Free Web NovelChapter 91: Chapter 91 An Heir Before a Divorce
The sight of that custody agreement hit Rose like a bolt from the blue.
Her heart nearly stopped beating.
For a few seconds, her mind went completely blank.
Ryan slowly lowered his gaze as well, his deep eyes fixed on the child custody agreement while his fingertips traced the rim of his teacup.
“No need,” he said.
He looked at Rose. “We have no children, and therefore no custody dispute.”
Only after Ryan finished speaking did Lawyer Noah realize his mistake.
“So that’s how it is. I assumed that after seven years of marriage, the two of you would have children by now, so I prepared this agreement as a precaution. Well, that’s for the best—it saves us the trouble.”
It was a lawyer’s habit to consider every possible scenario.
Normally, divorcing couples argued endlessly over property division and child custody.
But these two...
One showed no drama, tears, or heartbreak over the divorce, while the other was remarkably generous with money, real estate, and company shares, seemingly unconcerned that his wife had been unable to conceive during their seven years of marriage.
How strange.
Although Rose didn’t show it, her heart continued racing for quite some time.
Ryan’s words—We don’t have children—instantly brought her back to reality.
Once again, she was grateful that she had kept her daughter’s existence hidden from the Knight family throughout her marriage.
Otherwise, she would have been torn apart.
“I want a clean break—no strings attached,” Rose stated firmly.
She did not agree with the terms they had just discussed—that Samantha’s identity would remain concealed and that she would still be expected to help preserve the Knight family’s reputation.
Ryan looked at her.
Rose met his gaze without hesitation.
He could clearly see the determination in her eyes.
The determination to divorce him.
The determination to sever all ties with him and the Knight family.
A flicker of emotion crossed Ryan’s eyes.
His expression, however, remained unreadable.
Rose had no intention of backing down, either.
Just as the silent standoff continued, the door suddenly swung open.
A furious voice rang out. “Divorce Rose? For that shameless Samantha?!”
Rose turned in surprise.
Margaret had come looking for Ryan. She stormed into the room and immediately began berating him. Clearly, she had already learned about today’s divorce negotiations and had come to confront him.
Following closely behind her was James.
He hadn’t expected to witness such a dramatic scene.
He had originally come to discuss a business partnership with Ryan, only to stumble into the middle of a family crisis.
His gaze shifted to Rose.
He had expected her to be heartbroken, devastated, and helpless.
Instead, she sat upright in her chair, calm and composed, as though she were negotiating a business contract.
Meanwhile, Margaret hobbled forward with her cane and, in a fit of anger, struck Ryan several times across the back.
“You’ve always been mature and capable, never giving your family a moment of worry. How is it that when it comes to matters of the heart, you’ve become so heartless and ungrateful? How many seven-year itches does a woman get in her lifetime? Are you really going to become a faithless husband for a woman who nearly became your sister-in-law?”
Ryan didn’t flinch.
He simply accepted the blows.
Lifting his chin slightly, he allowed a faint smile to appear at the corners of his lips.
“You certainly heard the news quickly.”
That was all he said.
Margaret’s expression froze for a split second.
They were discussing divorce in the home they had shared for seven years. Naturally, the matter couldn’t escape her notice.
The moment she heard about it, she came immediately.
“If I hadn’t come, you really would have done something foolish!”
Margaret snatched up the divorce agreement from the table and began reading through it.
When she saw the list of assets Ryan intended to give Rose, she frowned.
“That’s quite a lot.”
Then realization dawned on her.
“Well, this is entirely the Knight family’s fault. You’re the one at fault. Not only did you break your vows, but you also became involved with your future sister-in-law...”
If Samantha had not once been Ethan’s fiancée, casting a shadow over the entire affair, Rose certainly wouldn’t have received such a generous settlement.
After all, with a family like the Knights, it was easy to marry in but difficult to leave unscathed.
“This is between Rose and me,” Ryan replied calmly. “You don’t need to concern yourself with it.”
His response only infuriated Margaret further.
“If I don’t interfere, who will? Let me make this perfectly clear today: if you insist on divorcing Rose, I will never let Samantha off the hook! The Hill family is nothing special. Let’s see how they manage to walk away unharmed!”
Ryan’s brows twitched slightly.
But he remained silent.
Margaret turned and walked over to Rose.
“Rose, the Knight family owes you an apology for this. Rest assured, Grandma will stand by you.”
However, Rose shook her head and answered sincerely, “Grandmother, I am the one who wants a divorce. I’m the one who no longer wishes to continue this marriage. I have no regrets.”
Those words left Margaret speechless.
Even Ryan, seated on the sofa, looked over at her.
His dark eyes revealed little emotion.
James, who had remained silent until now, was equally surprised.
It was difficult to imagine those words coming from Rose.
Almost amusing, even.
It wasn’t as though he hadn’t witnessed how devoted she had been to Ryan over the years.
Now that she had suddenly turned her back on him, he couldn’t help letting out a quiet chuckle.
The poorly timed laugh sounded particularly jarring in the silent room.
James raised his hands. “Sorry. Carry on.”
Rose glanced at him.
How could she not know he didn’t believe her?
But she no longer cared what anyone thought.
Margaret opened her mouth.
Finally, she let out a helpless sigh.
“Grandma knows you’ve been wronged. But for a family like ours, divorce is like tearing the family apart. It affects every aspect of our lives. If you truly insist on divorcing...”
She paused before continuing. “Then we’ll draft another agreement. Ryan will promise not to let Samantha bear a child for the Knight family. And as for you, Rose—you’ll give the Knight family a child.”
Margaret’s words plunged the entire room into silence.
For a moment, Rose wondered if she had heard correctly.
Ryan, however, simply lifted his eyes.
“Grandmother, is that really necessary?”
Margaret turned toward him, her expression icy. “Why wouldn’t it be? I can see that you’re determined to continue your relationship with Samantha. As long as I’m alive, I won’t allow her to set foot in this house. You are the Knight family’s sole heir. Isn’t it time you produced a legitimate successor? A child of the Knight family must be born properly and lawfully. Either you have a child with Rose, or you can forget about getting divorced.”
Rose had never imagined the conversation would take such a turn.
Was the burden of continuing the Knight family bloodline really being placed on her shoulders again?
“Rose, you haven’t given the Knight family a child in seven years. Grandma has rarely pressured you about it, nor have I ever criticized you. But as you’ve seen, Ryan is a man with strong convictions. If you don’t give the Knight family an heir, he likely won’t marry or have children anytime soon.”
Margaret took Rose’s hand, her face full of concern.
Rose’s heart sank.
How could she fail to understand the implication?
She hadn’t produced an heir in seven years, and the Knight family had never cast her aside. That alone was considered a great act of generosity.
She couldn’t be seen as ungrateful.
Margaret appeared to be defending her interests, but in reality, she had left Rose with no way out.
On the surface, she was preventing Samantha from entering the family and ensuring she would never bear a child for the Knight family.
But beneath it all, she was using Rose’s childlessness over the past seven years as leverage, forcing her to bear a child for the family as compensation for the years she had supposedly "wasted."
Rose knew that, given the Knight family’s methods, this wasn’t something she could resolve simply by refusing.
All she could do was press her lips together and look toward Ryan, who had remained silent throughout the entire conversation, hoping he would finally put an end to Margaret’s expectations.
Ryan sensed her gaze and met her eyes for two brief seconds.
