On the drive back to the hotel from the private dining restaurant, Jordan made countless WhatsApp video calls to Rose.
Without exception, every single call went unanswered.
Being stood up by a woman was a first for him.
Every woman he had ever met had gone out of her way to please him.
Except Rose.
She had left him hanging for an entire hour.
Jordan stepped out of the car, his handsome face clouded with anger, and strode toward the hotel with long, purposeful strides.
He suspected he had been too accommodating.
Too patient.
And that was exactly why Rose felt comfortable provoking him like this.
Tonight, he had no intention of maintaining his gentlemanly, slow-and-steady approach.
As he stepped out of the elevator, he happened to run into Samantha exiting the elevator on the opposite side.
She wore a dark green, deep-V, strapless evening gown that hugged her waist perfectly.
The high slit revealed glimpses of her long legs as she walked.
Jordan’s gaze naturally fell on her.
She was beautiful.
And undeniably alluring.
It was obvious she had a date tonight.
Yet looking at Samantha dressed this way stirred no romantic feelings in him.
Instead, he found himself imagining what Rose would look like in the same dress.
The thought spread through his mind like wildfire.
Raising a hand, he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Samantha noticed him and smiled gently. "Mr. Dutch, weren’t you supposed to meet Rose tonight? Did everything go well between you two?"
Her gaze carefully studied him.
There were no signs whatsoever of a passionate evening.
Only then did she narrow her eyes slightly.
"Yes. I’m going to see her now."
Jordan offered no further explanation.
After all, being stood up wasn’t exactly something worth advertising.
A faint light flickered in Samantha’s eyes. "You’re going to her room now? Did Rose ask you to come?"
Had Rose really invited Jordan upstairs?
Jordan continued walking without slowing down. "Mm."
Samantha watched his retreating figure and leisurely followed after him.
*****
The doorbell rang again.
And again.
Each ring grew more urgent than the last.
The persistence reflected the visitor’s increasingly foul mood.
Instinctively, Rose tightened her grip on the box containing the small-leaf rosewood pendant.
For some reason, her heart skipped a beat.
Too much had happened today.
Margaret’s sudden phone call.
Ryan’s insistence that she play along with his birthday charade.
Amid all the chaos, she had completely forgotten to contact Jordan.
No wonder her temples were throbbing.
Rose glanced toward Ryan.
He remained seated across from her, calm and composed as ever.
Not even the relentless ringing seemed to affect him.
Tilting his head slightly, he simply watched her.
Rose stood up, picked up the box, and walked into the suite.
Regardless of whether she liked Jordan or not, she knew she had handled the situation poorly.
She had failed to show up for their appointment.
That much was undeniable.
Instead of opening the door immediately, she checked the security camera feed.
To her surprise, it wasn’t just Jordan standing outside.
Samantha was there as well.
Jordan’s expression was grim, his jaw clenched tightly.
A wave of frustration washed over Rose.
What kind of situation was this?
She was trapped.
Ryan was currently inside her suite.
Opening the door would completely change the situation.
For one thing, the Knight family had always made it clear that she was never to reveal her identity as Mrs. Knight or expose any scandal involving the family.
Secondly—
She no longer wanted any connection to Ryan whatsoever.
As she stood there thinking—
Samantha’s voice drifted through the intercom. "Mr. Dutch, Rose may still be in the shower. Please be patient and give her a little more time."
Jordan finally glanced at her. "Miss Hill, you don’t live on this floor, do you?"
Samantha smiled. "The hotel told me the rooftop would have the best view of tonight’s fireworks, so I came up early. The viewing area is upstairs, and this floor is the only way to access it."
She paused.
Then added softly, "I already made plans with Ryan tonight..."
She left the rest unsaid.
But the faint blush coloring her cheeks spoke volumes.
Rose heard every word clearly.
Looking at Samantha’s revealing evening gown on the screen, the implication couldn’t have been more obvious.
So Ryan really did have plans with Samantha tonight.
No wonder he knew exactly when the fireworks would begin.
Rose couldn’t help laughing at herself.


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