Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 177: Chapter 177 An Employee, Nothing More

Rose glanced discreetly toward the area where Leo was seated.

This event catered to people of a certain social standing, ensuring the charity efforts would have a meaningful impact.

As she made her way through the venue, Rose greeted several familiar faces.

Since there was a good chance she would encounter them again in the business world, she didn’t head straight toward Leo.

Instead, she wandered around for a while.

Only then did she leisurely make her way toward the three people seated beneath a large parasol.

Leo still wore the same approachable smile he had always had over the years.

Looking at Ryan, he said with a smile, "Miss Hill is truly fortunate to have President Knight personally arrange this meeting and make a special trip to see me."

Given Leo’s reputation and status, most people needed an appointment just to meet him.

Such opportunities didn’t come easily.

But Ryan had always possessed the connections and influence to make things happen.

Ryan appeared not to notice the sarcasm in Leo’s words and replied calmly, "Thank you, Dean Byrne, for giving her this opportunity."

There was no trace of arrogance in his attitude toward his senior.

Instead, a faint smile curved his lips.

Leo’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Samantha, however, treasured this opportunity.

She was deeply concerned that the patent dispute had left Leo with a lasting negative impression of her and that he might refuse to take her under his wing in the future.

She needed a respected industry leader to help establish her reputation.

"Dean Byrne," Samantha said sincerely, "I didn’t know Aster was your junior fellow disciple. There really has been a misunderstanding. I came here today because I hope we can resolve it face-to-face instead of letting rumors and outside speculation influence your judgment."

Who could have guessed that Aster was actually Dr. Nathan’s disciple?

No wonder Dr. Nathan had looked down on her back then.

With such exceptional disciples, she simply couldn’t compare.

"A misunderstanding?"

Leo let out a cold laugh.

"Hardly."

The facts were the facts.

There was no misunderstanding to speak of.

Unable to gauge Leo’s attitude, Samantha became increasingly anxious.

But Leo didn’t spare her another glance.

Instead, he turned his attention to Ryan.

"What a coincidence, Mr. Knight. You and your wife both arrived today, one after the other. Why don’t you sit down and chat for a while?"

Samantha stiffened instantly, her expression darkening.

Ryan remained calm and offered no response.

Meanwhile, Leo was already waving toward Rose.

"Come over here, Rose. Sit with your husband and his employee for a while."

Rose immediately caught the unusual glint in Leo’s eyes.

She knew her senior was plotting something.

Walking over, she noticed Ryan’s gaze naturally shift toward her.

He didn’t seem surprised to see her there.

Apparently, Leo was completely unaware that the two of them had already divorced in private.

He even turned to Samantha.

"Miss Hill, would you mind moving over? Let Rose sit beside Mr. Knight. After all, they’re legally married."

Samantha’s breathing hitched, and her body stiffened.

The scandal surrounding Ryan and Rose’s marriage had been public enough that it was inevitable Leo had heard about it.

But in front of Leo, she couldn’t afford to leave a bad impression.

As reluctant as she was to let Rose gain the upper hand, she had no choice but to stand.

Rose watched Samantha vacate the seat beside Ryan.

Yet she made no move to sit there herself.

Instead, she chose another chair.

One that wasn’t particularly close to Ryan.

Ryan paused slightly before giving her a leisurely glance.

There was something unreadable in his eyes.

Samantha assumed Rose was deliberately putting on airs and pretending not to care.

The thought irritated her, but there was nothing she could do.

She never expected Rose to show up today.

In Samantha’s eyes, Rose was nothing more than a sycophant, using her connection with Caleb to track Leo’s whereabouts and curry favor.

Her appearance had completely disrupted Samantha’s plans.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Rose treated Samantha as though she didn’t exist.

Ryan seemed even more detached from the situation.

Finally, Leo spoke. "You came here today because you were worried I might hold a grudge against you and reject your application, correct?"

Samantha hesitated before answering earnestly.

"A lot of this was just a misunderstanding. I don’t want you to hold it against me."

She dared to say that because she knew Aster wasn’t pursuing the matter.

She was betting that Leo didn’t know the full details. As long as Aster wasn’t holding a grudge, Leo should have let it go as well.

As for Rose...

Having accepted favors from Ryan, she surely wouldn’t speak out of turn and damage Samantha’s reputation.

Leo nodded thoughtfully. "So you’re saying the affair between you and Mr. Knight was also a misunderstanding?"

Instead of discussing the patent issue, Leo abruptly shifted the conversation to her personal life.

Samantha’s lips tightened.

Her pupils contracted slightly.

Ryan finally lifted his gaze.

Rose: "..."

She knew Leo was not someone to be trifled with.

With a satisfied smile, Leo turned toward Ryan.

"Mr. Knight, is that true? Miss Hill has no special relationship with you? She’s simply one of your many employees?"

Samantha’s face turned pale.

She could tell Leo was deliberately cornering her.

Rose understood his intentions as well.

He wanted a clear answer directly from Ryan.

Faced with this situation, Samantha bit her lip and looked at Ryan with sorrowful eyes.

Of course, what she truly wanted was for Ryan to publicly declare—right in front of Rose—how important she was to him.

That would humiliate Rose completely.

But then—

"Yes. She’s an employee."

Ryan’s voice was calm and even.

His composed demeanor revealed nothing of what he was thinking.

Rose turned to look at him.

For a moment, she was genuinely surprised.

She had expected Ryan to continue shielding Samantha the way he always had.

Samantha’s chest tightened.

The hand resting on her knee clenched harder and harder.

Grinding her teeth, she shot Rose a resentful look.

So this had been Rose’s purpose all along?

To watch Ryan acknowledge her status.

To use their marriage as a weapon and humiliate Samantha.

Rose was truly despicable.

Leo observed Samantha’s expression with satisfaction.

He admitted it—he had done it deliberately.

His Rose had always been easygoing and rarely caused trouble.

Yet there were always pests determined to crawl into her life and make things unpleasant.

Having weathered countless storms throughout his life, Leo knew exactly where to strike.

As for Rose, aside from her initial surprise, she felt nothing.

Neither happiness nor disappointment.

Some things were simply facts.

There was no point deceiving herself.

As for Ryan’s response...

He hadn’t denied Samantha’s status as an employee merely to protect the dignity of "Mrs. Knight."

If Ryan had openly admitted their romantic relationship, Samantha would have lost any chance of gaining Leo’s support.

In his own way, Ryan was still protecting Samantha’s future.

"An employee, huh?"

Leo set down his glass of water.

"No wonder the two of you are so close. You must discuss work together quite often."

Then he added casually, "But men and women are different. Samantha is by your side every day. Doesn’t that risk affecting your marriage?"

Ryan glanced at Rose. "Do you mind, Rose?"

Rose hadn’t expected him to throw the question back at her.

She had the sudden urge to call him an old fox.

Leo merely glanced at Samantha before continuing.

"Bow to Rose and apologize."

His voice was calm but firm.

"Do that, and I’ll consider setting aside my prejudice against you."