Mathew’s voice carried unmistakable authority.
Loud enough that nearly everyone nearby heard him clearly.
A wave of surprise swept through the room as people turned to look in confusion.
For a moment, Samantha thought she had misheard him. The gentle smile on her face froze.
“What?”
Even Rose looked puzzled.
The old man was clearly asking Samantha to leave. What had she done to offend him?
Today was his grand birthday celebration. No matter what had happened, it should have been handled privately.
Being asked to leave in front of everyone...
It completely stripped Samantha of her dignity.
Mathew paid no attention to the reactions around him.
“Manager Park, arrange a car to take this young lady home.”
Of course, he had no intention of revealing the real reason.
This involved the Knight family’s private affairs.
If Samantha’s status as a mistress were exposed, it would damage the Knight family’s reputation, affect its stock price, and create unnecessary public scrutiny.
For families at their level, reputation management was everything.
This wasn’t merely an ordinary case of infidelity—it had real business consequences.
Samantha forced herself to remain composed.
She understood now that Mathew was likely upset because he had discovered the truth about his lifesaver.
Since nothing had been said publicly, she couldn’t ask questions or appear overly concerned.
Keeping her posture rigid, she smiled politely.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Brown. I have an urgent family matter that requires my attention. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to stay until the end of the celebration. Please forgive me.”
The moment she spoke, the tension in the room eased.
So it wasn’t that she had been kicked out after all.
She simply had somewhere else to be.
Turning to Ryan, Samantha smiled gently.
“Ryan, stay and celebrate Mr. Brown’s birthday properly. Don’t worry about me. You don’t need to accompany me.”
Her intentions were perfectly clear.
It wasn’t that Ryan refused to leave with her.
She was simply being considerate and understanding.
Who wouldn’t praise her for having both status and confidence?
Ryan clearly understood what Samantha was trying to do.
He gave a slight nod. “I’ll have someone escort you.”
He was giving her a graceful way out.
Nor did he publicly question Mathew about what had happened.
Clearly, he was helping Samantha save face.
Although Rose didn’t know the full story, she could tell that Ryan had sensed something was wrong and had deliberately chosen not to pursue it.
How considerate.
As Samantha walked past Rose, she shot her a dark, resentful look.
If Rose hadn’t insisted on showing up—and doing so conspicuously—none of this would have happened.
Rose was completely baffled.
Had she offended Samantha again?
Mathew paid Samantha no further attention.
Instead, he turned toward Rose and spoke kindly.
“Sit at this table. Don’t be shy.”
Then he looked at Ryan. “Ryan, please look after the young lady.”
Clearly, the old man had no idea what their actual relationship was.
He even made a point of reminding him.
Only then did Ryan lift his head, a faint smile touching his lips.
“Of course.”
Rose: “...”
Some people looked dependable on the surface.
In reality, they were cold-hearted.
Completely untrustworthy.
Mathew couldn’t stay and chat forever.
Soon, he was called away again.
Rose could feel the subtle stares directed at her, as though she had somehow come out on top.
Keeping an eye on Ryan, she frowned.
“Take it off.”
She was referring to the brooch.
Even if Samantha had chosen it for him, now that Samantha was gone, what was the point of continuing to wear it?
Ryan poured her a cup of floral tea and slid it across the table.
“We’ve already attracted enough attention. Taking it off now would only draw more.”
Rose found herself speechless.
He wasn’t wrong.
After all, everyone had just witnessed Samantha claim she picked it out for him.
Keeping it on was practically proof of his unwavering devotion.
Halfway through the banquet, Oliver stopped by.
“Where’s Sam?”
“She had something to take care of at home,” Ryan replied casually.
Oliver nodded.
Then he glanced at Rose and gave her a strange smile.
Rose frowned.
The look in his eyes suggested she had done something outrageous.
She had no idea what he meant.
*****


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