Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid novel Chapter 417

Chapter 417: Chapter 417 The Price of Ariel

That one sentence made Rose’s chest tighten.

She had been thinking about this for days. Sooner or later, the Robinson family would find out that Ariel was Ryan’s daughter. Once they did, everything would change. There would be custody battles, family pressure, public scrutiny—one problem after another.

There were too many things she still needed to figure out.

And all of it had been thrown into chaos because Ryan had suddenly stepped in, exposed Ariel’s identity to the public, and forced everything into the open before Rose was ready.

Rose clenched her jaw.

“I’m on my way.”

Ryan ended the call.

Rose didn’t waste another second. She turned around and headed straight for the Royal Crescent Hotel.

Earlier that day, when she had returned home, Dr. Nathan had happily asked about the wedding. He had wanted to know how the preparations were going and whether she was nervous.

The invitations had already gone out.

Even Grace was supposed to be there tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Rose forced the thought away.

She couldn’t think about the wedding right now.

She had to get to the hotel.

By the time she arrived, Ryan had already texted her the private dining room number. She hurried upstairs.

As she approached the room, she heard voices through the partially closed door. Waiters moved in and out, carrying dishes and clearing plates.

Rose stopped just outside.

She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop.

Then she heard Edward.

His voice was calm, cold, and unmistakably authoritative.

“Ariel is a Knight. The Knight family is grateful to the Robinsons for raising her all these years, but she is our family’s child. There is no reason for the Robinson family to continue carrying that responsibility. We want custody transferred back to the Knight family.”

Rose went still.

Julia spoke next.

“I understand why the Knight family wants Ariel back. If this had been handled privately between our families, the Robinsons wouldn’t have objected. But Ryan made everything public. That has put us in a difficult position.”

“Julia, I understand.”

Edward’s tone didn’t change.

“If the Robinson family wants something in return, let’s stop dancing around it.”

There was a brief silence.

Then Edward continued.

“Kingswell is the country’s leader in semiconductors. The Robinson family has been trying to enter that market for years, but you’ve been held back by technology and patents.”

Rose’s fingers slowly curled into her palms.

“I’ve personally overseen our semiconductor division,” Edward said. “I’m prepared to authorize the transfer of several key technology licenses to the Robinson family. And there’s more. Kingswell will withdraw from the upcoming national semiconductor summit.”

A murmur went through the room.

“If Kingswell doesn’t attend, the Robinson family will have a clear opening to establish itself in the industry. With our support behind the scenes, you won’t have to spend years fighting for a foothold.”

The room fell silent.

Rose could almost hear everyone calculating the value of the offer.

One child.

A massive business opportunity.

The technology the Robinson family had wanted for years.

And Kingswell stepping aside at the industry’s biggest upcoming event.

It was an extraordinary deal.

Julia was clearly taken aback.

But Rose could imagine exactly what she was thinking.

The Knight family had backed themselves into a corner.

Ryan had already told the world that Ariel was his daughter. If the Knight family now appeared unwilling to take responsibility for her, the backlash would be enormous. And for a company like Kingswell, public perception could quickly become a business problem.

Whether they genuinely wanted Ariel or simply wanted to protect their reputation no longer mattered.

They had to act.

And apparently, this was the price they were willing to pay.

“All right,” Julia finally said. “Given the Knight family’s offer, the Robinson family has no objection.”

Rose’s heart sank.

Julia hesitated.

“As for transferring Ariel’s custody, Rose will probably—”

“She doesn’t get a say.”

Edward’s voice cut through hers.

Rose’s face went pale.

“She took the Knight family’s child away from them,” Edward continued coldly. “If this is the consequence, then she brought it on herself.”

Julia was quiet for a moment.

“So you’re saying we should transfer Ariel without telling Rose?”

“That’s what I want.”

Julia let out a quiet breath.

“Then the Robinson family is going to look like the villain.”

“That is your problem.”

Rose stopped breathing.

Julia changed the subject.

“And the wedding?”

“That has nothing to do with the Knight family. Handle it yourselves.”

Rose didn’t hear anything after that.

She stood outside the door, completely numb.

The winter air from the open corridor felt like ice against her skin, but somehow she couldn’t feel the cold.

The Robinson family.

Again.

They had chosen someone else over her.

They had taken her daughter—the one thing she had fought for with everything she had—and turned her into a bargaining chip.

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