Free Web NovelChapter 289: Chapter 289 The Engagement Must End
Although Samantha had been thinking the same thing herself...
It couldn’t be Trevor who brought it up first.
What would that make her?
Who would defend her pride?
Did Trevor truly have no feelings for her at all?
How, exactly, was she any worse than Rose?
Her expression turned cold as she set down her coffee cup.
"Mr. Robinson, is this really what you wanted to talk about this early in the morning?"
"If you understand and agree, then I hope you’ll honor your word."
Trevor had work to attend to. He didn’t waste time with unnecessary pleasantries and quickly ended the call.
Samantha, however, felt her good mood vanish in an instant.
Did Trevor really dislike her that much?
Even worse...
He hadn’t even called from his personal phone.
He’d used a landline.
It felt as though her pride had been mercilessly trampled beneath his feet.
"What’s wrong?"
Daisy walked over.
"Mr. Robinson called to cut ties with me."
Samantha took a deep breath, her expression dark.
She refused to believe any man could remain that unwavering forever.
Hadn’t Ryan ignored her in the beginning as well?
And yet, what happened afterward?
Eventually, he responded whenever she approached him.
Later, constrained by their respective positions, they could only hide their feelings behind an unspoken understanding.
In the end, he had openly supported her and stood firmly by her side.
If even a man like Ryan could change...
Then Trevor was only acting this way because he barely knew her.
Daisy frowned. "Did Rose put ideas into Trevor’s head?"
Samantha let out a sarcastic laugh. "Then she’s just panicking."
As she spoke, she frowned at Daisy. "Getting past the preliminary screening is one thing, but the DNA test..."
Daisy appeared completely unconcerned. "You don’t need to worry about that. There are ways to deal with it. What’s most important right now is making the first move and forcing the Taylor family to publicly acknowledge your identity."
They had to act before the DNA test results came back.
Once the public accepted Samantha as the Taylor family’s long-lost daughter, reversing that perception would become much more difficult.
Samantha glanced at her mother and quietly began forming a plan of her own.
*****
It was the weekend.
After waking up, Rose decided to visit Dr. Grace.
Dr. Grace hadn’t looked well the previous day.
At her age, intense emotional highs and lows could be dangerous, placing tremendous strain on the body.
As one of the nation’s leading experts in pharmacology, Rose believed she could help stabilize Dr. Grace’s condition.
After all, Dr. Grace had helped her more than once and had even defended her during her confrontation with Margaret.
Rose wasn’t someone who forgot kindness.
After getting ready, she sent Dr. Grace a message asking whether she was available.
Once she received a positive reply, she gathered her things and headed out.
Dr. Grace’s residence was located inside a high-security residential district.
Security checkpoints stood every few hundred feet, and visitors could only enter under escort.
A staff member met Rose at the entrance and personally escorted her inside.
The estate featured a stately European-style villa.
The butler greeted her with impeccable manners.
"Miss Bennett, Dr. Grace is upstairs. Please follow me."
Rose nodded.
Outside the bedroom, she knocked softly before entering.
Dr. Grace was indeed unwell.
Unable to get out of bed, she simply leaned against the headboard and smiled warmly.
"Rose, come. Sit."
Rose walked over and quietly observed her complexion.
Her symptoms appeared to stem from poor sleep and fluctuating blood pressure.
After sitting down, Rose said, "Let me check your pulse. I’ll prescribe something to help stabilize your condition."
Dr. Grace chuckled. "That sounds wonderful. Dr. Nathan’s favorite student personally treating me—I’m truly fortunate."
Rose carefully examined her pulse for several moments.
Fortunately, there were no serious underlying issues.
The problem was simply emotional exhaustion.
She looked up. "Something’s been weighing on your mind?"
Dr. Grace smiled helplessly and shook her head.
"Not exactly. It’s just... difficult to explain."
She sighed softly. "The thing I’ve wished for all these years suddenly seems to be right in front of me, but I still can’t tell whether any of it is real."
As she spoke, she handed her phone to Rose. "I have no idea who leaked the news, but so many people in our circle are asking whether I’ve finally found my granddaughter. In just one morning, I’ve received countless calls. They all say they’re calling to congratulate me, but what they really want is information about the Hill family."
Rose looked at the long list of missed calls.
Yesterday, everyone had tried to keep the matter quiet.
Yet overnight, the news had spread everywhere.
Not only had Samantha’s identity become public speculation, but people had already connected her to the Hill family.
Rose found it hard to believe the rumors had spread naturally.
Someone was clearly pushing the narrative.
An identity that hadn’t even been confirmed was already being treated as fact.
By now, Samantha was probably already enjoying all the privileges that came with being viewed as the Taylor family’s missing daughter.
Dr. Grace smiled bitterly. "You may laugh at me, but... I can’t honestly say I’m happy."
She slowly shook her head. "Blood ties are undeniable, and that jade pendant truly was a one-of-a-kind piece I commissioned years ago."
"But whenever I look at that child... I don’t feel anything."
She paused. "I don’t even feel the happiness I felt when I first met you."
For the first time, she wondered whether the passing years had caused her to overestimate just how much she had longed for her granddaughter.
Rose understood exactly what she was feeling.
Even someone as accomplished as Dr. Grace could struggle with emotions that couldn’t be explained logically.
She offered a reassuring smile. "That’s perfectly normal. Relationships aren’t built on blood alone. They grow through time spent together. Let’s wait for the DNA test results before drawing any conclusions."
Dr. Grace looked at Rose with undisguised admiration.
What a remarkable young woman.
For a fleeting moment, she even found herself wishing Rose were truly her own granddaughter.
Before she could say anything, her phone rang again.
Another old acquaintance.
She didn’t even need to answer to know why they were calling.
Without hesitation, she silenced the call and made up her mind.
"Right now, the outside world already believes Samantha is a member of the Taylor family. Many people also know she’s frequently appeared beside Mr. Knight at public events, and everyone is aware of the rumors surrounding their relationship."
She continued, "Now people also believe she’s engaged to the Robinson family. All these relationships have become hopelessly tangled, and it reflects poorly on everyone involved."
"So we need to settle this as quickly as possible."
Rose had reached the same conclusion.
The leaked rumors had undoubtedly benefited Samantha.
But they had also created a complicated public spectacle.
From an outsider’s perspective, the intertwined relationships between the Taylor, Robinson, Knight, and Hill families had become little more than gossip.
Dr. Grace had never been one to hesitate.
She immediately picked up her phone, found the Robinson family patriarch’s number, and dialed it in front of Rose.
"Mr. Robinson, regarding the engagement we discussed before, there’s no reason to postpone it any longer. Let’s set a date to resolve the matter."
The person on the other end appeared hesitant.
But Dr. Grace remained firm. "I’m sure the Robinson family has already heard about the recent developments involving our granddaughter. Whether the rumors are true or not, involving the Knight family only complicates matters further."
She continued, "Next Monday, I’ll be hosting a family banquet. Please have someone from the Robinson family attend."
It would be a formal meeting to settle the engagement once and for all.
Even Rose couldn’t help admiring Dr. Grace’s decisiveness.
After ending the call, Dr. Grace turned to Rose.
"Rose, don’t worry."
"If you and Trevor truly love each other, I won’t stand in the way of your marriage."
"But this matter involves Trevor, President Knight, and Samantha. Since you’re also directly involved, I’d like you to attend the meeting to witness the dissolution of the engagement.
