Chapter 397 A Question of Custody

Chapter 397: Chapter 397 A Question of Custody

Those words made Rose’s mind go blank for a moment.

She looked up at him in astonishment.

Ryan continued to study every flicker of emotion on her face, his voice steady and controlled.

“The Robinson family’s affairs may not be as straightforward as you think. If you’re not completely certain that Trevor is trustworthy, find a way to move your daughter out first before you make any other decisions. Otherwise, you could end up losing both your daughter and your fortune.”

Rose’s breathing grew uneven.

Her chest rose and fell as she stared at him.

“In what capacity are you telling me this?”

“Seven years ago...”

Ryan’s voice slowed.

“The divorce agreement you signed made you believe that our marriage would end sooner or later. Under those circumstances, if you had conceived a child with me, wouldn’t you have kept it secret because you were afraid you wouldn’t be able to take the child with you?”

He sounded as though he were merely asking a question.

Yet Rose could hear the certainty beneath his words.

Her fingers had gone ice-cold. She dug her nails into her palms, forcing herself to remain calm.

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I’ve never thought it was enough to simply take your word for it.”

Ryan lowered his gaze.

“Ariel was born while we were married. Regardless of your relationship with Trevor, I have every reason to harbor doubts. Even if Ariel were my daughter, it wouldn’t be impossible.”

“You...”

Rose’s eyes narrowed.

His frightening intelligence made an inexplicable sense of unease creep through her.

She immediately snapped, “Ryan, you’ve lost your mind.”

“Then think whatever you like.”

Ryan raised a hand and caught her trembling shoulder.

“Rose, what are you afraid of?”

Something inside her suddenly clicked.

Ryan had always been this kind of man.

Once he decided something, he would pursue it relentlessly. It was almost impossible to escape his scrutiny or control.

No matter what she said, he might not believe a word of it.

Rose clenched her fists and met his deep, unreadable eyes.

Then she gave a cold laugh.

“Mr. Knight, listen carefully. My daughter’s surname is Robinson, not Knight.”

Her voice was icy.

“Ariel’s father is Trevor. What does that have to do with you? Why are you trying to claim something that has nothing to do with you?”

Outside the window, sunlight poured into the room.

It was a rare, bright day, the warmth of the sunshine almost reminiscent of spring.

Yet the atmosphere between them was suffocating.

Ryan’s eyes darkened.

He stared at her for a long time without saying anything.

Rose didn’t think she needed to hold back.

Even if he became furious, even if her words hurt him, what did that have to do with her?

“If you want to retain full custody of Ariel...”

Ryan finally spoke.

His voice was slightly hoarse, the coldness beneath it unmistakable.

“Settle the matter before you marry him. Once you’re married, you may no longer have a choice.”

Rose stared at him, her expression tense.

She hated to admit it, but his words had struck a nerve.

The anxiety that had been quietly building inside her suddenly erupted.

Ryan held her gaze.

“Rose, don’t throw a tantrum at me.”

Rose’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

“I’m not throwing a tantrum. I have no feelings for you in the first place.”

Her voice grew colder.

“Forget throwing a tantrum. Even if you sacrificed your life to apologize to me, I wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Ryan, whether you live or die has nothing to do with me. I certainly won’t waste my emotions on you.”

Ryan’s expression remained unchanged.

But his eyes grew darker.

Just then, voices sounded from outside.

“Rose?”

Trevor was back.

Rose immediately felt uncomfortable.

Running into Ryan here had already been inappropriate enough. If Trevor saw the two of them together, things would only become more complicated.

Before she could react, however, Ryan had already walked past her and opened the door.

Trevor happened to be approaching at that exact moment.

The two men came face to face.

Trevor’s naturally serious expression instantly turned colder.

“What do you mean by this, President Knight?”

Ryan walked past him without stopping, a frosty glint in his eyes.

“Mr. Robinson, there’s no need to be so tense. If I wanted to compete with you, I’d have plenty of ways to do it.”

He didn’t linger.

He simply walked away as though the confrontation with Rose moments earlier had never happened.

Trevor watched him leave, his expression darkening.

Then he turned to Rose.

“Why was he here?”

Rose’s throat suddenly felt dry.

The moment she saw Trevor, Ryan’s earlier words resurfaced in her mind.

Trevor might know that the Robinson family would submit another bid.

And—

Keep Ariel’s custody in your own hands.

Rose lowered her eyes.

“He took a wrong turn. He was looking for Miss Mercer.”

She didn’t tell Trevor everything.

Trevor didn’t question her further.

There was only one floor between the two apartments. It was technically possible for Ryan to have taken the wrong door.

But for a man as meticulous as Ryan, it was practically impossible.

Trevor knew that.

Yet he didn’t expose the lie.

Instead, he said, “I don’t think this place is quite right. Shall we look at another neighborhood?”

Rose understood the meaning behind his words immediately.

He didn’t want to live here.

After all, Charlotte was moving into the apartment upstairs, and Ryan would probably be visiting her often.

Even if Rose liked the apartment, Trevor would rather choose somewhere else.

Rose understood his concern.

She didn’t argue.

She simply nodded.

“You decide.”

As they prepared to leave, Trevor glanced back towards the lift.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

*****

Finding the right home wasn’t easy.

Trevor was extremely particular about the apartments they considered, and they had narrowed their choices down to only a handful. Even then, each one still needed to be inspected carefully.

Charlotte hadn’t originally intended to stay in New York for long.

But after meeting Ryan, she’d changed her mind.

She had asked someone to help her find a suitable property, and this apartment had indeed been recommended by Ryan.

At the party that day, he’d told her he’d found a place and asked her to come and have a look.

Now, Charlotte glanced at Ryan, who was standing by the door on the phone.

When he ended the call, his expression seemed even colder than before.

“Once you’ve settled in, get some rest. I still have things to deal with.”

Charlotte stared at him.

“You know our engagement and marriage are practically a done deal.”

She folded her arms.

“The meeting between our families was little more than a formality. Whether we hit it off or not, it was never really up to us.”

The Knight and Mercer families had stood at the top of their respective circles for generations.

When two such families decided to form an alliance, there were countless people involved.

The only two people with little say in the matter were the bride and groom themselves.

Charlotte, however, seemed perfectly content with the arrangement.

“But I’m quite satisfied.”

She looked at Ryan with an unabashed smile.

“I get to marry the man I love. What about you?”

Ryan slipped his hands into his pockets.

“I don’t like you.”

Charlotte stared at him.

Then she glared in exasperation.

“Do you even know how to sweet-talk a woman?”

Yet instead of being offended, she seemed to find his bluntness strangely appealing.

She crossed her arms again.

“Tell me something. Have you ever truly liked a woman?”

Ryan turned around.

“Mm-hmm.”

Charlotte froze.

She had expected him to give the same cold, heartless answer he’d given countless times before.

No.

After all, Ryan had never seemed particularly attached to his marriage with Rose.

To Charlotte, marriage itself appeared to mean very little to him.

And with his status and personality, she had assumed it would be nearly impossible for him to open his heart to anyone.

But his answer...

She watched his retreating figure.

After a moment, she finally recovered.

“The dinner party next week is when both families will officially announce our engagement.”

Her voice carried an unmistakable confidence.

“Whether you like it or not, we’ll be together.”

Ryan didn’t slow down.

He descended to the ground floor.

Once outside, he tilted his chin slightly and glanced towards the upper floors.

Then he took out his phone.

After a moment, the call connected.

“Let’s meet.”

His voice was low.

“It’s about Rose.”