Free Web NovelChapter 51: Chapter 51 Rose throw herself at Ryan
Jordan’s interest in Rose exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Only Ryan stood apart, as if he were an outsider. He barely exchanged a word with Jordan, lowering his gaze and saying indifferently, “Let’s go view the ancient treasures first.”
Samantha raised an eyebrow silently.
It is a man’s nature to feel possessive toward his wife. It has nothing to do with romance, nor does it allow other men to encroach upon her in the slightest.
If a man lacks even this basic sense of possessiveness, then it is the height of indifference and contempt.
Even Caleb was relieved that Rose had walked away, sparing her from witnessing Ryan’s cold-hearted side.
He couldn’t agree more and nodded. “I’ll go take a look around first.”
Jordan made a gesture of invitation.
James stayed behind, narrowing his eyes at Jordan. “You’re not serious, are you? Did you really fall in love at first sight?”
Jordan chuckled and raised his cup. “When it comes to food, drink, and romance, there’s no need to take things too seriously. If we get along, we’ll stay together; if not, we’ll go our separate ways.”
There was a hint of callousness in those words.
James hesitated for a moment.
So it seemed Jordan was only interested in Rose’s looks for now and was merely looking for a fleeting fling.
Even if Ryan didn’t care, a wife of the Knight family simply couldn’t be allowed to do something so scandalous.
James scanned the room and lowered his voice. “Jordan, anyone else is fine, but not her.”
“Fine, then tell me—who is her boyfriend or husband? Since you know she’s not single, you can at least name a name, can’t you?”
This left James at a loss for words.
Unfortunately, since Ryan refused to acknowledge Rose publicly, he couldn’t exactly reveal her status as Mrs. Knight.
Besides, Samantha was present today. Bringing it up openly would be awkward.
James furrowed his brow.
Jordan tapped his glass against James’s. “You didn’t say she wasn’t single on purpose because you’ve taken a liking to her, did you?”
Jordan could hardly think of any other possibility.
“What are you thinking? That’s not it at all.” James frowned. Then, in a casual tone, he added, “She’s not good enough for you.”
That was the only excuse he could come up with.
Jordan took James’s words as a joke.
Neither the reason nor the identity of her husband could be revealed.
Naturally, he pretended neither existed.
He patted James on the shoulder. “You’d better focus your energy on finding your sister. No woman has ever been able to mess with me—it’s not worth worrying about.”
*****
Rose was unaware of what was happening over there.
She had originally intended to go to the restroom, but she was drawn to the ancient artifacts displayed in the glass cases along the way.
She spent quite a while admiring the exhibits.
The Dutch family truly had deep-rooted heritage. The ancient treasures on display were incredibly valuable, and she even spotted items that weren’t housed in the National Museum.
There were four floors in total, but she had only explored half of one.
She decided to head to the restroom first.
After washing her hands, she stepped outside.
The moment she exited, she heard the click of a lighter nearby.
She turned her head.
Ryan stood there quietly, his overcoat casually draped over one arm. His white shirt was of exquisite quality, and his black vest fit him perfectly, accentuating his tall, straight frame. With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his silhouette was undeniably attractive.
At the sound, he glanced her way through wisps of smoke.
Then he looked away and casually stubbed out his cigarette.
Rose immediately understood.
Samantha must be nearby. As the perfect boyfriend, he was probably waiting for her.
Naturally, she wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to approach her own husband and strike up a conversation, lest she embarrass herself.
Rose was about to walk away.
But just as she passed in front of Ryan, she heard him speak in a calm, measured tone.
“The family’s heading to South Province for New Year’s at the end of the month. Are you coming?”
Rose stopped in her tracks and turned, her gaze locking with his.
Oh?
He was waiting for her?
But since they were getting a divorce, spending the New Year with his family clearly wouldn’t be appropriate.
“No, I’ll be with my grandfather,” she refused without hesitation.
“Fine, as you wish.”
Ryan looked away, offering no further persuasion. It seemed he had only asked out of courtesy.
Rose had long grown accustomed to his attitude, as though her presence or absence made no difference.
After all, she was never the kind of person who could make Ryan patient.
She continued down the hallway toward the exit.
A museum staff member was pushing a cart of refreshments toward them.
Rose had no choice but to step aside to avoid it.
But suddenly, her foot slipped.
In her panic, she instinctively reached out for whatever lifeline she could find.
An arm shot out and wrapped around her slender waist. Only then did she manage to grab the person’s collar to steady herself.
Her nostrils filled with the cool scent of rose and mint.
She looked up.
Ryan lowered his gaze, looking indifferently at her face, which had flushed red from the scare.
He didn’t push her away.
He simply waited quietly for her to regain her composure.
“Thanks,” Rose said, feeling somewhat annoyed.
Next time, I’m definitely wearing shoes with better traction, she thought.
For some reason, Ryan was leaning against the wall while she had one hand clutching his shirt and the other braced against his chest to keep her balance.
It looked exactly as though she were throwing herself at him.
“You’re too polite.” Ryan lowered his gaze, watching her for a few seconds before suddenly letting out a soft chuckle.
There was an inexplicable undertone to it.
Rose frowned.
He’s impossible.
Saying thank you felt wrong, but not saying it felt wrong too.
*****
Jordan had asked someone where Rose was headed and followed in that direction.
Just as he rounded the corner, he was met with this very scene.
Rose was clutching Ryan’s collar, her face flushed, looking as though she were about to throw herself into his arms—
His footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
He stared at the scene in disbelief.
He had always thought Rose seemed poised and composed, but he never expected her to be so... reckless in private.
She knew full well that Ryan was Samantha’s boyfriend, yet she was still throwing herself at him like this?
The favorable impression he had built up in his heart seemed to crumble in an instant.
“Mr. Dutch?”
As Samantha approached, she noticed that Jordan’s expression was unusually grim.
Jordan snapped out of his thoughts the moment he saw her and immediately stopped her from moving forward.
“Ms. Hill, let’s talk somewhere else.”
Rose was openly flirting with someone else’s boyfriend in public. If the real girlfriend saw this, it would surely cause a scene.
After all, no woman would remain calm after seeing her boyfriend in such an intimate position with another woman.
Samantha was completely baffled, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the scene down the hallway.
The smile on her lips froze.
A flash of anger flickered in her eyes.
How could Rose be so shameless?
Did she have no sense of boundaries at all?
She almost instinctively took a step forward to pull Rose away.
“Ms. Hill? Perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding?” Jordan pressed a hand to his forehead, clearly unwilling to let the situation escalate.
Samantha’s expression remained unpleasant.
But reason quickly returned.
Making a scene would only backfire on her.
She pressed her lips together, stopped herself from stepping forward, and finally forced a smile.
“Thank you, Mr. Dutch. I’m fine.”
Jordan was somewhat surprised by Samantha’s magnanimity.
Samantha turned to him and shook her head as though resigned.
“Given Ryan’s status, I’m not surprised by this sort of thing. There will always be people with ulterior motives, and I don’t expect them to have any sense of morality or self-restraint.”
