Chapter 450 No Future

Rose looked at Ariel’s chubby little face and said nothing more.

Sometimes children understood the weight of pain better than adults did.

Their world was small, and everything they experienced was etched deeply into their hearts.

Adults, on the other hand, often learned to bury painful memories and pretend they no longer mattered.

Children didn’t know how to do that.

“Come inside.”

Rose didn’t turn around.

Since Morgan had invited Ryan herself, neither she nor Gabriel knew what had happened between Rose and Ryan.

That actually worked out perfectly.

After tonight’s New Year’s celebration, Rose would explain everything to them.

She didn’t want them continuing to worry about Ryan or thinking of him as their son-in-law.

Rose took Ariel’s hand and led her inside.

Ryan remained where he was for a long moment.

That single Uncle had hurt more than all the other times Ariel had casually called him that without knowing who he really was.

She knew he was her father now.

And she still refused to acknowledge him as one.

Ryan’s eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.

Then he pressed his lips together and stepped inside.

He understood.

Ariel was protecting her mother.

She was making it very clear that, no matter what happened, she stood on Rose’s side.

And that was fine.

A child who knew how to protect her mother had been raised well.

As soon as Ryan entered, Morgan and Gabriel turned toward him.

“Ryan, go wash your hands. Dinner’s ready.”

Ryan nodded.

“Do you need any help?”

“No, no. Everything’s ready.”

Morgan smiled.

“I just ordered most of it. It’s much easier that way.”

Then she frowned as she looked him over.

“Why are you dressed so lightly? It’s freezing outside. You’ll catch a cold.”

Ryan met her concerned gaze.

Her eyes were warm and gentle.

For a fleeting moment, they reminded him of his mother.

He went still for half a second before giving her a faint smile.

“I’m fine.”

Rose silently set her fork on the table.

Ryan took the seat beside her.

The dining table wasn’t particularly large.

Morgan and Gabriel were already seated on one side, while Ariel had taken her role as caretaker very seriously and pulled a small chair beside them so she could look after both of them.

That left Rose and Ryan sitting next to each other.

Morgan looked between them.

“Ryan, if you don’t take Rose home for the New Year, will your family object?”

Ryan shook his head.

“No.”

Morgan wasn’t entirely convinced, but she didn’t press him.

Tonight was their first family reunion in years.

And for the first time, Rose had a husband sitting at the dinner table with them.

As far as Morgan was concerned, that was something worth being happy about.

Ryan seemed to have a good appetite.

He picked up a crab and began carefully cracking the shell and removing the meat.

Rose’s thoughts wandered.

The Knight family had always placed enormous importance on holidays and family traditions.

There was no way Ryan’s decision to spend New Year’s Eve here had caused no reaction at home.

For all she knew, everyone at the Knight residence was already in an uproar.

But Ryan had chosen to come.

Rose didn’t intend to say anything about it.

Just as she lowered her gaze, a small plate appeared beside her.

It was filled with neatly separated crab meat and rich orange crab roe.

Rose turned her head.

Ryan had just withdrawn his hand.

He glanced at her.

“The crab is really good.”

Rose stared at the plate.

“Oh.”

She paused.

“Thank you.”

She had always been a little lazy about eating shellfish.

She loved shrimp and crab, but peeling them was too much trouble, and she hated having sticky fingers afterward.

So, whenever she wanted them, she’d often simply give up halfway through.

Over the years they’d been married, Ryan had shelled them for her more than once.

At first, she’d assumed he was simply doing what a husband was supposed to do.

But eventually, she noticed something.

He never seemed to prepare anything she disliked.

Not once.

It was impossible to remember that many tiny preferences just by going through the motions.

Ryan was simply observant.

He noticed everything.

And once he noticed something, he remembered it.

Thinking about it now, Rose couldn’t help but admit that a man like Ryan would probably be devastatingly effective if he genuinely wanted to pursue someone.

He knew exactly where to put his effort.

He never did anything unnecessary.

He never wasted energy.

Morgan couldn’t help laughing.

“Ryan really is thoughtful.”

She glanced at Rose.

“Rose has never liked anything that requires too much effort. She’s impatient, and she’s been smart enough since childhood to get away with being lazy.”

“Mom!”

Rose hadn’t expected her to expose her like that.

Ryan’s lips curved slightly as he continued working on the crab.

“She isn’t very patient.”

Rose immediately lowered her head.

Fine.

She wasn’t going to participate in this conversation.

Ryan cracked open another crab and distributed the meat onto Ariel’s, Morgan’s, and Gabriel’s plates.

Gabriel was in an excellent mood.

He even brought out a bottle of good wine he’d been saving and insisted on having a drink with Ryan.

Ryan didn’t refuse.

The atmosphere at the table gradually became warmer.

Laughter filled the room.

Rose, who had initially felt slightly tense, slowly relaxed.

For one evening, everything felt almost normal.

As dinner came to an end, Rose took Morgan and Gabriel to wash their hands.

Only then did Ariel turn toward Ryan.

She lowered her voice.

“Aren’t you going home?”

Ryan wiped his hands with a wet napkin and glanced at her.

“Did I come here just to see your mom?”

Ariel studied him suspiciously.

“Then why did you come?”

“Couldn’t I have come to see you?”

Ariel didn’t answer.

She looked down at her spoon.

Then she asked, “You really aren’t going to fight Mom for custody of me?”

“No.”

Ryan pushed the ice cream toward her.

“You’ll be happier with your mom.”

Ariel’s expression changed.

“Is it because you don’t like me?”

Ryan paused.

In a child’s world, there weren’t many possible explanations.

If her father loved her, why wouldn’t he want to keep her?

Ryan turned toward her.

He bent down slightly, resting his elbows on his knees so they were at eye level.

“I love you very much.”

His voice was quiet.

“But you’ll be better off with your mom.”

Ariel stared at him.

“Like you, I don’t want your mom to be sad. Your mom and I agreed on this together.”

He paused.

“It isn’t because I don’t like you.”

Ariel was quiet for a moment.

Then she asked, “Do you love Mom too?”

Ryan fell silent.

He looked into the little girl’s clear, innocent eyes for a long time.

“Yes.”

Ariel held her spoon and thought about that answer.

After a while, she said seriously, “Then you’re going to be sad.”

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“Mom is really hard to please.”

Ariel looked at him with the solemnity only a child could manage.

“You hurt her before. I don’t think you’ll be able to win her back.”

Ryan glanced toward the bathroom.

Rose’s figure was faintly visible through the doorway.

Ariel grabbed a waffle cone.

She scooped a ridiculously generous amount of ice cream into it and held it out to him.

“Don’t be too sad.”

She offered him the cone.

“Here. Have this.”

Ryan looked at the ice cream.

Then at Ariel.

Something in his chest softened.

He smiled silently and accepted it.

“Thank you.”

For the first time in a long while, Ryan felt completely at peace.

His phone had rung countless times that evening.

He had ignored every call.

For tonight, he simply wanted to stay here.

But eventually, he had to leave.

Morgan and Gabriel understood how busy he was.

Considering how special tonight was, they were already grateful that he’d spent New Year’s Eve with them.

Morgan gently nudged Rose.

“Go see Ryan off.”

Rose had no choice.

She put down the glass of sweet milk in her hand and followed him to the elevator.

Once they reached the hallway, Rose checked the time.

“It’s almost midnight.”

She looked at him.

“Be careful driving home.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Then I won’t walk you downstairs.”

“Okay.”

They stood side by side in silence.

Rose stared at the elevator display.

The number was getting closer.

Ding.

The doors opened.

Ryan suddenly turned toward her.

“I have a question.”

Rose looked at him.

“What?”

“If it were possible…”

His gaze remained fixed on her.

“Would there still be a future for us?”

Rose didn’t hesitate.

“There’s no chance.”

The elevator doors remained open between them.

And for a moment, neither of them moved.