Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 81: Chapter 81 A Public Embrace

The startled voice shattered the silence in the room.

Rose hadn’t expected things to turn out this way, either.

The shove Mike had given her a few days ago had been quite forceful. She’d been enduring the pain all day. Even if Ryan hadn’t caught her, she would’ve managed to steady herself and avoid falling.

But now...

Lowering her eyes, a flicker of irritation crossed her face.

She pushed him away with one hand and said politely, "Thank you."

Only then did Ryan lower his gaze to look at her.

His expression remained unchanged.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

He pressed for an answer, his tone casual.

Rose frowned.

Many others looked equally puzzled.

In their eyes, President Knight didn’t seem like the type to show concern for an ordinary researcher.

Samantha tightened her grip on the specimen container in her hand. Her icy gaze settled on Rose.

"The laboratory is a place dedicated to data and scientific research," she said. "I hope everyone will respect this environment and the researchers who have worked hard all day."

She deftly changed the subject. Rather than accusing Rose of seducing Ryan outright, she framed her words as support for her fellow researchers.

Instantly, the atmosphere shifted.

A researcher from Columbia University stepped forward and frowned at Rose.

"Exactly. Besides, you clearly know Mr. Knight’s status. How could you not avoid creating such an inappropriate scene?"

There had to be cameras recording.

Without Ryan’s approval, no one dared openly suggest that Samantha and Ryan were the real couple.

"What are we supposed to do now? That entire scene was definitely caught on camera."

As soon as those words were spoken, Samantha’s already sour expression darkened further.

How could she not see through Rose’s scheme by now?

Knowing the cameras were rolling, Rose had deliberately created an ambiguous situation to make her relationship with Ryan appear intriguing.

The spotlight should have been on Samantha and Ryan.

She hadn’t even interacted with Ryan yet.

Yet Rose had stolen the attention before she even had the chance.

Her methods were simply too underhanded.

Samantha let out a faint sneer.

"So that’s what this is..."

Though she left the accusation unsaid, everyone understood the implication.

Was Rose trying to mislead future viewers into believing she shared some special relationship with President Knight?

The Columbia researcher immediately sided with Samantha.

"We all know what this looks like. Rose, just apologize to Ms. Hill and explain that you didn’t mean it. Then we can put this behind us."

After all, Ms. Hill was the important one here.

Rose had practically flirted with another woman’s boyfriend right in front of her. Did she have no shame?

Rose really wanted to curse.

She was supposed to apologize to Samantha?

Ryan had been the one who grabbed her, and somehow she was the one at fault?

Had everyone’s brains stopped working the moment Samantha appeared?

"Right," Rose said coolly. "I’m the one who grabbed Mr. Knight’s hand and forced it around my waist. I’m the one who threw myself at him. He’s a six-foot-three grown man who apparently couldn’t push away a weak woman like me. You’re all absolutely brilliant."

Though her tone was calm, the sarcasm was unmistakable.

Several people immediately looked embarrassed.

Logically speaking, that was exactly what had happened.

Ryan lowered his gaze and casually studied Rose’s expression.

She was still smiling, but the impatience in her eyes was obvious.

If cameras hadn’t been present, she probably would’ve been even less restrained.

"I think President Knight was simply helping someone out of basic courtesy," another researcher said, trying to smooth things over. "Besides, everyone was dressed the same—white lab coats, masks, caps, and goggles. How could President Knight have known who he was helping? Maybe he thought it was Ms. Hill because they looked similar from behind."

The explanation instantly improved Samantha’s mood.

She glanced at Rose.

Only then did she notice they both had their hair tied up, wore similar protective gear, and even had similar hair colors. At first glance, it was possible to mistake one for the other.

"That’s true," someone added. "Rose, how is it that you just happened to have the same hairstyle as Ms. Hill today?"

The implication was obvious.

Rose was supposedly copying Samantha.

Sofia finally couldn’t hold back.

"Our Dr. Rose has always dressed like this in the lab. And who exactly says she looks like Ms. Hill?" Sofia shot back. "Dr. Rose is five-foot-eight. She’s practically a head taller than Ms. Hill."

The crowd instinctively compared the two women.

To their surprise, once they stopped viewing Samantha through the lens of being Ryan’s girlfriend, Rose was actually the more striking woman.

Samantha pressed her lips together.

She shot Rose an irritated look.

Had Rose become obsessed with competing with other women?

Who wanted to compete with her over appearance?

"You—"

The person defending Samantha was interrupted by someone else.

"Then Miss Bennett should at least explain herself to Ms. Hill."

Rose understood.

In everyone’s eyes, Ryan belonged to Samantha.

By interacting with him, she had somehow violated Samantha’s rights.

Apparently, she needed Samantha’s generous permission before speaking to her own husband.

Rose chuckled softly and looked directly at Samantha, who had silently allowed everyone else to fight her battles.

"Fine," Rose said. "Are you sure you want me to explain?"

How could Samantha miss the warning hidden in those words?

There were cameras everywhere.

What if Rose revealed the truth?

Her expression stiffened slightly before she turned toward the crowd.

"I appreciate everyone’s concern, but research should come first. It’s fine. Let’s get back to work."

Even Rose had to admit Samantha was skilled at maintaining her public image.

At least on the surface, no one could criticize her.

Just as Samantha was about to leave, she noticed Ryan hadn’t moved.

His gaze lingered on her face.

She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Rose frowned.

Tilting her head up, she met his eyes.

"Afraid I’ll tell everyone?"

Ryan’s dark eyes flickered slightly.

"That’s your choice," he replied calmly. "Just make sure you’ve considered the consequences."

Rose fell silent.

She’d wanted to fire back with something sharp.

But Ryan was right.

She had promised the Knight family not to publicly reveal her identity as Mrs. Knight, nor do anything that would damage the family’s reputation.

That meant she couldn’t expose Samantha as the other woman.

Ryan was warning her.

How he chose to protect Samantha was no longer her concern.

Ignoring him completely, Rose turned and walked into the laboratory.

The incident quickly slipped from her mind.

So did the occasional mocking and contemptuous glances from those around her.

That evening, the first day concluded with a banquet.

Diana gathered everyone together to review the day’s footage.

Only then did she learn about the incident that had taken place that afternoon.

The moment she entered the restaurant, she dropped into the seat beside Rose.

"That Samantha has some nerve," Diana scoffed. "She actually wanted you—the legal wife—to apologize to her, the mistress?"

The world had truly gone insane.

Wasn’t Ryan Rose’s husband?

Why should Rose need permission to interact with him?

Rose poured her a cup of black tea.

"Here. Drink some black tea and calm down."

Diana pouted.

"People like her need to be put in their place."

Rose looked at her suspiciously.

Diana scanned the room.

At that moment, Ryan entered with Samantha.

As the event’s primary sponsor, he naturally attracted attention.

Samantha walked beside him, smiling brightly as she leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

Clearly, she had already forgotten about the afternoon’s incident.

Diana sneered.

Without warning, she slammed her laptop onto the table.

"Since this is probably everyone’s first time being filmed, I edited together some footage from this afternoon. Consider it a preview of the final broadcast."

Ryan and the others happened to take their seats.

Directly across from Rose.

Samantha smiled.

"Really? Then let’s have a look."

Diana hit play.

Moments later, Samantha’s smile froze.

Because Diana had included the footage of Ryan catching Rose that afternoon.

Not only that—

The clip remained on screen for nearly twenty seconds.

Long enough to spark countless speculations.

The lively banquet hall instantly fell silent.

As for Ryan, he merely raised an eyebrow.

Instead of looking at Diana, he turned his gaze directly toward Rose.

Rose hadn’t expected Diana to pull something like this.

Meanwhile, Samantha was convinced Diana wouldn’t have dared do it without Rose’s approval.

Her face darkened.

Fixing Diana with a cold stare, she said firmly, "I want that footage deleted."