Free Web NovelChapter 28: Chapter 28 A Wild Night Next Door
Diana’s expression darkened.
She instinctively wanted to snap back, but when she glanced at Rose, she worried Rose might be hurt by it.
But Rose showed no reaction.
Because Samantha wasn’t making things up.
The facts were right there.
What could she say?
Agree? Refute it? Deny it? Throw a tantrum?
No matter which emotion she chose, it would only make her look pathetic.
Rose left with Diana.
Oliver walked over. "I hope Rose comes to her senses. Occupying a place that was never hers is only making everyone miserable."
Samantha raised an eyebrow.
If Rose had any self-respect, she thought, she would have quietly signed the divorce papers long ago. It would have freed everyone involved and earned her a little dignity.
After all, even heaven wouldn’t tolerate someone standing in the way of true love.
*****
Diana was thoroughly frustrated after today’s ordeal.
She could feel Rose’s helplessness and powerlessness.
If Rose’s husband weren’t Ryan Knight, a man with immense power and influence, Diana would have had the courage to flip the table herself.
But reality was cruel.
Rose had to think about the bigger picture. The price of acting impulsively was simply too high.
"The way that bitch was gloating! I swear I need emergency heart medication."
Diana was still furious over what Samantha had said.
If murder weren’t illegal, she would have loved to slam on the gas and run her over.
"I’m so angry right now. Why didn’t I go to law school? If I were in charge, I’d amend the law and add a clause: anyone who knowingly interferes in someone else’s marriage gets arrested! Unless people like that pay a serious price, they’ll just keep doing whatever they want!"
Rose was exhausted after everything that had happened.
Still, she gave Diana a thumbs-up.
"I fully support your campaign for Mayor of New York. You can hand out peanuts to these people every day."
Diana pouted.
"You, you, you—how can you still joke about this?"
Rose looked up at the sky. "Life is too long. Staying trapped in pain is just another form of self-punishment. As for things I can’t figure out, I simply stop trying to."
Diana opened her mouth.
But no words came out.
The air was fresh, and the scenery was beautiful, so Rose decided to stay one more day.
On her way back, she noticed the resort was organizing a free medical clinic.
Local residents could come for complimentary health screenings.
She thought it was a meaningful event.
Without hesitation, she signed up to volunteer the following day.
Diana had a meeting to attend, so she headed down the mountain early.
After dinner, Rose sat down to review the latest data collected for the Global Traditional Medicine AI Project.
She was compiling data on disease prevalence among the general population.
She planned to update and optimize the formula database and develop even more effective treatment formulas.
She worked straight through until after ten o’clock.
Just as Rose was about to pour herself a glass of water, the suite door opened again.
She froze when Ryan walked in.
She had assumed he had already left with Samantha.
After everything that had happened that day—especially the heirloom pendant that should have belonged to Ariel—Rose was far from calm.
"Do you need something?"
Ryan hadn’t stayed here the previous night, and now that he knew she was here, he still came over.
She didn’t believe for a second that he was here to apologize for publicly humiliating her by siding with Samantha.
After all, he had long since stopped bothering to explain himself to her.
He certainly didn’t care what she thought.
Ryan casually draped his jacket over the back of the sofa.
"I’m staying here tonight."
Rose’s expression changed.
"Why?"
"Rose, we’re husband and wife."
Noticing her surprise, Ryan walked over, poured himself a glass of water, and reminded her matter-of-factly.
He didn’t need a reason to stay.
Rose felt a strange sense of disconnect hearing those words.
Husband and wife?
So he remembered that, too?
Had it ever crossed his mind that after everything he’d done publicly with Samantha, they still hadn’t finalized their divorce and were legally married?
Men really did operate by their own rules.
The double standards were almost laughable.
Ryan didn’t waste time explaining.
He walked over and sat down, lowering his gaze as he unfastened the emerald cufflink from his wrist.
"Grandma knows I’m here. I’ll stay the night to avoid raising suspicion."
When Rose saw the cufflink, she immediately remembered how Samantha had proudly photographed a matching bracelet earlier that day and called it a couple’s set.
Only after looking away did she fully understand his meaning.
"You want me to be your cover story. A shield for you and Samantha."
He was worried Margaret Knight would target Samantha.
Was that why he’d reluctantly come here tonight?
Ryan calmly lifted his eyes.
As if he hadn’t heard the sarcasm.
He took an exquisitely crafted wooden jewelry box with gold-thread inlays from his pocket.
"Take this. Consider it compensation."
Rose’s gaze landed on the box.
She recognized it instantly.
It was the heirloom pendant Ryan had taken from her at the auction—the one he had spent a hundred million yuan to secure for Samantha.
And now, in exchange for her cooperation, he was offering it to her.
She understood immediately.
Margaret Knight wasn’t a woman to be underestimated.
After surviving decades in the Knight family and securing her position as matriarch, she had countless ways to deal with someone like Samantha.
Samantha simply lacked the patience to endure it.
Ryan didn’t want Margaret to know Samantha was staying here.
So he intended to let the family believe he had spent the night with his wife.
That way, Samantha would remain untouched.
"I understand. Hush money."
Rose’s voice was unusually calm.
"She never touched it."
Ryan tapped the jewelry box lightly.
"You don’t need to concern yourself with that."
Rose hadn’t expected him to guess what she was thinking.
Frankly, she didn’t see anything wrong with the arrangement.
It was a fair trade.
After all, her divorce from Ryan was already inevitable.
There was no reason to keep letting emotions drag her down.
Rose stepped forward and picked up the box.
"Fine."
She returned to the bedroom.
There were other rooms available in the suite anyway.
If Ryan wanted to stay, that was his business.
She had no interest in dealing with him.
She snapped a photo of the heirloom pendant and sent it to Ariel.
Only then did she finally feel at ease enough to shower and go to bed.
*****
The resort’s free clinic began at nine o’clock the next morning.
Rose got up early and prepared everything she needed.
When she stepped out of her room, Ryan was nowhere to be seen.
He had always maintained a workout routine, so she assumed he’d gone to the gym.
She intentionally left at a time she thought would avoid him.
But before she could take more than a few steps, the neighboring suite door opened.
Ryan and Samantha walked out together.
Both of them were looking straight ahead and failed to notice her standing nearby.
Had they...
Spent the night together?
Rose froze.
For a long moment, she couldn’t move.
Had Ryan gone to Samantha’s room in the middle of the night?
A strange heat suddenly spread across her face.
Ryan had spent the entire night with his mistress right next door?
Just imagining them together only one wall away made her skin crawl.
A wave of nausea surged through her.
At that moment, even the word humiliation felt inadequate.
How little regard must Ryan have had for her to trample over her dignity so openly?
Rose dug her fingernails into her palm.
For the first time, she felt grateful that seven years ago, the late Chairman Knight had forced her to sign that divorce agreement.
Rose slowly exhaled.
Only after the two of them had disappeared into the distance did she finally step out.
When she arrived at the event site, she went to collect a volunteer uniform.
But she was informed that all the uniforms had already been distributed.
So Rose decided to find a patient who needed assistance instead.
Just as she rounded a corner, she suddenly heard a heavy, ragged gasp ahead.
