Free Web NovelChapter 60: Chapter 60 He Returned the Heirloom
Rose instantly furrowed her brow, and the anticipation on her face vanished.
She had originally planned to hold a blessing ceremony for Grandpa and Ariel.
But it turned out the whole thing had been for nothing.
A flicker of annoyance crossed her eyes.
“Grandma, you know we’ve already...”
“Ryan said he booked a later flight, so the two of you can spend the morning however you like—a romantic date or something. Rose, everyone makes mistakes. A marriage takes effort from both sides. Grandma knows how much you care about him.”
“......”
Rose was at a loss for words.
No matter how deep someone’s feelings are, love is never a one-sided game. No one is immune to temptation, and no one can keep loving someone who doesn’t love them back forever without expecting anything in return.
Margaret had already hung up.
When Rose tried calling back, the call wouldn’t go through.
She wasn’t the type to dwell on disappointment. Within moments, she had accepted the situation.
Besides, she really did need a private conversation with Ryan about the Bennett family heirloom—the small-leaf rosewood pendant.
She had to find a way to get it back.
This seemed like the perfect opportunity.
After packing her things, she called Ryan.
She had no idea where he was.
The call went unanswered.
Rose didn’t think much of it and went downstairs alone for breakfast.
She expected Ryan to contact her eventually—or perhaps come looking for her.
But by the time she needed to leave for the airport, there was still no word from him.
Rose had no choice but to head to the airport alone.
At that point, what was left to figure out?
Ryan had stood her up.
Even Margaret had been deceived.
Rose wasn’t surprised.
After all, she wasn’t the person Ryan wanted to spend time alone with.
By the time she returned to New York, it was already noon.
Although she didn’t particularly care that Ryan had broken their plans, she was worried about the antique her mother had left her as part of her heirloom.
ince the research specimens required immediate analysis, she made a quick stop at G.S. first.
Rose stepped into the lab, pulled on a sterile coat, and dialed Ryan’s number again.
This time, he answered. “Are you back in New York?”
His deep, steady voice carried the faint hint of a good mood.
Rose had no interest in discussing the fact that he had canceled on her without warning—a clear message that she shouldn’t have waited for him.
Instead, she got straight to the point.
“When are you free? I’d like to talk to you about something...”
“Mr. Knight, come quickly! You have to try Aunt Daisy’s specialty!”
Suddenly, another familiar voice came through the receiver.
Rose’s eyes filled with cold sarcasm, and even the motion of putting on her mask paused.
It was Logan.
Ryan had gone straight to the Hill family home to spend the rest of the holiday with Samantha, Logan, Daisy, and the others.
“We’ll talk later. I’m busy right now.”
As expected, Ryan had little patience for the conversation. He hung up almost immediately.
Rose stood there in silence for a long moment.
A sharp, indescribable ache spread through her chest.
It was exactly what she had expected.
Yet somehow, it still hurt.
He had spent New Year’s Eve dinner with her.
Now, to keep things “even,” he had gone straight to his future in-laws’ house on the second day of the New Year.
So the time he had promised to spend with her...
Had actually been spent flying back to New York to accompany Samantha’s family.
He looked every bit the devoted future son-in-law, accompanying his girlfriend home for the holidays and going out of his way to please her family.
He could be so attentive to Samantha and everyone around her.
Yet he had never once thought to pay New Year’s respects to her grandfather.
In previous years, whenever they visited her grandfather during the holidays, Rose had practically begged him before he would reluctantly spare two hours.
It had never been care.
It had never been sincerity.
It had felt more like an obligation he was fulfilling.
Rose lowered her eyes.
Perhaps it really was her fault for delaying him from finding the person he truly loved all these years.
She brushed a hand lightly across her cheek and entered the herbal specimen room with a calm expression.
The development process for the compound formulation—combining natural product research and Western pharmaceuticals—was extremely complex.
Fortunately, both G.S. and the Columbia University team were highly experienced.
G.S. handled the extraction and processing of the natural compound components, while Columbia University focused on the Western pharmaceutical ingredients.
The project progressed relatively smoothly.
Once the clinical trials were completed successfully, they could move forward with the approval process.
Three hours later.
Rose stretched her stiff neck and stepped out of the laboratory.
She immediately spotted Diana approaching.
In her hands was a large package.
“It’s the New Year. Why aren’t you at home celebrating?” Rose asked.
“I heard you were back, and since I’m basically an outsider at the Robinson family anyway, I figured I’d come keep you company. The front desk also said there was a package waiting for you. What did you buy that had to be shipped to the office?”
She shook the tightly wrapped box.
It was surprisingly heavy.
Thinking about Diana’s situation within the Robinson family, Rose knew it probably wasn’t much better than her own.
She sighed softly. “I haven’t ordered anything online in ages. It’s probably just some New Year gifts from Old Doc.”
Taking a utility knife, she sliced open the package.
Inside was a square box made of golden sandalwood, intricately carved and clearly expensive.
The box alone was worth a small fortune.
Diana gasped.
“What on earth is inside something this luxurious?”
Rose was equally puzzled.
She checked the sender information.
The moment she saw the number, she recognized it.
It belonged to the President’s Office at Kingswell Group.
Ryan?
Frowning, she carefully lifted the lid.
The moment she saw what was inside, she froze.
Diana’s eyes widened.
“Isn’t this the Ru Kiln Twin-Lotus Vase that sold for an insane price at that Italian auction house? There are only a handful left in the world. I saw the news online a few days ago—it sold for 199 million dollars! People were talking about it everywhere. So Ryan was the buyer?”
A moment earlier, she had been casually shaking the box.
Now her face turned pale.
If the vase had broken, she might have collapsed along with it.
Once the shock faded, Rose’s expression became complicated.
Nearly two hundred million dollars...
“This was the crown jewel of my mother’s antique shop,” she said quietly. “Logan sold it years ago to raise cash.”
After Logan sold it, the Hill family’s fortunes flourished and their business reached its peak.
It had also become the most difficult Bennett family heirloom to recover.
On her own, Rose had absolutely no chance of getting it back.
Even Logan lacked the resources to retrieve it.
Yet somehow...
Ryan had returned it to her.
“Did he suddenly grow a conscience?” Diana asked, completely baffled. “The entire antique community has been talking about this auction. Everyone’s trying to figure out who the mystery buyer was.”
This was no small matter.
Importing an antique of this value involved endless paperwork, customs procedures, and legal complications.
“I’ll ask him.”
Rose sensed there was more to the story.
And considering the value of the piece, she wanted everything clarified.
It was already five o’clock in the afternoon.
Logically, Ryan should have left the Hill family gathering by now.
At least she hoped she wouldn’t be interrupting a happy reunion between her husband, his future wife, and his future in-laws.
The call connected almost immediately.
“Did you receive the package?”
The faint sound of typing could be heard in the background.
Rose ran her fingers along the surface of what had once been the centerpiece of her mother’s collection.
“What exactly is this supposed to mean?”
“It’s a gift.”
Ryan’s tone was casual. “Not satisfied?”
As always, it took only a few sentences for their conversation to become sharp and uncomfortable.
Rose pressed her lips together. “I don’t remember asking for it. And I certainly have no way of repaying you for a Ru Kiln Twin-Lotus Vase.”
“Do you really need to be so formal with me?”
His voice remained relaxed, as though he found her reaction unnecessary.
But Rose didn’t interpret it as consideration.
She treated the matter exactly as she would a business negotiation.
“Do you want something in return?”
Her tone was calm and professional.
“For example, my silence about the fact that you spent today having dinner with Samantha’s family after standing me up?”
There was a brief pause on the other end.
Ryan seemed to let out a low chuckle.
His tone was unreadable. “Think carefully.”
“Do you need me to praise you for being so sensible?”
