Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 206: Chapter 206 The Bennett Family’s Hidden Wounds

Because of Samantha’s medical malpractice incident, the antique exhibition had been organized in a rush. Fortunately, with Ryan’s help, everything had proceeded smoothly.

Diana accompanied Rose to the antique shop.

It was a small, standalone building with three floors. The property had been passed down through generations of the Bennett family, including the building itself.

By the time Rose arrived, the parking lot was already filled with luxury cars.

It had been many years since she had last set foot there.

Back then, Logan and Daisy had managed the antique shop, and they had never allowed her to come inside or even take a proper look around.

It had clearly been the Bennett family’s property.

Now, the only reason she could enter was because of an invitation—a provocation and a so-called "gesture of goodwill" from the Hill family.

“Does Ryan have no heart?” Diana said angrily as she looked at the bustling scene. “Isn’t this just rubbing salt in your wounds?”

Everyone present today had come specifically because of Ryan.

They had deliberately made the event into a grand spectacle.

Rose said nothing and simply led Diana toward the entrance.

However, just as it was their turn to enter, Daisy happened to walk out.

The moment she saw Rose, she walked right past her and greeted the people standing behind them instead.

“Mr. David, it’s been a long time. This way, please.”

As she passed Rose, Daisy smiled and said, “Quite a few important guests are here today. You’ll have to wait a little longer and let them go in first.”

“You expect us to stand here and wait?” Diana laughed coldly.

“Isn’t this deliberately making things difficult?”

They had sent the invitation themselves, yet now they were putting on airs.

Not to mention, this antique shop belonged to the Bennett family—it was Rose’s.

Rose had returned to her own home, yet she wasn’t even allowed inside.

Daisy was in an exceptionally good mood.

She ignored Diana’s attitude and said to Rose, “Miss, waiting a little longer won’t hurt. If I hadn’t sent you an invitation, you wouldn’t even have had the chance to come back.”

With that, she turned and walked inside.

Rose did not get angry.

She had come today partly to revisit the place where she had spent most of her childhood and partly because she feared that this so-called charity event would result in some of the Bennett family’s most precious antiques being sold.

“You’re here already?”

Samantha’s voice sounded behind her.

She arrived arm in arm with Ryan, immediately attracting everyone’s attention.

Samantha no longer looked as distressed as she had a few days earlier. Clearly, the idea of using a charity event to repair her reputation had restored much of her confidence.

“Come inside,” Samantha said with a pleasant smile. “Do you have an invitation? If not, you can simply come in with Ryan and me. No one will ask to see one.”

Her gracious and welcoming demeanor stirred a complicated feeling in Rose’s chest, mixed with a trace of sarcasm.

The way Samantha spoke made it sound as though she were the owner of the antique shop.

Then Rose remembered.

Ryan had originally purchased the antique shop from Logan and had promised to transfer it to her later. But before the transfer could happen, circumstances had changed.

If Samantha married Ryan, the property could eventually become part of their marital assets.

For the first time, uncertainty crept into Rose’s heart.

What if Ryan changed his mind and refused to transfer the antique shop to her?

After all, he was capable of doing almost anything for Samantha.

She looked at Ryan.

He was glancing at his phone, but when he sensed her gaze, he looked up.

His eyes were calm and unreadable, like a deep, dark pool that concealed every possible outcome.

A chill ran through Rose.

With Ryan and Samantha leading the way, everyone entered the building smoothly.

Rose’s hands and feet felt ice-cold as she looked around at the familiar surroundings.

When she was a child, before everything had happened, she would come here every day after school to do her homework. Her mother and grandfather would watch over her, reminding her not to run around or touch the fragile antiques.

She had spent most of her childhood here.

And now...

Rose looked toward Ryan and Samantha, who had already become the center of attention.

With a radiant smile, Samantha addressed the crowd.

“Today, our family plans to auction fifteen antique pieces. All proceeds will be used to establish a charitable foundation to help children who cannot afford medical treatment. We hope everyone will support us.”

Rose pressed her lips together.

She had guessed correctly.

They truly intended to sell the Bennett family’s antiques.

They planned to use the Bennett family’s treasures to repair Samantha’s reputation so that this medical malpractice incident would not destroy her career.

“Why are they selling the Bennett family’s antiques to restore Samantha’s reputation?” Diana said angrily. “Those were all left to you by your grandfather!”

She looked ready to rush onto the stage and stop the auction herself.

The Hill family had even invited Rose to witness it all in person.

How malicious could they be?

And fifteen antiques—

Just thinking about the amount of money they would bring in was enough to make anyone furious.

“They really don’t care about wasting someone else’s property, do they?”

“Confronting Samantha won’t help,” Rose said, forcing herself to calm down.

Her mind raced as she tightened her grip on Diana’s wrist.

Her fingers were ice-cold.

She looked directly at Ryan, who stood beside Samantha.

He was the one who had arranged all of this.

The antique shop was now under Ryan’s control.

He was the one making the decisions.

Diana followed her gaze.

For the first time, she truly felt sorry for Rose.

After years of marriage, not only was there no affection left between them, but Ryan was now helping his wife’s greatest enemy hurt her.

Few marriages ended this badly.

Rose reassured Diana.

She knew Diana genuinely cared about her and would not hesitate to make a scene.

But doing so would only give them an excuse to stir up even more trouble.

More and more guests were arriving.

The auction was about to begin.

Rose finally found an opportunity to approach Ryan.

He had been exchanging pleasantries with several guests before stepping away to discuss a business partnership.

The third floor housed the most valuable items, all displayed inside a private room.

Rose seized the opportunity.

She walked quickly toward him, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him behind a rosewood screen.

Ryan followed her.

His gaze dropped briefly to the hand tightly gripping his wrist.

She was holding on with considerable force.

She must truly be angry.

He made no attempt to pull away.

Instead, he leaned slightly against the cabinet and asked coolly, “What is it that you need to say in private?”

Rose sneered.

“In public? Would you dare discuss it in front of everyone?”

Their marriage had always seemed like something that had to remain hidden from the world.

Knowing how sharp her tongue could be, Ryan simply leaned against the display case filled with top-grade green jade and said, “You never speak gently to me.”

Rose did not believe she had said anything wrong.

She looked directly into his eyes. “You’re auctioning off the Bennett family’s belongings. Did you ask for my permission? You promised that antique shop to me.”

“I haven’t transferred it to you yet,” Ryan replied calmly. “I still have the right to decide what happens to it.”

“Can you...” Rose took a deep breath without letting go of him. “Can you stop the auction?”

She could not allow the Bennett family’s treasures to be sold like this.

Many of them represented her grandfather’s life’s work.

She did not know whether the fifteen pieces being auctioned were among the items her grandfather had specifically forbidden from being sold, so all she could do was try to preserve them.

Ryan noticed the slight tremor at the end of her voice.

After a moment of silence, he said, “I already discussed this with you. You refused to provide the documents from New Hope. You can’t have it both ways.”

Although his tone remained calm, there was an unmistakable cruelty in his words.

He was reminding her that she had been the one to say there was no room for negotiation.

Heat rose in Rose’s chest.

She immediately let his hand go.

But before she could speak, Samantha’s voice sounded from outside the screen.

“Where did Ryan go?”

Rose turned to leave.

Suddenly, Ryan caught her wrist and pulled her back.

The gesture filled Rose with instinctive resistance, and she struggled against him.

Their brief struggle lasted only a few seconds.

The display case holding several pieces of high-quality green jade suddenly shook.

One of the pendants tipped forward and began to fall.

Ryan reacted instantly.

With one hand holding Rose firmly in place, he reached out with the other and caught the pendant just before it hit the floor.