Free Web NovelChapter 70: Chapter 70 One Last Request Rejected
The recording studio was divided into separate booths. With an assistant’s guidance, Rose quickly found the dressing room where Samantha was.
Samantha hadn’t used the production team’s makeup crew; instead, she had specifically brought her own high-priced stylist. She was determined to leave a lasting impression on the audience.
When Rose arrived, even before entering the dressing room, she spotted Ryan at the far end of the corridor.
Ryan was standing there with one hand in his pocket, his head slightly bowed as he replied to work messages. His jacket was draped over his arm, and his white shirt had an exquisite texture. A beam of light streamed in through the window, causing the studio staff to glance his way.
Rose had always acknowledged that Ryan was devastatingly attractive.
But amid the chaos of their marriage, that advantage was no longer worth mentioning.
As she walked, her gaze fell on the hand holding his phone—it was empty, with no wedding ring.
In fact, he had hardly ever worn it since they got married.
Unlike her. That ring had practically become a part of her, the indentation so deep it wouldn’t fade. The contrast made it seem almost laughable.
She suddenly felt a surge of resentment—why had she realized this so late and taken it off so late?
Back then, she had comforted herself by thinking Ryan simply disliked the encumbrance of jewelry.
Now they were getting a divorce.
Only now did she understand his true intentions: he simply didn’t want to admit he had married her, preferring to remain single in the eyes of the world.
She took a step closer.
Ryan glanced over at her with a casual, nonchalant air.
He didn’t seem surprised to see her there.
Rose quickly realized that she was also on the guest list for the show, so Ryan must have known.
So...
He knew she would be on camera too, yet he still came to accompany Samantha as a couple on the show, just to make her the laughingstock of the century?
The thought made Rose frown.
The feeling of being toyed with grew stronger.
“Can I have a few minutes of your time?” Her tone was as calm as she could manage.
Ryan slipped his phone back into his pocket, turned around, and faced her.
“Whether it’s convenient or not, you’ve already cornered me here, haven’t you?”
His words sounded like a joke.
But his expression was so impassive that it made her feel inexplicably uneasy.
Rose met his gaze head-on.
“I imagine you must not be busy, since you found the time to accompany Samantha here.”
There was unmistakable sarcasm in her words.
Ryan picked up on it.
His eyebrows twitched slightly as he waited for Rose to continue.
“I rarely ask you to do anything, but this time, could you please not appear on the show?” Rose composed herself and made her request as calmly as possible.
She didn’t want Ariel to find out just how terrible her biological father was.
Especially since the divorce papers hadn’t been finalized yet. Within those boundaries, she had the right to protect her daughter.
After all, they would be appearing in public together.
It would be no different from slapping her in the face in front of everyone who knew her identity.
“Reason.”
Ryan looked at her calmly and asked.
Rose clenched her fists.
She certainly couldn’t tell him it was because the child might see.
“We don’t have much time left anyway. Let’s save face for both of us. I won’t expose your affair, and you handle your true love discreetly. Wouldn’t that be a happy ending for everyone?”
The divorce agreement even specified the date of the divorce.
They had just over a month left.
Ryan had already read the divorce agreement—couldn’t he even wait that short while?
Ryan paid no heed to the implication behind her words, we don’t have much time left.
He simply stared quietly at Rose’s face.
Her back was stiff as a board, and when she looked up at him, her eyes were red-rimmed. Even though her expression was calm, she resembled a balloon being inflated at top speed—so taut it seemed ready to burst at any moment.
He looked at her.
He didn’t agree.
Nor did he refuse.
Rose could barely fathom what he was thinking.
“I hope you’ll think it over carefully. After all, we’ll be getting our divorce papers soon—”
“Ryan, we should go.”
A voice from behind cut Rose off, and the words divorce papers died on her lips.
Rose turned her head and saw Samantha staring at her coldly.
That look was as if she were some shameless temptress trying to steal another woman’s husband.
Ryan gave a brief “Mm.”
He shot Rose a sidelong glance, then strode past her with long, confident steps.
He walked toward Samantha.
Only then did Samantha slowly curve her lips into a smile again.
She openly linked her arm through Ryan’s, and the two walked away side by side.
A gust of wind swept in through the window, sending a chill down Rose’s spine.
No wonder.
She really had been naive.
Did she truly expect Ryan to keep a low profile—and refrain from flaunting his affection with Samantha—just because they were about to get their divorce papers?
On her way back, Diana was waiting for her at the door.
“How did it go? Did you work things out?”
Rose shook her head.
“He didn’t agree.”
“No wonder! I just saw Samantha strutting around, arm-in-arm with Ryan, greeting all those senior figures—she was practically walking on air!”
Diana grumbled.
But Rose had no time to dwell on that; she had already begun to ponder something else.
It was clearly impossible to hide Ryan’s identity as Ariel’s biological father for the rest of her life.
The child was an independent person—she would think for herself and analyze every clue.
If Ariel ever actually saw Ryan with Samantha, how could Rose explain it without shattering Ariel’s innocent world?
Since Ryan was going to make an appearance, she certainly couldn’t stay and watch him and Samantha acting all lovey-dovey.
Rose decided to wait in the green room for Diana to finish her work.
She would also hold an online meeting with the G.S. Labs team while she was at it.
An hour later.
Diana sent Rose a voice message on WhatsApp.
“Holy crap! Ryan didn’t appear on camera! Samantha was on the show alone—he left halfway through!”
Rose was taken aback.
She hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.
“Why?”
“I’m not sure either—no wonder Samantha looked so uncomfortable! But I seized the opportunity. I only gave her a tiny bit of screen time. You wouldn’t believe it, but she glared at me several times during the recording!”
Diana’s mocking laughter echoed through the room.
Rose, however, didn’t find anything to be happy about.
After all, she didn’t really care if Ryan was flaunting his romance. As long as it didn’t affect Ariel and her grandfather, she was relieved.
Rose closed her laptop.
She walked out of the break room.
To her surprise, she ran right into Samantha, who had just finished filming, and Daisy, who had come to pick her up.
The mother and daughter clearly weren’t in the best of moods.
But when they saw Rose, Samantha stopped in her tracks, her brows furrowing deeply.
Rose ignored the pair and turned to leave.
But Daisy suddenly spoke up.
“So, you’re still here. I heard from Sam that you actually went to beg Ryan not to appear on camera with her, didn’t you?”
Rose looked over.
Daisy smiled. “I was actually worried that if Ryan appeared on camera with Sam and left you out in the cold, it might not look good. Making you watch them being so affectionate would indeed be a bit cruel. But, you know, your father had a last-minute work matter he needed to discuss with Ryan. Since Ryan values the Hill family’s affairs, he went to help your father out. That should make you feel a little better, right?”
Daisy seemed to suddenly realize something and quickly backtracked.
“Oh, just forget what I said. Pretend Ryan stepped back because you begged him so earnestly. That way, you’ll have some peace of mind.”
Rose didn’t need her to remind her.
If Ryan cared about her feelings, they wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.
Daisy tried to reason with her again.
“We’re all women here, Rose. Surely you wouldn’t want to stand in the way of true love? Ryan can’t say this to you outright, but if you give in to your sister, he’ll remember your kindness.”
