Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 87: Chapter 87 A Shattered Illusion

Samantha’s expression froze.

Instinctively, she pushed away the apple Daisy had just handed her.

"What’s going on?" she demanded. "Why am I being removed from the project? Shouldn’t we be getting rid of that cancerous tumor named Rose?"

The words left her mouth before she could soften them.

The Columbia representative fell silent for a moment.

There wasn’t much he could say.

Rose had the authority to remove team members, and more importantly, the order had come directly from the university’s senior leadership.

The decision had reportedly come from Dr. Nathan himself.

The university had no intention of allowing Samantha’s personal issues to derail the entire project.

Still, considering Samantha’s relationship with Ryan, the representative chose his words carefully.

"This decision came from upper management, Ms. Hill. You have violated several terms of the collaboration agreement. If you have concerns, you’re welcome to contact the university administration directly."

The call ended.

Samantha stared blankly at her phone.

For a long time, she couldn’t process what she’d heard.

An order from upper management?

Had she somehow offended someone important?

As for G.S., she’d always believed she’d treated Caleb politely. Surely Caleb would show some respect for Ryan’s sake.

"What happened?" Logan asked.

Samantha’s face darkened. "I’ve been removed from the project."

The entire situation felt absurd.

A surge of frustration flooded her chest.

This drug-development project had enormous potential.

She had worked on it from the very beginning, endured countless setbacks, and stayed until the clinical trial stage.

She was one of the core researchers.

Once authorship was finalized, this project would have become the crowning achievement of her career.

And now—

Just as she was about to cross the finish line—

She had been kicked out.

"How is that possible?" Daisy stood up angrily. "Wasn’t Rose supposed to be fired? Why are they removing you instead? What tricks did she pull this time?"

Ignoring her, Samantha climbed out of bed and immediately called Caleb.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

The call was rejected.

Caleb wasn’t even willing to answer.

Only then did Samantha realize he had likely known about this all along and deliberately chosen not to speak with her.

Before she could think further, another call came in.

The number belonged to a government landline.

Frowning, she answered. "Hello?"

"Ms. Samantha Hill?" A professional voice spoke from the other end.

"This is the New York Police Department. We require your cooperation regarding an investigation into an alleged assault case."

Samantha’s heart skipped a beat.

The officer continued. "Is it your claim that Ms. Rose Bennett intentionally pushed you, causing your injuries?"

Her expression changed instantly. "She called the police?"

"Yes." The officer’s tone remained neutral. "Ms. Bennett has provided a recording of your conversation in which you explicitly stated that she pushed you. Ms. Bennett claims these accusations damaged her reputation and negatively affected her work."

A brief pause followed.

"If the investigation determines that your allegations were false, Ms. Hill, you may be required to issue a public apology."

Only then did Samantha’s face completely darken.

When Rose had visited the hospital—

She had secretly recorded their conversation.

How underhanded.

And now Rose wanted a public apology?

That would be public humiliation.

If that happened, who would trust her in the future?

Without another word, Samantha ended the call.

She sat there gripping her phone for a long time.

Silent.

Breathing heavily.

Then she immediately dialed Ryan’s number.

The call connected quickly.

Ryan’s deep, steady voice came through the receiver. "What’s wrong?"

The moment she heard him, Samantha felt some of her panic ease.

"Ryan..."

Her voice softened. "The project team won’t allow me to participate in the remaining research anymore. They didn’t remove Rose. They removed me."

She lowered her eyes. "I’ve worked so hard for this project. I’m really upset."

Then she added carefully, "Rose even called the police. I wanted to handle everything privately, but she insists on making this into a public issue. I don’t want to waste my energy fighting with her over something like this."

Her voice grew quieter.

The sadness sounded genuine.

She knew Ryan had always stood by her side.

Surely he would understand.

The line fell silent for two seconds.

Then Ryan finally spoke. "Focus on recovering first."

His tone was calm. "I’ll handle the rest."

The anxiety gripping Samantha’s heart eased instantly.

No matter how bad things became, Ryan remained her support.

He would clean up the mess.

He always did.

At least, that’s what she believed.

*****

Rose couldn’t care less how Samantha reacted.

Someone who relied on Ryan’s influence while disregarding the efforts of an entire research team wasn’t someone she intended to tolerate.

As for reporting the matter to the police—

Rose had actually been preparing for this ever since Samantha accused her of leaking the raw footage.

Experience had taught her one thing:

If you didn’t protect yourself, you’d eventually become someone else’s scapegoat.

Now Samantha had openly accused her of pushing her down the stairs.

Once the investigation concluded, Samantha could face consequences for making false accusations.

In serious cases, that could leave a permanent mark on her record.

The first phase of clinical trials officially began.

That morning, Rose headed to Peace Hospital.

As she walked through the corridor, she spotted Samantha still surrounded by several Columbia University researchers.

Everyone looked concerned. "Ms. Hill, why were you removed from the project team?"

"Everyone knows how capable you are."

"We’re almost at the final stage. You’ve contributed so much. Are you really willing to walk away from all that credit?"

Samantha also noticed Rose.

A flash of coldness crossed her eyes.

However, she quickly composed herself. "There were some special circumstances."

She smiled faintly. "You all know I was injured recently. I simply couldn’t dedicate enough energy to the project."

Her voice carried an air of self-sacrifice. "I didn’t want to slow everyone down, so I voluntarily withdrew."

No matter what happened, she refused to admit that Columbia’s leadership had removed her.

In her mind, the decision had nothing to do with Rose.

Rose simply didn’t possess that level of influence.

The graduate students immediately looked touched.

"Ms. Hill, you’re too considerate."

"You’re always thinking of everyone else."

The praise continued nonstop.

Rose heard every word.

Honestly, she almost admired Samantha’s ability to save face.

Even now, she could still turn herself into the victim.

Rose couldn’t even be bothered exposing her.

*****

Around noon, Rose prepared to head downstairs for lunch.

Reading a research report, she stepped into an elevator without looking up.

The doors closed.

"Which floor?" A low voice sounded beside her.

Rose froze.

A chill ran down her spine.

Slowly, she looked up.

Ryan stood beside her.

The two of them were alone.

His familiar scent—a custom blend of roses and mint—filled the enclosed space.

Beneath it lingered a faint trace of women’s perfume.

Almost imperceptible.

Yet unmistakable.

Rose immediately knew where he’d come from.

He had just visited Samantha.

Perhaps he’d walked straight out of her hospital room.

Ignoring him, Rose stepped forward and pressed her floor number.

Silence settled between them.

She had nothing to say to him.

Not anymore.

After everything that had happened.

"I heard you removed her from the research team." Ryan lowered his gaze.

His tone was unreadable.

Rose nearly laughed.

There it was.

He’d finally come to settle accounts.

Standing up for his beloved.

The one thing he never seemed interested in was whether she had been falsely accused.

"It wasn’t a removal." She corrected him coldly. "It was an expulsion."

Her eyes remained fixed ahead. "I kicked her out."

"No one should have to endure that kind of unfairness."

She hated the way he phrased it.

As if Samantha were some innocent victim.

As if someone had wronged her.

Ryan stood with one hand in his pocket, studying her.

After a moment, he said, "Your temper is getting worse."

Rose almost rolled her eyes.

Was that criticism?

Mockery?

Either way, it certainly wasn’t a compliment.

A flicker of impatience crossed her face.

She glanced at the elevator display.

All she wanted was for the doors to open so she could leave.

Then—

Ding.

The elevator suddenly jolted.

The lights went out.

Everything plunged into darkness.

Rose’s breathing stopped.

The familiar suffocating sensation wrapped around her chest.

Claustrophobia.

When she was young, Logan had abandoned her in a remote village. For long periods, she had been locked alone inside dark, cramped rooms.

Those memories came rushing back. Cold sweat instantly soaked her back.

Driven by instinct, she reached blindly into the darkness.

"Ryan..."

"Rose." His voice came immediately. Calm. Steady.

"Come here."

A warm hand found hers.

Then—

Thud.

The elevator lurched violently again.

Rose lost her balance.

The next second, she crashed into his chest.

Ryan remained braced against the wall.

One arm wrapped around her, steadying her trembling body.

He didn’t panic.

Not even slightly. "The elevator malfunctioned."

His voice remained calm. "Someone will get us out soon."

He pressed the emergency button.

Then lowered his gaze toward her. "I’m here."

His hand remained firm around her shoulder. "What are you afraid of?"

For a moment, time seemed to stop.

Ryan’s tone hadn’t changed.

Yet somehow, it felt as though years had passed.

For the first time in a very long while, Rose almost felt like they were truly husband and wife.

She said nothing.

After all, many of the storms in her life had started because of him.

Still—

Feeling his warmth in the darkness—

She couldn’t deny that his presence had eased much of her panic.

Seven years of marriage.

At least when it mattered, he hadn’t stood by and done nothing.

Gradually, her breathing steadied.

She straightened herself and spoke politely.

"Thank—"

"Can you withdraw the police report?" Ryan’s calm voice cut through the darkness before she could finish.

The word you lodged in her throat.

And with a single sentence, Ryan shattered every illusion she had almost allowed herself to entertain.