Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 170: Chapter 170 Rose’s Final Refusal

Could Rose really have done Aster such a tremendous favor?

And now Samantha was expected to humble herself, beg Rose for forgiveness, and publicly apologize?

The patent issue may have been her mistake, but as for Ryan, that was clearly Rose’s failure. Rose had been incapable of keeping her husband. She was the one unworthy of her position.

How dare Rose turn around and accuse her?

Caleb’s proposal was nothing more than deliberate humiliation.

Even Rose was surprised by the move.

Without revealing that she was Aster, Caleb had effectively handed her the initiative, forcing Samantha to apologize to her face-to-face.

He was doing it intentionally.

Rose couldn’t expose her identity as Aster because of Ariel, but Caleb couldn’t stand by and watch Samantha continue acting superior.

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Even Margaret, who had already begun walking ahead, heard Caleb’s words.

She shot Rose a surprised look.

Did Rose really have that kind of connection with Aster?

And she’d kept it hidden all this time?

"Ryan..." Samantha’s eyes reddened as she looked at him, unwilling to give in and even less willing to lower herself before Rose.

Ryan lifted his gaze and studied Samantha for a moment before saying calmly to Oliver, "Take her home first. I’ll handle things here."

Samantha immediately understood what he meant.

He was protecting her.

He would resolve the patent issue and prevent Rose from making things even harder for her.

Relief instantly washed over her face, and a sweet smile appeared.

Rose was momentarily stunned before accepting it.

This was Ryan.

How could he ever allow Samantha to be "bullied"?

Everyone knew how deeply he cared for her.

How could he possibly allow her to be humiliated in public?

Samantha’s anxiety disappeared immediately.

As she walked past Rose, she shot her a cold glance before curling her lips into a smug smile.

So what if she’d lost a little face today?

She knew Ryan would smooth everything over for her.

In the end, Rose would still walk away empty-handed.

Caleb was so furious he nearly spoke up, but Rose stopped him.

There was no point arguing with Samantha now.

She knew it.

The real drama had yet to begin.

*****

Margaret selected a conference room.

After dismissing several people, she entered.

She didn’t stop Samantha from leaving because Samantha was no longer the focus of today’s matter.

The moment she stepped inside, Margaret looked at Rose.

"So you really have that kind of connection with Aster?"

Caleb answered before Rose could speak. "They’re close. Whether this matter can be resolved depends entirely on Miss Hill’s sincerity."

He intended to put the decision in Rose’s hands.

At the very least, he wasn’t going to let anyone continue looking down on her.

Margaret was aware of Caleb’s background, so she kept her tone measured.

"Ryan bringing Samantha here today has indeed caused problems and dragged the Knight family into this mess. Here’s what we’ll do. Rose, contact Aster. Let this matter be settled peacefully on the surface. In return, Aster can persuade Dean Leo and Dr. Nathan to ease up. Favors are meant to be used. It’s better than letting them go to waste."

The matter-of-fact way she said it filled Rose with uncontrollable sarcasm.

Margaret wasn’t worried about Samantha.

She was worried about Kingswell Group and New Hope.

Only if Aster publicly stated there had been no patent infringement could they salvage their corporate image.

They wanted to suppress a major scandal without suffering any losses.

Caleb nearly laughed from sheer disbelief.

Influence from a powerful family was one thing.

Being this shameless was another.

For the first time, he truly understood how difficult it had been for Rose to free herself from this situation.

Rose looked directly at Margaret.

"I’m sorry. I can’t do that."

Samantha had stolen her database, registered patents under her own name, claimed the work as her own, and become involved with a married man.

And now Rose was supposed to cover for her, forgive her, and clean up the mess?

Margaret’s expression darkened. "Rose, when did you become so stubborn and unreasonable? You’re a member of the Knight family. You should be protecting the family’s reputation. Don’t disappoint Grandma."

Here it comes again.

Rose took a deep breath.

For years, she had been trapped by Margaret’s carefully crafted affection.

Growing up without much love or guidance from her elders, she had sacrificed far too much for that illusion.

Back then, she had been too young to see through it.

Now she saw it clearly.

And it felt cruel.

"Do I need to remind you?" Rose said through gritted teeth. "My relationship with Ryan is over. He cheated on me. The Knight family’s affairs have nothing to do with me."

Every word was deliberate.

Her nails dug into her palms.

For the first time, she openly pushed back against Margaret.

She simply couldn’t endure it any longer.

Margaret’s expression changed.

Ryan turned his head and looked at Rose.

Her words about their broken relationship seemed to linger in the air.

Caleb frowned, unable to hide his concern.

At the same time, he felt a twinge of regret.

He shouldn’t have mentioned Aster owing Rose a favor just to help her save face.

All he’d done was give Margaret an opportunity to manipulate the situation.

Margaret stopped turning the prayer beads in her hand.

"Are you refusing?"

"Yes."

Margaret’s face hardened. "Rose, have you forgotten? Your divorce certificate is still in my possession. If you refuse to resolve this matter, then that certificate will be treated as if it never existed."

Rose felt a buzzing in her head.

She was furious.

And the delay would only make it harder to complete Ariel’s custody transfer.

The Knight family wanted her to bear all the losses while they protected their reputation without sacrificing a single thing.

Margaret didn’t care that Caleb was listening.

As long as Rose could persuade Aster, what could Leo or Dr. Nathan possibly do?

Rose hadn’t eaten before coming today.

Now the stress made her dizzy.

Her vision blurred slightly, and her steps became unsteady.

Without her noticing, someone stepped behind her.

A familiar scent of mint and roses drifted through the air.

A steady hand settled against her lower back.

Rose turned her head and met Ryan’s eyes.

His gaze was so dark it seemed capable of seeing straight through her.

There was something there—some emotion she couldn’t quite identify.

Perhaps she was imagining it.

After supporting her, Ryan looked toward Margaret and Nicholas, who had been quietly sipping tea the entire time.

Then he spoke calmly.

"Push too hard, and you’ll end up with a situation where everyone loses."

His gaze remained steady. "You know better than anyone how much Rose cares about Samantha."