Free Web NovelChapter 268: Chapter 268 Wrong Turn
Rose stood there, watching as the sales associate carefully wrapped the pair of rings Samantha had admired.
The corners of her lips twitched ever so slightly.
When a man truly loved a woman, he would buy every ring she liked and let her wear a different pair every day.
Rose had no interest in watching her ex-husband pay for jewelry for his current girlfriend.
She turned toward Julia, who had deliberately stayed out of the situation.
She had even less interest in speaking to Ryan.
Walking straight past him, she stopped beside Julia.
"Aunt Julia, I don’t have any special requests."
She was referring to the wedding dresses.
Julia discreetly glanced at Ryan, who hadn’t turned around.
Without asking any unnecessary questions or showing unwarranted curiosity, she smiled.
"Then try this off-the-shoulder gown. Rose, you have a beautiful figure and an elegant neckline. It’ll suit you perfectly."
Rose hadn’t been particularly interested in trying on a wedding dress.
But if she left immediately with Julia, it would seem as though she were backing down for Samantha’s sake.
Since she was already here, she simply nodded.
"All right. I’ll trust your judgment."
After all, she and Ryan were practically strangers now.
Neither of them had any right to interfere in the other’s personal life.
Even if she were trying on wedding dresses today, Ryan could simply pretend not to notice.
That was for the best.
At least they could maintain a polite distance.
Completely letting down her guard, Rose stepped into the fitting room.
She gently brushed her fingertips across the layers of delicate tulle.
No woman could remain unmoved by a beautiful wedding gown.
Looking back, she realized that her marriage to Ryan had been so rushed and chaotic that she had never truly experienced a wedding of her own.
In the end...
She had shortchanged herself.
She reached behind her back but couldn’t quite reach the zipper.
Softly, she called out to see whether a sales associate was outside.
The fitting rooms were close together.
No sooner had she spoken than she heard Samantha’s bright voice from a nearby fitting room.
"Ryan, could you come help me?"
Rose silently scoffed.
Whether Samantha was genuinely calling for Ryan or deliberately trying to provoke her, Rose no longer cared.
Just then, the fitting room door quietly opened.
Without turning around, Rose simply said, "This zipper is such a hassle."
The person who entered didn’t answer.
After a brief silence—perhaps only two seconds—
A hand reached toward her back.
Slowly...
Carefully...
The invisible zipper was drawn upward, inch by inch.
Her graceful back gradually disappeared beneath the elegant fabric as the zipper reached the top.
"Thank you..."
Rose turned around with a polite smile still lingering on her face.
The smile disappeared the instant she met Ryan’s deep, dark eyes.
The fitting room wasn’t very large.
The wedding gown occupied most of the space.
After withdrawing his hand, Ryan stood behind her with one hand tucked casually into his pocket.
His cold gaze rested quietly on her.
He remained silent.
His expression revealed nothing.
Rose finally broke the silence. "How did you get in here?"
Only then did Ryan answer in his usual calm voice. "I took a wrong turn."
Rose thought about it.
That actually made sense.
There were several fitting rooms, and voices echoed throughout the area.
He had probably mistaken her fitting room for Samantha’s.
"Then... why haven’t you gone out?" Rose asked.
Ryan looked at her without answering.
At that moment, Julia’s voice came from outside.
"Rose? Do you need any help?"
Rose immediately felt a wave of panic.
She looked toward Ryan.
His expression remained completely calm.
As though even if the sky collapsed, it wouldn’t affect him in the slightest.
Unhurried.
Unruffled.
Completely composed.
His composure only made Rose feel even more anxious about being discovered.
She quickly replied, "It’s fine. I don’t need any help. I’ll be out in just a minute. Please wait for me in the lounge."
"All right," Julia replied warmly. "Take your time."
Her footsteps gradually faded away.
Only then did Rose finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, she was publicly preparing to marry Trevor.
If Julia discovered Ryan standing inside her fitting room, the misunderstanding would be impossible to explain.
Perhaps noticing how obvious Rose’s concern about her future mother-in-law’s opinion was, Ryan lowered his eyes and looked at her with a deep, unreadable gaze.
Caught off guard, Rose met his eyes.
Still...
Ryan said nothing.
Without even bothering to confirm whether Julia had walked far enough away, he simply turned, opened the door, and walked out.
From beginning to end, aside from quietly helping her zip up her dress, the only words he had spoken were—
"I took a wrong turn."
Rose wasn’t sure whether Ryan had gone back to Samantha.
Nor did she know whether Samantha had called for him again.
She waited another minute before slowly leaving the fitting room herself.
Julia was already waiting.
The moment she saw Rose, her eyes lit up.
"Rose, you’re absolutely stunning. Your skin is so fair, and your figure is beautiful. You look breathtaking."
As she spoke, Julia eagerly took out her phone and snapped several pictures.
"Trevor really should see you in your wedding dress."
That single remark made Rose feel strangely uncomfortable.
She had already accepted that this marriage was built on necessity rather than love.
Hearing Julia speak with such genuine excitement filled her with an indescribable sense of guilt.
Standing on the raised platform beneath the bright lights, Rose instinctively glanced around the boutique.
Samantha was nowhere to be seen.
Noticing her curiosity, Julia explained, "Miss Hill left with Mr. Knight a little while ago."
Rose immediately understood.
She didn’t dwell on it.
This way, neither side would have to endure any unnecessary awkwardness.
Julia sent the photos before gently taking Rose’s hand.
"I heard you never had a wedding ceremony before."
"That means you’ve never worn a wedding dress, have you?"
Rose knew Julia was aware of her previous marriage to Ryan.
She nodded.
Julia stepped closer and gently squeezed her hand.
"He never got to see you in a wedding dress."
"That’s his loss."
"He knew perfectly well you were trying one on today, yet he never even wanted to see you."
"He left without looking back."
"Rose..."
"It’s time to turn the page."
Julia had witnessed everything.
Ryan had shown no interest in waiting for Rose.
Nor had he shown any curiosity about how she looked in a wedding dress.
From that moment onward, Julia completely understood why Rose had chosen divorce.
Rose naturally understood the meaning behind Julia’s words.
But she was no longer affected.
Smiling faintly, she replied, "He stopped being part of my life a long time ago."
Only then did Julia smile in relief.
*****
After leaving the bridal boutique, Rose hurried back to continue revising her academic paper.
Meanwhile, Samantha had originally planned to continue shopping.
However, Max suddenly called and asked her to come see him immediately.
He wanted to review her thesis and point out several problems.
There was no room for postponement.
He insisted she come at once.
Left with no choice, Samantha quickly changed out of the wedding dress before leaving with Ryan.
After her meeting with Max concluded, she received an official notice from NYU.
The academic paper symposium had been scheduled for one week later.
She had no idea how much progress Rose had made.
Since the symposium was critically important, Samantha couldn’t help feeling nervous.
During this period, she also spoke with Logan over the phone.
"Lately, Ethan has been deliberately sabotaging several major Hill family projects. If this keeps up, the Hill family will be ruined."
Logan had plenty of problems of his own as well.
Ethan was the spoiled young master of the Knight family.
He played by no rules whatsoever.
That unpredictability alone had become a constant source of headaches.
"Go talk to President Knight," Logan said.
Samantha frowned. "If Ryan weren’t keeping Ethan under control, Ethan would stop at nothing to destroy the Hill family. His methods would be even more ruthless."
After a brief pause, Logan asked, "Has Mr. Knight actually given you a specific date for the wedding?"
