Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 165: Chapter 165 A Public Declaration

Rose stopped in her tracks.

She stared at the message in confusion.

Immediately, she called Caleb back.

For some reason, he didn’t answer.

Rose could only send another text:

Rose: [What’s going on? Is it serious?]

While waiting for Caleb’s reply, she watched the hotel managers from various departments greet the arriving guests.

Everyone carried expensive gifts.

Some were congratulatory gifts for the Knight family’s anniversary celebration, while others were birthday presents specifically for Ryan.

It was all part of the usual social ritual.

Everyone was trying to gain a little favor with Ryan, the Knight family’s chosen heir.

Rose had actually thought about this before coming.

In the past, she had always organized Ryan’s birthday celebrations herself.

It was both a wife’s duty and an expression of her devotion.

Now that she had finally distanced herself, she felt like a complete outsider.

There was no longer any emotional turmoil.

Nor did she have any desire to put in the effort or keep up appearances.

The notification from Caleb interrupted her thoughts.

Caleb: [I’ll tell you when I get there. I’m already on my way to the Knight family’s anniversary celebration.]

Rose didn’t ask any more questions.

She walked straight inside and headed to the registration desk.

All guests were required to sign in.

“Ms. Bennett, is that correct?” the receptionist asked politely. “Which company are you representing? And which staff member invited you?”

Rose understood immediately.

As Mrs. Knight, she had never appeared publicly during the seven years of her marriage.

At an event like this, she was practically a stranger.

Without hesitation, she replied, “G.S. Biopharmaceuticals. Rose Bennett.”

She represented only herself.

The receptionist entered her information.

After a brief pause, Rose asked, “Has your CEO, Mr. Knight, arrived yet?”

She didn’t intend to stay long today.

She wanted to speak with Ryan and explain everything clearly.

Surely he had a way to deal with Margaret.

Before the receptionist could answer, an annoyed voice sounded behind her.

“Rose, what are you doing here?”

Rose turned around.

Jordan stood behind her.

Judging from his expression, he had obviously overheard her asking about Ryan.

And judging by the strange anger on his face, Rose was almost certain he had misunderstood something again.

Jordan walked past her, placed his gift on the table, signed in, then grabbed her arm and dragged her toward a quieter corner.

Rose was tempted to tell him he had lost his mind.

Fortunately, Jordan released her quickly.

After glancing around, he lowered his voice.

“What fantasy are you entertaining now? Is being this clingy actually fun for you? Breaking up someone else’s relationship is immoral. Falling for a man who’s already taken is nothing but humiliating yourself. Why put yourself through that?”

He was genuinely angry.

He couldn’t understand what kind of spell Ryan had cast over her.

After all this time, she still couldn’t let go?

There were plenty of eligible men interested in her.

Even Trevor had shown interest.

When Jordan first learned that, he had been shocked.

James had insisted Trevor was only using Rose as a pawn to break off his engagement with the Taylor family.

At the time, Jordan had even felt sorry for her and thought Trevor was a complete jerk.

But then he discovered that Rose still hadn’t given up on Ryan.

He didn’t even know why that made him so angry.

Rose remained perfectly calm.

She watched his outburst with cold detachment.

When the silence finally became unbearable, she spoke.

“Do you think I’m a slut, or are you simply jealous of Ryan because you see him as a rival?”

Jordan’s expression changed instantly.

He froze.

Rose had struck the nerve he was trying so hard to hide.

How could she not see that he genuinely liked her?

Maybe it wasn’t love.

But he was interested in her.

And while he was pursuing her, she appeared interested in other men.

For a man, that was a blow to his pride.

Unable to admit it, he sought another outlet for his frustration.

Rose let out a quiet laugh.

Her eyes gleamed with undisguised mockery.

“You don’t want to fall out with Ryan, but you also have feelings for me. So you chose to suppress me, lecture me, and humiliate me instead—hoping I’d start doubting myself. Mr. Dutch, why bother?”

She turned every one of his accusations back on him.

And she did it so effortlessly that he felt completely exposed.

Jordan stood frozen.

His gaze locked onto her beautiful face.

There was no flirtation there.

Only cool indifference and razor-sharp clarity.

His heart pounded violently.

His face grew hot.

He had never met a woman like her.

“Rose, you...” he stammered.

For some reason, he couldn’t even bring himself to say anything harsh.

Rose smiled.

Yet somehow, that smile only made him feel more uncomfortable.

“Mr. Dutch, I really don’t like fools.” She paused. “And I don’t like you either.”

Jordan felt as if his heart had stopped beating.

Rose had always been blunt.

But she had never rejected him this openly before.

The humiliation hit harder than any insult.

His expression shifted repeatedly.

Rose had made herself perfectly clear.

She was rejecting him.

And she had done it so cleanly that he had nowhere to hide his embarrassment.

Struggling to recover, he caught sight of something in the distance.

Trying to save face, he forced out a laugh.

“You’re overthinking things. I was just having some fun with you. It’s not like I can’t live without you.”

Then he added deliberately, “As for you, don’t be too upset. President Knight is here with his girlfriend today.”

Rose paused.

She turned toward the crowd.

A large group of people had already gathered nearby.

Ryan, Samantha, and several others stood at the center.

Ryan maintained his usual aloof demeanor.

His eyes held no warmth.

But Rose’s thoughts immediately began to race.

Today was one of the Knight family’s most important public events.

This wasn’t an ordinary gathering.

The fact that Ryan had brought Samantha here openly meant only one thing.

He intended to formally introduce her to the public.

Ordinarily, he could explain their appearances together as work-related.

Today was different.

Appearing together at an event of this scale sent a clear message.

They were serious about each other.

He was publicly acknowledging their relationship.

More importantly, he was declaring his commitment to Samantha in front of the entire Knight family.

He was forcing them to recognize her.

Rose’s eyes flickered slightly.

So this was what true favoritism looked like.

Jordan watched her thoughtful expression.

Something twisted painfully inside him.

Unable to stop himself, he added sarcastically, “Jealous? Miss Hill is treasured and adored. Nobody can come between them.”

Rose didn’t react.

But unfortunately for him, those words happened to reach Samantha and Oliver just as they walked by.

The smile on Samantha’s face brightened immediately.

Turning to Jordan, she greeted him warmly.

“Mr. Dutch, you’re here too.”

Rose could tell Samantha had heard every word.

The pride on her face was unmistakable.

The pride of someone who knew she was favored.

“Ryan got called away,” Samantha continued. “We should chat later.”

Jordan didn’t refuse.

Though out of the corner of his eye, he continued watching Rose, determined to see some trace of heartbreak on her face.

“Sure. I’ll go greet a few people first.”

He felt he had said everything that needed to be said.

In his opinion, Rose should know her place by now.

As soon as Jordan walked away, Oliver shrugged.

“Honestly, you shouldn’t have come today.”

He looked at Rose pointedly. “It’s such an important day, and Sam is already here. What business do you have being here?”