Chapter 402 Do You Really Think You’re Worthy?

Chapter 402: Chapter 402 Do You Really Think You’re Worthy?

Rose tugged at her arm, but Ryan’s grip didn’t loosen. Irritation flashed across her face.

“What does your private life have to do with me?”

It was a simple question.

When she had first walked in on Ryan and Alicia, she had been genuinely stunned. After all, Alicia was a member of the Taylor family—and, technically, her younger sister now.

No matter how much of a bastard Ryan could be, and no matter how little he seemed to care about appearances, seeing him involved in something like that had caught Rose completely off guard.

But she hadn’t immediately assumed the worst.

After seven years of marriage, she knew Ryan well enough to know that, despite their troubled relationship, he had never given her any reason to suspect him of carrying on affairs or indulging in casual relationships.

“It’s none of your business.”

Ryan picked up on her words and repeated them in the same detached tone.

Rose couldn’t read his expression.

But beneath the dim lights, his gaze was unnervingly intense, his dark eyes fixed on hers with a quiet force that made her skin prickle.

“You’ve always been good at saying things that hurt,” he said with a faint laugh.

Rose had stopped trying to pull away. She simply tipped her chin up.

“Things that hurt? If there were still feelings between us, maybe they would.”

Her voice was calm and cutting.

“But there aren’t. So, what exactly are you accusing me of?”

She refused to let him paint her as some cold, heartless woman.

Ryan fell silent.

His gaze dropped slightly.

“I see you’re having a pretty easy time at my engagement party tonight.”

Rose smiled faintly.

“You cheated on me while we were married, and I put up with it. Now you’re actually getting married properly—with an engagement party, a big announcement, the whole thing. Why would I interfere?”

“You’re right.”

His thin lips parted slightly.

“You never cared.”

“Is that supposed to be a bad thing?”

“It’s fine.”

Ryan finally released her arm.

His voice returned to its usual cool detachment.

“Caring less means worrying less. You won’t have to carry things that were never yours to carry.”

Rose couldn’t tell whether he meant those words or was simply saying them to provoke her.

She turned to leave.

“Rose.”

She stopped.

Ryan continued, his tone noticeably more serious.

“Don’t assume Alicia is as innocent as she looks.”

Rose remained silent.

“You rarely consider what people are capable of when they have bad intentions. You think that as long as you stay out of other people’s business, they’ll leave you alone.”

His eyes darkened.

“That isn’t how everyone thinks. Sometimes, ignoring someone’s intentions only makes them bolder.”

Rose slowed for a moment.

A complicated look crossed her eyes.

She couldn’t deny it.

Whatever had happened tonight, there were boundaries that should never have been crossed.

And Alicia had deliberately walked into that dressing room.

That alone was enough to make Rose suspicious.

What exactly is she trying to do?

Rose said nothing and continued walking.

Tonight was supposed to be a celebration.

Instead, the engagement announcement had been completely derailed.

The Mercer family certainly wouldn’t agree to the marriage so easily now.

Charlotte was their only daughter, and the Mercers were one of the most respected families in their circle. With members of several prominent families having witnessed Alicia in such a compromising state beside Ryan, the Mercers had no choice but to protect their daughter’s dignity.

Even if they still wanted Ryan as their future son-in-law, they couldn’t simply swallow this humiliation.

What happened next?

No one could say.

Ryan didn’t return to the ballroom.

He stood alone by the railing, his tall figure leaning against it as he lit another cigarette.

Smoke curled lazily into the night air.

He rarely smoked.

Over the years, he had only reached for cigarettes when something weighed heavily on his mind—when he was under pressure or had too many things to deal with at once.

But tonight...

The door behind him opened.

Alicia stepped out, her makeup freshly touched up. Her eyes were still red from crying.

“Mr. Knight, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Ryan glanced at her.

Alicia sniffed softly.

“I never thought something like this would happen tonight. It’s affected your engagement to Miss Mercer.”

She folded her arms around herself, trembling slightly.

“I don’t mind what people say about me. I can deal with that myself. But if you really care about Miss Mercer, I can explain everything to her for you. Maybe I can help the two of you clear up this misunderstanding.”

She sounded brave, almost selfless.

As though she were willing to endure the gossip and humiliation herself rather than make things harder for him.

Ryan suddenly gave a quiet laugh.

There was something almost playful in his expression.

“You’re very naive.”

Alicia froze.

“Do you really think the Mercer family will listen to your explanation?”

Her eyes flickered.

Tears quickly gathered again.

“I’m sorry...”

“It looks like they won’t listen to anything you say now.”

Ryan took another drag of his cigarette.

“They’ll probably assume you deliberately set this up. Charlotte isn’t the kind of woman who tolerates mistakes.”

Alicia’s expression crumpled with sadness.

She stepped closer.

“Mr. Knight, could you help me?”

Ryan looked at her without answering.

“You know I was adopted by the Taylor family. After tonight, I’m afraid they’ll think I caused all this trouble. Grandma might misunderstand me, too.”

Her voice trembled.

“I’m still a member of the Taylor family. If my reputation is ruined, it will affect them as well. Mr. Knight, could you possibly...”

“Ask the Taylor family to marry you?”

Alicia stopped.

Her eyes widened.

She hadn’t expected him to say it so directly.

She swallowed and nodded hesitantly.

“Something like that.”

She hurried to explain.

“What happened tonight wasn’t intentional. It was an accident. But since everyone has already seen it, there’s no way to pretend nothing happened.”

She lowered her gaze.

“The Taylor family isn’t beneath the Mercer family, is it?”

The rumors were already going to spread.

People had seen her with Ryan.

They had seen her clothes in disarray.

And once people started talking, neither family could simply ignore it.

The Mercer family had already been humiliated.

The engagement between the two families was now hanging by a thread.

If Ryan married into the Taylor family instead...

It would solve everything.

At least, that was what Alicia believed.

Ryan watched her silently through the drifting smoke.

She was afraid of losing her reputation.

Afraid her family would blame her.

And now she was asking him to marry her.

He tapped the ash from his cigarette.

“Marry you?”

Alicia’s breathing caught.

She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks. Gratitude appeared on her sweet, innocent face.

“If you don’t want to, you can always change your mind later. I just need you to help me get through this with my family...”

“Do you actually think you’re worthy?”

His cold voice cut straight through her words.

Alicia froze.

“...What?”

Ryan stubbed out his cigarette.

Then he straightened.

The faint amusement disappeared from his face completely.

Standing before her, he looked every inch the Ryan Knight everyone knew—aloof, arrogant and utterly ruthless.

“You took off your clothes and threw away whatever dignity you had.”

His eyes were cold.

“And now you expect me to help you get that dignity back?”

Alicia’s face went pale.

Ryan looked down at her.

“You’ve made yourself look cheap. And now you expect me to clean up the mess for you?”

His voice remained frighteningly calm.

“Do you even know what you’re worth?”

Alicia stood frozen.

For the first time, genuine fear crept into her eyes.

A chill ran down her spine, and goosebumps broke out across her skin.

She finally remembered exactly who she was dealing with.

Ryan Knight.

The man everyone called a prodigy.

The heir who had grown up surrounded by power and privilege.

He might rarely show his arrogance openly, but underneath that composed exterior was a man who could be merciless when he wanted to be.

And now...

He had rejected her without raising his voice.

He hadn’t cursed at her.

He hadn’t even lost his temper.

Yet every word had humiliated her more thoroughly than any outburst could have.

Ryan walked past her.

He didn’t even spare her another glance.

Alicia remained rooted to the spot.

Her blood seemed to run cold.

Her mind went blank.

Something’s wrong.

Something isn’t right.

Back in the dressing room, Ryan hadn’t stopped her from coming in.

He hadn’t immediately asked her to leave.

And when she’d fallen toward him, he hadn’t reacted with disgust or anger.

At the time, she’d thought he was simply accepting her advances.

She had convinced herself that his lack of resistance meant he was interested in her, too.

But now...

The coldness in his eyes.

The contempt in his voice.

The complete lack of hesitation when he rejected her.

Alicia’s chest rose and fell rapidly.

Her mind raced.

For the first time, she began to wonder if she had completely misunderstood Ryan.