Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 168: Chapter 168 Samantha’s Fall From Grace

Samantha’s heart skipped a beat, and her fingers curled tightly into her palms. She hadn’t expected Caleb to be the one to call her out.

After all, the data had nothing to do with Caleb.

And Aster was notoriously reclusive, never appearing in public. No one should have known about this.

“Mr. Byrne, I don’t know why you’re slandering me like this, but accusations require evidence. You’re putting me in a very difficult position. I’m currently working for New Hope, and I don’t want either New Hope’s reputation or the Knight family’s reputation to suffer because of this.”

She took a deep breath, looking visibly aggrieved.

A faint sneer tugged at Rose’s lips.

Anyone who didn’t know the truth would think they were bullying Samantha.

No wonder she had arrogantly terminated the contract and stopped using the database. She had planned to steal it from the beginning.

She got the glory while saving herself a fortune in licensing fees.

What a clever scheme.

And now she was dragging New Hope and the Knight family into it, hoping to use their influence as leverage.

“What if there is evidence?” Rose asked calmly.

Ryan suddenly turned to look at her, his expression unreadable.

Samantha sneered inwardly. Unlike the polite tone she’d used with Caleb, her voice toward Rose carried open contempt.

“I was wondering about this earlier, but now I understand. Mr. Byrne must have been influenced by someone. Frankly, I find this very disappointing.”

As for evidence?

What evidence could they possibly have?

Aster had never registered patents for much of the database’s core content.

As long as Aster didn’t personally step forward, none of this mattered.

Before Samantha could continue, Oliver strode forward, his brows drawn together.

“Rose, you’d better stop this. Even if you’re jealous of Sam’s success today, you shouldn’t be making baseless accusations.”

In his eyes, Rose had completely lost her mind.

She was obviously jealous, afraid that the Knight family would value Samantha’s talent and achievements. She knew Samantha’s accomplishments would increase her standing with the family, so she was deliberately trying to sabotage her.

What Oliver found even harder to believe was that Caleb had actually listened to Rose and started causing trouble.

If Samantha had really done such a thing, why hadn’t Aster come forward herself?

This was clearly Rose stirring up trouble.

“It’s fine,” Samantha said, taking a deep breath and straightening her back. “People are free to say whatever they want. I can’t control that.”

“Mr. Brown, I’m the one making the accusation. Why are you taking it out on Rose?” Caleb’s expression turned cold.

Oliver frowned. “Mr. Byrne, there’s no need to cover for her. Rose clearly has a motive—”

“Then tell me,” Rose interrupted, raising her eyes. “What exactly is my motive? Why would I slander her?”

Her tone was sharp and mocking.

Oliver fell silent immediately.

Could it be because she was Mrs. Knight?

No one had expected the situation to escalate this far.

Margaret’s expression grew noticeably colder. She stepped forward and stopped behind Rose.

Her voice was low enough that only Rose could hear.

“Rose, causing trouble at a time like this is immature. Samantha is now tied to the Knight family. If something happens to her, it affects us as well. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you.”

Without turning around, Rose replied quietly, “This is G.S.’s business. If they genuinely believe their rights have been violated, do you really think I can stop them?”

Margaret’s face darkened further.

She had no desire to see today’s celebration turn into a public scandal.

Turning her gaze toward Ryan, who still hadn’t taken a position, she felt a headache coming on.

If Ryan hadn’t insisted on elevating Samantha’s status today, the Knight family wouldn’t have been dragged into this mess.

Yet moments ago, she had effectively acknowledged Samantha’s connection to both New Hope and Kingswell Group.

“Rose, what are you doing?” Jordan finally snapped.

Stepping closer, he lowered his voice.

“Haven’t you realized that Miss Hill is now connected to the Knight family? Offending her means offending the Knight family. Do you understand?”

He had seen Margaret speak privately with Rose earlier.

Despite their falling out, he still didn’t want to watch her continue making mistakes.

The relationship between Ryan and Samantha wasn’t something Rose could destroy with a few sarcastic comments.

People were practically talking about marriage already.

Rose ignored him completely.

Jordan nearly choked.

She was ignoring him again.

“This came as a surprise, so I don’t have all the evidence on hand,” Caleb said. “But I can state clearly that every patent Samantha registered originated from Aster’s work. I’m sure everyone in the medical field here is familiar with the name Aster.”

Samantha pressed her lips together.

“Everyone knows Aster never appears publicly. Are you trying to use Aster’s reputation to suppress a newcomer like me?”

Rose almost laughed.

So now she was the victim again?

Another attempt to play the innocent party.

Caleb remained completely unfazed. “You want evidence? Fine. I’ll give you evidence.”

He turned toward the hundreds of guests gathered in the ballroom.

“Most of you know who my father is—Dean Leo Byrne of Peace Hospital, a member of the National Academy of Medicine and Research, and the chief disciple of the late Dr. Nathan Hale.”

“Even if you doubt me, surely you don’t believe my father would make accusations without proof.”

Ryan looked over calmly, waiting.

A feeling of unease suddenly gripped Samantha’s chest.

“Mr. Byrne... what exactly are you trying to say?”

The corners of Caleb’s lips lifted. “And Aster is my father’s junior fellow disciple—and Dr. Nathan Hale’s most beloved student.”

The room fell completely silent.

Several faces visibly paled.

Everyone immediately understood the significance of those words.

Samantha’s pupils contracted.

The color drained from her face.

She had never known about this connection.

But Caleb wasn’t finished.

He switched his phone to speaker mode.

Leo Byrne’s authoritative voice echoed through the ballroom.

“I know my junior Aster’s work better than anyone. Regarding the patent theft, she does not wish to make a public appearance. I will handle this matter on her behalf.”

“Miss Hill—and the Knight family—owe us an explanation.”

Then the call ended.

Direct.

Decisive.

His position couldn’t have been clearer.

The crowd stared at Samantha in shock as her face turned deathly pale.

Could it actually be true?

Margaret reacted first.

Her expression darkened instantly as she shot Samantha a fierce glare.

The matter had escalated far beyond her expectations.

This involved Dr. Nathan Hale.

Everyone knew the influence he still carried.

Leo Byrne and his colleagues held tremendous influence within both medicine and government.

If this matter attracted official attention, the consequences would be severe.

And once the truth came out, Samantha wouldn’t be the only one affected.

The Knight family and New Hope would suffer the greatest damage.

Who would trust them in the future?

Who would dare partner with a company accused of stealing a collaborator’s core intellectual property?

The long-term consequences would be devastating.

It was disgraceful.

If Chairman Knight learned of this while overseas, he would be furious.

At that moment, Samantha’s hands and feet felt ice-cold.

Helplessly, she looked toward Ryan.

He remained silent.

Oliver had finally grasped the seriousness of the situation.

He hurried to Ryan’s side. “Ryan, what do we do now? New Hope and the Knight family are getting dragged into this, and Sam may not even be involved personally—”

Ryan’s dark eyes settled on Rose. “There’s only one way to handle it,” he said calmly.

Oliver blinked. “What do you mean?”

Around them, the whispers had already begun.

“If this is true, then they’ve offended some very powerful people.”

“If the Knight family’s future daughter-in-law is involved, this could become a huge scandal.”

“With Mr. Knight and Miss Hill supposedly close to marriage, can they still move forward after this?”

Rose felt the complexity gathering in Ryan’s gaze.

She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

But she knew one thing.

No matter how Samantha had gotten herself into this situation, Ryan cared.

Their eyes met.

Rose’s gaze was sharp and unwavering, filled with open mockery.

She wanted to see exactly how Ryan intended to clean up this mess.

Ryan held her gaze for a long moment.

Then he finally moved.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he strode toward her.

Step by step.

Until he stopped directly in front of her.

Without warning, he grabbed her wrist.

His long fingers closed firmly around it.

Rose’s expression flickered.

Instinctively, she tried to pull away.

But Ryan effortlessly neutralized her resistance and drew her closer.

Lowering his gaze to meet hers, he said casually: “My wife is Rose.”

He paused. “What marriage are you all talking about?”