Free Web NovelChapter 88: Chapter 88 The Wedding Gift
Rose couldn’t make out Ryan’s expression.
Yet she could clearly sense the purpose behind his attitude.
He wasn’t showing her consideration because they had been married for years. Even his timely comfort had been calculated for his own benefit.
Even though she no longer cared about him as a person, Rose still felt her cheeks burning.
“Why?” she asked.
“I already told you. There were no surveillance cameras at the scene, and the police won’t be able to determine what happened.”
Ryan’s voice sounded unusually clear and detached in the darkness.
But Rose caught the hidden meaning behind his words.
“Do you think I pushed her and don’t want this ugly love triangle exposed if the situation escalates? Or do you think Samantha is lying and don’t want the police investigating her?”
In the end, it came down to one of those two possibilities.
But either way, she would be the one dragged through the mud.
She couldn’t even call it heartbreak anymore.
It simply made her sick.
The first possibility meant Ryan didn’t trust her, his wife of seven years.
The second meant that even if he knew Samantha was slandering her, he didn’t care. All that mattered was Samantha’s happiness and reputation.
“Does it matter what I think?” Ryan asked.
By now, his eyes had adjusted to the darkness.
Looking down, he saw the cold mockery in her expression.
He lifted a hand and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“If this gets out of hand, it’ll damage the Knight family’s reputation. How will you explain that to Grandma and Grandfather?”
The gesture was undeniably gentle.
But the words behind it were not.
Rose nearly laughed.
Even breathing felt like fire scorching her lungs.
“To keep me quiet, you’re using the Knight family to pressure me.”
This wasn’t concern.
He wasn’t worried she’d be reprimanded by the family.
It was simply a threat wrapped in sugar-coated words.
Ryan offered no response.
Because at that moment, the elevator doors opened.
Light flooded back in.
Just as Rose was finally able to see his expression, Ryan had already withdrawn the arm around her waist and stepped back.
The distance he created clearly signaled no connection.
The distance of strangers avoiding suspicion.
The movement was subtle.
But Rose noticed.
A crowd had gathered outside.
Among them were members of the Columbia University team.
Rose immediately understood why Ryan had distanced himself.
He was afraid people would misunderstand.
After all, he was Samantha’s boyfriend now.
Naturally, he needed to keep his distance from every woman—including the wife he had not yet divorced.
A trace of sarcasm flashed through Rose’s eyes.
Without another word, she headed to the clinical trial center.
She had no intention of backing down.
Even if it caused a scandal, she would deal with the Knight family later.
*****
The clinical trial process was incredibly complex.
Every step was subject to rigorous review.
After all, drug safety came first.
Rose reviewed Samantha’s formula for the Western medicine component.
It failed to meet her expectations.
The efficacy fell short of the standard she considered excellent, and the side effects had not been sufficiently minimized.
In the long run, the drawbacks would likely outweigh the benefits.
Rose immediately called a joint meeting between G.S. and Columbia University.
She intended to reject Samantha’s formulation.
Halfway through the meeting, someone knocked and entered.
Coffee and pastries were delivered.
“This is a special treat from President Knight. He wanted to thank everyone for taking care of Ms. Hill during this time. There’s enough for everyone.”
Excited murmurs instantly spread through the room.
“Oh my gosh, I was starting to lose faith in love. But Mr. Knight and Ms. Hill have shown me that true love really exists.”
“Seriously. Ms. Hill is winning at life—she’s successful in both her career and her relationship.”
Soon, a latte and a cherry cupcake were placed in front of Rose.
Both happened to be her favorites.
Yet today, they had become symbols of Ryan’s affection for Samantha.
Even if Samantha made mistakes, Ryan would still clean up the aftermath for her.
He would smooth things over, win people to her side, and make sure no one dared speak badly of her.
Rose glanced at the treats before looking away.
The trust and understanding between them ran deep.
She had learned that lesson long ago.
Before Ryan’s gift arrived, everyone had remained silent regarding the modifications to Samantha’s formula.
Now objections began surfacing one after another.
Some complained openly.
Others voiced their dissatisfaction behind the scenes.
In the end, however, Columbia University’s project director approved Rose’s revisions.
*****
Clinical trials were tedious.
When Rose arrived at Peace Hospital for her clinical rotation, Leo Byrne—Caleb’s father—found out immediately.
Although there was nearly a thirty-year age gap between them, Leo was technically her senior as they both were Dr. Nathan’s students.
As the president of Peace Hospital, he wasted no time calling her.
“A ready-made cash cow shouldn’t go to waste. We’re swamped with patients in the clinic right now. I have to leave for a business trip, so you’ll cover for me."
“Am I some kind of farm animal?”
Leo chuckled. “A stubborn mule, actually. A highly productive one.”
“...”
Fine.
Rose resigned herself to her fate.
The Research Institute was right next to the Clinical Center, close enough for her to move between the lab and the patient wards whenever necessary
She saw patients from morning until evening.
By the end of the day, she was so exhausted her vision was blurring.
Just as she was about to finish, a nurse called out, “Dr. Bennett, there’s one last patient added to the schedule. Thank you for your hard work.”
Rose sat back down.
The examination room door opened.
She looked up and saw Samantha, Ryan, and Mike walk in together.
A family of three.
Yet Rose felt absolutely nothing.
How amusing.
With so many doctors in the hospital, they still had to come to her.
Did they expect her to offer blessings?
Were they really that eager to flaunt their happiness?
When Samantha realized it was Rose, she frowned.
“Why are you here? Shouldn’t a senior specialist be seeing patients today?”
Rose pulled on her mask. “I’m filling in. Stop looking around and focus over here.”
Ryan, who was holding Mike’s hand, looked at her upon hearing that.
Rose knew exactly what he was thinking.
He was worried she wouldn’t be gentle with his precious child.
"Mike has been feeling dizzy lately," Samantha said. "I wanted to get your professional opinion."
Her tone was purely professional.
Ryan calmly added, “He experiences chest tightness and shortness of breath after exercise. His hands and feet swell easily, and his face often becomes flushed.”
The level of detail was astonishing.
He covered every symptom.
The care and attentiveness resembled that of a devoted father.
Rose’s pen paused briefly over the medical chart.
The irony was impossible to ignore.
Ryan treated someone else’s child with meticulous care.
Yet Ariel, his own daughter, had never experienced that kind of love.
Rose knew exactly why she had hidden Ariel’s existence.
Even if the three of them lived together openly, Ryan would inevitably prioritize Samantha and Mike.
Ariel would only spend her days disappointed by a father who never truly noticed her.
“Ryan, you’ll make a wonderful father someday,” Samantha said warmly.
“I have nothing to worry about.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Rose from the corner of her eye.
Ryan’s phone suddenly rang.
He stood up. “I need to take this.”
Samantha smiled gently. “Alright. Mike and I will wait here.”
Without even glancing at Rose, Ryan walked out.
Rose lowered her eyes and ignored Samantha’s deliberate comment.
Then she began examining Mike.
Observation.
Listening.
Questioning.
Physical examination.
After several moments, she spoke calmly. “Severe obesity. Pediatric metabolic syndrome.”
“If left untreated, it may lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.”
“No snacks. No sugary drinks.”
“If he has sleep apnea, hospitalization may also be necessary.”
The moment Mike heard the words no snacks and no sugary drinks, he exploded.
“You’re lying!”
“You’re just a mean woman picking on me!”
He grabbed a decorative stand nearby and smashed it onto the floor.
Crash!
The child moved so quickly that no one had time to stop him.
He immediately targeted every valuable item in the room.
One after another.
Crash.
Smash.
Bang.
Everything hit the floor.
Samantha merely raised an eyebrow.
“Mike, this is Dr. Bennett’s office. Don’t make a scene.”
She offered verbal criticism.
But she made no move to stop him.
Rose remained seated.
Experience had taught her that intervening would only make things worse.
Instead, she calmly pulled out her phone and began recording.
The moment Mike noticed he was being filmed, he smashed even more things.
Only after he had finished destroying everything in sight did he look at Rose triumphantly.
“Last time I knocked you down and made you land on your butt. You should know how tough I am. How dare you mess with me?”
Samantha raised an eyebrow again. “You’re an adult. There’s no need to make such a big deal out of this.”
Rose nodded.
Her gaze swept over the wreckage.
“This.”
She pointed at a shattered model. “Director Byrne’s private 3D anatomical collection.”
“And this.”
She pointed at another item. “Director Byrne’s personal award trophy.”
“And this orchid.”
Her gaze landed on the broken plant. “A rare species Director Byrne personally cultivated. It’s worth millions.”
“He treasures it.”
Samantha’s expression changed immediately. “Who?”
Rose tilted her head. “Director Leo Byrne.”
“Dr. Nathan’s foremost disciple.”
“Academician of the National Center for Biomedical Innovation.”
“Didn’t you know?”
Samantha’s face froze.
She had known Rose was seeing patients today.
She had not known whose office it was.
Looking at the destruction scattered across the floor, she glared at Rose.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Rose’s expression turned cold. “Do you think everyone exists for your little beast to trample over?”
“Who are you calling a beast?”
Samantha’s eyes darkened.
Rose found her outrage ridiculous.
She simply waved her phone. “It’s all recorded.”
“Go apologize to Director Byrne yourself.”
Ignoring Samantha’s darkening expression, Rose stood and walked out.
She called security.
Then she had an itemized list of every damaged object delivered directly to Samantha.
She knew Samantha would hold a grudge.
But she didn’t care.
What she hadn’t expected was how quickly retaliation would come.
The very next day, she ran into Logan and Daisy at the hospital.
“As for you pushing Sam and causing all this trouble,” Logan said, getting straight to the point, “as your father, I won’t hold it against you. But you need to apologize.”
“Here’s what we’ll do.”
“Ryan will divorce you sooner or later anyway.”
“The Bennett family antique shop—since Sam likes it so much—should be transferred to her name.”
Rose’s expression darkened instantly.
“What do you mean?”
Logan answered matter-of-factly,
“The antique shop will be part of Sam’s wedding gifts when she marries into the Knight family.”
