Ryan snapped the lid of his lighter shut, looked at Rose once more, and said in an even tone, “Actually, you didn’t need to go out of your way to hide this from me. Whatever you choose to do, I won’t stop you.”
His words cut deeply into Rose.
It was as if she had been acting on a one-sided impulse all along, putting on a performance for an audience that never cared.
She knew perfectly well that the story of the “miscarriage” wouldn’t stir even a trace of pity or guilt in Ryan. Nor had she expected any response from him.
She simply felt that she had woken up too late.
She had suffered for far too long and should have walked away from Ryan much, much sooner.
“I think you need to understand one thing,” Rose said. “Whether you tried to stop me or not would have made no difference. Once I’ve made a decision, no one can change it.”
In an instant, the atmosphere became even more tense and confrontational.
Beneath their calm voices, neither of them was holding back.
Ryan, who usually appeared composed and distant, was remarkably skilled at delivering cutting remarks.
“If you insist on hurting yourself,” he said, “am I supposed to feel the pain for you?”
Rose understood exactly what he meant.
His tone carried both sarcasm and mockery.
He was implying that, despite her intelligence and strength, she was ultimately the one mistreating her own body.
Ryan always knew how to strike directly at a person’s deepest wounds.
Tonight was one of the rare times they had truly clashed head-on.
In the past, Ryan had rarely bothered arguing with her.
Rose had assumed that even if she mentioned the miscarriage, they would brush past it as calmly as they always had.
Yet even without a dramatic confrontation, she could tell that Ryan was not entirely unaffected.
The problem was that he was simply too difficult to read.
And she no longer cared what he was thinking.
“So after all these years of marriage,” she said, “you’ve never once shown me any compassion. I certainly don’t expect you to start now.”
She was determined to tear apart every word he said.
No one was going to pretend anymore.
Ryan suddenly fixed his gaze on her.
He didn’t blink.
Rose had no idea which part of her statement had struck a nerve.
She ignored him and looked away.
She planned to stay another half hour at most before quietly leaving while everyone else was asleep.
She couldn’t tolerate this charade any longer.
The silence was interrupted by a knock on the door.
A maid entered carrying a tray with a bowl of pitch-black herbal medicine.
The strong medicinal scent instantly told Rose exactly which herbs had been used and what each one did.
Her throat tightened reflexively.
“Madam,” the maid said, “Mrs. Alice prepared this medicine for you personally. You must drink all of it. It’s good for your health. You need to recover properly so you can carry a baby in the future.”
Rose knew those instructions had come directly from Margaret.
To the Knight family, she was no longer Mrs. Knight.
She was simply a tool for producing an heir.
“You may leave,” Ryan said.
The maid immediately nodded and withdrew.
A moment later, Rose heard the unmistakable click of the door locking from the outside.
Her brows furrowed.
Before she could turn around, a shadow fell across her vision.
Ryan had already stepped in front of her.
The faint scent of rose and mint from his body diluted the smell of the herbal medicine she was holding.
Ryan glanced at her, then picked up the bowl without hesitation.
Ignoring the heat, he carried it into the bathroom and poured the entire contents down the sink.
When he returned, his tone was cold and detached.
“If you don’t want children, then be decisive about it. There’s no need to force yourself to drink this.”
Rose remained silent.
It wasn’t that Ryan was helping her.
He simply didn’t want children with her either.
This was merely another form of rejection.
She no longer had the energy to care.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid