Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid novel Chapter 303

Chapter 303: Chapter 303 A Favor That Asked for Nothing

James stood motionless by the front door long after it had closed.

The quiet click of the lock echoed through the apartment.

For several seconds, neither man spoke.

Only after the fading sound of Ariel’s laughter disappeared into the hallway did James slowly turn around.

The apartment suddenly felt much larger than before.

Just moments ago, it had been overflowing with life.

Ariel had been running around the living room, her bright laughter filling every corner of the home.

Now, all that remained were the toys she’d forgotten to put away.

A stuffed rabbit lay on its side beneath the coffee table.

A coloring book sat open on the rug with several crayons scattered beside it.

The tiny pink shoes she had kicked off while playing were still sitting near the sofa.

The traces of a child’s happiness were everywhere.

Yet the little girl herself was already gone.

James walked back into the living room with a complicated expression.

He bent over, absentmindedly picking up one of the crayons before placing it neatly inside the coloring book.

After a long silence, he finally looked toward Ryan.

"It seems..."

He chose his words carefully.

"...Rose still doesn’t know what really happened today."

Ryan sat quietly on the sofa.

The white bandage around his arm was already beginning to show faint traces of blood beneath the fabric.

He casually adjusted the edge of the dressing as though the injury belonged to someone else.

"It doesn’t matter."

His voice was calm.

So calm that it almost sounded detached.

James frowned.

"I’m not talking about whether she owes you anything."

He leaned against the arm of another sofa.

"I’m saying she doesn’t even realize you were the one who pulled her out of danger."

Ryan reached for the glass of water on the table and took a slow sip before answering.

"I didn’t step in because I wanted her appreciation."

James gave a helpless smile.

"I know."

"You’ve never been someone who keeps score."

He paused before continuing.

"You never wanted her gratitude."

Another silence stretched between them.

James looked at Ryan for a long moment.

Ryan lowered his eyes.

His fingers slowly rotated the glass.

His expression remained unchanged.

After a while, Ryan finally spoke.

"Whether she knows or not doesn’t change anything."

James rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"What if Trevor never tells her?"

"What if he lets everyone believe he was the one who handled everything?"

"He doesn’t even have to lie."

"He only has to stay silent."

James shook his head.

"I’ve met Rose enough times to know she’s fair."

"If she knew you’d been injured protecting her..."

"I don’t believe she’d walk away without saying a single word."

Ryan gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

It carried no warmth.

"No."

He placed the glass back on the table.

"She already thanked the person she believed deserved it."

James looked confused.

Ryan’s eyes drifted toward the closed front door.

"That’s enough."

James stared at him.

Sometimes...

Ryan’s composure was the thing he admired most.

Other times...

It was the thing he hated most.

Because Ryan never admitted when he was hurting.

Instead, he buried every emotion beneath that cold, unreadable expression until even the people closest to him couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Ryan reached into his jacket pocket.

He removed a cigarette case and slid one cigarette free.

Just as he lifted the lighter—

James suddenly spoke again.

"You know..."

Ryan paused.

"If fate had been a little kinder..."

James glanced toward the stuffed rabbit lying beneath the coffee table.

"...maybe the child running around this apartment today would’ve been yours."

The lighter stopped inches from the cigarette.

Ryan didn’t move.

He simply stared at the silver lighter in his hand.

For a brief moment...

Images flashed through his mind.

Rose smiling during the early days of their marriage.

The apartment they had once shared.

Then...

Everything disappeared.

Reality returned.

He silently put the lighter back into his pocket without lighting the cigarette.

Just then—

His phone vibrated across the coffee table.

Ryan glanced down.

The caller ID displayed one familiar name.

Samantha Hill.

James immediately noticed it.

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