Chapter 365 The Fall That Wasn’t
“What are you doing here?” Ethan asked coldly. “You have no reason to be involved in today’s meeting.”
He clearly found Rose just as irritating as she found him.
She was sharp-tongued, stubborn, and nothing like the soft-spoken, agreeable woman he thought a wife in the Knight family should be.
“I approved her coming.”
Ryan’s voice cut through the room.
His dark eyes settled on Ethan.
“Do I need your permission?”
A chill ran down Ethan’s spine.
For a split second, the fear he’d carried toward Ryan since childhood resurfaced.
His expression darkened, but he wisely chose not to argue.
Today is different.
Today was the day Ryan would finally fall.
Once the board removed him, Ryan would no longer have any authority within the company.
Ethan turned away and took a seat.
Rose noticed the wariness in his eyes.
She hadn’t defended Ryan because she particularly wanted to.
Ethan was simply irritating.
Besides, Ryan hardly needed her protection. His tongue was sharper than hers on a good day.
She pushed his wheelchair farther into the room.
At the head of the long conference table sat Edward Knight.
His gaze immediately fell on Ryan’s cast.
His brow furrowed.
“What happened?”
Ryan remained completely composed.
“Minor car accident.”
Edward’s expression remained unreadable.
“A car accident?”
“That’s right.”
Ryan didn’t elaborate.
Edward said nothing, but the displeasure in his eyes was unmistakable.
Ryan’s driver was highly experienced. A simple accident involving him was difficult to believe.
A deliberate attack seemed far more plausible.
Rose couldn’t understand why Ryan had chosen such a flimsy explanation.
If Edward ordered an investigation, the truth would come out sooner or later.
After all, Ryan wasn’t some insignificant member of the family.
He was the heir Edward himself had chosen.
Edward looked toward Rose.
“Have a seat.”
The brief glance sent an uncomfortable chill down Rose’s spine.
She suppressed it and pushed Ryan toward his place.
One by one, the other members of the Knight family arrived.
Alex Knight, Ryan’s second uncle, was among them, along with several senior board members and executives.
Almost the entire upper management team was present.
Rose looked around the room.
So this is what today is about.
The confidential information leak had given Ryan’s enemies exactly what they needed.
And they clearly intended to use it.
No one paid much attention to Rose.
To them, she was merely Ryan’s estranged wife—the woman who had never held any real influence within the Knight family.
The meeting began.
One of the family’s most senior members spoke first.
“Ryan’s mistake has already caused enormous damage. Several competitors moved almost immediately after the information was leaked. One European company in particular came out of nowhere and captured more than seventy percent of the new market.”
He shook his head.
“The losses are substantial. The company needs accountability.”
Another executive immediately chimed in.
“We’ve already lost too much.”
“Someone has to take responsibility.”
“This can’t simply be overlooked.”
Rose listened silently.
The situation was worse than she’d expected.
Ryan was surrounded.
There were attacks coming from every direction.
Then Alex Knight leaned forward.
“We can’t change what’s already happened. But we should acknowledge that Ethan acted quickly.”
He glanced toward his son.
“Ethan invested heavily that very night and managed to secure part of the market before our competitors could take everything. Without his intervention, the Knight family might have lost almost the entire opportunity.”
Ethan immediately put on a modest expression.
“I only did what anyone in my position would have done.”
Then he looked toward Ryan.
“Honestly, I always believed you had everything under control. I never imagined something like this would happen.”
He sighed. “We’re in a difficult position now, and the money invested that night has already taken a significant hit. I don’t think the shareholders are going to accept this easily.”
Rose almost laughed.
What a performance.
Ethan looked like a concerned younger brother.
But his eyes were practically glowing with anticipation.
Then Nicholas spoke.
“We can’t deny that Ryan made a serious mistake.”
His tone was solemn.
“I understand everyone’s concerns. Anyone who makes a serious mistake must accept the consequences. I support disciplinary action, and I will remain impartial.”
Rose turned toward Ryan.
He hadn’t moved.
His gaze remained lowered.
Not even a flicker of emotion crossed his face.
His own father was effectively offering him up to protect the family’s interests.
And Ryan didn’t appear to care.
Alex glanced toward Nicholas.
“Ryan is your son. Are you really prepared to do this?”
Nicholas pressed his lips together.
“He’s still young. He’s been carrying too much responsibility for too long. Mistakes are bound to happen.”
He turned toward Edward.
“Given the circumstances, I believe Ryan should step down temporarily.”
The room went quiet.
Nicholas continued.
“He should hand over the projects currently under his supervision. It’s the only way to reassure the board, protect the company’s reputation, and answer to the shareholders.”
Alex nodded.
“I agree.”
He looked toward Ryan.
“I’ll help clean up the mess. You’re still young, Ryan. Consider this an opportunity to gain experience.”
One after another, the board members voiced their agreement.
Rose’s fingers tightened around the handle of Ryan’s wheelchair.
She had witnessed Ryan’s accomplishments over the years.
He had built his position through ability, strategy, and results.
Yet one leak had given every person who’d been waiting in the shadows a reason to come after him.
Now they were all showing their teeth.
Across the table, Ethan looked utterly confident.
He was already celebrating.
But Ryan didn’t even raise his eyes.
He was still holding the little yoghurt cup he’d brought from the hospital.
The sight was so absurdly out of character that Rose couldn’t help noticing it.
Edward finally spoke.
His voice was cold.
“Ryan.”
Ryan looked up.
“Don’t you have anything to say?”
Ryan glanced around the room.
“Is everyone finished?”
The question immediately irritated several people.
One board member slammed his palm against the table.
“Mr. Knight, what kind of attitude is that?”
Ethan smiled.
“Bro, admitting you made a mistake isn’t that difficult.”
He leaned back. “Otherwise, won’t everything you’ve worked for all these years be wasted?”
There was unmistakable satisfaction in his eyes.
Ryan slowly turned toward him.
Their gazes met.
Ethan’s heart suddenly skipped.
For a moment, that familiar childhood fear returned.
Those dark eyes were always too calm.
Too difficult to read.
Ryan spoke quietly.
“Since you’ve finished talking, I’ll have my turn.”
He looked toward the door.
“Bring her in.”
Everyone turned.
Rose frowned.
Who?
A few seconds later, the doors opened.
A woman was pushed into the room in a wheelchair.
The moment Ethan saw her, all the color drained from his face.
He shot to his feet.
“Samantha?”
His voice cracked.
Then, without thinking, he blurted out, “How is she here?”
He immediately realized his mistake.
But it was too late.
Every eye in the room had turned toward him.
Rose stared at Samantha in disbelief.
She looked nothing like the polished, confident woman Rose remembered.
Her face was frighteningly pale.
Her hair was disheveled.
Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty.
There was something broken in her eyes—a terror and desperation Rose had never seen in her before.
Rose’s heart tightened.
She had heard that Samantha’s pregnancy had allowed her to temporarily avoid incarceration.
She’d been furious about it.
Samantha had nearly killed Ariel, yet because she was pregnant, she’d managed to remain outside custody.
But this—
Rose couldn’t understand what had happened.
Samantha suddenly spotted Ethan.
Something inside her snapped.
She lunged forward from the wheelchair.
“You bastard!”
Her voice echoed through the room.
“You and your mother are monsters!”
Ethan’s face went white.
“You tried to send me away! You even killed my baby!”
His entire body stiffened.
“That was your child!”
The room erupted in murmurs.
Samantha pointed at him with trembling fingers.
“You, your mother, and everyone in your family—you all deserve to go to hell!”
“Shut up!”
Ethan rushed toward her.
But before he could reach her, Edward raised his hand.
“Stop him.”
Two security guards immediately grabbed Ethan.
“Grandfather—”
“Stay where you are.”
Edward’s voice was quiet.
But there was enough authority in it to silence the entire room.
Ethan struggled.
“She’s lying!”
Samantha laughed.
It was a broken, hysterical sound.
“You’re still pretending?”
Her eyes were filled with hatred.
After everything she’d endured, whatever fear she’d once had of Ethan was gone.
Only rage remained.
“If I hadn’t gone looking for you, I might still have had a chance!”
She pointed at him.
“I went to you because I thought you would protect me!”
Her voice cracked.
“But you and your mother—”
She shuddered.
“They’re not human.”
Rose’s expression changed.
She didn’t know what had happened to Samantha, but whatever it was, it had clearly shattered her.
Samantha’s breathing became ragged.
Then she looked directly at Edward.
“Chairman Knight, you’ve all been played for fools.”
Ethan’s face turned ashen.
Samantha continued.
“It was Ethan.”
The room fell silent.
“He forced me to steal the confidential files.”
She stared straight at him.
“He was the one who leaked the information.”
A murmur swept through the room.
“And then he framed me.”
Ethan’s expression was one of pure panic.
“Samantha, think carefully about what you’re saying.”
She laughed again.
“You want me to think carefully?”
Her eyes burned with hatred.
“I have the recording.”
That single sentence silenced everyone.
“I recorded everything.”
Samantha’s hands trembled, but her voice grew stronger.
“I’ll make sure you pay for everything you’ve done.”
She turned toward Ethan.
“You and your mother.”
Her eyes were filled with murderous hatred.
“You’re not getting away with this.”
For the first time that day, Ethan’s confidence completely disappeared.