Chapter 378 Who said I didn’t withdraw
Ryan was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, but with his leg still injured, he could only get around comfortably in a wheelchair. Even so, everyone who approached him lowered themselves slightly when speaking to him, their respect almost instinctive.
His expression remained stern and unreadable.
Ryan had always been impeccably polite in public. He exchanged a few brief pleasantries, offered a restrained nod, and then turned his attention back to the room.
His eyes found Rose almost immediately.
She was standing across the crowded venue, and the moment their gazes met, Rose frowned.
She wasn’t surprised to see him. Ryan was one of the bidders, after all. His presence at the event was perfectly natural.
“Rose, over here.”
Trevor had been waiting for her. The moment he spotted her, he made his way downstairs, ignoring the executives trying to stop him for a conversation. He walked straight toward her.
Rose glanced at him. “Are you sure I should be here?”
“Why wouldn’t you be?” Trevor handed her a name badge. “There are plenty of people here from the medical industry, and several companies are looking to invest in new medical facilities. It’s a good chance for you to make some contacts.”
“Okay.”
Rose still couldn’t figure out what Trevor was thinking.
Ryan had made his position perfectly clear. He wanted the West Road property, and he’d made it clear that he was prepared to use her as leverage.
Yet Trevor seemed completely unfazed.
The fact that he’d come to the bidding meant he’d already made his decision. He wasn’t planning to back down for Ryan.
Rose wasn’t particularly surprised.
The Robinson family had built its reputation by making calculated business decisions. It wasn’t the kind of family that would sacrifice a major investment because of a romantic relationship.
And her marriage to Trevor was complicated in its own way. They were getting married for Ariel, not because they had some grand love story between them.
So Rose had never truly expected Trevor to surrender such a valuable opportunity for her.
Inside the main ballroom, Trevor led her to the front row.
They sat together, and before long, several executives came over to greet Trevor and introduce themselves.
Rose mostly stayed quiet beside him.
Her phone buzzed.
She pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
An unfamiliar number from Washington, D.C.
Her expression changed slightly.
She had a pretty good idea who it might be.
Before she could decide whether to answer, someone stopped beside her.
A familiar scent drifted over—something faintly floral, mixed with mint.
Rose’s fingers tightened around her phone.
She looked up.
Ryan.
Their eyes met.
His gaze dropped briefly to the screen in her hand.
“Derick?”
He’d only needed one glance.
Rose immediately locked her phone and slipped it into her pocket.
Ryan took a slow sip from his coffee.
“He probably already knows who you are,” he said casually. “You might as well stop hiding. You don’t need his affection. But if he’s guilty about what happened, that guilt could still be useful to you.”
Rose’s expression hardened.
“That’s none of your business.”
Ryan didn’t argue.
Before he could say anything else, one of the executives speaking with Trevor noticed Rose.
“Mr. Robinson, may I ask who this is?”
Trevor turned.
His gaze briefly met Ryan’s before he answered without hesitation.
“Rose. She’s my fiancée.”
The announcement immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Several executives turned toward Rose with smiles.
“So this is the future Mrs. Robinson.”
“You two really are a perfect match.”
“Congratulations, Chairman Robinson. Your fiancée is beautiful.”
“Congratulations to both of you.”
One compliment followed another.
Rose maintained a polite smile and nodded in acknowledgement.
Trevor simply smiled. “Thank you.”
Ryan sat only a few feet away.
He heard every word.
He lowered his eyes and slowly rolled the lighter between his fingers, his expression giving nothing away.
For some reason, Rose felt increasingly uncomfortable.
She leaned slightly toward Trevor.
“Maybe we should switch—”
“What?”
Trevor leaned closer so he could hear her over the noise.
Rose hesitated.
“Nothing.”
She’d wanted to suggest switching seats. Sitting between Ryan and Trevor felt strangely uncomfortable—not because she was afraid of Ryan, but because the entire situation was awkward.
Unfortunately, the bidding was about to begin.
Changing seats now would only draw more attention.
Trevor didn’t seem to notice her discomfort. He opened a bottle of water and placed it beside her.
Then the bidding officially began.
Ryan didn’t look in their direction again.
It was almost as if Rose and Trevor didn’t exist.
The auction continued.
At one point, Rose reached for her water and accidentally brushed against the person beside her.
A brief warmth lingered against her fingers.
She turned.
Ryan had already pulled his hand away.
He glanced at her, completely expressionless, then looked toward Trevor.
“Looks like you’ve made your decision, Chairman Robinson.”
His voice was calm.
“So Rose isn’t worth enough for you to walk away from this deal.”
Rose’s eyebrows drew together.
She knew exactly what he was doing.
“I’ve never made business decisions that way,” she said evenly. “If a company starts sacrificing its interests every time someone’s feelings are involved, there’s no point in running the company at all.”
Ryan glanced at her.
“You’re very good at defending Mr. Robinson.”
The faint curve of his lips carried more sarcasm than amusement.
Rose was about to respond when Trevor spoke first.
“Mr. Knight, how do you know I wouldn’t be willing to walk away?”
Ryan’s eyes shifted toward him.
Trevor’s expression remained calm, but there was an unmistakable edge in his voice.
“Is it because you believe money and profit always come first? Because you’re so used to calculating what people are worth that you assume everyone else thinks the same way?”
The words sounded polite.
The meaning wasn’t.
Ryan understood the implication immediately.
Trevor was reminding him that his own marriage to Rose had fallen apart because he’d treated their relationship like something that could be measured, managed, and eventually discarded.
Ryan didn’t react.
“I’m only making an observation.”
He clicked the lighter open.
The tiny flame flickered before disappearing again.
“And Chairman Robinson’s presence here seems to support my conclusion.”
If Trevor had truly been unwilling to compete, he wouldn’t have shown up.
Ryan’s lips curved slightly.
“There’s no need to pretend otherwise, Mr. Robinson.”
The exchange never became openly hostile.
Their voices remained low and controlled.
But Rose could feel the tension building between them.
She frowned and gave Ryan a warning look.
Enough.
Ryan glanced at her.
Then he leaned back in his wheelchair as if he hadn’t noticed.
Trevor kept his eyes on the auction floor.
After a moment, he finally asked, “When did Ocean Star announce the bid proposal?”
A faint change crossed Ryan’s eyes.
Rose immediately turned toward Trevor.
Then Trevor looked directly at Ryan.
His voice was steady.
“If you want this property badly enough to use Rose as leverage against me, then fine.”
He paused.
“For Rose’s sake, I’m willing to withdraw.”
The words landed heavily.
Rose stared at him.