Chapter 368 The Knight Family’s Verdict
Edward Knight’s voice carried an overwhelming sense of authority.
His sharp, eagle-like gaze seemed to pierce straight through Rose.
Her throat tightened.
Almost instinctively, a cold sweat broke out across her back.
Ryan, who had still been contemplating Edward’s revelation about the divorce agreement from seven years ago, finally raised his eyes.
There was no longer any surprise in his expression.
Instead, a chilling stillness gradually settled over his features.
Given his grandfather’s resources and influence, discovering what had happened recently—including the fact that Rose had given birth to a child—would have been easy enough.
But to bring it up now, at this precise moment...
That was clearly intentional.
“A daughter?”
Margaret was completely unaware of the matter.
When Edward mentioned it, she stared at him in disbelief.
“What do you mean? When did the two of them have a child?”
Rowan frowned.
Edward let out a cold laugh.
“Let Rose explain it herself.”
Although Rose wasn’t entirely surprised that Edward had discovered Ariel’s existence, her thoughts began racing.
Countless possibilities flashed through her mind.
Including the worst-case scenario.
There was no avoiding this anymore.
She clenched her fists and met Edward’s gaze head-on.
“Since you already know the child exists, is there really any point in asking me to explain?”
“It’s been several years,” Edward said, looking her up and down. “But you’ve certainly become much bolder.”
His voice grew colder.
“The Knight family is not a family you can trample on at will. Even with your status as Aster, that does not give you the right to challenge us.”
Ever since the incident involving Samantha, Edward had quietly ordered his people to investigate Rose thoroughly.
Her identity as Aster had not been made public. In fact, certain people had deliberately kept it concealed.
But the fact that Rose had given birth to a child had genuinely surprised him.
“And as far as I know, you’re planning to marry that young man from the Robinson family?”
Edward narrowed his eyes.
“That child—is she supposedly yours and Trevor’s?”
His expression hardened.
“What do you take the Knight family for? Our family’s reputation and honor will not tolerate anyone bringing disgrace upon us.”
“You...”
Margaret’s face turned pale with shock.
“When did you do something so disgraceful?!”
She had always wanted Rose to have a child. At one point, she had even suspected that Rose might not be able to conceive.
Yet now, a child had suddenly appeared.
And she was supposedly Trevor Robinson’s daughter.
The Robinson family was one of the Knight family’s greatest rivals.
Worse still, they had known nothing about the child all these years.
“Could there be some misunderstanding?”
Rowan pressed his lips together.
“Rose would never do something like this.”
The certainty in his voice made Ryan lift his eyes and glance at him.
He said nothing.
Rose watched the exchange quietly.
She knew that what she said next would determine everything.
Straightening her back, she spoke clearly.
“It isn’t a misunderstanding.”
Her voice was steady.
“The child is Trevor’s. That is the truth. I gave birth to a daughter for him, and he raised her.”
Rose deliberately presented it as an established fact.
There could be no room for doubt.
She also wanted the Knight family to understand something else.
Ariel was the Robinson family’s most precious child.
They might resent Rose all they liked, but they would have to think twice before laying a hand on Ariel.
Edward’s expression finally darkened.
“A scandal that has brought shame upon the Knight family cannot simply be ignored.”
He placed his teacup on the table.
“According to our family rules, disciplinary action is necessary.”
His gaze hardened.
“Someone. Carry out the punishment.”
The moment those words fell, everyone’s expression changed.
Everyone present knew exactly what the Knight family’s disciplinary measures meant.
Rowan was the first to step forward.
“Grandfather, Rose is physically frail. She won’t be able to withstand it. Besides, the matter hasn’t even been fully investigated.”
Ryan’s dark eyes became unfathomably deep.
He still said nothing.
Rose’s expression changed abruptly.
A flicker of panic crossed her eyes.
She knew the Knight family too well.
The more powerful the family, the stricter its rules.
She had personally witnessed Ethan being severely punished before his imprisonment.
And now those same rules were being turned against her.
Rose’s lips tightened.
“Do I need to remind you? Ryan and I have been divorced for years!”
Her voice was firm.
“The Knight family has nothing to do with me anymore. You have no right to interfere in my private affairs.”
Margaret’s expression darkened.
“I always thought you were a sensible young woman. I never imagined you would cause such a disgrace behind our backs.”
“How are we supposed to face the Knight family now?”
She was genuinely furious.
Rose had supposedly given birth to another man’s child while she was still a member of the Knight family.
If word got out, the entire family would become a laughing stock.
“As of today, I have no face left to protect you.”
Edward looked at Rose coldly.
“Divorce?”
His voice was calm.
“You’ve done wrong. Is it not a fact that you were unfaithful during your marriage?”
“Do you deny that you betrayed Ryan?”
Rose’s face paled slightly.
Of course, she couldn’t reveal the truth.
Whether she admitted the accusation or not, she had no choice but to carry it.
And judging by the Knight family’s attitude today, they clearly had no intention of letting her leave peacefully.
Rose almost found it laughable.
After everything she had endured, she was no longer afraid of standing up to Edward Knight.
“Is the entire Knight family blind?”
Her words fell sharply into the silent hall.
“Ryan wronged me first. He abandoned me and went abroad immediately after we married.”
Margaret’s expression stiffened.
Rose continued.
“And when Samantha’s affair became known, what did you all do?”
“You turned a blind eye.”
“You allowed Ryan to make that ‘mistake that every man makes’ and expected me to swallow my pride and pretend nothing had happened.”
Her eyes reddened, but her voice remained steady.
“Now, when something similar happens to you, suddenly you can’t tolerate it?”
The hall fell silent.
This was perhaps the first time Rose had openly challenged Edward and Margaret like this.
She had made her position perfectly clear.
She was exposing their hypocrisy.
Rose had no intention of being the obedient daughter-in-law anymore.
“Didn’t you two allow Samantha’s scandal to grow into such a massive mess?”
Her gaze swept across them.
“If we’re going by your logic, then not a single person in the Knight family has lived up to your so-called standards.”
“The family’s disciplinary rules should be applied to all of you as well.”
Her voice sharpened.
“Perhaps then you could all have a proper look at yourselves.”
She had kept these words bottled up for far too long.
Now, she no longer cared about the consequences.
Ryan and Samantha’s affair had been public knowledge for years.
Had the Knight family truly known nothing?
Of course they had.
They simply chose to turn a blind eye and expected Rose to endure it.
Margaret’s face darkened.
“Rose, are you saying this is my fault?”
“You’re blaming me for allowing things to reach this point?”
Rose straightened.
“Everyone knows in their own heart what is right and what is wrong.”
“You!”
Margaret trembled with anger.
Disappointment filled her eyes.
“How did you become so aggressive?”
Rowan was about to speak.
But Edward beat him to it.
“If you refuse to admit your mistake...”
He paused.
“Then your marriage to Trevor will not happen.”
His tone remained remarkably calm.
But the meaning behind his words was unmistakable.
It was a warning.
Rose’s temples throbbed violently.
Pain seemed to spread through her nerves.
Only when people were about to part ways did a family like this reveal its true colors.
She didn’t have her divorce certificate with her.
Without it, she couldn’t complete Ariel’s residency arrangements.
She had been hoping to resolve everything through her marriage to Trevor.
And now the Knight family was interfering again.
Her emotions were pushed dangerously close to the breaking point.
Rose clenched her palms so tightly that her nails nearly broke the skin.
At that moment, the old butler approached.
In his hands was a flexible whip made from specially treated snakeskin.
Its surface was covered in fine, densely packed barbs.
Even looking at it was enough to make one’s scalp prickle.
Ryan’s gaze immediately turned cold.
Rowan couldn’t bear to watch Rose suffer.
He stepped forward.
After taking a deep breath, he spoke firmly.
“There may be a misunderstanding.”
“If punishment is absolutely necessary...”
His gaze was unwavering.
“I’ll take it in her place.”
His determination to protect Rose was obvious.
There was no hesitation in his voice.
He looked like a true guardian standing between her and danger.
Anyone who didn’t know the circumstances might even have thought he was the man who had been married to Rose for the past seven years.
His words elicited different reactions from everyone in the room.
Margaret’s expression flickered.
“Rowan! Don’t be ridiculous!”
Ryan’s gaze deepened as he looked at the figure standing protectively in front of Rose.
For some inexplicable reason, the corners of his lips slowly curved upwards.
It was an expression so subtle that no one could tell what he was thinking.