Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 171: Chapter 171 A Fortune in Exchange

Ryan’s remark that "Rose cares so much" made Rose’s expression tighten involuntarily.

She hadn’t cared for a long time.

Ryan certainly didn’t need to flatter her at a time like this.

As if she cared that much about him.

Or about this marriage.

Or as if she were some pitiful victim deserving sympathy.

Hearing those words come from his mouth felt utterly absurd.

She had once assumed Ryan didn’t even realize how much he had hurt her.

Yet now he had gone and crafted a tragic image of her for everyone to see.

Rose’s expression froze. She wanted to deny it.

But Ryan had already lowered his gaze to meet hers, his dark eyes intense.

"So, I know I’m in the wrong."

She paused, frowning as she looked at him.

Nicholas and Margaret both turned toward Ryan.

"What do you mean?" Nicholas asked.

Ryan took Rose’s hand and guided her to the sofa so she could sit down and recover from her dizziness.

His tone remained detached. "Rose has a temper. If she decided to expose the fact that Samantha was once my sister-in-law, the fallout would be much harder to contain. Besides, her relationship with Aster is her own business. The Knight family has no right to force her to use her personal connections."

Margaret’s expression darkened at the mention of the "sister-in-law scandal."

Of course that could never be exposed.

Nicholas looked at his calculating son.

"Do you have a solution?"

Ryan sat down beside Rose and turned his gaze toward her.

"We’re getting divorced. What right does the Knight family have to keep squeezing her? If you want her help, you’ll have to offer something of equal value in return."

Margaret looked displeased.

In her eyes, Rose was merely a junior family member with no maternal relatives and no powerful support system.

She had no leverage to resist whatever the Knight family demanded.

Why should the family waste valuable resources on her?

Rose was stunned.

Had Ryan suddenly changed his mind?

But what could the Knight family possibly offer her?

Surely it would be nothing more than a token gesture.

She had no reason to accept a loss in silence.

"Transfer New Hope to her in exchange for making peace with Aster. Is that acceptable, Rose?" Ryan asked without hesitation, his eyes fixed on her.

Rose froze.

For a moment, she thought she’d misheard him.

Even Caleb’s expression shifted slightly as he struggled to hide his shock.

This was New Hope.

A fully established company that had risen to the top of its industry in less than eight years.

Before Rose could react, both Margaret’s and Nicholas’s expressions changed dramatically.

Nicholas shot to his feet.

"New Hope? Have you lost your mind?"

What was New Hope’s market value?

Its annual profits?

It employed thousands of people.

Even as only one subsidiary of Kingswell Group, it had already established itself as a major force in the industry.

It was mature, profitable, and stable.

And Ryan wanted to hand it over to Rose?

There had never been such a precedent in their social circle.

The wives of powerful families were either trapped in those families for life or left with nothing after divorce.

Once they tried to leave, everything was stripped away from them.

They never received any meaningful share of the family’s wealth.

"Ryan!" Margaret snapped. "New Hope is thriving. How could Rose, who knows nothing about running a company, possibly manage it?"

She was furious.

In her eyes, Rose was no different from an orphan.

Granting her such an enormous benefit after divorce made no sense.

Was the Knight family running a charity?

Rose herself was stunned.

Yet she remained silent, studying Ryan’s calm expression with confusion.

Ryan picked up the honey tea on the table and poured himself a cup.

"So how exactly do you propose we resolve today’s situation?" he asked calmly.

He pushed the cup toward Rose before leaning back in his chair.

"Your explanation today sounded reasonable, but who among those guests is a fool? Does anyone truly believe Samantha and I are merely superior and subordinate?"

His gaze shifted toward Margaret. "Do I need to remind you, Grandmother? You publicly acknowledged Samantha as someone the Knight family had cultivated and implied she might one day become part of the family. At the time, you valued her abilities and the benefits she could bring. You accepted her ambiguously. As a result, if something happens to her now, it becomes a double-edged sword."

Margaret’s lips twitched.

She felt a surge of frustration.

She had indeed said those things in public.

Why had she spoken so carelessly?

Ryan continued calmly, analyzing the situation as though he were completely detached from it.

"The patent issue alone is manageable. But now political figures have become involved. Once Dean Leo and his associates begin investigating, Kingswell Group’s reputation will take a serious hit."

"As for New Hope, Samantha has become its public face. Because of this incident, its reputation has already suffered. Future partners will think twice before working with them. They’ll worry New Hope might steal or appropriate their core technologies."

Caleb couldn’t help glancing at Ryan.

For the first time, he felt that Ryan was exceptionally calculating.

Almost cold-blooded.

He spoke as though the Knight family had nothing to do with him.

Nicholas said coldly, "Then isn’t the solution simple? Fire Samantha."

Ryan raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. "Will that solve anything? If I fire her now, everyone will assume I’m protecting her and helping her weather the storm. Don’t be naïve."

Nicholas’s expression darkened.

He couldn’t read his own son at all.

"The Knight family doesn’t rely on New Hope for survival," Ryan continued. "If we give it to Rose, she’ll be satisfied and more willing to help resolve the family’s biggest problem. It’s a worthwhile trade."

Margaret’s expression shifted again.

Frustration simmered inside her, but she couldn’t find a way around Ryan’s reasoning.

Every path had been blocked.

Ryan had made his position perfectly clear.

Someone like Rose was dangerous to corner.

She had no real weaknesses.

An aging grandfather.

A mother who had spent years in a coma.

Nothing else.

If she were truly pushed beyond her limits, she might lash out.

And she would have little to lose.

The Knight family, on the other hand, had far too much at stake.

New Hope’s reputation had already been damaged by the Samantha scandal.

No one knew what kind of retaliation might come from Leo, Dr. Nathan, or Aster.

The risks were significant.

As for Rose?

In Margaret’s eyes, she was a lost cause.

Someone unlikely to achieve any major success on her own.

Even so, Margaret still felt uneasy.

No matter how damaged New Hope’s reputation might be, it was still a powerful company.

A starving camel was still bigger than a horse.

Rose had truly stumbled into an enormous windfall.

"It seems you’ve already made up your mind," Margaret said as she stood. "What more is there to discuss?"

Her tone was far from pleasant.

Nicholas looked even more displeased.

Back when New Hope had been dominating the market and rapidly expanding, he had once considered asking Ryan to transfer control of the company to him.

Ryan had skillfully avoided the issue.

Naturally, Nicholas wasn’t happy now.

As she headed toward the door, Margaret cast Rose a cold glance.

"Rose, the Knight family has treated you well. We’ve given you the foundation to build a future. Do not betray the family’s expectations."

Her voice hardened. "I expect you to resolve this matter perfectly. Otherwise, the company is out of the question."

With that, Margaret and Nicholas left one after the other.

Caleb watched everything unfold.

The atmosphere within the Knight family felt suffocating.

There was no warmth.

No sense of family.

Only cold calculations.

As for New Hope...

He was both shocked and delighted.

If the company truly ended up in Rose’s hands—and considering that Rose was actually Aster—then once her identity was revealed, New Hope’s damaged reputation would recover overnight.

It might even soar to unprecedented heights.

It was like being handed the answer key before the exam.

New Hope would become Rose’s strongest foundation.

And with that foundation, she would finally have the power to stand on equal footing with the Knight family.