Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Get a new handsome Dad for Ariel
At the time, Rose had honestly believed she’d done something to offend Ryan’s friends.
That was the only reason she’d asked him.
She’d never expected an answer so cold.
It bothered her for days.
She kept waiting for Ryan to notice she was upset.
He never did.
Or maybe he had.
Maybe he simply hadn’t cared enough to ask.
Back then, she didn’t know what it felt like to be truly loved.
She convinced herself that emotional distance was just part of marriage. That everyone ignored each other sometimes. That she was simply too sensitive.
Looking back now, she almost laughed at herself.
She closed Instagram and set her phone aside.
Everyone goes through a stage where they mistake persistence for love.
Some people outgrow it sooner than others.
If someone doesn’t love you, giving them more of your heart won’t change their mind.
All it does is leave you with less of yourself.
*****
"When Ariel gets here, should she stay with you first or with Dr. Hale?" Diana asked, pulling Rose back to the present.
Rose rinsed the vegetables beneath the faucet.
"Dr. Hale’s place is probably safer."
She didn’t know what might happen once the Knight family gathered again.
It was better not to take unnecessary risks.
Diana crunched on a slice of radish.
"She could stay with me."
Rose looked over.
"Legally, Trevor is listed as Ariel’s father. If anyone sees her with the Robinsons, they’ll assume she’s part of our family. No one will think twice about it."
Rose nodded slowly.
Fortunately, she’d planned for the worst years ago.
If Ariel had carried the Bennett name, too many questions would have followed.
And there was no chance Rose would ever let her daughter carry the Hill surname.
She carried two bowls of noodles to the table.
"You’re busy enough already."
"I’ll figure it out."
She hesitated before adding,
"Trevor’s already done more than enough for me."
"One day he’ll get married."
"I don’t want his future wife believing he secretly has a daughter."
Diana waved dismissively.
"Trust me."
"My cousin isn’t doing this out of charity."
"His family has been trying to marry him off for years."
"They’ve practically lined up daughters from every old-money family on the East Coast."
"He hates it."
Rose blinked.
"If people believe he already has a child, half those introductions disappear overnight."
"So helping you actually helps him."
Rose had never considered it that way.
Diana suddenly stopped eating.
Her eyes slowly drifted toward Rose.
Rose narrowed hers.
"What?"
"I’m not switching teams."
Diana burst out laughing.
"No, listen."
"What if we solved everything at once?"
Rose sighed.
"I’m already concerned."
"Ariel’s legally his daughter."
"He absolutely adores her."
"And..."
She grinned.
"I don’t think he dislikes Ariel’s gorgeous mother, either."
Rose stared.
"So..."
"Why not stop pretending?"
"He escapes the marriage parade."
"You get a husband who actually treats you well."
"Ariel gets a father she already loves."
"Everybody wins."
Rose picked up a pot sticker.
Without another word...
She stuffed it into Diana’s mouth.
"Eat."
"And after dinner, you’re washing every dish."
"If Trevor ever hears you trying to auction him off, he’ll banish you to Alaska."
Even chewing, Diana couldn’t stop smiling.
Rose shook her head, laughing.
She and Trevor weren’t close.
In fact, they’d met fewer than five times.
After Ariel was born, Diana had hidden Rose at one of the Robinson family’s vacation homes while she recovered.
Trevor had flown in as soon as Diana told him the truth.
Standing beside Rose’s hospital bed, he’d asked one simple question.
"Would you let me be her legal father?"
Nothing more.
No conditions.
No expectations.
Trevor spent most of his year traveling between New York, London, Singapore, and Zurich.
Among America’s old-money families, the Robinsons and the Knights stood at the top.
Diana belonged to one branch of the family.
Trevor was the heir.
Naturally, everyone expected him to marry someone equally prominent.
His mother had already introduced him to countless daughters of political dynasties, business empires, and old-money families.
None of them knew Ariel legally carried his name.
That secret had remained between Rose, Diana, and Trevor.
Rose smiled to herself.
Diana had been joking.
If she ever repeated those comments in front of Trevor’s grandparents...
She’d probably spend the next month apologizing.
Rose had long since stopped believing in love.
Trevor had helped her when no one else would.
For that alone...
She would always be grateful.
Fortunately, he’d thought of everything.
They’d signed legal documents years ago stating that once Ariel turned six, Rose could amend the birth records and restore Ariel’s surname to Bennett whenever she chose.
Next year...
After Ariel’s birthday...
They could finally begin the process.
*****
A few days later, Rose visited her grandfather.
Gabriel Bennett lived in one of the country’s finest memory-care communities.
It offered around-the-clock medical care, private physicians, and specialized dementia treatment.
The annual cost exceeded two hundred fifty thousand dollars.
Gabriel had become a father late in life.
Rose’s mother had been born when he was already forty.
Now...
He was eighty-nine.
Some days he remembered everything.
Other days...
He barely remembered himself.
Rose found him sitting beside the window with a book resting on his lap.
He looked up as she approached.
"Hello there."
His smile was warm.
"Are you looking for someone?"
He didn’t recognize her again.
Rose smiled gently.
"You remind me of my grandfather."
"Would you mind if I kept you company for a while?"
"I’ve been missing him."
Gabriel’s face immediately softened.
"Of course."
"Have you eaten?"
"You should stay for lunch."
"I have a granddaughter about your age."
"Her name’s RoRo."
Rose quietly adjusted the blanket over his knees.
RoRo.
Even now...
He still remembered her nickname.
"Really?"
She smiled.
"She must not visit very often."
Gabriel frowned.
"My RoRo is the sweetest girl in the world."
"Too sweet."
"She always believes the best about people."
"I’m afraid someday someone will break her heart."
Rose blinked rapidly.
Gabriel looked out the window.
"She’s married now."
"Her husband knows what a treasure she is."
"He’ll take care of her."
"My grandson-in-law’s name is Ryan."
"Nice young man."
"Before they got married, he even came to ask for my blessing."
Rose couldn’t imagine Ryan ever doing such a thing.
Her grandfather’s memories had begun weaving dreams and reality together.
She swallowed.
"Do you think they’ll be happy?"
Gabriel smiled.
"My RoRo will."
The answer nearly broke her heart.
Her grandfather still believed she’d found the life he’d always wanted for her.
She never had.
Rose lowered her eyes.
She hated disappointing him.
Her grandfather had dreamed of seeing her happy, yet the marriage he’d believed in had become the greatest regret of her life.
She stayed for lunch.
For a little while, Gabriel seemed unusually lucid.
Holding Rose’s hand, he smiled wistfully.
"I miss your grandmother."
After a long silence, his expression turned hopeful.
"Do we still have our paintings?"
The question caught Rose off guard.
Gabriel Bennett had once been one of the country’s most celebrated painters and illustrators. His original works had become highly sought after, with collectors willing to pay extraordinary sums for a single piece.
Rose looked down at the table.
When the Bennett family fell apart after her mother’s death, Logan had wasted no time dismantling everything her grandparents had built.
He’d forced the divorce.
He’d taken the gallery Gabriel had given Rose’s mother and sold it.
The paintings Gabriel and his wife had created together—including some of her grandmother’s final works—had disappeared with it.
Since dementia began stealing his memories, Gabriel asked about them almost every time she visited.
Every time...
She gave him the same answer.
"I’ll find them."
Even though she knew it wouldn’t be easy.
*****
A few days later, Rose asked Diana to make some inquiries.
Fortunately, Diana seemed to know everyone.
Within two days, she’d found a lead.
"There’s a private exhibition this weekend at Silver Pines Resort," Diana said over the phone. "A collector is displaying several vintage American paintings. Some of Gabriel’s early work might be there."
Rose didn’t hesitate.
She booked a room and drove out that afternoon.
Silver Pines was one of the country’s most exclusive mountain resorts, frequented by CEOs, celebrities, and old-money families seeking privacy.
Shortly after checking in, her phone rang.
It was Margaret.
"Rose? Are you at Silver Pines?"
Rose smiled.
"How did you know?"
Margaret laughed.
"Because it’s one of the Knight family’s properties."
Then her tone turned mockingly disapproving.
"You booked a standard suite?"
"You silly girl."
"I’ve already had the front desk move you into the Presidential Suite."
"Go enjoy yourself."
Rose couldn’t help laughing.
"Thank you, Grandma."
Although Margaret had retired from day-to-day business, many of the Knight family’s luxury hotels and resorts still ultimately answered to her.
There wasn’t much point arguing.
*****
The moment Rose stepped inside the suite, she understood why Margaret had insisted.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the mountains and lake below.
A stone fireplace dominated the living room.
Everything—from the furnishings to the artwork—had been curated with understated luxury.
The room was easily one of the finest accommodations in the resort.
By the time she’d unpacked, it was nearly eight o’clock.
She decided to soak in the oversized bathtub before dinner.
The hot water eased the tension that had settled into her shoulders over the past several weeks.
For the first time in days...
She relaxed.
A while later, she wrapped a towel securely around herself and stepped out of the bathroom.
Beep.
The electronic lock disengaged.
Rose froze.
Someone was opening the suite door.
Her fingers instinctively tightened around the towel.
The door swung inward.
Slowly...
She turned.
Standing in the doorway was Ryan.
Their eyes locked.
Neither of them spoke.
For a long moment...
The room was perfectly silent.
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