Free Web NovelChapter 228: Chapter 228 Moving Out of Moon lake Villa
As she reached the doorway, Rose took a deep breath.
She leaned against the ornamental pine tree beside the entrance, bent over slightly, and gasped for air.
It felt as though she had survived a disaster.
The tension she had carried for so long finally found an outlet.
The suffocating feeling of drowning every day, the constant fear of impending doom, disappeared in an instant.
She clutched the divorce certificate tightly.
Now that she finally had it, no one could take away her dignity again.
The nightmare that had haunted her for so long had finally come to an end.
Rose nearly burst into tears.
She immediately called Trevor overseas.
She completely forgot about the time difference.
The phone rang several times.
Trevor answered.
His calm voice traveled across the ocean and reached her ears.
“Rose? What’s wrong?”
It was already the middle of the night where he was.
Rose rarely called him.
At most, she sent messages.
She always knew her boundaries and never wanted to disturb him unnecessarily.
The fact that she had called at this hour made Trevor realize that something important must have happened.
Rose hurriedly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and tried to steady her voice.
“Mr. Robinson, when are you planning to return to the United States?”
Trevor’s voice softened. “Next month. The Robinson Family Resort is opening. It’s the most important project the Robinson family has completed in years, so I’ll be returning for the opening ceremony. Why?”
Rose quickly calculated the timing.
It was soon.
Now that she had the divorce certificate, she no longer had to worry about unexpected complications.
Only one final step remained.
Once Ariel’s custody issue was resolved, everything would officially be over.
Rose found herself laughing and crying at the same time.
“I got the divorce certificate.”
With that one sentence, Trevor instantly understood.
Rose was officially divorced.
Now all that remained was for him to return and help with Ariel’s legal custody transfer.
Rose was divorced.
Trevor fell silent for a moment.
Not noticing his change in mood, Rose continued.
“I’m divorced, Mr. Robinson. I’ll wait for you to come back.”
At that moment, a car slowly pulled into the driveway.
Ryan stepped out.
His tall figure cast a long shadow across the ground.
Rose’s final words carried clearly through the open courtyard.
Every word reached Ryan’s ears.
He glanced over.
Rose was clutching the divorce certificate tightly.
Fresh tears still stained her cheeks.
She was happily telling another man that she was single again.
Ryan stood there quietly for a moment.
Then he looked away coldly.
Without another glance, he walked into the house.
Rose never noticed him.
She only heard Trevor say softly, “Congratulations, Rose.”
He could hear the happiness in her voice.
The two agreed on a time to handle Ariel’s matter.
After ending the call, Rose left the Knight family estate.
She could hardly wait to begin preparing all the documents needed for Ariel’s legal custody transfer.
It was always better to prepare early.
Rose had reviewed the entire process countless times.
She already had a clear plan.
But there was another important matter.
She could finally move out of Moon lake Villa.
She no longer had to remain there under Margaret’s control or comply with the unreasonable demand to have a child for the Knight family.
*****
That afternoon, Rose drove back to the villa.
She still didn’t know what had happened to Grayson.
She hadn’t heard a single update.
But she had no interest in finding out.
The first thing she wanted to do was move out.
And—
At the very least, she wanted to thank Ryan.
No matter how strained their relationship had become, Ryan had saved her.
He had beaten Grayson for her.
She owed him that much respect.
She had assumed Ryan would not be home.
But when she entered the house, she saw him walking downstairs.
He looked at her indifferently. “Why didn’t you stay in the hospital another day?”
Rose glanced toward the luggage upstairs. “I’m fine. There’s no need to waste time.”
She opened her mouth.
The words "thank you" almost escaped.
Ryan walked into the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and said calmly, “You seem to know exactly what you want. You were willing to go on a blind date for the divorce certificate, and now you don’t even care whether your body has fully recovered.”
His tone remained even.
He was merely stating facts.
Then he looked at her. “Is the divorce certificate really more important than your own dignity?”
The words thank you caught in Rose’s throat.
Perhaps Ryan was simply stating the truth.
But to Rose, his words sounded different.
What had happened to her had never been her choice.
It had left both physical and emotional scars.
Yet Ryan’s cold assessment felt like another blade.
Even a stranger might offer comfort.
But Ryan possessed no such warmth.
His objectivity felt, at its core, like indifference.
Rose slowly swallowed her gratitude and put her armor back on.
“Yes.”
She met his gaze. “It’s important. It’s the only thing that proves we are no longer husband and wife, and that gives me peace of mind.”
She returned the hidden thorn.
It was never about her dignity.
Nor was it about her character.
She had simply wanted to sever their marriage completely.
Ryan remained silent.
Holding his glass, he looked at her quietly.
Women could be incredibly stubborn.
Her expression remained calm.
If not for the bruises around her neck, she might have looked completely composed.
Instead, she appeared fragile and vulnerable while still forcing herself to appear strong.
Ryan said nothing else.
He did not argue.
Rose spoke directly. “I’m moving out. Today.”
Only then did Ryan turn to look at her.
Before he could respond, his phone rang.
The sound of a video call was especially noticeable.
He glanced down.
Rose caught sight of Samantha’s profile picture.
Ryan lowered his eyes, picked up the phone, and walked outside.
“Fine. Do whatever you want. You don’t need to tell me.”
He offered no opinion.
There was certainly no attempt to stop her.
No reluctance.
No effort to make her stay.
He had no intention of wasting time discussing it because Samantha was calling.
Rose had expected nothing less.
The two of them silently chose not to discuss the incident that could have changed everything.
She swallowed her gratitude.
He felt no guilt.
Even though Margaret had arranged everything.
Rose turned and went upstairs without another glance.
She removed all the luggage that had remained untouched in the walk-in closet.
Only by moving out immediately could she truly feel at peace.
Because from this moment onward, she was no longer Mrs. Knight.
Her relationship with Ryan had been completely severed.
From now on, they were strangers.
Martha hesitated, as though she wanted to say something.
Rose pretended not to notice.
She hired a moving company.
Everything was sent back to her apartment.
As Rose unpacked, her phone kept vibrating.
She glanced at the screen.
The messages were from Diana.
There were more than ten of them.
The first contained a social media link.
A moment later, Diana called.
The instant Rose answered, Diana said anxiously, “Rose, the photos of you hugging and kissing Ryan have been leaked to the media. It’s all over the news!”
Rose’s heart skipped a beat.
She immediately opened the link.
The headline was impossible to ignore.
[Kingswell CEO Ryan Knight and His Wife Remain Deeply in Love After Years of Marriage.]
The first thing she saw was a high-definition photograph.
She was nestled in Ryan’s arms.
Ryan was holding her face in one hand, gently kissing her as though comforting her.
Although her face was hidden—
Rose still felt alarm bells ringing in her mind.
If Ariel saw the photo, the child who knew her mother best would immediately recognize her.
And if that happened—
Her true identity would be exposed.
