Free Web NovelChapter 247: Chapter 247 Don’t Touch Her
Everything happened so suddenly.
Samantha had clearly rushed to steal the seat, and as she passed by, she deliberately slammed into Rose.
While carrying Ariel, Trevor casually wrapped an arm around Rose’s waist to steady her.
At the same time, he cast Samantha a cold, piercing glance.
Rose watched the vehicle drive away, her mind replaying the image of Ryan leaving without even looking back.
Her eyes became bloodshot.
Her breathing grew uneven.
Even though Ryan had chosen to give the opportunity to Mike—who was perfectly healthy and strong—without knowing the truth, Rose still could not suppress the overwhelming sense of betrayal.
She was trembling with anger.
But she refused to let Ariel see even a trace of it.
The reason she had wanted to take the school’s emergency vehicle was because it carried medical supplies and emergency medication.
A child’s illness could not be delayed.
“I’ll drive. It’s okay, Rose.”
Trevor reacted immediately, carrying Ariel toward the parking lot.
Rose had no time to dwell on her anger.
Ariel had been hospitalized countless times as a child.
It had almost become a traumatic trigger for Rose.
They quickly got into the car.
Trevor reversed smoothly and drove directly toward the hospital.
In the back seat, Rose held Ariel tightly.
The little girl’s body was burning with fever.
Ariel wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.
Seeing Rose’s pale face, she wrapped her arms around Rose’s neck and gently patted her back with her tiny hands.
“Mommy, don’t be scared. I just don’t feel very well. It’s nothing serious.”
The little girl was clearly suffering from a high fever, yet she was astonishingly mature for her age.
Rose felt as though her heart had been scorched.
Ariel touched Rose’s cheek. “It’s okay. All little kids get sick sometimes. It’s only natural for Mike’s sister and her boyfriend to worry about him, just like you and Daddy worry about me.”
Her thoughtfulness only made Rose feel worse.
Because it wasn’t the same.
He wasn’t merely someone else’s boyfriend.
He was Ariel’s father.
But that truth had to remain hidden.
And revealing it would only hurt Ariel.
The little girl would be devastated if she ever learned the truth.
Rose said nothing.
She simply hugged Ariel tightly and kissed her forehead.
“Okay.”
Trevor glanced at them through the rearview mirror.
His voice softened. “Ariel is wonderful, but you must remember to put yourself first sometimes, understand?”
Ariel giggled.
Her flushed cheeks made her look heartbreakingly fragile, but she still nodded.
“Okay.”
After arriving at the hospital, Ariel’s condition proved to be fairly serious.
Her fever had reached 39.2°C (102.6°F), and she had vomited several times.
The school’s investigation revealed that one child had shared expired snacks with the class.
Combined with the fact that several children already had the flu, the situation had quickly escalated.
When Rose stepped out of the examination room, she ran into Ryan and Samantha, who were also at the hospital.
She did not spare them a second glance.
Instead, she turned and went to pay the medical bill.
Samantha watched Rose walk away.
For some reason, she remembered Ryan’s words from the classroom.
Turning toward him, she asked, “Ryan, what did you mean earlier when you said Rose had more experience?”
Ryan lowered his gaze to his phone.
His tone remained indifferent.
“Nothing.”
Samantha did not feel comfortable asking further.
*****
Ariel needed to remain hospitalized for two days.
During that time, Trevor had to handle company matters.
Rose stayed at the hospital the entire time and did not return home.
She and Trevor had quietly agreed not to tell Dr. Nathan and his wife about Ariel’s illness.
The elderly couple adored Ariel.
They simply could not bear to see her suffer.
They would only tell them that Ariel had gone out for a few days.
As for Mike—
As expected, he was discharged the very same day.
With his strong constitution, he had recovered quickly.
Rose did not encounter Ryan or Samantha again.
She found that perfectly acceptable.
At least it gave her some peace and quiet.
That evening, Rose went downstairs to buy dinner.
She had only just stepped outside the inpatient building when someone blocked her path.
Looking up, she saw Ethan.
She had not seen him since that day.
Ethan looked her up and down with a sneer.
“Are you sick? Doesn’t Ryan care whether you live or die?”
Seeing her at the hospital, he had naturally assumed she was the patient.
Rose ignored him and tried to walk around him.
But Ethan grabbed her arm. “What are you avoiding? Did I hit a nerve? Are you really sick?”
Rose looked coldly at his hand and forcefully shook him off.
“Don’t you have anything better to do?”
Ethan sneered.
He pulled out his phone and opened an app.
“You’re even more pathetic than I thought. Aren’t you curious where Ryan has been these past few days?”
He held the screen in front of her.
“He’s on vacation with that slut, Samantha, and her brother.”
Rose looked at Samantha’s social media post.
There was a nine-photo collage.
It was unclear whether they were somewhere in the United States or overseas.
The center photo showed Samantha’s hand wearing a diamond ring.
Another picture showed Ryan from behind, holding Mike’s hand.
The caption read: The ring is beautiful, and so is happiness. We’re all learning how to become parents.
Rose’s eyes remained calm.
She looked at the photos as if they belonged to complete strangers.
No wonder Mike had recovered so quickly.
They had apparently gone on vacation together.
When it came to pleasing his beloved woman and her child, Ryan truly knew how to play the role.
No matter how busy he was, he always found time.
Ethan, however, was grinding his teeth. “That bitch is still showing off. If this weren’t one of my unused accounts, she wouldn’t even know I could see these posts.”
He had been furious when he saw them.
Especially the ring.
The implication was obvious.
Rose remained silent.
In truth, she was thinking about something else.
It seemed that what she had overheard earlier—Samantha saying Ryan intended to marry her—was true.
She already had the ring.
Rose even wondered whether Ryan’s decision to marry Samantha had something to do with her supposed betrayal and the child she had given birth to.
She turned to leave.
But Ethan stepped in front of her again.
“Since we’ve run into each other, let’s talk.”
“What is there to talk about?” Rose asked.
Ethan sneered. “You’re unhappy about someone interfering in your marriage too. Let’s be honest—we’re both victims here. If we work together, it’ll be easy to ruin Samantha’s plans. It’s a win-win situation.”
Rose remained expressionless.
Ethan clearly did not know that she and Ryan had already divorced.
Within the Knight family, only Margaret and Ryan likely knew the truth.
“I refuse.”
Ethan’s expression darkened. “What are you pretending to be? Don’t tell me you don’t hate Samantha.”
Rose did hate Samantha.
But not because of Ryan.
She would not allow personal grudges to drag her into a mess.
Unwilling to waste another word, she turned and walked toward the exit.
Ethan’s face instantly darkened.
He hurried after her, grabbed her shoulders, and looked her up and down openly.
“My woman slept with Ryan, so I’ll sleep with you. That seems fair, doesn’t it?”
He smiled maliciously. “Besides, Ryan doesn’t care anyway.”
It certainly would not disrupt the Knight family’s precious peace.
Nausea surged inside Rose.
She was furious.
She tried to push Ethan away.
But he was much stronger than she was.
As they struggled, a dark figure suddenly rushed over.
The newcomer violently shoved Ethan aside and stepped protectively in front of Rose.
“Don’t touch her!”
