Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid novel Chapter 433

Chapter 433: Chapter 433 A Child Should Never Have to Choose

Ryan didn’t answer.

He turned his head toward the window.

Snow had begun falling again, soft flakes drifting beneath the streetlights.

After a long silence, he finally said, “I understand.”

Then he ended the call.

Ryan stood there for a moment before heading upstairs.

At the end of the hallway was his study. The door was secured with a keypad lock, and he entered the code without hesitation.

Inside, the room was quiet and dim.

Books filled nearly every shelf, a mixture of American and foreign editions. Some were rare first editions and out-of-print volumes he’d collected over the years. Most of them had already been read.

Ryan walked to his desk and sat down.

He opened the drawer beside him.

Inside were photographs.

Dozens of them.

Many had been damaged by fire. The edges were blackened, the paper warped, and soot had stained the surviving portions of the images. Most had been torn or burned beyond recognition.

They had clearly once been photographs of two people.

Now, almost every one was incomplete.

Ryan picked up the photograph lying on top.

Half of it was missing.

The remaining portion showed Rose in a wedding dress, smiling with a sweetness that seemed almost impossibly distant now.

Ryan stared at it for a long time.

Then, very gently, he ran his fingertips over the charred edge.

His expression remained unreadable.

After several seconds, he placed the photograph back inside the drawer.

He closed it.

*****

Rose hadn’t had a moment to herself in the past two days.

Her phone seemed to ring constantly.

Ever since the disastrous wedding with Trevor had exposed her connection to the Taylor family, the news had spread quickly.

Combined with everything she’d already accomplished, her newly revealed identity had turned her into the center of attention.

Congratulations came from every direction.

Old acquaintances.

Business contacts.

People she’d barely spoken to before.

Most of them weren’t calling out of genuine concern. They simply wanted to establish a connection with the newly recognized Taylor granddaughter.

Rose had spent two straight days smiling, answering calls, exchanging polite words, and trying not to lose her mind.

She was exhausted.

Grace, meanwhile, had already gone to see Ariel.

Ariel had learned that she was the Taylor family’s great-granddaughter, but surprisingly, she’d taken the news much better than Grace had expected.

Perhaps it was because Ariel had grown up understanding that her biological father was someone else.

She had never been particularly attached to the idea that she belonged exclusively to one family.

And now that everything was finally out in the open, Rose no longer needed to deliberately keep Ariel at arm’s length from the Taylors.

Grace was practically glowing with happiness.

She immediately suggested throwing a small family celebration for Rose and Ariel.

Rose understood exactly what the older woman was thinking.

With the Robinsons now openly estranged and the Knights watching their every move, the gathering wasn’t simply about celebrating.

It was a public statement.

The Taylors were making it clear to everyone that Rose was their family—and that Ariel was their great-granddaughter. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

They were welcoming them home.

Rose understood Grace’s intentions.

And she wasn’t about to ruin the woman’s happiness.

So, she let her have her celebration.

As for Ryan...

They hadn’t seen each other since that day.

Over the past two days, James had also turned down most of his usual social commitments and work obligations.

He had thrown himself completely into spending time with Ariel.

It was almost comical.

He was practically glued to the little girl whenever she was around.

Ariel already knew him.

Back in Washington, D.C., the two of them had even spent some time together on their own, so she wasn’t uncomfortable around him.

That afternoon, James took her outside to play near the fish pond in the backyard.

Snow had covered the grass, the stone paths, and the bare branches of the trees.

Naturally, the two of them ended up building a tiny snowman.

By the time they came back inside, Ariel’s cheeks were pink from the cold.

“Are you freezing, sweetheart?”

James immediately crouched down and took off her scarf.

He wrapped it around his arm before taking both of her little hands between his palms.

Then he blew warm air over her fingers.

Ariel shook her head.

She wriggled free and hurried toward Rose.

“Mommy.”

James immediately went to the kitchen.

He returned with a bottle of warm milk he’d prepared earlier and handed it to Ariel.

Rose touched Ariel’s cold cheek.

“You little troublemaker. Did you have fun?”

Ariel nodded enthusiastically.

“Are you cold?”

Before she could answer, she tilted her head toward James.

Then she held out the bottle.

“Uncle, you should warm your hands too.”

James’s heart practically melted.

Without a second thought, he scooped Ariel out of Rose’s arms.

“Well, if I hold you like this, I’ll be warm enough.”

Rose didn’t stop him.

She knew James adored Ariel.

He treated the little girl as though she were something precious enough to be kept under lock and key.

Rose couldn’t help thinking that, in some ways, his affection for Ariel came from the love he already had for her.

“Where’s Grandma?” Rose asked.

James was still somewhat nervous around Rose.

She usually treated him with a detached politeness, so even a few words from her could make him absurdly happy.

“She’s putting together the guest list,” he said. “Grandma is having the time of her life. She’s been talking about this celebration nonstop.”

Rose nodded.

She had no intention of involving herself.

Let Grace enjoy herself.

Ariel, who had been drinking her milk, suddenly looked up.

Her big eyes were filled with curiosity.

“Will my dad be invited?”

The question immediately wiped the smile from James’s face.

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