Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid novel Chapter 488

Chapter 488: Chapter 488 The Little Things He Kept

Rose didn’t deny it.

After all, Ryan had spent years navigating the business world. Given his position and influence, he knew people across the industry and had access to information most people could only dream of obtaining. If anyone could dig into Liam’s background, it was him.

Liam was a prominent figure in his own right now, hardly someone who could be investigated without a little effort. But the business world had always been a place where the powerful held the advantage.

And Ryan was certainly one of the powerful.

"I’m not sure yet. I just want to learn a little more about him first."

"All right."

Ryan held out his hand to her.

"So, what do I get in return?"

Rose let out an exasperated laugh.

"You’re charging me for helping me now?"

"I’m doing this for my own benefit, actually."

Before she could respond, he reached over and took her hand himself.

"Let’s call this my payment."

The irritation Rose had felt a moment earlier vanished almost instantly.

She glanced down at their joined hands.

"That’s all?"

Just holding hands?

"If you’re interested in paying a little more, I’m not opposed to the idea."

Ryan took his time, lowering his gaze to her as one eyebrow lifted ever so slightly.

Rose scoffed.

"Keep dreaming."

Ryan didn’t bother denying it.

Considering everything they’d been through, he saw no reason to hold back now.

Rose didn’t take him to the campus cafeteria after all. She didn’t want to give the other students or faculty another reason to gossip about them.

Instead, they ate together in her office.

Ryan took her request seriously and promised to look into Liam’s background.

After that, Rose set the matter aside for the time being.

That evening, on her way back to the Taylor house, she ran into James.

He’d just finished a phone call and turned to look at her.

"Did Ryan come to see you?"

Rose nodded.

"Did he go looking for praise, too?"

The corners of James’s mouth curled upward.

After making such a grand gesture, Ryan had apparently wasted no time trying to earn brownie points with Rose.

Rose looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

James paused.

"He didn’t tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Rose pursed her lips.

"He just said he had a headache."

And he’d made quite a production of it, too.

Right after dinner, Ryan had started complaining about a headache. When she’d tried to check on him, he’d pulled her into his arms, flopped down on the couch, and insisted that holding her for a little while would make him feel better.

It had been a transparent attempt to take advantage of her concern.

James was briefly at a loss for words.

Then he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I thought he’d use the opportunity to tell you what he’d done. He’s drawn up a complete inventory of his assets and laid out exactly how they’ll be divided. If he ever does anything to betray you in the future, the Taylor family will have the right to take control of the assets covered by the agreement."

Rose fell silent.

What was that if not giving away his fortune—and placing his future in someone else’s hands?

Ryan really had left himself with almost nothing to fall back on.

And yet, he still wasn’t accustomed to putting his sacrifices on display or using them to persuade her.

He’d always been like that.

Rose drew a deep breath, but it did little to ease the sting behind her eyes.

The emotion building inside her was becoming harder and harder to contain.

"Forget it," James said with a helpless sigh. "I’ll admit it. Maybe no one else could ever give you everything the way he does."

He stepped closer to her.

"Rose, you can’t spend your whole life looking backward. At some point, you have to look ahead. And as far as Ryan goes..." He paused, shaking his head. "I honestly don’t have anything left to criticize."

Rose didn’t answer.

Instead, she abruptly turned around and hurried off in the direction Ryan had gone.

For the past two days, he’d shamelessly found excuses to spend the night with her. But outside those hours, he was still staying at the place James had arranged for him.

Rose hurried all the way there, barely catching her breath before pushing open the door.

She found Ryan sitting behind the desk. He’d apparently just finished showering, and his hair was still slightly damp. In his hand was a small, pale-blue pouch that he was examining quietly.

The moment he heard her enter, he looked up, stood, and walked toward her.

"Why were you running?"

He lifted a hand and gently brushed her forehead, smoothing away the strands of hair that had stuck to her skin.

"Look at you. You’re sweating. Go take a shower before you catch a cold."

Rose looked up at him.

Her throat felt tight, and she struggled to get the words out. In the end, her gaze fell on the little pouch in his hand.

"Why do you still have that?"

"Didn’t you tell me the Buddha wouldn’t protect you?"

Ryan lifted the pouch and gave it a small shake.

"I’m keeping it anyway."

He opened it and carefully took out several folded amulets he’d held on to over the years.

"Every one of these has your name on it. I don’t particularly believe in this stuff myself, but if it has your name on it, I can’t help believing in it."

Rose froze.

She took the amulets one by one and examined them.

Every single one bore her name.

And the handwriting was unmistakably Ryan’s.

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