Chapter 385 The Ring and the Question

Chapter 385: Chapter 385 The Ring and the Question

Trevor’s eyes were unusually clear.

He looked straight at Rose, and for once, there was none of his usual restraint or polished composure in his expression.

Rose paused.

She met his gaze, then calmly screwed the cap back onto the bottle and slipped it into her bag.

“Trevor, I understand. You’re a man, and given your situation, you probably have certain needs.” Her tone remained matter-of-fact. “But you’ve had too much to drink. Get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow.”

Rose assumed the alcohol had gotten to him. She didn’t see any reason to dig deeper into what he might really be thinking.

She straightened.

“Go to sleep.”

Trevor understood immediately.

Whatever had happened tonight, Rose clearly wasn’t ready to take their relationship any further. Maybe he had pushed too hard. Maybe he had crossed a line without realizing it.

Either way, he knew continuing would only make things awkward between them.

So he nodded.

“Okay.”

He didn’t argue or bring it up again.

“I’ll have someone drive you home.”

Rose gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”

She hadn’t even been willing to step inside his bedroom.

Trevor understood what that meant.

Rose might seem relaxed and easygoing, but she was actually very careful about boundaries. There were certain lines she would never cross unless she had made the decision herself.

Trevor got out of the car and stood there, watching as Rose drove away.

He remained on the steps long after the car disappeared from sight.

Eventually, he sat down on the spotless stone steps.

He wasn’t naïve. He knew exactly what had happened tonight.

Maybe the cocktail had been stronger than expected.

Maybe his own selfish intentions had played a part.

Either way, Rose was different from other women.

Perhaps she had seen through him. Perhaps she had simply chosen not to call him out.

Maybe she was deliberately playing along, allowing him to save face so they could continue getting along without making things uncomfortable.

Trevor watched the empty road for a moment before letting out a quiet breath.

There was no need to rush.

Once they were married, none of this would matter.

And the wedding wasn’t far away.

The preparations were already well underway. There was still plenty to do, especially with the decorations, but everything would be finalized within a month at the latest.

Besides, he and Rose had Ariel between them.

For now, that was enough.

Trevor had barely gotten to his feet when his phone rang.

He answered as he walked toward the house, loosening his tie with one hand.

“What is it?”

“Mr. Robinson, someone has been tracking your movements.”

Trevor stopped.

He didn’t need to ask who.

Tonight had been impossible to miss. He and Rose had practically put on a public display of being hopelessly in love before leaving together in broad daylight.

Some people wouldn’t care.

Others definitely would.

Trevor pushed open the front door.

“Keep an eye on the car that dropped Rose off. Let me know as soon as it reaches my private residence.”

“Yes, sir.”

*****

When Rose got home, she took a shower.

Afterward, she stood in front of the mirror and looked down at the ring on her finger.

Trevor had slipped it onto her hand earlier that evening.

The diamond caught the light, dazzling enough to make her squint.

The ring was heavy.

She couldn’t tell whether it was because of the size of the diamond or because of everything it represented.

Rose raised her hand and studied it for a long moment.

In the end, she didn’t take it off.

She had accepted it in front of everyone.

Taking it off the moment she got home would only make people more curious. It would look as though she were trying to hide something.

There was no point.

If anything, she wanted people to see it.

Especially the Knight family.

And especially Ryan.

A ring was a clear boundary.

It told everyone that she had made her choice and that they should focus on their own lives.

Rose left the ring where it was, plugged in her phone—which had died earlier that night—and went to bed.

The next morning, she slept late.

By the time she woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

Diana had returned with Ariel.

The moment Diana saw the enormous diamond on Rose’s finger, her eyes widened.

“Oh, wow!”

She practically rushed across the room.

“My God, Rose. Is the sun trying to blind me today?”

She bumped Rose’s shoulder with a teasing grin.

“So? Did it work?”

Rose pushed her away.

“It’s a long story.”

Diana burst out laughing.

“So, does this mean the two families are officially becoming in-laws?”

Ariel was too young to care about the ring. She had already wandered off to get herself some milk.

Rose watched her for a moment before turning back to Diana.

“What do you know about Trevor’s family and Robinson Corporation?”

Diana tilted her head.

“Why?”

“Trevor is from the main branch, right?”

“Yeah. He’s the only son, so he has a lot of authority. But there are still several senior members of the family whose opinions matter. And the company is even more complicated. There are a lot of people involved.”

Rose thought about it.

“If the company is working on a major project—say, a large piece of property—can Trevor make the final decision by himself? Enough to pull out of a bid?”

Diana frowned.

“Not completely. He has plenty of decision-making power, but something that big would still need approval from other people.”

She paused.

“Are you talking about the West Road property?”

“Yes.”

Diana shook her head.

“They wouldn’t pull out of that bid. It’s way too valuable. Even if Trevor wanted to withdraw, I don’t think the Robinson family would let him do it.”

She pulled out her phone.

“Look. The bidding process is already underway, and Robinson Corporation is one of the bidders.”

Rose froze.

“What?”

Diana handed her the phone.

Rose looked down at the screen.

The news had already been published that morning.

Robinson Corporation was still in the running.

They hadn’t withdrawn their bid.

Rose stared at the article.

Trevor had told her they had already pulled out.

And he had sounded completely certain when he’d said it.

So, what had happened?

A strange, uneasy feeling settled in her chest.

If Trevor had been telling the truth, why was Robinson Corporation still bidding?

“What’s wrong?” Diana asked, noticing her expression.

Rose shook her head.

“Nothing.”

She didn’t call Trevor.

She had no right to demand that he withdraw from a business deal simply because she wanted him to. And if there was something she didn’t understand, she would rather hear his explanation than make assumptions.

If Trevor wanted to explain, he would.

Rose wasn’t going to force him.

“Let’s eat first.”

She went to freshen up.

Diana didn’t press her.

After all, Ariel had been wrestling with her milk bottle for several minutes.

The little girl had both hands wrapped around it, twisting and pulling at the cap with all her strength.

But it wouldn’t budge.

Her cheeks puffed out in frustration.

Diana watched for another second before sighing.

“You stubborn little thing. Why won’t you ever ask for help?”

She walked over and took the bottle from her.

“You’re barely old enough to open this yourself, and you’re already determined to do everything alone. Who did you get that from?”

The moment the words left her mouth, Diana stopped.

A strange thought crossed her mind.

Please don’t tell me she got that from the Knight family.

She rubbed her arms, suddenly feeling a little uneasy, and opened the bottle for Ariel.

*****

Later that day, Rose went to NYU.

There was still work to supervise with the research team, and she needed to check on their progress.

She happened to run into Alicia as soon as she arrived.

The young woman spotted her and immediately hurried over, backpack slung over one shoulder.

Her long chestnut-brown hair was pulled into a loose side braid, making her look even younger and more energetic.

“Professor Bennett!”

Alicia stopped in front of her.

“Where were you yesterday? I didn’t see you at all.”

“I left early.”

Rose didn’t elaborate.

Alicia’s eyes lit up.

“With Mr. Robinson?”

“Yes.”

Alicia’s expression turned thoughtful.

“So President Knight was right.”

Rose raised an eyebrow.

Alicia puffed out her cheeks.

“President Knight and I both noticed that you and Mr. Robinson left early yesterday.”

Rose wasn’t surprised.

Of course Ryan would have heard about it.

Alicia smiled.

“But President Knight wasn’t trying to cause trouble between you two. If anything, he seemed like he genuinely wanted you to be happy.”

She shrugged.

“Everyone knew you were on a date, and he didn’t say anything.”

Then Alicia suddenly looked at Rose with sympathy.

“So your marriage really was an arranged one, wasn’t it?”

Rose said nothing.

Alicia sighed.

“You’ve had it rough all these years, Professor Bennett.”

Then her face brightened again.

“But at least you’re finally free.”

She gave Rose an encouraging smile.

“I’m really happy for you, Professor Bennett. You finally got away from all that.”

Rose’s expression remained calm, but something about Alicia’s words made her chest tighten slightly.

She wasn’t sure whether she was actually free yet.

But she had a feeling things were about to become much more complicated.