Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 113: Chapter 113 The Weight of Misunderstanding

Speaking of that, Samantha raised an eyebrow.

That was what pleased her most.

Although Rose had nearly dragged her into a lawsuit before, at least Rose had ultimately walked away with nothing. G.S.’s drug was now on the market, and all Rose could do was watch from the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Samantha had already begun preparing her robotics project.

And what did Rose have?

She had missed out on the credit, and her abilities simply weren’t enough.

No wonder she was so angry.

"So, have you decided to invest?" Samantha asked Oliver.

She already knew Oliver would support the project.

After all, she had saved his grandfather’s life. For that reason alone, Oliver was willing to back her.

Closing the proposal folder, Oliver nodded.

"I’m interested. Your project is far more reliable than G.S.’s overly ambitious one. There are too many technical barriers to overcome."

Samantha’s smile widened immediately, and she turned to James.

"Mr. Taylor, what do you think?"

In truth, James’s support mattered even more to her.

The Taylor family’s reputation would serve as a powerful endorsement. With investors like Ryan, James, and Oliver behind her, her project would launch from a position most people could never achieve in a lifetime.

Once the company went public, its prestigious backing and widespread recognition would become the strongest assets on her résumé.

At that point, there would be no reason for the National Center for Biomedical Innovation to reject her application.

And once she entered the National Center for Biomedical Innovation, her future would be limitless.

Samantha had assumed James would be just as enthusiastic as Oliver and would invest without hesitation.

Instead, when she asked him, James remained silent.

The smile on Samantha’s lips faded slightly.

"Mr. Taylor?"

Only then did James look up, momentarily pulled from his thoughts.

"As for the project, the company will conduct a full evaluation. If it’s suitable, we’ll naturally invest."

The polite, noncommittal answer made Samantha press her lips together.

She wasn’t pleased.

What she wanted was James’s unconditional support and favoritism.

The fact that he insisted on an evaluation made her feel as though he valued profits more than he valued her.

Still, she understood.

James might be close to her, but as a company executive, he had to consider the bigger picture. He couldn’t make decisions based solely on personal relationships.

Gathering herself, she concealed her disappointment.

"Okay. I understand."

Ryan glanced at his watch and didn’t bother looking in the direction Rose had gone.

"Let’s discuss the details first."

Only then did James speak again.

"I left my phone in the car. You two go ahead."

Ryan nodded and led Samantha and Oliver toward the pavilion.

*****

By the time Rose reached the garden, the crabapple tree had already begun to bud.

It probably wouldn’t be long before it bloomed.

She realized she had worried for nothing. The tree had been well cared for and hadn’t been neglected at all.

Just as she was about to leave, she turned and ran into James.

Keeping her eyes forward, Rose walked past him as if he didn’t exist.

James was the one who broke first.

Frowning, he turned and matched her pace.

"Can’t you show a little backbone? If you’re going to get divorced, then get divorced. What’s the point of crawling back now?"

Rose ignored him.

James assumed she wasn’t listening.

His expression darkened.

"What good does it do to come back looking so desperate? Ryan isn’t interested in you. No matter how hard you try to win him back, it’s pointless. All you’ll accomplish is making him look down on you even more."

Still, Rose said nothing.

For some reason, that only irritated James further.

"Rose, can’t you have some self-respect? Ryan doesn’t love you. You’d be better off letting him go. At least then he’d remember you with some gratitude, and that would help you later when you’re trying to establish yourself."

Rose finally stopped.

She genuinely couldn’t understand why James had followed her all the way here just to lecture her.

Like a ghost, he seemed determined to make her miserable.

"Did Ryan send you here to speak on Samantha’s behalf?" she asked coldly.

James’s lips twitched.

Samantha’s representative?

After thinking about it for a moment, he realized it did sound that way.

"It’s best if you understand the reality of the situation."

He stared at Rose.

Lately, the entire matter had weighed heavily on his mind.

At one point, he’d nearly convinced himself that he’d developed feelings for his friend’s wife.

But he understood romantic feelings well enough to know that wasn’t true.

Rose’s eyes reddened.

She was furious.

Margaret was pressuring her.

Ryan had stood her up and humiliated her.

Ariel’s custody hung over her head like a sword, keeping her constantly on edge.

And now James had come to pressure her on Samantha’s behalf.

It felt as though everyone was ganging up on her.

"What am I to you?" she asked slowly, each word deliberate. "What gives you the right to tell me what to do?"

James looked at her reddened eyes.

For the first time, he saw something he’d never seen before.

Rose looked wronged.

In the past, she had always been sharp-tongued and openly hostile toward him.

Now, she could barely conceal her pain.

His lips parted slightly.

For no reason he could understand, his chest tightened painfully.

Who was he to Rose?

Why was he interfering in her life?

"Get out of my sight."

Unable to endure another second, Rose spat out the harsh words and walked away without looking back.

*****

Back in her room, Rose splashed cold water on her face.

She hadn’t expected Ryan to bring people home tonight.

In the past, his behavior would have left her heartbroken. It was a blatant slap in the face to his wife.

But now, she saw it differently.

At the very least, it proved Ryan was completely devoted to Samantha.

That meant he would likely be even more eager than she was to finalize the divorce.

And that was exactly what she wanted.

Rose had no idea how long Ryan and his group would stay out, but she didn’t bother checking.

After all, Samantha had already seen her here.

Ryan would undoubtedly spend time reassuring her.

The approval process for G.S. Pharmaceuticals was about to begin, and she still needed to confirm the final details.

Only work could temporarily distract her from the uncertainty weighing on her mind.

By the time Ryan returned home, it was nearly eleven o’clock.

Martha was still awake.

The moment she saw him enter, she hurried forward.

"Sir, Madam has been waiting for you in the bedroom for quite some time."

Ryan loosened his tie with two fingers and glanced upstairs.

"When did Madam return?"

Martha smiled brightly. "She moved back early this morning. She seemed quite happy when she arrived. I could tell she’s soft-hearted—she still can’t bear to be apart from you."

Ryan offered no response.

Handing Martha his coat, he said simply, "Thank you."

Martha’s smile grew even wider.

Unable to resist, she added, "Women tend to overthink things. Having a child would give her something else to focus on. Mr. Knight, you should spend more time with her and grant her wish of becoming a mother."