Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Matching phone cases

Fortunately, Diana had spoken quietly.

Rose was worried Diana would get herself into serious trouble because of her sharp tongue.

She knew Ryan wasn’t the type to hold a grudge against a woman, but Samantha was different. If Samantha overheard and decided to make a scene, Ryan wouldn’t ignore her feelings, and the aftermath would be difficult to clean up.

Silently, Rose lifted the mango juice to Diana’s lips, giving her mouth something else to do for a moment.

Diana was so furious she felt as if her lungs were on fire.

Even though she knew Rose was worried about her, she couldn’t help muttering one last insult.

"If she wants everyone’s attention so badly, she might as well drag a bed onto the stage. It’d be less embarrassing than watching this."

She was worried Rose would develop a lump from suppressing so much anger.

Rose, however, had already regained her composure.

She turned her attention back to the front.

Since it was something Samantha liked, Ryan was extremely generous, determined to drive the price as high as necessary.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Throughout the entire auction, Rose was forced to watch Ryan indulge Samantha.

Whispers of envy drifted in from every direction.

"We’ve never heard of Mr. Knight having a female companion before. Miss Hill is probably about to become the official Mrs. Knight."

"She’s the only exception in Mr. Knight’s life. We’d better be polite to Miss Hill if we see her at future events."

"Look—they even have matching phone cases."

Rose instinctively glanced toward the VIP table.

Whether by coincidence or design, Samantha’s phone was resting face-down on the table, showing off the back of the case.

Ryan, occupied with work matters, occasionally answered calls, exposing his phone case as well.

Rose hadn’t expected that.

A man like Ryan was actually willing to use a matching phone case with Samantha.

Especially something as trivial as a phone case.

He used to hate phone cases, claiming they made the phone uncomfortable to hold.

The license plate incident was still fresh in her mind.

Ryan had disliked the matching plate so much that he’d changed it the very same day.

Back when she still had hopes and expectations, she’d even bought him a matching watch.

Ryan had glanced at it once before asking coolly, "Rose, how old are you?"

As though matching accessories were something only little girls cared about.

And now...

Rose took a sip of mango juice.

Once again, she was reminded that people really do treat different people differently.

She no longer wanted to watch her husband shower another woman with affection.

She’d already lost interest.

She wanted to leave.

Just then, another item was brought onto the stage.

It immediately caught Rose’s attention.

It was an exquisite heirloom pendant, roughly the size of a ping-pong ball.

Crafted from a rare piece of translucent green jade and set in an intricate vintage design, it displayed extraordinary workmanship and attention to detail.

Having grown up in a family that dealt in antiques and fine art, Rose immediately recognized its quality.

A gemstone of this caliber was exceptionally rare.

Collectors prized pieces like it not only for their beauty and craftsmanship but also for their historical value and scarcity.

Her heartbeat quickened.

Her eyes sparkled with genuine delight.

She even wanted to take a photo and send it to Ariel.

It would be perfect for a child.

As expected, the starting bid was steep.

Five million.

Without hesitation, Rose reached for her paddle.

But Samantha was faster.

"Six million."

Rose immediately frowned and looked up.

Samantha happened to glance back at her from the corner of her eye, a faint smile playing on her lips.

A flash of irritation pierced Rose’s calm.

Her expression cooled instantly.

"Seven million."

She raised the bid without hesitation.

This time, Ryan casually glanced in her direction.

He probably thought she was actually daring to compete with Samantha.

Samantha calmly raised her paddle again.

"Ten million."

Because of Ariel, Rose wasn’t willing to back down.

"Eleven million."

"Twenty million."

A collective gasp swept through the room.

Everyone was astonished by Samantha’s aggressive bidding.

Turning toward Rose, Samantha smiled politely.

Yet her words were dripping with condescension.

"Miss, your bidding is far too cautious. You’re not operating in the same league as I am. You can’t keep up with me, and you certainly can’t outbid me. I’d suggest giving up."

Rose’s eyes remained cool and clear.

She almost laughed.

Samantha was spending someone else’s money to steal the spotlight.

And now she was using Ryan’s wealth—and the confidence he’d given her—to advise Rose to surrender?

"Thirty million."

Rose had no interest in arguing.

She only wanted the jade for Ariel.

This time, Samantha frowned.

Thirty million already exceeded the item’s actual value.

She turned toward Ryan.

"I wanted to give it to Mike, but at this price..."

Ryan withdrew his gaze from Rose. "It’s a gift for a child. The meaning behind it is different. The price doesn’t matter."

Samantha immediately understood.

The corners of her lips curved upward.

After glancing at Rose, she proudly raised her paddle.

"Fifty million."

She knew Ryan would pay for anything she wanted.

Rose understood that as well.

No matter how much money she possessed, she couldn’t compete with Ryan’s resources.

In the end, she would lose.

She knew that better than anyone.

But she still didn’t want Samantha to have an easy victory.

Nor did she want Ryan to get off so lightly.

Even knowing she couldn’t win, Rose raised the bid again.

"Eighty million."

At this point, it was no longer a normal auction.

The room was filled with seasoned collectors and influential figures.

Everyone could see that Rose was intentionally driving up the price.

Samantha knew it too.

Her expression turned icy.

"Rose, this is ridiculous. Ryan has always been generous to me, but I won’t allow you to disrupt the market like this."

Rose glanced at her. "If you’re running out of money, just admit defeat."

Diana nearly burst out laughing.

Rose might usually be easygoing, but when it came to people she disliked, her tongue could be razor-sharp.

Samantha pressed her lips together.

It was undeniably irritating.

After all, she knew perfectly well that the warm jade was worth no more than thirty million.

Any higher than that...

"One hundred million."

A deep, icy voice cut through the room.

Another wave of shocked gasps erupted.

Everyone turned toward the front.

Rose’s heart sank as her gaze landed on Ryan.

His cold, chiseled features carried an air of finality.

Samantha paused briefly before breaking into a smile.

How could she not understand?

Ryan was standing up for her.

He had crushed Rose’s attempt to challenge her before it could gain momentum.

Rose understood.

The members of the Byrne family who had witnessed the entire exchange understood as well.

Immediately, sympathetic yet curious looks began falling on Rose.

She even heard someone whisper nearby, "She’s completely out of her league. Who does she think she is? Miss Hill has President Knight backing her. How dare some nobody compete with her?"

Diana’s face twisted with rage.

She slammed her hand onto the table and shot to her feet.

Ready to argue.

But Rose stopped her.

Grinding her teeth, Diana said, "We’re not losing face here. I’ve got plenty of savings. I’ll fight him to the end."

She couldn’t stand watching Ryan humiliate Rose like this.

"It’s not worth it."

Rose knew.

The moment Ryan stepped in, the outcome had already been decided.

He would stand by Samantha no matter what.

Why continue making a spectacle of herself?

A mocking chuckle came from behind them.

Turning around, Rose discovered Oliver standing there.

At some point, he had quietly appeared.

Looking at her with false sympathy, he said, "The wise know when to accept reality. Ryan is just trying to make the woman he loves smile. Why not let him have his way?"

The remark was in extremely poor taste.

He was relying on the fact that Rose wouldn’t publicly reveal that she was Ryan’s legal wife.

After all, doing so would damage the Knight family’s reputation.

And if she offended them, she’d only suffer more in the end.

Did he really believe the Knight family was some noble, benevolent clan?

Rose ignored the bait.

She merely looked toward Ryan.

Even from a distance, he sat there with effortless authority.

It would be a lie to say her heart didn’t ache.

Her health had been fragile when she was pregnant with Ariel.

Ariel had been born more than a month premature and had spent years battling one illness after another before finally growing stronger.

That was why Rose had wanted the pendant so badly.

For generations, it had been regarded as a symbol of protection, strength, and good fortune for children.

Yet she had never imagined things would end this way.

Ariel’s biological father had taken the gift she wanted for their daughter and handed it to another woman.

The auction eventually came to an end.

Ryan was immediately surrounded by people eager to exchange pleasantries.

Meanwhile, Samantha found a moment to turn around.

A smile curved across her lips.

"Rose," she said softly, "thank you for showing me just how important I am to Ryan."