Chapter 387 The Price of a Secret

Chapter 387: Chapter 387 The Price of a Secret

Rose could only let out a quiet sigh.

“I’m the one who dragged your family into this mess in the first place. I don’t have the right to be angry.”

She wasn’t being unreasonable. Ryan’s decision to pressure Trevor into backing out of the bid—and the embarrassment it had caused Trevor—had all started because of her.

“Rose, you have every right to be angry.”

Trevor was quiet for a long moment before he finally spoke.

“Shouldn’t you be asking me why I broke my promise? Why I’m still bidding? Why I chose the company over you?”

Rose pulled the collar of her jacket tighter against the cold.

“I’m not that kind of person.”

There was another pause.

“But you don’t blame me.”

Rose froze slightly.

“You don’t blame me because you don’t care whether my feelings for you are real. You don’t need them.”

His voice was calm, almost matter-of-fact.

Rose frowned.

They had been clear about this from the beginning.

Their relationship existed because of Ariel. Nothing more.

She had told Trevor from the start that she might never be able to return his feelings, no matter how much he cared about her.

And yet, there was something beneath Trevor’s words now.

Something that sounded dangerously close to hurt.

Rose didn’t know what to say.

“I know you didn’t do this because you wanted to hurt me,” she said finally. “So I’m not blaming you.”

“What if I had known this would happen?”

Trevor’s voice was quieter this time.

“Would you still not blame me?”

Rose hesitated.

She couldn’t answer.

When she’d first seen the news the night before, she’d never felt betrayed by Trevor.

If anything, she’d understood.

The Robinson family was a massive corporation with dozens of executives, board members, and relatives whose interests were tied to the company. From their perspective, protecting the family’s business had to come before one woman’s feelings.

How could Trevor’s voice possibly outweigh all of theirs?

How important could she really be?

Important enough to make him turn his back on his family’s fortune?

Rose had always been realistic about her own worth.

“Forget it.”

Trevor seemed to realize he’d pushed her into a corner.

His tone softened.

“We’re getting married. Whether we’re doing it for business or for Ariel, everyone else is going to see us as a couple. We should probably have a place of our own.”

Rose opened her mouth.

“If you have some free time, come house hunting with me.”

He paused.

“We don’t have to actually live there. We can make it look convincing. And if nothing else, it’s an investment.”

Rose was already preparing to refuse.

“A house can be an investment whether we call it our wedding home or not,” Trevor added before she could speak. “Think of yourself as my real estate adviser.”

There was a faint note of authority in his voice.

Rose considered it.

Finally, she nodded even though he couldn’t see her.

“Okay.”

They ended the call.

Rose remained sitting on the edge of the flower bed, staring blankly ahead as her thoughts tangled together.

Ever since the previous night, one question had kept circling through her mind.

If the conflict between Trevor and the rest of the Robinson family was really as serious as it appeared—if his decisions could be overturned by the family and the two sides were already at odds—then what would happen if she actually married into the Robinson family?

Would getting Ariel away from them be easier?

Would it be easier than dealing with the Knights?

And what about Julia’s competing bid?

Was Trevor genuinely unaware of it?

Or had he known all along and quietly allowed it to happen?

Rose couldn’t stop thinking about it.

These were the things a grown woman had to consider before tying herself to another family.

She remained outside until the cold finally seeped through her clothes.

Winter was coming.

Another year was almost over.

And Ryan...

She still hadn’t heard from him.

According to Alicia, Ryan knew that she and Trevor had left early to spend time alone together.

Apparently, he hadn’t objected.

The thought left Rose surprisingly unaffected.

If Ryan cared less, if he reacted less, then perhaps things would be easier when it came time to fight for custody of Ariel.

There was no reason to worry about something that hadn’t happened yet.

*****

For the next two days, Rose and Ryan seemed to disappear into separate worlds.

They crossed paths with hundreds of people, but never with each other.

Then Rose received a phone call from Margaret.

Rose had changed her phone number, which meant most of her old contacts were gone. She didn’t recognize the number, so she answered without thinking.

The moment she heard Margaret’s voice, however, a knot formed in her stomach.

“How are things going at NYU?” Margaret asked warmly. “Are you settling in?”

Her voice sounded exactly as it always had—gentle, affectionate, almost grandmotherly.

As though nothing had ever happened between them.

That alone made Rose suspicious.

She knew better than to believe Margaret suddenly cared about her.

“Everything’s going well. Thanks for asking.”

“Rose, Grandma isn’t calling just to make small talk.”

Margaret’s voice remained pleasant.

“I heard Mr. Robinson really withdrew from the bidding.”

The entire Knight family had heard about it.

Even Edward knew.

And they’d all been surprised.

When Ryan had first suggested using Rose as leverage to force Trevor to back down, no one in the Knight family had expected it to work.

They’d assumed that a family as powerful and established as the Robinsons would never allow an heir to jeopardize the company’s interests over a woman.

But Trevor’s actions had made Edward reconsider.

Perhaps Rose mattered more than they’d thought.

Of course, the Robinson family had submitted another bid in the end.

Still, Trevor’s reaction had proved one thing:

Rose wasn’t as insignificant as they’d assumed.

“Did you call just to ask me about that?”

Rose avoided giving her a direct answer.

Margaret laughed softly.

She didn’t seem offended by Rose’s guarded tone.

“Are you free this weekend? Come to the old house. I need your help with something.”

Rose nearly laughed.

She’d already severed her relationship with the Knight family.

What could they possibly need from her now?

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think—”

“You wouldn’t want Ariel to find out that she’s an illegitimate child, would you?”

Margaret’s voice changed.

The warmth disappeared.

“If she ever learned that she was born because her mother had an affair while she was still married, it could completely destroy the way she sees herself—and the world around her.”

Rose’s expression changed instantly.

Ariel.

That was the one subject Margaret knew she could use against her.

Rose had spent years protecting her daughter from the uglier parts of her past. She wanted Ariel to grow up feeling secure, loved, and proud of who she was.

The truth about her birth could never come out.

And if the public ever learned that Ariel had been born while Rose was still married to Ryan, the gossip would be merciless.

A child shouldn’t have to carry the shame of the adults around her.

“What do you want?”

Rose’s breathing quickened.

Ariel was her line in the sand.

No matter how angry or frightened she was, she couldn’t afford to lose control.

If the Knights discovered Ariel was her daughter, they could find a way into the child’s life.

And if they ever hurt Ariel, Rose would never forgive them.

Margaret seemed satisfied by her silence.

“Come to the old house at ten Saturday morning.”

“What are you planning?”

“You’ll find out when you get here.”

The call ended.

Rose stared at her phone.

Margaret hadn’t even given her a chance to respond.

Rose knew exactly what kind of woman Margaret was.

She’d spent years believing the older woman genuinely loved her.

Only later had she realized that Margaret had always been exceptionally good at manipulating people’s emotions.

She could make kindness feel like love.

She could make threats sound like concern.

And now she was using Ariel to force Rose’s hand.

Rose clenched her fists.

She took one slow breath.

Then another.

Eventually, she forced herself to calm down.

It was only a visit to the Knight family’s old estate.

They were divorced now.

And as far as Rose knew, the Knights had no other way to control her.

*****

Saturday morning arrived.

Rose still took a cab to the estate.

Every time she came here, an unpleasant sensation settled in her stomach.

She hated this place.

But this was important.

Maybe even critical.

So, she swallowed her discomfort and went inside.

The security guard recognized her and waved her through the gate.

As soon as Rose stepped out of the car, she noticed something strange.

The staff were unusually busy.

People were carrying trays in and out of the house. Others hurried across the driveway, moving between the kitchen, dining room, and living areas.

It wasn’t normal.

The household staff usually worked quietly and kept out of the family’s way whenever possible.

Today, however, the entire estate seemed to be preparing for something.

Rose’s suspicions grew.

She walked toward the main entrance.

The moment she stepped into the foyer, she heard voices and laughter coming from the adjoining sitting room.

She stopped.

Someone was here.

Rose walked closer.

Through the decorative room divider, she caught sight of several people gathered together.

Before she could see who they were, Margaret noticed her.

Her face immediately lit up.

“Rose!”

She waved her over, her smile warmer than usual.

“Come here. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”