Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Rose turned the corner and nearly walked straight into someone.

The corridor was narrow, with people coming in and out of the restaurant, leaving barely enough room for two groups to pass.

She looked up.

Ryan.

He was standing with several sharply dressed businessmen who had clearly just come from the bidding conference next door.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

They were close enough that, to get past each other, one of them would have to move.

Rose’s first thought was that Ryan probably didn’t want to see her.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the divorce decree delivered through someone else.

So she didn’t hesitate.

She looked away, took Diana’s arm, and started walking past him.

Ryan’s eyes followed her.

Neither of them said a word.

Rose had barely reached his side when another group appeared at the opposite end of the corridor, nearly blocking the way.

The woman at the front was Julia Ellis.

It had been a while since Rose had seen her.

And judging by Julia’s expression, she wasn’t in a particularly good mood today.

If anything, she looked furious.

Julia noticed Rose as well.

Rose had assumed they would simply pass each other and move on. Whatever relationship they had once shared was already gone.

But Julia stopped.

She stared at Rose.

"When we run into each other, you’re not even going to say hello?"

Rose stopped as well.

Still holding Diana’s hand, she looked at Julia calmly.

"If that makes you feel better, hello."

Her tone was polite enough.

But there was no warmth behind it.

Julia’s expression tightened.

She and Rose had once been close.

Now, even a simple greeting felt like a challenge.

Julia took a slow breath.

Her eyes flicked toward Ryan, who was standing a short distance behind Rose.

Something about seeing him there seemed to make her anger worse.

Her voice remained controlled.

"No wonder you felt comfortable making such a scene with the Robinson family at the wedding."

She gave Rose a thin smile.

"Now I understand why."

Rose’s expression didn’t change.

Julia continued.

"Ryan has started giving you favors again, and suddenly you’ve forgotten everything the Robinson family has done for you."

Her smile became sharper.

"Are you trying to rekindle things with him?"

The words were deliberately cruel.

Rose could tell immediately that Julia wasn’t simply angry about what had happened at the wedding.

She was looking for someone to blame.

And Rose was apparently the easiest target.

Diana’s jaw tightened.

She knew exactly how her aunt operated.

She opened her mouth to defend Rose, but Rose caught her wrist and stopped her.

"President Ellis, as far as I’m concerned, the matter is over."

Rose’s voice was calm.

"I wasn’t planning to bring it up again."

Her gaze hardened.

"But if you want to reopen it, then don’t expect me to stand here and apologize for something I didn’t do."

Julia’s expression shifted.

Rose continued.

"You’re too smart not to know that Trevor and I were helping each other."

She paused.

"And let’s be very clear about something else. The Robinson family didn’t raise Ariel."

Several people nearby glanced over.

Rose didn’t care.

"Ariel was raised by Dr. Nathan Hale and his wife from the time she was little. The Robinson family simply had her listed under their name."

Julia’s face tightened.

"Trevor stepped in because there was something in it for both of us. He helped me. I gave him something in return. That was a business arrangement between two adults."

Rose’s voice grew colder.

"So don’t stand here and rewrite history as though the Robinson family raised my daughter out of the goodness of its heart."

She gave Julia a pointed look.

"You’re a businesswoman. You know perfectly well that you don’t get to claim credit for something you didn’t do."

The people standing nearby exchanged uneasy glances.

Apparently, very few of them had known that the Robinson family had never actually raised Ariel.

Julia’s face darkened.

"Isn’t it a fact that we helped you?"

She stepped forward.

"And you deliberately hid the fact that you were the Taylor family’s daughter from the Robinsons."

Her voice sharpened.

"You and Trevor already had a marriage certificate. The Robinson family accepted you despite the fact that you were entering the marriage as his second wife. Then you changed your mind at the last possible moment and walked away from the wedding."

"Accepted me?"

Diana couldn’t hold back anymore.

She stepped forward.

"After what your family did, you still want to call that acceptance?"

Rose reached out and stopped her again.

But Julia was already looking directly at Rose.

"You can’t deny that the Robinson family gave you a great deal."

Rose actually laughed.

There was no humor in it.

"So what exactly was I supposed to do?"

Her gaze sharpened.

"Stand there quietly while your family treated my daughter like a bargaining chip?"

Julia’s expression froze.

Rose continued.

"Because that’s apparently what you expected. The Robinson family gives me a place to stay, and suddenly Ariel and I are supposed to be grateful for the rest of our lives. We’re supposed to accept whatever your family decides, whenever you decide it, and never object."

She tilted her head.

"And if I refuse, I’m ungrateful?"

Rose’s smile disappeared.

"That’s a very convenient arrangement for the Robinson family."

Julia’s eyes narrowed.

"After everything we’ve done for you, don’t you think you’re obligated to answer for your actions?"

Rose’s expression went cold.

"I don’t know what happened to you today, President Ellis, but whatever you’re angry about has nothing to do with me."

She took a step closer.

"You keep bringing up what Trevor supposedly did for me."

Her voice became quieter.

"Every time you want something from me, you remind me that Trevor risked his life to save mine."

Rose’s eyes hardened.

"I’ve already given your family more consideration than you deserve because of that."

She shook her head.

"But there’s a difference between gratitude and allowing someone to manipulate you."

Julia’s lips tightened.

"Rose—"

"No."

Rose cut her off.

"You don’t get to use someone’s kindness as a permanent debt."

The people around them went silent.

Rose’s voice remained steady.

"Trevor helped me. I haven’t forgotten that. But you don’t get to turn his actions into a weapon every time the Robinson family wants something from me."

She looked directly into Julia’s eyes.

"Business doesn’t work that way. You negotiate. You compromise. You don’t keep collecting on the same debt forever."

Her expression hardened.

"Do you really think that’s honorable?"

Julia’s face changed.

She clearly hadn’t expected Rose to speak to her this bluntly in public.

Neither had the people surrounding them.

Even Ryan’s expression shifted.

He had been silent until then.

But several things Rose had said had clearly caught his attention.

Julia knew Rose had a temper.

She simply hadn’t expected Rose to finally stop pretending to care about maintaining their old relationship.

Rose looked at her steadily.

"I took Trevor’s help into consideration when I decided not to pursue what your family did to Ariel."

Her voice dropped.

"But don’t confuse restraint with forgiveness."

Julia’s face paled slightly.

"If I hadn’t taken Trevor’s actions into account, do you honestly think the matter would have ended so quietly?"

Rose’s gaze was unwavering.

"Ariel is my daughter."

She paused.

"And she’s a Taylor."

The name carried weight.

"Your family doesn’t get to make decisions about her life whenever it’s convenient and then expect me to smile and call it gratitude."

Julia opened her mouth.

"You—"

Her expression changed dramatically.

Rose’s words had stripped away every polite excuse Julia had been hiding behind.

And worse, several people had heard them.

They no longer looked at Rose as though she were the ungrateful woman Julia had described.

Their expressions had changed.

Julia noticed.

What bothered her even more was Ryan.

He was staring at her now.

Coldly.

"Rose, we don’t need to turn this into a public argument."

Julia tried to regain control of the situation.

Rose almost laughed.

Funny.

When the Robinson family wanted something from her, they were perfectly willing to drag up old grievances.

But the moment Rose defended herself, suddenly they were concerned about keeping things civil.

She said nothing.

Before she could respond, Ryan’s voice came from behind her.

"President Ellis."

Everyone turned.

Ryan stepped forward.

His expression was unreadable.

"I didn’t realize you’d reached the point where you could take credit for someone else’s sacrifice and use it to pressure Rose into doing what you want."

Julia’s face changed.

Rose turned sharply.

Ryan walked past the people around him and stopped beside her.

His height and presence immediately changed the atmosphere.

His dark eyes remained fixed on Julia.

Then he spoke.

"The person who jumped to save Rose..."

He paused.

"When did that person become Trevor?"

Silence.

Julia’s expression turned grim.

Rose slowly looked up at Ryan.

"What do you mean?"

Ryan glanced at her.

"It wasn’t Trevor?"

Rose’s heart skipped.

She had believed Trevor was the one who had risked his life to save her.

And because of that, she had repeatedly backed down whenever Julia brought the incident up.

All because she believed she owed Trevor for saving her life.

But now...

She learned...

It wasn’t Trevor.