Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 190: Chapter 190 The Woman Beside Mr. Knight

Was it a declaration of ownership, or perhaps a provocation?

Rose couldn’t help glancing at Ryan, who stood two steps behind Samantha. The man remained detached, like a bystander. He had seen exactly what Samantha did, yet made no move to stop her.

His silence was approval.

It was his answer.

Although Rose generally disliked making a scene, she couldn’t help letting out a cold laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Perhaps her gaze was too sharp. After taking his seat, Ryan looked over at her with an indifferent expression.

It was as though he had only just noticed she was there.

Rose wasn’t about to endure such humiliation.

She had no desire to publicly play the role of a loving wife beside Ryan, but she certainly wasn’t going to let Samantha throw her place card aside like trash in front of everyone.

She walked straight toward her.

Before she could say anything, excited voices rang out behind her.

"Ms. Hill? It really is you!"

"We watch your programs all the time!"

"My whole family loves you!"

Several students recognized Samantha, who frequently appeared on television programs, medical talk shows, and science outreach broadcasts. They immediately swarmed around her like excited fans.

Amid the commotion, Rose happened to be standing in the middle.

Someone accidentally shoved her aside.

Samantha witnessed the entire scene.

To her, it looked as though Rose had been excluded from a world that belonged only to Samantha and Ryan—a ridiculous situation where Rose couldn’t even find a place for herself.

A smile flickered in Samantha’s eyes.

"Everyone, please be careful," she said gently.

That only made matters worse.

The moment she spoke, the students became even more excited, all competing to take photos with her.

Just as Rose regained her footing, an unknown student’s backpack bumped into her again.

For today’s formal occasion, she had gone out of her way to wear high heels—something she rarely did.

Her foot slipped.

She instantly lost her balance.

A hand shot out and caught her wrist.

The grip was firm yet controlled.

In the next second, a gentle force pulled her forward.

Before Rose realized what was happening, she found herself sitting directly on a man’s lap.

Warm, powerful legs supported her.

The firm muscles beneath her made the back of her neck tingle.

She turned around.

Her eyes met Ryan’s deep, dark gaze.

For a brief moment, the surrounding noise seemed to disappear.

Even the students gathered around Samantha stopped and stared.

People nearby also noticed what had happened.

Countless eyes turned toward them in surprise.

Everyone knew Ryan.

But Rose was an unfamiliar face.

Only a handful of influential people knew who she really was.

As a result, the situation quickly spiraled into wild speculation.

Especially because Samantha was standing right there.

The gentle smile she had worn moments ago had completely vanished.

Her lips pressed tightly together.

After her initial shock, her eyes turned cold as she glared at Rose.

Rose had actually fallen into Ryan’s lap in front of everyone.

There were already hundreds of people inside the hall, not to mention those still outside exchanging greetings.

Whispers immediately spread through the crowd.

"How intimate..."

"Mr. Knight is such a gentleman."

"They look perfect together."

"They seem like a married couple."

The comments reached Samantha’s ears one after another.

Her expression grew increasingly rigid.

Ryan, however, remained completely calm.

Leaning back in his chair, he looked relaxed as he gazed at Rose sitting on his lap.

His eyes slowly lowered.

They landed on her nude-colored heels.

"Your shoes don’t fit," he said.

That was all.

He didn’t push her away.

Rose knew he wasn’t merely talking about the shoes.

He was referring to their current situation.

Of course Ryan wouldn’t shove her away in public.

Even at his coldest, he would never do something so ungentlemanly.

He was cold-hearted, yet impeccably courteous.

Whether in public or private, he always maintained his composure, creating the illusion that he treated some people differently when, in reality, those gestures meant the least.

Ryan was reminding her that sitting on his lap was crossing a line.

It had upset the woman he cared about.

Rose tugged at the corner of her lips and pulled free from the hand still holding her wrist.

"Yes, it’s inappropriate," she replied calmly. "But accidents happen."

She pushed herself up from his lap.

Samantha’s expression remained icy. "Then you were very careless."

Rose could hear the possessiveness hidden beneath those words.

Samantha was blaming her for touching her man.

"Compared to switching seats and throwing away someone else’s place card, I suppose I was careless," Rose replied.

Samantha’s expression darkened further.

Just then, Caleb walked over.

He hadn’t witnessed what had happened earlier.

But when he noticed Rose’s place card tossed into the back row, he immediately understood.

No one would treat their own place card like garbage.

His gaze swept over Samantha.

The culprit was obvious.

Without hesitation, he called over the staff member responsible for seating arrangements.

"Is this how the seating was assigned?" Caleb asked. "Why is Rose’s seat in the back row?"

Samantha hadn’t expected him to make such a fuss over something so small.

Maintaining her smile, she said, "Mr. Byrne, surely there’s no need to make a big deal out of a minor seating issue."

She had arrived in a wonderful mood today.

After all, she had successfully separated from New Hope and was now seeking partners to promote her products.

But seeing Rose sitting on Ryan’s lap had instantly ruined her mood.

Now Caleb was openly questioning the seating arrangement.

She was thoroughly annoyed.

A minor matter?” Caleb chuckled lightly. “Only someone who’s taking advantage would think it’s not worth quarreling with her over. Everyone sitting in this row holds a status comparable to my father’s—the university’s most distinguished professors, specially invited political figures, or capitalists like Mr. Knight. Miss Hill is quite clever, picking on our Rose as a soft target. Why don’t you swap your nameplate with someone else’s?”

Besides, Rose’s seating arrangement here isn’t because of Ryan—it’s because she’s an associate professor granted as an exception! It’s both qualified and reasonable!

What gives Samantha the right to move Rose to the back?

His words left no room for ambiguity.

Everyone immediately understood who had tampered with the seating arrangement.

Samantha could barely maintain her smile.

She was irritated.

Why wasn’t Caleb showing her even the slightest courtesy?

At that moment, Oliver and James returned after finishing their greetings with several guests.

James glanced at Rose.

Oliver stepped forward.

"Mr. Byrne, it’s only a seat," he said. "Rose probably doesn’t mind switching."

In his view, Rose should have accepted reality by now.

She should understand that Ryan was never truly hers and learn to be accommodating.

"Besides," Oliver continued with a smile, casting a meaningful glance at Rose, "you just said yourself that these front-row seats are reserved for distinguished guests."

He paused. "Is it really appropriate for someone as unknown as Rose to sit here?"

"In what capacity would she be seated among them?"

"And would the others even recognize her?"