Chapter 479 What Matters

Chapter 479: Chapter 479 What Matters

“Ryan, have you forgotten how much you put Rose through? After everything you’ve done to her, what gives you the right to keep chasing after her?”

Trevor’s expression darkened. One word in particular kept ringing in his ears.

Wife.

The thought alone was enough to make his temples throb. The possibility that Ryan might once again find a way to change Rose’s mind set his nerves on edge, and his anger finally boiled over.

“My marriage is none of your business,” Ryan replied. “What gives you the right to interfere?”

The corner of his mouth lifted in a faint, mocking smile.

He made no effort to hide the emphasis he placed on the word marriage.

Trevor’s expression turned cold. Something about Ryan had changed. The man he remembered would never have behaved this way.

Now, Ryan was fighting for Rose with an almost shameless determination, refusing to give an inch.

But Trevor wasn’t about to back down.

“None of my business? Let me remind you, Mr. Knight. Rose and I were engaged. We’d already planned our wedding. I’ve known her for years, and I was there for her when she needed someone most. I helped her through some of the hardest times of her life. When she was in trouble, I was the one who stepped in and helped her get back on her feet. You don’t get to decide what I mean to her.”

An engagement. A wedding. Years of history.

Every word drove home the same painful truth, each one cutting a little deeper.

Ryan slowly raised his eyes to meet Trevor’s. The warmth had vanished from his expression.

He hadn’t expected this.

Rose had once been on the verge of marrying the man standing in front of him. Whatever their relationship had been, it had clearly meant something to her.

Ryan’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t retreat.

“Like you said, that was the past.” His voice was cold and steady. “I’m interested in her present.”

He didn’t care who Rose had loved before him or what her life had looked like without him. None of that mattered now.

All he wanted to know was whether there was still a place for him in her life.

Trevor hadn’t expected that answer.

Ryan Knight had been born into privilege, raised among people who rarely had to fight for anything. He’d always carried himself like a man accustomed to getting what he wanted.

Yet when it came to Rose, he seemed willing to set his pride aside entirely.

Most men would have taken Trevor’s words as a challenge to their ego. Ryan appeared to care about only one thing.

Whether Rose might still choose him.

For a moment, Trevor barely recognized the man standing before him.

"Ariel’s dad?”

A woman’s voice interrupted them.

A teacher in her thirties approached with a friendly smile. When she spotted Trevor, she greeted him warmly.

“Mr. Robinson! Are you here to pick up Ariel? I just saw her mom go inside. She should be bringing her out soon.”

The casual remark landed like fuel on an already raging fire.

Ryan pressed his lips together.

The teacher had naturally assumed Trevor was Ariel’s father. Trevor’s expression softened slightly at the comment, and he glanced at Ryan before answering.

“Yes. I’m here to see my daughter.”

The teacher chatted with him briefly about Ariel’s progress at school, but Ryan had already stopped listening.

His brows drew together. Without another word, he turned and headed farther into the school.

A short while later, he spotted Rose walking toward the exit with Ariel’s little hand tucked in hers.

It was the first time he’d seen his daughter since losing his memory.

Ariel had a delicate oval face and bright eyes that reminded him of Rose. Her nose and mouth looked more like his own. As she chatted happily with her mother, dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth, making her even more adorable.

My daughter.

His and Rose’s little girl.

Their child. A living reminder of the love they’d once shared.

Whatever happened between him and Rose, Ariel would always connect them. There was no changing that, no matter how hard either of them tried to walk away.

She was his daughter.

His whole world.

His heart pounded as he watched her. Then, just as suddenly, it seemed to squeeze painfully in his chest.

His steps slowed.

Ariel noticed him, too.

She hadn’t seen him in quite some time. Rose had explained that Daddy was sick, that he’d needed surgery, and that he was still very weak.

The little girl studied him carefully.

His face looked a little pale, and he was wearing a hat. But when he looked at her, his eyes were gentle.

Ariel bit her lower lip, hesitating for a moment before letting go of Rose’s hand.

Then she walked toward him.

Looking up at his face, she asked softly, “Does it still hurt?”

Ryan’s heart melted.

He crouched down until they were at eye level.

“I’m okay, sweetheart.”

Ariel glanced at his head again.

She seemed to gather her courage. Pressing her lips together, she finally opened her arms and wrapped them around him.

“Then I’ll kiss it better. You have to get well soon, Daddy. That way, Mommy won’t be so sad anymore.”

Her little hands patted his back as she held him, doing her best to comfort him.

There was something heartbreakingly sweet about the way she tried to take care of him, as though a hug from her might be enough to make everything better.

Ryan’s eyelashes fluttered.

He couldn’t hold back any longer. He drew her gently into his arms, holding her close against his chest.

“I will, sweetheart,” he murmured. “Daddy promises.”

Rose stood nearby, watching them.

A familiar ache stirred in her chest.

She knew how kind Ariel was. The little girl hated seeing anyone in pain and always wanted to make things better.

But this scene was different.

Once upon a time, Rose had dreamed of seeing Ryan hold their daughter like this. She’d imagined the three of them together, sharing the sort of ordinary family moments she’d once believed would be theirs.

Standing there now, watching them embrace, she felt as though she were looking at a life that belonged to someone else.

A life she’d wanted more than anything.

A life that now felt impossibly far away.

“How did you get in here?”

Rose glanced toward the entrance, startled to see Ryan standing inside the school grounds.

Ryan shifted Ariel into his arms. He didn’t look the least bit guilty.

“I couldn’t wait around any longer, so I came in through the side entrance.”

"Let’s go back through side entrance also."

Rose stared at him.

He met her eyes, his expression serious.

“Is that okay?”

The question caught her off guard.

Rose knew Ryan didn’t want her spending time with Trevor. She had no idea what the two men had said to each other, but something about Ryan seemed different now. She couldn’t quite explain it, though she could feel the change.

Still, she didn’t argue.

Whatever was going on between Ryan and Trevor, she wanted no further part in it.

She’d had enough of being caught between the two of them.

Once they were in the car, Ariel leaned toward Rose and whispered in her ear.

“Mommy, Daddy seems different now. He feels more like a real dad.” She paused, then asked hopefully, “Does that mean you’re not mad at him anymore?”

Rose fell silent for a moment.

Then she reached over and gently stroked Ariel’s cheek.

“Sweetheart, Daddy’s still recovering from surgery. Let’s be patient with him for a little while, okay?”

Ariel nodded seriously.

“Okay! I’ll take care of Daddy.”

Rose smiled faintly.

“That’s my girl.”

By the time they returned to the Taylor residence, dinner was already waiting.

James couldn’t help smiling to himself when he saw Ryan walk through the door carrying Ariel.

He made no comment, though. For once, the family managed to enjoy a peaceful dinner together.

It was the first time things had felt remotely harmonious since they’d returned home.

The peace didn’t last long.

Later that evening, James intercepted Ryan in the hallway.

“Since you’re staying under my roof, I have a responsibility to make sure you’re comfortable,” he said pleasantly. “I’ve arranged a room for you in another wing of the house. One of the staff will show you where it is.”

He paused, his expression still polite.

“I’m sure you understand. Since you’re our guest, you’ll have to follow the arrangements I’ve made.”

Ryan regarded him without much expression.

“Sure. That’s fine.”

He agreed so readily that James almost wondered whether he’d heard him correctly.

The intention behind the arrangement was obvious. James wanted to keep Ryan away from Rose, and putting him in a separate wing ensured they wouldn’t be sharing a bedroom.

James had expected an argument. He’d assumed Ryan would try to talk his way out of it or find some excuse to get Rose involved.

Instead, Ryan accepted the arrangement without complaint.

James frowned slightly as he watched him follow the staff member down the hallway.

Something wasn’t right.

Ryan was being far too cooperative.

*****

Rose barely had a moment to herself that evening.

She gave Ariel a bath, rubbed a little scented lotion into her skin, and spent some time chatting with her before tucking her into bed.

After reading her a bedtime story and waiting until she was fast asleep, Rose finally straightened up and rubbed the back of her neck.

Only then did she return to her own room.

She wasn’t particularly concerned about Ryan. James had already made arrangements for him, so there was no reason for her to worry about where he’d be sleeping.

Besides, after everything that had happened that day, she desperately needed some time alone.

She ran a bath, eager to soak away the exhaustion that had settled into every muscle.

By the time she undressed and stepped into the tub, she could feel herself relaxing.

She closed her eyes and leaned back, savoring the warmth of the water.

For the first time all day, she could finally breathe.

Then the bathroom door, which she’d left slightly ajar, swung open.

Rose’s eyes flew open.

She turned toward the doorway—and froze.

Ryan stood there, staring straight at her.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Neither had expected this.

Ryan’s gaze dropped before he could stop himself.

Rose had always been slender, her frame delicate and graceful. She’d been frail as a child and had struggled to put on weight, leaving her with long, slim limbs and pale, smooth skin.

Yet her figure was far more feminine than her slender build suggested, her curves impossible to overlook.

And now she was sitting in the bathtub, looking up at him in stunned silence.

From where he stood, he could see far more than he should have.

Almost everything.