Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 194: Chapter 194 The Night He Met Ariel

Rose had dinner with the leadership team at NYU.

She rarely attended such formal social gatherings, but fortunately, everyone present was from academia, so the conversation remained focused on academic topics throughout the evening. She didn’t feel too uncomfortable.

However, the meeting essentially finalized her appointment.

The official announcement would be made at the end of next month.

She exchanged contact information with several university leaders before leaving.

Afterward, Caleb came to pick her up.

Their project had been performing exceptionally well in recent trials.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it would officially launch in the second half of the year, beginning with a three-month pilot program.

The coming months would be busy.

There would be product pre-launch activities, initial market rollout efforts, promotional campaigns, and partnership arrangements—all of which would need to move forward simultaneously.

“Capturing market share during this period is crucial,” Caleb said, having already mapped out a detailed plan. “We need to meet with hospital administrators and institutional leaders to promote the product.”

“Let’s schedule meetings with as many as possible. That way, once the surgical robot launches, we can immediately establish a presence in hospitals and medical institutions.”

“You can screen a few key partners and arrange meetings with them.”

If they handled this step well, everything afterward would be much easier.

After all, once a product is developed, the most important thing is getting people to use it.

That evening, Rose had just finished extracting raw materials when she received a message from Ariel.

The little girl had sent a cute Are you there? sticker.

Rose removed her sterile gown and called Ariel back.

“What’s up, sweetheart?”

Ariel giggled on the other end of the line.

“Mom, I have the day off tomorrow. Can you spend the day with me?”

There was a hint of hesitation in her voice.

As though she was worried her mother would refuse because of work—or because, as before, the timing simply wasn’t right.

A pang tugged at Rose’s heart.

The truth was, she knew she owed Ariel.

The little girl was almost six years old, yet Rose had spent very little time with her.

If Ariel hadn’t transferred to New York this year, they probably would have seen each other even less.

“Of course. Mom’s not busy. You’re the most important thing in the world to me, Ariel.”

Unwilling to disappoint her daughter, Rose immediately decided to postpone her work.

Ariel’s excitement was obvious.

“Then, Mom, can I come over tonight? I want to sleep with you—just the two of us.”

She had understood since she was very young.

Her mother had important things to do.

She worked hard so they could be together one day.

So Ariel never wanted to become a burden.

But sometimes, she simply wanted to fall asleep in her mother’s arms.

That alone would make her happy.

Rose couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Ariel was already far more mature than most children her age.

“Okay,” Rose agreed. “I’ll come pick you up later.”

Ariel immediately cheered.

She excitedly listed all the things she planned to bring—her little pajamas, her stuffed animal, and even the cookies she had baked at school that afternoon specifically for Rose.

Smiling, Rose agreed to everything.

She felt deeply guilty toward Ariel.

Back then, because of the Knight family, she had always been forced to act cautiously.

She hadn’t even dared spend the night with her daughter, fearing that an unexpected incident might expose her secret.

Now, however...

Other than the fact that she still hadn’t finalized the divorce, things were relatively stable.

One overnight stay wouldn’t be a problem.

After ending the call, Rose immediately drove to the supermarket.

She bought Ariel’s favorite snacks, along with ingredients for dinner.

It was a rare feeling—this simple kind of happiness.

She still hadn’t given up the lease on her old apartment.

Being forced back into the moon lake villa by Margaret was only temporary. Sooner or later, she would move out again.

Tonight, she planned to take Ariel there.

Ever since their unpleasant argument at Knight residence over the miscarriage, Ryan had never returned.

So it didn’t matter if she didn’t go back tonight.

They each lived their own lives, neither interfering with nor caring about the other.

After picking Ariel up and bringing her to the apartment, the little girl set down her backpack and ran around the place excitedly.

Everything felt new and fascinating.

“Mommy, are we going to live here together from now on?”

Ariel ran over, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Rose’s heart softened instantly.

She bent down and pinched her cheek. “Don’t you think it’s too small?”

After all, it couldn’t compare to Dr. Nathan’s spacious villa.

Ariel had grown up with the best of everything—food, clothing, housing, and transportation.

Yet she seemed genuinely excited about this modest apartment.

“As long as I’m with Mom, I’m happy no matter where we live!”

She lifted her little face, her eyes sparkling. “Even under a bridge!”

Rose burst out laughing. “That won’t do. I’ll have to work really hard and make enough money. I can’t let Ariel live under a bridge.”

But Ariel wasn’t joking.

She was completely serious.

She knew how hard her mother worked.

If she could grow up faster, she could earn money and take care of Mom.

After all, Mom always said that money meant security.

Rose’s cooking skills were fairly average.

She could only follow simple recipes to make a few child-friendly dishes.

Halfway through cooking, Ariel wandered off to watch cartoons.

Then Rose’s phone rang.

She was in such a good mood that she answered without checking the caller ID.

“Who is this?”

Silence lingered briefly on the other end. “You didn’t save my number?”

The cold voice instantly made Rose’s back stiffen.

She stopped washing vegetables.

“Do you need something?”

Ryan’s voice remained calm and detached.

“When are you coming back?”

“The buyout contract we discussed is ready. I need your signature before I can transfer the funds.”

Rose immediately glanced toward the living room.

Ariel was sprawled across the couch, giggling as she watched cartoons on her tablet.

She nearly cursed under her breath.

The timing couldn’t have been worse.

The one night she finally got to spend with Ariel, Ryan had chosen to finalize Samantha’s team’s departure from New Hope.

“I’m not coming back tonight. We can discuss it tomorrow. Don’t wait for me.”

Between resolving Samantha’s situation and spending time with Ariel, the choice was obvious.

She would choose Ariel every time.

She refused to disappoint her daughter.

Even if someone held a knife to her throat tonight, she wasn’t leaving.

Silence fell on the other end.

Rose didn’t give Ryan a chance to respond.

She hung up immediately.

Whether he was pleased or not wasn’t her concern.

Ariel came running over, slightly out of breath.

“Who was Mom talking to?”

Rose thought for a moment.“A business partner.”

After seven years of marriage, that description seemed accurate enough.

Besides, Ryan had called to discuss a buyout agreement.

That certainly qualified him as a business partner.

Ariel didn’t fully understand, but she nodded anyway.

She poured Rose a glass of water, then beckoned her closer.

Rose bent down.

Standing on tiptoe, Ariel planted a kiss on her cheek.

“You’ve worked so hard, Mom.”

Then she scampered back to the couch and resumed watching her cartoons.

Touching her cheek, Rose couldn’t help smiling.

Humming softly, she returned to the kitchen.

This, she thought, was the best kind of day.

Although her cooking wasn’t remarkable, she made up for it with efficiency.

Soon, she had prepared three dishes and a soup:

Chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli with cheese, and tomato soup.

All of Ariel’s favorites.

Just as she was carrying the dishes out of the kitchen, the doorbell rang.

Rose frowned slightly.

Who would visit this late?

Before she could react, Ariel had already jumped off the couch.

“Mom, I’ll get it!”

Rose hurried after her. “It’s nighttime. Wait—”

But she was too late.

Ariel had already opened the door.

Standing outside, Ryan slowly lowered his gaze.

His eyes met the little girl’s large, beautiful eyes.

For a brief moment, something dark flickered across his expression.

Then he lifted his gaze.

His eyes met Rose’s as she emerged from the kitchen.

The instant Rose saw Ryan standing face-to-face with Ariel, her expression changed dramatically.