Chapter 428 A Pattern of Coincidences

Chapter 428: Chapter 428 A Pattern of Coincidences

“What exactly do you mean by that, Mr. Knight?”

The moment Grace heard the word kidnapped, every trace of anger disappeared from her face.

She shot to her feet.

“Rose.”

She hurried over and grabbed Rose’s hands, looking her over from head to toe.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Rose said quickly. “I’m really fine. Please don’t worry.”

Grace didn’t look convinced.

She turned back toward the room.

“Someone explain. What happened?”

The mood changed instantly.

Rose hadn’t expected Ryan to bring this up now.

She glanced at him.

Why would he suddenly bring up Samantha and the kidnapping in the middle of everything happening with Alicia?

James’s expression had also gone serious.

He knew exactly why the family had kept the incident from Grace.

Rose had nearly died.

The last thing anyone wanted was for Grace to carry that fear around on top of everything else she already had on her plate.

But the truth was out now.

There was no point hiding it.

Ryan leaned back slightly.

“You should ask Victoria.”

His eyes moved toward her.

Alicia’s expression froze for half a second.

Victoria noticed.

Her face tightened.

“Mr. Knight, I was a victim that day too.”

Her voice trembled with indignation.

“Samantha was your former lover. She did all of this because she wanted revenge on you. Why are you suddenly dragging Alicia into it?”

Derick finally spoke.

“At the time, we didn’t tell Mom because we didn’t want her getting upset.”

He looked at Grace.

“Rose was taken by Samantha. Victoria was caught up in it as well. Fortunately, everyone survived.”

Ryan looked at him.

“Everyone survived?”

His voice was calm.

But something in his tone made the room go quiet.

“What exactly do you consider serious, Mr. Taylor?”

Derick’s expression changed.

Ryan continued.

“Rose was about to be rescued when Victoria deliberately provoked Samantha.”

Victoria’s face went pale.

“That’s not—”

“She lost control.”

Ryan’s gaze never left her.

“Rose nearly went over the edge.”

Grace’s face drained of color.

Ryan continued.

“And Ariel was thrown from the building.”

Grace’s hand flew to her chest.

“What?”

She looked at Rose in horror.

“Ariel?”

Rose quickly reached for her.

“She’s okay.”

Grace looked at her.

“What happened to her?”

“A few cuts and bruises,” Ryan said.

His voice remained steady.

“Nothing permanent.”

Grace stared at him.

“How?”

James answered quietly.

“Ryan jumped after them.”

Grace looked at Ryan.

James continued.

“He caught Ariel before she hit the ground. They landed on the fire department’s air cushion.”

Grace’s lips parted.

She had no words.

For a man who supposedly wanted nothing to do with Rose anymore, Ryan had thrown himself from a building after her and their daughter without hesitation.

James’s expression changed as a thought occurred to him.

Back then...

Had Ryan already known Ariel was his daughter?

Rose noticed the same question flicker across his face.

But before anyone could ask, Victoria spoke.

“That was an accident.”

Ryan turned toward her.

Victoria forced herself to remain composed.

“You can’t blame me for what Samantha did.”

Ryan didn’t respond.

Instead, he looked at Alicia.

“Since we’re apparently going to dig up the past today, let’s be thorough.”

Alicia’s breathing stopped for a moment.

Ryan’s voice remained almost conversational.

“Why don’t we talk about how Samantha got into that event in the first place?”

James frowned.

“What are you talking about?”

Ryan looked at Alicia.

“She didn’t just happen to be there.”

Alicia’s face went white.

Ryan continued.

“Someone gave her access.”

James stared at him.

Then his eyes slowly shifted toward Alicia.

“No.”

The word came out quietly.

He had never considered it.

At the time, Alicia had supposedly left early because of her pollen allergy. The venue had been filled with roses, and she’d claimed she couldn’t stay.

The investigation had eventually focused almost entirely on Samantha.

There had been no obvious connection to anyone else.

No evidence.

No reason to suspect Alicia.

Until now.

Derick’s expression hardened.

“Ryan, do you understand what you’re accusing her of?”

“Yes.”

Ryan didn’t blink.

“And I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”

Rose stared at Alicia.

The realization hit her like ice water.

Ariel had been caught in the middle of that nightmare.

If Alicia really had anything to do with Samantha getting close to her...

Rose’s expression turned cold.

“Mr. Taylor,” she said quietly, “are you going to defend her?”

Derick flinched at the formal address.

“Rose, that’s not what I’m doing.”

He looked toward Alicia.

“This is a serious accusation. We need evidence before we decide anything.”

Rose looked away.

Alicia’s lips had gone pale.

She looked at Ryan.

“I know you don’t like me.”

Her voice shook.

“But you can’t accuse me of something like this.”

She swallowed.

“I only found out about what happened recently. Rose is my sister. My family spent so long worrying about her.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“Why would I ever want anything to happen to her?”

Victoria immediately joined in.

“Alicia may have said something inappropriate to you during the engagement situation, but she was young and emotional. You shouldn’t make accusations like this without proof.”

Ryan looked at her.

“Then let’s talk about proof.”

Alicia froze.

Ryan leaned back.

“When you left the event that night, was your admission pass scanned at the exit?”

Alicia stared at him.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“I—I don’t remember.”

“Of course you don’t.”

Ryan’s mouth curved slightly.

“That day, I had the hotel add an additional security measure. Every guest had to scan their admission pass when leaving.”

James’s eyes narrowed.

Ryan continued.

“Except you.”

Alicia’s face went completely blank.

Ryan watched her.

“You weren’t recorded leaving.”

Alicia shook her head immediately.

“No.”

Her voice cracked.

“I lost my pass. That’s all. I must have dropped it somewhere.”

“You lost it?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

Ryan’s tone was almost pleasant.

“And somehow, Samantha ended up inside with your admission pass.”

Alicia stopped breathing.

James shot to his feet.

“What did you do?”

His voice thundered through the room.

Alicia shook her head frantically.

“No! I didn’t give it to her!”

She looked around desperately.

“I really didn’t. I lost it. Someone must have found it!”

Ryan remained completely still.

“Fine.”

He nodded once.

“Let’s call that an accident.”

Alicia stared at him.

Ryan’s gaze was cold.

“Just like accidentally walking into my private room.”

Alicia’s face lost what little color remained.

“Accidentally taking off your clothes.”

Victoria’s expression changed.

“Ryan—”

“And accidentally trying to throw yourself at me.”

Alicia’s eyes widened.

Ryan’s voice never rose.

“Then, apparently, Victoria also accidentally provoked Samantha at exactly the moment Rose was about to be rescued.”

Victoria went rigid.

Ryan looked around the room.

“So many accidents.”

He gave a faint smile.

“It’s remarkable how every single one of them ended with Rose in danger.”

No one answered.

The silence was suffocating.

James’s fists clenched at his sides.

Derick’s expression had become grim.

Even Grace looked shaken.

Alicia’s back was damp with sweat.

She shook her head over and over.

“No...”

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Grandma, I didn’t do anything. I swear.”

She turned desperately toward Grace.

“These are just guesses. There’s no proof. You know me. I could never even think about hurting Rose.”

Grace stared at her.

Her chest rose and fell heavily.

Ryan hadn’t produced a signed confession.

He hadn’t shown them a message from Alicia telling Samantha to abduct Rose.

Not yet.

But he’d shown them something else.

A pattern.

And after everything they’d just watched on the recording, Alicia’s accusations against Ryan no longer carried the same weight.

Every time she’d claimed to be the victim, evidence had appeared to contradict her.

Grace looked at Alicia for a long moment.

Then her eyes shifted toward Victoria.

The room remained silent.

Because the question Ryan had left hanging was becoming impossible to ignore.

How many of these “accidents” had really been accidents?