Free Web NovelChapter 79: Chapter 79 One Slap for Each of Them
That calm, almost ruthless response.
Rose felt as though her breath had been knocked out of her.
A short, bitter laugh escaped her lips.
Had she really become the villain?
She had struck two people in a row.
Had they become a pair of star-crossed lovers instead?
Her chest rose and fell unevenly, the lack of oxygen leaving her breathing shallow. A persistent ringing filled her ears.
Rose clenched her still-numb hand and met the deep, dark gaze of the man standing before her.
The warm glow of the courtyard lights illuminated him clearly.
Yet all she felt was a chill seeping into her bones.
“Why don’t you let her hit me back?” Rose asked.
She wasn’t wearing a coat. The cold wind made her voice tremble, but her eyes were filled with undisguised mockery.
She was genuinely curious.
Just how far would Ryan go for his beloved?
And how humiliating could things become between them?
If Samantha had been the one to hit her today, Ryan probably would have been more worried about Samantha hurting her hand than anything else.
Ryan stared at her pale face and answered her question with one of his own.
“Then why are you so angry, Rose? There’s a reason for everything, isn’t there?”
He didn’t even bother addressing her challenge to “let her hit me back.”
Instead, he struck directly at the heart of the matter.
Rose felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.
She was sick of Ryan always being so sharp, always seeing straight through to the truth.
After all, as far as everyone knew, she was an outsider to the Hale family.
Yet she was furious over the Hale family’s affairs.
“Ryan, are you okay?”
Samantha, who had been shielded behind him, finally snapped out of her shock.
Ignoring her own injured face, she tilted her head back and looked at him anxiously.
Ryan’s gaze swept past Rose before he answered calmly, “I’m fine.”
Rose watched the scene unfold.
She truly felt like the villain who had tried to tear apart a loving couple.
Even though she was Ryan’s legal wife, somehow she was still the one in the wrong.
Only then did Samantha turn toward Rose, her expression cold.
“Are you out of your mind? You actually dared to hit Ryan. Do you even act like a woman? Based on what you did today, we can absolutely hold you accountable.”
“You?” Rose replied, enunciating each word.
“In what capacity? His mistress? His kept woman? His one-night stand?”
The words were brutally humiliating.
Samantha’s expression immediately changed.
As much as she hated Rose’s irrational behavior, this was the Hale family’s home.
She couldn’t argue with Rose here and risk damaging Dr. Nathan’s opinion of her even further.
“Let’s go check on the child first.”
Ryan appeared unwilling to dwell on Rose’s attack.
His attention remained focused on the matter at hand.
He had arrived late.
He didn’t know the condition of Dr. Nathan’s granddaughter.
But he knew exactly what Mike was like.
Rose pressed her lips together and was about to speak.
Before she could, Caleb hurried out and stepped in front of Ryan.
“Mr. Knight, I’d advise you to call it a day. I know Dr. Nathan’s temperament. His granddaughter is the apple of his eye. He’s furious right now. If he throws Ms. Hill and that child out in front of everyone, it won’t look good.”
To put it bluntly—
Everyone who lived in this community was influential.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
Especially embarrassing ones.
Samantha’s lips tightened.
Making a scene would likely do more harm than good.
Sure enough, Ryan’s eyes turned cold.
He lifted his chin and glanced toward the villa.
But he didn’t insist on seeing the child.
Rose remained silent.
Yet a trace of sarcasm lingered in her eyes.
She almost wanted to thank Ryan for caring so much about Samantha’s reputation that he missed his chance to meet his own daughter.
“I apologize for today’s disturbance. I’ll visit again another time and make amends.”
Ryan was not an unreasonable man.
He nodded toward Caleb as he spoke.
Caleb forced a smile. “If you don’t bring Ms. Hill and that child next time, perhaps you’ll actually get the chance.”
Ryan neither confirmed nor denied the remark.
Samantha felt resentful, but there was nothing she could do.
Originally, Ryan had been confident he could persuade Dr. Nathan to support Riri Care for her sake.
Then this incident happened.
As she left, she shot Rose a cold, venomous glance.
“Rose, you should consider yourself lucky that Dr. Nathan is here today. I’m letting this go out of respect for him. But don’t get any ridiculous ideas. Someone of Dr. Nathan’s stature isn’t someone you can win over by sucking up a few times.”
In Samantha’s eyes, Rose was simply currying favor with Dr. Nathan.
Why would someone like him pay attention to her?
That slap—
She would remember it.
Without waiting for a response, Samantha turned and walked away.
Rose, meanwhile, couldn’t wait for them to leave.
Just as Ryan and Samantha had taken a few steps away—
A short, stocky figure suddenly lunged forward.
Caught completely off guard, Rose was slammed hard in the lower abdomen.
Unable to brace herself, she stumbled backward.
Her lower back crashed violently into the courtyard rockery.
A wave of excruciating pain swept through her body.
Rose’s face turned deathly pale.
Her lower back was injured so badly she could barely remain standing.
Caleb reacted instantly and rushed forward to catch her.
Having succeeded, Mike stuck out his tongue.
“You dared to hit my sister! Well, you won’t get away with it either! Hmph—you evil woman!”
Mike immediately ran off.
He sprinted past everyone and climbed into the car.
Ryan turned at the commotion.
His dark eyes sharpened, and a slight frown appeared between his brows.
From where he stood, he couldn’t see Rose’s expression clearly.
Nor had he seen what Mike had just done.
All he saw was Rose appearing to lose her balance, half-supported by Caleb.
His narrowed gaze lingered on her for a moment.
Then he took a step forward.
“Ryan!”
Samantha suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
“I think my face is cut...”
She touched her cheek anxiously.
“It’s bleeding.”
Ryan’s steps slowed.
Turning his head, he saw that the side of Samantha’s face—the side Rose had struck—had indeed been scraped.
A faint frown crossed his face.
Then his gaze shifted away.
Without another glance, he turned and led Samantha toward the car.
Watching him choose Samantha without hesitation, Rose wasn’t surprised.
The two figures disappeared into the distance.
Only then did Rose’s legs finally give out.
She collapsed onto the ground.
The impact to her lower back had been severe.
She could barely move.
Caleb cursed under his breath before scooping her up and carrying her inside.
Dr. Nathan had already treated Ariel’s wound.
Thankfully, with his years of experience, he had managed to stop the bleeding.
When he turned around and saw Rose lying face-down on the sofa, clutching her lower back, his expression darkened.
Although he glared at her furiously, his actions were anything but slow as he fetched his medical bag.
“I looked away for one minute. How did you manage to get bullied by a child?”
Rose muttered weakly, “He’s six years old and weighs eighty pounds. He came at me like a missile. I’m not exactly made of steel...”
“And you’re still making excuses?”
Dr. Nathan pressed his fingers against her lower back, examining the injury before applying a cold compress.
A sharp chill shot through Rose’s spine.
Cold sweat immediately broke out across her forehead.
“Endure it,” Dr. Nathan said sternly. “A back injury like this won’t heal unless you rest for at least ten days to half a month.”
“The real issue is that they don’t know your relationship with Dr. Nathan,” Caleb said.
“Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare behave so brazenly.”
He had hit the nail on the head.
If Samantha knew the truth, she would probably be furious beyond words.
Dr. Nathan’s expression darkened at the thought.
“Unless she starts producing real results soon, I won’t be supporting her. Rose has to build her own foundation. She can’t spend her life relying on someone else.”
The old man was still angry about Ariel and ended up directing some of that frustration toward Rose.
Caleb wisely kept quiet.
He knew he would be next in line for a scolding.
Still, he understood.
If Rose ever truly encountered serious trouble, Dr. Nathan would never stand by and do nothing.
Rose understood his intentions as well.
Right now, she was still considered a newcomer.
She needed time to prove herself.
After finishing the treatment, Dr. Nathan went upstairs to check on Ariel.
Only then did Caleb walk over.
“You acted impulsively today.”
Rose slowly sat up, holding her side.
“But I don’t regret it.”
Her voice was calm. “One slap for each of them. They deserved every bit of it.”
“Maybe,” Caleb admitted. “But do you know who he is?”
His expression grew serious. “I doubt anyone has ever dared to treat him like that. Especially after you hit Samantha too. If they decide not to let this go—and Ryan gets angry—do you really think he’ll let you off the hook?”
