Chapter 7: Chapter 7 I Said—I’m a Mother Too
Her heart slammed hard against her ribs in that instant.
On the surface, Rose showed almost no change.
The faint curve at the corner of her lips remained, calm and composed, yet her hand hanging by her side had already curled into a tight fist, her nails digging deep into her palm as she fought to suppress the tremor that threatened to climb up her throat.
She could feel a thin layer of cold sweat break across her back, soaking into her blouse and clinging uncomfortably to her skin.
Lifting her gaze, she met Ryan’s probing eyes head-on, and when she spoke, her voice was unexpectedly steady.
"I said, I’m a mother too." She paused, as though finding the statement faintly amusing herself, and allowed a slight smile to touch her lips. "A cat mom."
Ryan’s steps faltered.
"I have a cat," Rose added lightly, as if the tension from moments before had never existed at all.
Only she knew that the hand hidden within her sleeve was still trembling ever so slightly.
"And why, exactly, should I explain myself to you, sir?"
Her tone was casual, seamless, and impeccably controlled, so cool it might have been directed at a complete stranger.
Ryan studied her closely, the suspicion in his eyes not entirely gone. His lips parted, as though unwilling to let the matter drop so easily.
His voice lowered, edged with his usual authority. "I am your—"
"What are you?" she cut in before he could finish, her tone turning sharply cold, carrying a firmness he had never heard from her before. "Sir, don’t say anything you shouldn’t."
Six years ago, in that hotel in Paris, he had said those exact words to her.
Now she returned them, word for word.
The surrounding crowd had no idea what this abrupt exchange meant, but Ryan understood perfectly.
She was warning him not to reveal their relationship.
It was exactly what he had always wanted, and yet, for reasons he could not quite name, all he felt in that moment was a surge of irritation.
He opened his mouth, then ultimately swallowed the rest of his sentence, the emotions in his eyes settling into a deceptively calm stillness.
"We’ll talk later," he said at last, turning away, his tone once again restrained.
Samantha slipped her arm naturally through his, her voice soft and coaxing.
"Ryan, I’m hungry. Let’s find somewhere to eat first."
Ryan averted his gaze and did not look at Rose again. Whatever doubts had flickered in his mind were smoothed over by her flawless explanation moments earlier.
"Alright."
His expression cooled, returning to that distant, composed demeanor.
He stepped forward and opened the car door for Samantha with effortless courtesy, every movement polished to perfection, like a gentleman who could not be faulted.
Around them, admiring glances gathered in unison.
Only after the car had disappeared from view did Rose realize that the back of her blouse was completely damp with cold sweat, and that the hand she had clenched so tightly was still trembling, almost imperceptibly.
She let out a long breath and leaned against the nearby railing, standing there for several seconds before the weakness in her knees finally subsided.
It was then that Caleb emerged from the edge of the crowd.
"What happened?" he asked, steadying her gently, concern evident in his voice.
Rose made no mention of Ryan or Samantha. Instead, she briefly recounted how she had treated the child.
Caleb raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"If people knew that the doctor who just saved that girl is the founder of Aetheris Medical AI, I imagine the room would have erupted on the spot."
Rose shrugged, a faint smile playing at her lips. "That was a long time ago."
Caleb reached out and tapped her lightly on the forehead.
"You took Grand Sage public with your own hands, and there are countless people who would give anything just to meet you once. On top of that, you were Dr. Hale’s final student. Every time you play it down like this, it sounds less like humility and more like you’re quietly showing off."
Despite his own background in a prestigious medical family, Caleb had never considered himself comparable to Rose.
Even Hale had once said in private that someone like her might appear once in a century, and most people could spend their entire lives without ever coming close.
Rose blinked and let the comment pass without response. She had always believed that the less attention she drew, the better.
"By the way, don’t forget to report to the company on Monday," Caleb added. "The leadership transition is already underway. Your position has been kept open for you, and after the new year, you’ll officially take charge of the core smart medical project."
The thought of her return seemed to lighten his entire mood.
"When is Ariel coming to New York?" he asked.
"Next month. She’ll come with Hale, and after that, she’ll live here with me."
"And what about kindergarten? Do you need any help arranging it?"
"No, it’s already in progress. It should be settled soon."
As the outline of her future grew clearer in her mind, an unconscious smile lifted her lips.
At last, her life was falling back into place.
She liked this feeling—the sense that she was no longer someone who had to depend on others to survive, someone who lived on scraps of attention and care handed down like leftovers.
Caleb, however, still looked faintly concerned. "Are you sure everything will be alright with the Knight family?"
Especially Ryan.
Even if the marriage had long been a hollow shell, if he were to discover one day that he had a daughter, there was no telling what kind of storm might follow.
Families like the Knights valued bloodlines and heirs above all else.
Rose understood exactly what he meant.
"Don’t worry," she said with quiet certainty. "They won’t find out. I’ll make sure he signs away his parental rights."
Caleb let out a low chuckle. "Alright, I believe you. You always find a way."
—
Over the next few days, she devoted most of her energy to visiting kindergartens and handling the company’s transition matters.
Life was busy, but for the first time in a long while, it felt solid and grounded.
On the calendar, the red marks reached the seventh day.
That evening, just as she finished her work and began packing up to return home, her phone suddenly vibrated.
The caller was Ryan’s aunt, Isabella, who was currently taking care of his grandmother, Margaret.
Rose could ignore everyone else, but not the old woman in that family who had ever shown her genuine kindness.
So she answered almost without hesitation.
What came through the line, however, was Isabella’s furious voice, so loud and sharp it felt as though it might shatter the ceiling.
"Rose! Get your ass over here right now!"
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