Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid

Chapter 414: Chapter 414 No More Secrets

The situation had reached a breaking point.

Ryan had publicly declared that Ariel was his daughter—not some illegitimate child born from an affair.

But everyone in their social circle already knew that Trevor and Rose were engaged.

If the Robinson family wanted to distance themselves from the scandal now, they would have to give the Knight family an explanation. And whatever explanation they offered would inevitably have to address the growing tension between the two families.

Replacing the bride would solve everything.

Everyone could walk away satisfied.

Trevor’s expression was unreadable.

He looked down at Alicia, who seemed genuinely concerned about the Robinson family and was apparently trying to help him come up with a way to protect its reputation.

After a moment, he spoke.

“Do you really see love that way?”

Alicia blinked.

Trevor’s voice was cold.

“Something you can treat like a business deal? Something you can trade in whenever it becomes inconvenient, as long as you find a replacement that costs less?”

Alicia’s eyes flickered.

She bit her lip and shook her head.

“That’s not what I meant. I just think the Robinson family is in an impossible position right now. We’re dealing with pressure from the Knight family on one side and public scrutiny on the other. I’m sure you’re under a lot of pressure, too.”

Trevor’s expression darkened.

“Who are you?”

Alicia froze.

“What?”

Trevor looked at her steadily.

“Rose and you have become sisters, haven’t you?”

His voice was devoid of emotion.

“Then why are you standing here trying to convince me to humiliate her by calling off our wedding?”

Alicia’s face went pale.

“You’re a member of the Taylor family, yet you’re standing here telling me to abandon Rose and break off my engagement with her.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Who exactly do you think you are?”

Alicia’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

Her cheeks flushed as she hurried to defend herself, but the words seemed to catch in her throat.

“I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.”

Her voice trembled.

“The Taylor and Robinson families have been close for years. I’ve known you for so long. I just... I couldn’t stand watching you deal with all these rumors and pressure.”

She looked genuinely hurt by his words.

But Trevor had no intention of comforting her.

All he could think about was Rose being taken away by Ryan.

Whatever Alicia was feeling had nothing to do with him.

He turned and walked away.

Alicia hurried after him and caught his sleeve.

“Actually, Mr. Robinson...”

Trevor stopped but didn’t turn around.

Alicia took a shaky breath.

“Rose told me herself that she doesn’t want to marry you.”

Trevor’s hand tightened at his side.

“She still has feelings for Mr. Knight. She’s just waiting for him to come back to her. She was never truly sincere about you.”

Alicia’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“Please let her go, Mr. Robinson. Don’t force her into a marriage she doesn’t want.”

She looked as though she were pleading entirely for Rose’s sake.

Of course, Alicia didn’t believe Ryan would actually take Rose back.

A man as proud as Ryan Knight would never accept a woman who had supposedly wavered between two men.

At most, he had been forced to step forward because the scandal had damaged his reputation and the Knight family’s.

He was simply protecting his family’s name.

That was all.

A trace of agitation flickered across Trevor’s eyes.

He looked in the direction where Rose and Ryan had disappeared.

His lips pressed into a thin line.

He didn’t look at Alicia.

He didn’t answer her, either.

He simply pulled his sleeve free and walked away.

Alicia stood there, biting her lip.

She had no idea whether Trevor had believed her.

But after everything that had happened, going through with the wedding out of nothing more than obligation clearly wasn’t realistic anymore.

Rose was unlikely to marry into the Robinson family.

And after the humiliation the Knight family had suffered, they certainly wouldn’t allow the marriage to proceed peacefully.

Alicia lowered her head and absently twisted the hem of her dress between her fingers.

Rose would probably end up losing on both sides.

In the end, she would have nothing.

*****

Ryan walked quickly.

His grip around Rose’s wrist was firm, forcing her to hurry after him until they reached his car.

He opened the passenger door.

“Get in.”

Rose pressed her lips together.

After taking a couple of deep breaths, she bent down and got inside.

Owen wasn’t with them today, so Ryan got behind the wheel himself.

The moment he started the car, he accelerated.

His profile was hard and expressionless as he kept his eyes on the road.

Inside the confined space, neither of them spoke.

Only the low hum of the engine and the sound of their breathing filled the silence.

The tension was suffocating.

Rose clenched her hands in her lap, her nails biting into her palms as she struggled to hold herself together.

Finally, she broke the silence.

“What exactly were you trying to accomplish today?”

She turned toward him.

“And what did you mean when you said Ariel is your... daughter?”

There was a slight tremor in her voice despite her efforts to keep it steady.

Ryan said nothing.

His foot pressed harder on the accelerator.

The engine roared, vibrating through the car.

“At this point,” he said coldly, “shouldn’t you be the one being honest with me?”

Rose stared at him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Rose.”

He said her name quietly.

Too quietly.

There was something beneath his controlled tone that she couldn’t quite identify.

“I gave you plenty of chances.”

His hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel.

“I asked you more than once, and every time, you refused to tell me the truth.”

He paused.

“You intended to keep the fact that Ariel is my daughter from me for the rest of your life.”

Rose stared at him.

Unexpectedly, her heart began to loosen.

The tightness in her chest slowly eased.

Ryan knew.

He knew everything.

Not suspected.

Not guessed.

He was certain.

Even if she tried to deny it again, there was no point.

She just didn’t know when he had found out.

All this time, he had been testing her.

Rose suddenly gave a humorless smile.

“What right do you have to demand the truth from me?”

Ryan’s eyes remained on the road.

“What would I have gained by telling you I had given birth to your daughter?”

Her voice was calm, but every word carried a sharp edge.

“Would it have saved our marriage?”

She laughed softly.

“Would it have erased everything you put me through and suddenly made you a different man?”

Ryan’s jaw tightened.

“You couldn’t even be a husband to me. Why would I expect you to suddenly become a good father?”

She turned toward him fully.

“Did you really think I was supposed to come running to you with the news, hoping you’d have some great change of heart? That you’d come back to me, treat me well, and we’d live happily ever after?”

Her eyes were steady.

“Why should I?”

She swallowed.

“Why should I, after the way you treated me? After you shut me out and kept getting involved with Samantha, still be the one trying to win you back?”

Her voice remained remarkably calm.

“Why should I welcome you back without resentment after everything you’ve done?”

There was no anger in her voice anymore.

That somehow made her words cut deeper.

She sounded almost detached, as if she were looking at their marriage from the outside.

Like this was simply the conclusion she had reached after years of disappointment.

If they were destined to end up here anyway, what right did Ryan have to demand anything from her?

The tires suddenly screeched.

Ryan slammed on the brakes.

The car jerked to a stop along a quiet stretch of road.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Ryan kept both hands on the steering wheel.

Then, slowly, he turned his head.

His eyes met hers.

Clear.

Focused.

Unyielding.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“Did I ever say having a child would change anything between us?”

Rose’s lips tightened.

She gave him a bitter smile.

“Then what exactly do you want from me, Mr. Knight?”

Her voice was pointed.

“Do you want me to admit I was wrong? Do you want me to beg you for forgiveness?”

She stared straight into his eyes.

“I don’t care how you found out, Ryan. But don’t even think about taking my daughter away from me.”

Her voice hardened.

“If you—or the Knight family—have any plans for Ariel, I will fight you every step of the way.”

She had already lost control of too much.

The situation had gone far beyond anything she had anticipated.

There was no point pretending otherwise now.

If this was the battle she had been dreading, then so be it.

She would face it head-on.

Ryan stared at her.

For the first time, he saw exactly what she had been carrying all this time.

Fear.

Defensiveness.

Resolve.

And, above all, the unmistakable determination to protect her daughter—even if it meant going to war with him.

His throat tightened.

He swallowed slowly.

Then he spoke.

“So you admit it.”

His gaze never left hers.

“You gave birth to my daughter.”

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