really not know when someone was trying to help?

He couldn’t help frowning.

At the same time, he felt his decision to chase after her was completely ridiculous.

It was as though he’d been bewitched.

****

Rose didn’t spare a second thought for James’s reaction.

After going downstairs, she arrived at the so-called VIP dining area.

But there was no one there.

The server who had previously informed her that her date was waiting hurried over again.

"Miss Bennett, I’m sorry. I was only following my manager’s instructions."

Rose wasn’t foolish.

She immediately pieced everything together.

This so-called "date" had probably never existed.

Margaret had orchestrated the entire charade.

First, she had arranged for Rose to run into Ryan in the private suite.

Then, by inventing a nonexistent man, she had likely hoped to spark a little jealousy.

Clearly, Margaret still hadn’t given up on bringing them back together.

Unfortunately, she probably never imagined things would unfold this way.

The stage she’d carefully prepared didn’t contain just Rose and Ryan.

It also contained Samantha—the woman Ryan had already chosen.

Rose turned to the server.

"It’s fine. You can get back to work."

She had come tonight intending to clarify things anyway.

Since the mysterious date didn’t exist, it saved her the trouble.

Truthfully, she understood that Margaret’s efforts weren’t necessarily driven by affection.

The older woman was simply worried about what would happen to the Knight family if Rose and Ryan divorced.

After all, Ethan hadn’t committed a serious crime.

The family had already pulled strings behind the scenes.

He might be released sooner than expected.

Margaret feared unexpected complications.

But whatever schemes the Knight family had planned, Rose couldn’t bring herself to care anymore.

Since she was already here, she certainly wasn’t going home hungry.

Life couldn’t revolve around emotions.

She needed to live for herself.

Who could survive an entire lifetime relying on something as fragile as love?

Rose ordered her favorite meal.

Then she sat down and ate quietly, one bite at a time.

She ignored the curious glances from people passing by.

Perhaps they thought it was pathetic for a woman to dine alone in a place like this.

Rose disagreed.

For years, Ryan had spent most of his time overseas.

She had always been alone.

After finishing dinner, she headed downstairs to call a ride.

Her car was an ordinary sedan she’d purchased years ago.

At the time, she’d wanted to prove to the Knight family that she wasn’t interested in their wealth or status.

Besides, she’d never been someone who enjoyed extravagant spending.

The car had served her for many years.

Now it was old enough to develop occasional mechanical problems.

Most of the time, it sat parked in the garage of the apartment building she rented.

People were much the same.

Time didn’t erase flaws.

Instead, it acted like a mirror, gradually exposing every crack and weakness until eventually everything lost its former shine.

The night wind was merciless.

It stung her face like needles.

Rose checked her ride-hailing app.

Just then—

Click.

The metallic snap of a lighter sounded beside her.

She turned her head.

Ryan stood several feet away.

At some point, he had appeared without her noticing.

His suit jacket was draped over one arm as though the freezing wind had no effect on him.

The collar of his white dress shirt fluttered in the breeze.

His sharp jawline tilted slightly upward as he casually glanced in her direction.

Rose hadn’t expected to run into him after dinner.

Even after seven years of marriage, standing alone together only a few feet apart felt strangely unfamiliar.

Ryan appeared to be waiting for someone.

Or perhaps for a car.

He didn’t seem particularly bothered by what had happened earlier.

Nor did he speak.

Just as Rose assumed they would quietly go their separate ways, Ryan suddenly asked, "Have you found a house yet?"

The question struck directly at her biggest source of guilt.

After all, she’d used the house as an excuse to trick him into signing the agreement.

Ryan wasn’t someone who was easily deceived.

His unexpected concern immediately made her uneasy.

"No," Rose replied casually.

Then she noticed Samantha approaching from the distance.

With a faint smile, she added, "Would you like to help me choose one?"

Ryan studied her for a moment.

He didn’t immediately answer.

Before he could, Samantha’s voice called from behind.

"Ryan, let’s go."

Rose turned toward her.

There was obvious displeasure in Samantha’s eyes.

She clearly disliked the fact that Rose—his legal wife—was occupying Ryan’s attention.

Ryan made his decision almost instantly.

"Let’s go."

He turned and walked toward Samantha.

He hadn’t explicitly refused.

But Rose understood perfectly.

Helping her look at houses wasn’t important enough to interfere with his plans with Samantha.

Samantha’s expression softened slightly.

Looking at Rose, she said, "We already have plans, so we won’t be able to give you a ride. You’ll have to make your own arrangements."

Rose couldn’t help chuckling.

Listen to that.

Such a natural declaration of ownership.

As though Rose were merely an outsider.

As though Samantha and Ryan were the married couple, politely acknowledging her existence out of courtesy.

At that moment, Rose’s ride arrived.

She couldn’t be bothered to look at them again.

Getting into the car, she drove away.

Not long afterward, James stepped outside and witnessed the entire scene.

After looking around and confirming that no mysterious date had ever appeared, he shook his head.

"I knew it. Rose made the whole thing up to save face and get your attention."

Samantha raised an eyebrow with interest.

Ryan opened the car door.

His expression remained completely indifferent.

"It doesn’t matter."

*****

Rose wanted to settle the house purchase as quickly as possible.

Although the story had begun as a lie to trick Ryan, she knew he wasn’t someone who could be fooled forever.

That was one reason she had actually placed a deposit on a property.

Her grandfather had been living in a nursing home for many years.

After what happened to her mother, his health had deteriorated significantly.

Some days he was lucid.

Other days he wasn’t.

His condition would only worsen with time.

Eventually, when the nursing home could no longer provide the care he needed, Rose planned to bring him home and care for him herself.

The final contract signing was scheduled for Monday.

Before that, she needed to complete her onboarding paperwork at work.

Monday arrived.

Rose reported to Grand Sage.

Caleb had already prepared an office for her, along with a dedicated team.

"You’ll oversee the overall direction of our new drug development projects," Caleb explained. "And regarding our previous discussion, it’s time to officially launch the medical robotics initiative."

He was clearly in an excellent mood.

Rose’s return had solved one of his biggest concerns.

Although she had never doubted her abilities, several years away from the corporate world still left her feeling a little out of practice.

"Are you sure I’m still capable of handling all this?"

Caleb snorted. "Rule number one at this company: no excessive modesty. It’s annoying."

Rose blinked. "Oh."

Just like that, her self-doubt disappeared.

Her confidence returned.

Grand Sage had its own independent research and development center.

With Caleb’s family owning one of the largest healthcare networks in the country, their partnerships and resources were among the best available.

Rose no longer intended to spend every day seeing patients.

After all, one doctor could only help so many people.

Working behind the scenes to create innovations that benefited millions was a better use of her abilities.

The company’s plans for the coming year had already been mapped out.

In addition to pharmaceutical development, a major priority was expanding into smart healthcare technologies and opening new markets.

After meeting with several researchers who worked tirelessly at the R&D center, Rose invited Diana to lunch.

They chose a Thai restaurant near Grand Sage.

The moment they arrived—

Rose glanced through the restaurant’s bright floor-to-ceiling windows.

Then her expression changed instantly.

At a large table inside sat a group of people she never expected to see together.

The sight was so unbelievable that she couldn’t hide her shock.