Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 78: Chapter 78 The Slap He Chose to Take

The sound made Dr. Nathan jump to his feet, and he rushed into the courtyard in a panic.

That was his Ariel.

He had watched Ariel grow up.

Ever since she’d been old enough to understand, she’d hardly ever cried—except when she was sick.

Rose recognized the voice as well, and her heart skipped a beat. She turned to rush outside, but Caleb calmly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

He reminded her that Ryan was present.

A chill crept up Rose’s spine.

She forced herself to suppress the urge.

However, Samantha noticed the two of them holding hands so intimately and instantly understood.

“I was wondering what was going on. So even Mr. Byrne can’t resist a beautiful woman? Did you come here today specifically to ask Dr. Nathan for a favor on Rose’s behalf?”

The moment she spoke, Rose felt a wave of nausea wash over her, and her brow furrowed.

The first thing she sensed was Ryan’s casual glance. His gaze drifted downward, sweeping over Caleb’s hand, which was still clasping Rose’s wrist.

He made no comment.

“I just wonder whether Mr. Byrne would be as generous with me as Ryan has been. Fifty million dollars isn’t a small sum. Investing it in G.S.’s R&D projects should yield a much higher return than spending it on her.”

Samantha smiled faintly.

She was almost certain Caleb wouldn’t donate to the children’s foundation just to curry favor with Rose.

A woman like Rose was only a fling.

She wasn’t someone to be taken seriously.

Caleb was so irritated he actually laughed.

“Rumor has it that CEO Knight is married. So isn’t Ms. Hill spending a married man’s money? She’s certainly bold. She’s not afraid of being sued.”

To be so brazen right in front of Rose!

Who gave her the nerve?

It went without saying.

Samantha was stung by those words and grew annoyed. What had Rose and Caleb been saying about her now?

Otherwise, why would Caleb side with Rose instead of a woman like her?

Rose pressed her lips together. In truth, she was a little worried.

By humiliating his beloved in front of Ryan, might Caleb provoke retaliation against himself—or even G.S.?

She glanced over silently.

But just then, Ryan happened to lift his gaze, and their eyes met.

“Instead of arguing, why don’t we see whether Dr. Nathan is all right?”

His single remark put an end to the back-and-forth.

Rose finally found an opening to step outside and see what was going on.

Just as she was about to leave, she paused.

Caleb understood her thoughts and turned to Ryan.

“Mr. Knight, shall we sit down and talk for a moment? Let’s skip watching the commotion.”

“Of course.” Ryan didn’t refuse.

Rose quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Silently grateful to Caleb, she turned and walked out.

Samantha thought it over. She really should spend more time with Dr. Nathan. Improving her standing with him was important, so she followed them outside as well.

As soon as Rose stepped into the back garden, she saw Ariel throwing herself into Dr. Nathan’s arms.

Her big eyes were wet, and she was struggling to hold back her sobs.

In Ariel’s outstretched palm, a patch of skin had been scraped raw from the fall, and blood was oozing from the wound. The sight was heartbreaking.

Rose’s heart clenched painfully.

Because Ariel had a mild blood-clotting disorder.

Even a minor injury could affect her.

Rose began trembling uncontrollably, her legs feeling as though they were filled with lead.

Dr. Nathan’s heart ached, and his anger flared.

He turned toward the courtyard gate and shouted furiously, “Who are you? How were you raised?!”

Rose looked over. The moment she recognized Mike, the redness in her eyes was replaced by an icy, piercing glare.

Mike was startled by Dr. Nathan’s imposing presence.

His face flushed bright red, and he didn’t dare talk back.

Samantha’s smile vanished the instant she stepped outside.

She had specifically told Mike to stay in the car and wait for them to finish so they could take him to dinner.

Why had he gotten into a fight with Dr. Nathan’s grandchild?

As soon as Mike saw Samantha, he knew his backup had arrived.

Clutching the toy he had snatched, he pointed and complained, “I just asked if I could play with it. She was being stingy and wouldn’t let me. Why shouldn’t I have it?”

Rose recognized it immediately.

It was Ariel’s LEGO set.

So...

“So you shoved her? And hurt her?”

Her voice was cold as ice, and her gaze was terrifyingly sharp.

Mike shrank under her stare, but his embarrassment quickly turned into anger.

He slammed the toy onto the ground, smashing it into pieces.

“So what? There’s nothing I want that I can’t have. If she won’t give it to me, then she can’t play with it either!”

The chubby boy strutted around smugly.

He was the same age as Ariel, but because of his size, he looked years older.

Samantha still hadn’t gotten a clear look at the little girl in Dr. Nathan’s arms, but she immediately realized this was trouble.

She hurried over to stop Mike and turned to Dr. Nathan.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Hale. My younger brother is still young and doesn’t know any better. Please don’t hold it against him. Is that your granddaughter? I can apologize.”

Although she really didn’t want to.

But she had no choice.

This was Dr. Nathan’s granddaughter, after all.

Offending him would do her no favors.

She still needed a mentor and wanted admission to the National Center for Biomedical Innovation. Dr. Nathan was exactly the kind of expert she needed on her side.

Dr. Nathan picked up Ariel, his anger completely undisguised.

“If you want to apologize, then give it back! Otherwise, you and this ill-mannered brat can both get out of here!”

He had spent years cultivating his temperament and rarely lost his temper.

This was the first time in many years.

Samantha’s heart skipped a beat, and her expression stiffened.

She didn’t understand.

Wasn’t this just a minor disagreement between children?

Was it really worth Dr. Nathan reacting so harshly?

Rose tried her best to calm herself and looked at Dr. Nathan.

“Please take Ariel inside and handle her injury. Use the side entrance and go upstairs.”

That way, they wouldn’t run into Ryan.

Dr. Nathan understood immediately.

He nodded and left.

Seeing Rose take the opportunity to “get closer” to Dr. Nathan, Samantha shot her a cold look.

“Do you think this is your home?”

She stepped forward, intending to follow Dr. Nathan.

But just as she passed, Rose grabbed her arm.

Samantha frowned, her face full of annoyance.

“What does any of this have to do with you? Rose, trying to get on Dr. Hale’s good side doesn’t work like this. Kids have little squabbles all the time. A few bumps and bruises aren’t a big deal. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill—”

“Mm-hmm.”

Rose nodded.

“So, I need to talk to you about something.”

Samantha looked puzzled.

“What?”

The word had barely left her mouth.

Smack!

A swift, vicious slap landed across her face.

Caught completely off guard, Samantha stumbled backward.

Her cheek immediately swelled and turned red.

The pain left her so stunned that she forgot how to react.

Rose stared at her expressionlessly.

And yet...

It wasn’t enough.

Not enough.

Nowhere near enough.

Compared to Ariel’s injury, Rose wanted nothing more than to tear Samantha apart.

Ariel had fragile health and poor blood clotting, yet she had been bullied right outside her own home.

The mere thought that Mike was Logan and Daisy’s son—that he shared half her blood and was supposedly her “brother”—felt like maggots gnawing at her bones.

She couldn’t strangle Mike.

But Samantha’s indulgence had enabled all of this.

What was wrong with settling the score with her?

Rose refused to release Samantha’s arm, leaving her no chance to escape.

Her pale face was icy as she raised her hand once more and brought it down with all her strength.

Suddenly, everything went dark before her eyes.

A faint scent of rose and mint filled the air.

Rose’s hand came down.

Another sharp slap echoed through the courtyard.

But—

She froze.

Ryan had rushed over at some point and stepped directly in front of Samantha, shielding her with his body.

His stern jaw was turned slightly to the side.

A red mark appeared against his pale skin.

Ryan was tall. Rose’s hand hadn’t fully landed on his face; her fingertips had only grazed his jawline.

Even so, the impact left her fingers tingling with numbness.

He slowly turned his head.

His deep, piercing eyes locked onto hers.

Rose hadn’t expected this.

Ryan had actually stepped in to protect Samantha.

Her fingers trembled.

Even her breathing trembled.

Yet she held her ground, standing rigid and expressionless.

His gaze was so deep it felt as though it could drown her.

After a long moment, he spoke in a calm voice almost devoid of emotion.

“Rose... is that enough?”