Chapter 377 The Choice She Deserved
When Samantha had been passing herself off as someone she wasn’t, her true identity hadn’t even been confirmed.
Yet somehow, a chain of events had already begun pushing the Taylor and Robinson families toward dissolving the engagement.
Both families had been forced to sit down and settle the matter.
But could it really be that Samantha—a complete fraud—had single-handedly destroyed a marriage arrangement that should have belonged to Rose?
If the engagement had never been called off, Rose and Trevor would probably be the couple everyone expected to see together now.
Their relationship would have been approved by both families, their marriage arranged by their elders, and everything would have fallen neatly into place.
James narrowed his eyes as he watched Ryan disappear down the hallway.
He wasn’t sure about Trevor.
But the more he thought about it, the more he suspected that the Robinson family’s elders hadn’t agreed to dissolve the engagement because they genuinely liked Rose.
They simply didn’t want their family to be tied down by the Taylor family.
Trevor was the Robinson heir. The family couldn’t afford to have their future leader spend years waiting for a fiancée whose identity and whereabouts were uncertain.
Then Rose had appeared.
Perhaps they’d simply used her as an excuse—a convenient way to end an engagement they had already wanted to escape.
As for whether Trevor’s feelings for Rose were genuine...
That was something only time could prove.
Now that the original engagement was gone, the situation had actually become more complicated.
The Taylor family would naturally have to reconsider whether the Robinsons could truly be trusted.
And if they did, they would approach Rose and Trevor’s marriage with far more caution.
The question of whether Rose should marry Trevor...
The Taylor family would have to think very carefully about it.
*****
Grace didn’t want to tire Gabriel any further.
She could tell that the old man was already exhausted. She still had countless questions about Sophia, but she forced herself to hold them back.
As she prepared to leave, tears welled in her eyes.
She took Rose’s hand in both of hers, gently rubbing the back of it as though she needed to reassure herself that Rose was really there.
“I know this is a lot for you,” Grace said softly. “But it’s okay. I won’t pressure you. Do whatever feels right to you. Whatever you decide, one thing will never change—you are my granddaughter.”
She didn’t want Rose to feel trapped.
Rose’s throat tightened.
After a moment, she nodded.
“Okay.”
James knew perfectly well that Rose didn’t like him.
He clenched his fists, his palms damp with nervous sweat.
“There was something else I wanted to tell you.”
Rose looked at him.
“The garden you visited at the Taylor estate last time... My family actually bought it for you. If you want it, I’ll transfer the property into your name.”
He swallowed.
“And Rose... about what happened before, I’m sorry.”
Rose immediately remembered what he was talking about.
James had deliberately arranged for Trevor to find her and Jordan alone together, all because he wanted Trevor to misunderstand her and drive a wedge between them.
Her expression hardened.
“No need.”
She didn’t even give him another look.
James felt as though he’d swallowed a fishbone.
Every attempt he made to repair their relationship seemed to hurt him even more.
He didn’t want to make Rose hate him further, so he could only turn and leave.
Yet even after he’d walked several steps away, he kept looking back.
Before leaving the room, Grace gave Ryan one last sharp look.
He was now sitting beside Gabriel as though he had every right to be there.
Ryan didn’t even look up.
The room fell quiet.
Rose stared at him for a moment.
Then she nudged his uninjured leg with her foot.
A silent message:
Time to leave.
Ryan didn’t react.
Instead, he calmly poured Gabriel another cup of tea.
“Grandpa,” he said, “what do you think about all of this?”
Gabriel shook his head.
“To be honest, I don’t trust the Knight family.”
Rose’s head snapped up.
Gabriel continued, “A family like yours has been at the top for generations. Families like that care deeply about bloodlines and status. The Bennett family can’t compare with the Knights.”
He looked at Ryan. “I know you’re a good young man. But marriage isn’t something two people can keep behind closed doors forever. If the Knight family eventually grows tired of RoRo, could you really stand against your entire family for her?”
Ryan remained silent.
Gabriel sighed. “That’s why I can’t put all her hopes on one person.”
He glanced at Rose. “People change. Feelings change. I can trust you with her today, but what about ten years from now? Twenty?”
His voice grew heavier. “What happens if your family keeps making her feel inferior because of where she came from? You might protect her once. You might protect her twice. But eventually, you could grow tired.”
Gabriel shook his head. “I know I’m being pessimistic. Maybe even overly cautious. But I have to consider every possibility.”
He reached for Rose’s hand. “Feelings can change. A powerful family behind her is different. Whether they acknowledge her or not, if they know the truth, at least she’ll have somewhere to turn if she ever needs help.”
Rose’s heart ached.
Her grandfather was already so old.
He should have been enjoying his remaining years in peace, not worrying every day about what would happen to her after he was gone.
And yet, even now, he was still trying to make sure she would have someone to protect her.
But there was something Gabriel didn’t know.
She and Ryan had already gone their separate ways.
Their marriage had ended in a complete mess.
“Your concerns are reasonable,” Ryan said quietly.
His gaze lowered. “I can’t promise that everything will always be perfect. And I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to protect her from every possible problem.”
Rose looked at him.
For a brief moment, she was surprised.
He sounded as though he’d actually thought about it.
Gabriel squeezed her hand.
“Think about it, RoRo. Having a powerful family behind you isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
He paused. “Whether they accept you is another matter. But at the very least, let them know who you are. Even if they regret what happened, they’ll still be able to support you in the future.”
Rose understood what he meant.
She knew her grandfather was thinking about her future.
And although she still didn’t want to acknowledge Derick as her father, she couldn’t ignore Gabriel’s intentions.
She nodded.
“I understand. Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone take advantage of me.”
Gabriel looked relieved.
But the conversation had exhausted him.
His eyes gradually lost their focus, and his body sank back against the pillows.
Rose swallowed the emotions rising in her chest and quietly stepped outside.
Ryan followed.
“There is no reason to blame yourself,” he said.
Rose looked at him.
Ryan’s voice remained cool.
“What someone says and what they truly believe don’t always have to be the same thing.”
He glanced toward the closed door.
“Your grandfather may not agree with everything happening now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make use of the Taylor family if they are willing to help you.”
Rose frowned. “You make everything sound like a business transaction.”
“That’s because it often is.”
She stared at him.
“And what about you?”
Ryan looked over.
“What about me?”
“You watched Samantha end up in that situation. You look completely calm, but do you actually feel anything? Regret? Guilt?”
Ryan was quiet for a moment.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“You’re very good at getting straight to the point.”
He studied her curious expression.
“So tell me. What do you think I should do?”
Rose stepped closer.
“How would I know? We’re not exactly close.”
They had skipped everything that should have come before marriage.
No romance.
No getting to know one another.
No chance to build a real relationship.
They had simply been thrown into marriage.
Then they’d spent years living separate lives in different countries.
And eventually, someone else had entered the picture.
Their marriage had been doomed from the beginning.
Ryan didn’t argue.
He simply turned and headed downstairs.
When they reached the entrance, he looked back at her.
“Where are you going? Need a ride?”
Rose was already looking down at her phone, trying to book a cab.
“No, thanks. Goodbye.”
She didn’t even look at him.
They were standing only a few feet apart.
Yet somehow, the distance between them felt endless.
Ryan watched her for a long moment.
Then he said nothing more and got into his car.
*****
The bidding session came sooner than Rose expected.
Over the next couple of days, Grace remained in frequent contact with her.
She clearly wanted to get closer to Rose but was careful not to overwhelm her.
Rose continued responding to Grace normally.
She ignored James’s messages.
Ariel was nearly ready to leave the hospital. To keep Nathan from noticing anything unusual or worrying unnecessarily, Rose told him that Ariel would stay with her for a few more days.
Then, that morning, Trevor called.
“Are you free today?”
Rose paused.
“Why?”
“Would you come with me to the bidding session for the West Road property?”
Rose immediately thought of Ryan.
And the Knight family’s plan to use the property as leverage.
Trevor was asking her to attend at exactly the moment when everything was about to come to a head.
She had no idea what he intended to do.
But he wasn’t hiding anything from her.
After a moment’s thought, Rose answered, “Okay.”
Whatever Trevor decided to do was ultimately his choice.
She wouldn’t make that decision for him.
Rose hadn’t seen Ryan over the past couple of days.
She had promised to visit him every day to change his dressings and help with his recovery, but after leaving the hospital, she hadn’t heard from him again.
She had no idea where he’d gone.
Since she couldn’t reach him, she eventually stopped trying.
Diana happened to have the weekend off, so she went straight to the hospital to keep Ariel company.
That allowed Rose to leave without worrying.
When she arrived at the bidding venue, she stepped out of the car and immediately spotted someone familiar.
Ryan.
He was standing nearby, talking to another man.