Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 172: Chapter 172 A Billion-Dollar Divorce Settlement

The Knight family had planned every move carefully.

What they never could have anticipated was that the future owner of New Hope was Aster all along.

If Rose could avoid further entanglement with Samantha while gaining leverage against the Knight family should Ariel’s existence ever come to light, why wouldn’t she take that opportunity?

Naturally, Rose understood the logic.

She didn’t touch the cup of honey tea on the table. Instead, she looked at Ryan, who remained as calm as ever, as though he weren’t offering her a publicly traded company at all. To him, it seemed like nothing more than a trivial matter.

"Mr. Knight, that’s incredibly generous of you," she said.

"So you’re satisfied with the terms?" Ryan asked, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

Terms.

Rose silently considered the significance of that word.

After all, this was compensation for the trouble Samantha had caused.

She wasn’t the type to dwell on emotions or reject practical benefits out of pride. Life was difficult enough without wasting energy on people who no longer had anything to do with her future.

Pride didn’t pay bills.

Neither did heartbreak.

Ryan’s contribution could easily be considered part of their divorce settlement. Why shouldn’t she accept it? One day, everything would belong to Ariel anyway.

"Heaven itself will be moved by Mr. Knight’s devotion," Rose said with a forced smile.

Ryan shot her an unreadable glance. "Thank you for the compliment."

Rose frowned.

Talking to him was always like punching a pillow. No matter how sharp her words were, they never seemed to land.

Caleb knew there was still more to discuss.

"Strike while the iron is hot," he said to Rose. "As for the patent issue, we can gather the evidence needed to revoke Samantha’s patent rights. Regarding the company, you should settle everything with Mr. Knight first."

He was worried the Knight family might change their minds and take the offer back.

To be blunt, if not for today’s chain of events—and the crisis Samantha had dragged the Knight family into—they never would have allowed Rose to gain even the slightest advantage.

They were far too calculating for that.

As for the patent dispute, Caleb had initially been furious at Samantha’s shamelessness. But if she insisted on denying everything, Rose still had countless ways to prove ownership. In the end, Samantha would have no choice but to surrender the patent that never belonged to her in the first place.

They certainly weren’t going to accept a loss.

And if they weren’t giving up the patent, there was even less reason to walk away from the company.

Rose understood exactly what Caleb meant.

He was genuinely looking out for her.

Today’s outcome had been completely unexpected.

It was strange how the situation had gone from being wronged and robbed of their intellectual property to resolving everything smoothly—and somehow walking away with an enormous company as compensation.

All she had to do was have Aster "smooth things over."

It almost felt too easy.

The only thing that truly bothered her was Ryan publicly revealing their marriage.

Once that arrow had been released, there was no taking it back.

She genuinely disliked it.

Ryan hadn’t even consulted her before tying her to his situation.

For someone who wanted a peaceful life, this was bound to create problems.

In the future, even appearing in public with Ariel could become a potential risk.

"Then shall we discuss the contract at home?" Ryan asked as he stood.

Rose thought for a moment. This wasn’t the right place for such a discussion.

"Sure. Whatever works."

Ryan turned to Caleb. "Mr. Byrne, I apologize for today’s inconvenience. Please put in a good word with your father for me. We’ll handle this matter privately."

Caleb offered a halfhearted smile. "No problem."

Now that Rose had gotten what she wanted, everyone suddenly became much easier to deal with.

Ryan nodded and turned toward her. "Let’s go home."

Rose felt a complicated mix of emotions.

Everything that had happened today was beyond anything she could have predicted.

Still, the outcome had worked in her favor.

Caleb waved her off, signaling that she should go without worry.

For once, Rose got back into Ryan’s car.

She had no intention of speaking to him.

Instead, she lowered her head and focused on her phone.

She was reviewing recent reports on tumor surgeries. Modern medicine still faced countless technical obstacles, and these were the kinds of challenges she wanted to tackle.

Perhaps it was because her mother had fallen ill when she was young, but Rose had developed an almost obsessive dedication to medicine.

Ryan glanced at her but didn’t interrupt.

Soon, they arrived at the Moon Lake Villa.

Martha was there waiting.

At some point, Ryan had arranged for several staff members to bring over stacks of contract documents.

Rose blinked in surprise. "Everything’s already prepared?"

"Could you wait a moment?" Ryan asked as he removed his suit jacket. "I need to change my bandages first."

Rose instinctively glanced toward his back.

Hadn’t his injury from that incident healed by now?

It had been quite some time.

Martha immediately spoke up.

"Madam, why don’t you help Mr. Knight? You used to work in the ER. You have experience with these things."

Rose looked away. "There are plenty of people who’d love to take care of him. He can call Samantha. His future wife would probably be more than happy to help."

After all, Samantha had been the one staying by his side day and night while he recovered.

Besides, it was no longer Rose’s responsibility.

Divorce required boundaries.

Martha was left speechless.

She glanced awkwardly at Ryan.

His expression remained unreadable, though there seemed to be a faintly mocking smile at the corner of his lips.

Still, he didn’t push the issue.

Instead, he said to Martha, "Bring me the first-aid kit."

Martha could only comply.

Rose didn’t think Ryan was being particularly accommodating.

He simply seemed amused by her choice of words.

"Future wife."

That phrase had clearly struck a nerve.

Ryan didn’t avoid changing in front of her.

Standing before the mirror, he casually unbuttoned his shirt and removed it.

Rose was caught completely off guard.

Suddenly, Ryan’s bare back came into view.

The medical bandages still covered much of the injury.

His shoulders were broad and powerful. As he moved, the white gauze stretched across his defined shoulder blades, and fresh blood slowly seeped through the fabric.

Rose frowned.

The wound still hadn’t healed.

After all this time?

That shouldn’t be possible.

Ryan had access to the best medical resources available.

Something wasn’t right.

Perhaps it was simply instinct.

As a doctor, she couldn’t help taking a closer look.

The condition of the wound surprised her.

"Who did such a poor job treating this?" she asked.

Ryan met her gaze in the mirror. "Why are you frowning? I’m the one who’s injured."

Rose snapped out of her thoughts.

Their eyes met briefly through the reflection before she looked away.

"But you’re the one who wanted this."

The words sounded colder than she intended.

She turned toward the suited man standing outside with the documents.

"Let me review the contract first."

Rose had absolutely no intention of showing concern for Ryan’s injury.

She knew exactly where she stood now.

There were countless people willing to care for him.

She didn’t need to be one of them.

Ryan stopped applying the ointment.

Pulling his shirt loosely around himself, he walked over while fastening the buttons.

"New Hope operates independently and isn’t directly controlled by Kingswell Group headquarters. The transfer procedures aren’t complicated. Review the terms. If everything looks acceptable, sign them, and come in Monday for the handover."

Rose didn’t even glance up.

She examined every word carefully, afraid there might be some hidden legal trap.

Ryan could practically read her thoughts. "Setting aside our personal relationship, when have I ever schemed against you?"

Rose couldn’t argue with that.

Still, she replied, "Whether you have or haven’t doesn’t mean I have to trust you my ex-husband—or the Knight family—anymore."

The trust and dependence she’d once had were long gone.

Nothing remained.

Ryan’s expression stayed unreadable.

A faint smile appeared as he leaned back against the sofa.

"That’s for the best. Trusting people too easily doesn’t help you survive in this world."

Rose continued reviewing the contract with meticulous care, forwarding several complicated clauses to Caleb for review.

Ryan waited patiently.

Then Rose’s phone suddenly lit up with an incoming call.

Ryan glanced at the screen casually before lifting his teacup for a sip.

Trevor.

Rose froze for three full seconds.

Almost immediately, she guessed why he was calling.

Was it because of the news that had broken today about her relationship with Ryan?