Free Web NovelChapter 56: Chapter 56 The Lipstick on His Bandage
Rose looked over.
Samantha was flipping through documents, never once lifting her head.
Her tone was perfectly natural and matter-of-fact.
Sofia, who was seated nearby, immediately stood up. “I’ll do it.”
Only then did Samantha look up and smile gently. “The tray is closest to Rose. Everyone’s busy discussing the project, and I noticed Rose hasn’t quite been keeping up with all the points. I thought asking her to help would also make her feel more included.”
Rose looked puzzled.
Me?
Not keeping up?
She had no idea how Samantha had arrived at that conclusion.
But when she turned around, she noticed that several cups of hot tea had somehow been placed directly behind her, all within arm’s reach.
Everyone looked toward her.
Rose knew perfectly well that Samantha was simply ordering her around.
But refusing wasn’t really an option.
With so many people present, if she acted offended over something so minor, she would only appear petty and difficult.
She had to admit that Samantha was remarkably skilled at navigating social situations.
Caleb glanced over and said, “Help yourselves.”
Rose stood up without hesitation.
“You all keep discussing. I’ll stretch my legs for a bit.”
She had already reviewed the key points being discussed, so missing a few minutes wouldn’t affect her work.
In her eyes, advancing the project and accelerating progress mattered far more than personal grievances.
Sofia and the others smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Dr. Rose.”
Rose returned their smiles.
Then she glanced down at the drinks.
Ginger tea?
She had expected coffee to keep everyone awake during the meeting.
Could it be...
Rose frowned slightly and cast a suspicious glance toward Ryan, who was reviewing the proposal in front of him.
Ryan was the only one who knew that ginger tea was the one thing that helped ease her cramps.
One of the Columbia University researchers accepted the tea she handed over and smiled at Samantha.
“Thanks to Ms. Hill. But why ginger tea?”
Only then did Samantha smile. “I caught a chill yesterday and came down with a slight cold. Ryan was worried cold drinks would make it worse, so he didn’t order coffee. This tea is healthier anyway. Everyone should try it.”
“Mr. Knight is so thoughtful!”
Once again, murmurs of envy filled the room.
Rose remained perfectly calm.
She wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
Of course.
How could Ryan possibly remember her menstrual cycle?
Even if she collapsed dead right here, he would probably just tell someone to move her somewhere less inconvenient.
Carrying the last two cups, she walked over to Samantha and Ryan.
She held them out.
Unexpectedly, the lid on one cup hadn’t been secured properly.
It suddenly slipped from her grasp.
The scalding ginger tea slammed onto the table and splashed toward her.
Steam billowed upward.
The liquid was obviously hot enough to burn.
Before Rose could react—
Before anyone else even realized what had happened—
A hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
She was yanked backward.
The next second, she found herself standing behind Ryan.
His other hand caught the falling cup.
A portion of the tea splashed onto the back of his hand.
Everything happened so quickly that Rose needed a moment to process it.
She hadn’t expected Ryan’s reaction to be that fast.
Everyone else had been absorbed in documents and discussion.
No one had even noticed the accident.
If Ryan hadn’t moved, she probably would have ended up with serious burns.
“Ryan!”
Samantha immediately jumped to her feet.
As she rushed past Rose, her shoulder struck Rose heavily.
Rose staggered slightly.
Meanwhile, Samantha had already grabbed Ryan’s injured hand.
“Are you okay?”
Ryan withdrew his hand, shook off the remaining droplets, took a tissue, and wiped it clean.
Then he glanced briefly at Rose.
A faint frown appeared between his brows.
“I’m fine.”
Only then did Samantha turn toward Rose.
Her smile disappeared instantly.
“Not understanding the discussion is one thing, but you can’t even handle something this simple?”
“Can you take responsibility for this?”
The accusation came naturally.
As though she were the rightful wife questioning another woman.
Rose’s patience finally snapped.
“Ask him what exactly I’m supposed to take responsibility for.”
After all, they weren’t divorced yet.
She would love to hear how she was expected to make amends.
A flash of displeasure crossed Samantha’s eyes.
Was Rose deliberately flaunting her status as Mrs. Knight?
How shameless.
“No one wanted this to happen,” Caleb said coldly.
“Isn’t this the vendor’s fault for failing to secure the lid properly?”
“Rose was only helping. It wasn’t even her responsibility.”
“And besides, she was the one who nearly got burned while protecting Mr. Knight.”
“Why is Ms. Hill so upset?”
A mistress trying to challenge the wife for authority?
The thought alone made Caleb’s expression darken.
Samantha’s brows drew together even tighter.
Because, clearly, Ryan didn’t care that much about Rose.
And yet...
The implication still bothered her.
Someone from Columbia University quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
“It’s understandable.”
“From that angle, the tea could easily have splashed onto you. Mr. Knight was probably just worried you might get burned.”
Only then did Rose glance toward Samantha’s seat.
Indeed.
From where Samantha had been sitting, she could easily have been caught in the splash as well.
Maybe Ryan hadn’t been protecting Rose at all.
Maybe he had simply been preventing Samantha from being injured.
A faint voice suddenly sighed from somewhere nearby.
“In that case, it almost looks like Mr. Knight pulled Ms. Bennett over to Ms. Hill’s side so she could act as a shield against the hot tea.”
The room fell momentarily silent.
The remark was like a thorn.
Piercing through the surface-level politeness.
Samantha’s expression softened immediately.
Seated beside Ryan, she gazed at his sharply sculpted profile with affection and resignation.
“Ryan, you worry too much.”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
Ryan finished wiping the water from his long, elegant fingers.
Then he looked at her and smiled faintly.
“I’m just glad you’re okay.”
Rose turned away.
She had no interest in watching their display of affection.
There was no apology.
No gratitude.
Nothing.
She returned to her seat and stared at the untouched cup of ginger tea before her.
During the entire two-hour discussion, she never took a single sip.
After all, it was a token of her husband’s concern for another woman.
She had no intention of accepting a gift that wasn’t meant for her.
*****
When the meeting finally ended, Rose only wanted to return to her room and rest.
After saying goodbye to Caleb, she headed upstairs.
She didn’t bother asking about Ryan’s burn.
After all, he had been injured because of Samantha.
Why should she concern herself with it?
The moment she entered the suite, she collapsed onto the bed.
Thankfully, Nathan had no idea how severe her menstrual cramps had become.
Otherwise, he would have ordered a full round of medical tests and insisted she start another treatment plan.
The thought alone made her shudder.
She slept beneath the covers until late afternoon.
When she woke, she was starving.
The suite was dim and silent.
In the nearly two-hundred-square-meter space, she was completely alone.
The loneliness lingered heavily around her.
Ryan hadn’t returned.
He was probably spending time with Samantha.
Then she noticed a missed call from Margaret.
Rose forced herself upright and returned the call.
“Rose, dinner is at eight,” Margaret said warmly. “Ryan said he’d let you know. You two have been together all day, haven’t you?”
Rose looked around the empty suite.
She didn’t expose Ryan’s lie. “Yes, he told me.”
“Good. Get ready and come downstairs. Your mother-in-law and your aunt Isabella are already here.”
Rose knew Margaret was subtly reminding her not to mention the divorce.
“Okay.”
After washing up, she left the bedroom.
The moment she stepped into the living room, she froze.
Ryan was there.
She had assumed he never came back.
But he was standing at the kitchen island, pouring himself a glass of water.
He was still wearing his coat.
One glance was enough for Rose to tell he had only just returned.
Probably from a date.
“Grandma asked me to call you for dinner.”
Ryan set down his glass, rolled up his sleeve to check the time, and fixed his dark eyes on her.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
It sounded as though he had only just noticed.
The question was casual.
Almost obligatory.
Rose nearly replied, If you don’t care, there’s no need to pretend.
Compared to the way he treated Samantha—
Checking on her when she caught a cold.
Ordering ginger tea.
Taking concrete action.
A few hollow words directed at Rose felt painfully insincere.
“Oh. Menstrual cramps.”
She bent down to change her shoes.
Her response was equally casual.
Ryan stepped around the kitchen island and approached her.
“Aren’t you a doctor?”
“Can’t you treat it?”
Rose rolled her eyes internally.
“The doctor said having a baby would fix it, but apparently it didn’t—”
She stopped abruptly.
The narrow entryway fell silent.
Only the sound of their breathing remained.
A chill ran down Rose’s spine.
Her first instinct was to explain herself.
Just then, the overhead light flickered.
Ryan lowered his gaze.
His sharp jawline was illuminated beneath the shifting light.
For a long moment, he simply looked at her.
Then he gave a quiet laugh.
Brief.
Sharp.
“You don’t need to hint at anything. There are plenty of treatments available. Let’s not bring up having a child again.”
Rose froze.
A lump formed in her throat.
Moments earlier, she had been terrified he might misunderstand and realize she had given birth before.
Now, however—
His words felt like a blade.
Completely crushing whatever remained of her heart.
Ryan turned and walked toward the door.
His hand settled on the doorknob.
Only then did Rose notice the burn on the back of his hand.
It had already been treated.
A clean medical dressing covered the injury.
But on the pristine white bandage—
There was a faint smear of lipstick.
