Chapter 386

[ 1,458 words ]

Rose hadn’t expected to hear about Ryan’s attitude from Alicia.

She knew Ryan wasn’t particularly interested in her romantic life, but hearing everything that had happened the night before spelled out so bluntly still made her uncomfortable.

“Yeah. That’s true.”

Rose couldn’t fault Alicia for saying it. The young woman was clearly being sincere, and she was genuinely happy for Rose.

Alicia slipped her arm through Rose’s.

“I know what kind of man Mr. Robinson is. He’s not the kind of guy who looks at other women. He knows where the boundaries are, and he makes the person he’s with feel secure.”

Rose didn’t disagree.

Trevor was, in fact, a decent man.

She had known him for years and had never heard of him getting involved with another woman. As far as she knew, most of his life had been consumed by work.

“You know him that well?” Rose asked.

Alicia nodded, then immediately shook her head.

“Not exactly. Our families have always been close. We practically became in-laws at one point.” She smiled. “We see each other during holidays and family events, so you naturally get to know someone over time. And our elders have always spoken very highly of him.”

There was nothing strange about that.

Even while Rose had been away, the two families had remained closely connected. There were too many business interests and personal ties between them for that relationship to disappear.

But the bidding issue was still bothering her.

Rose fell silent.

“Professor Bennett?”

Alicia tilted her head.

“Are you thinking about Mr. Robinson?”

Before Rose could answer, her phone started ringing.

Trevor.

Now that everyone knew Robinson Corporation was still participating in the bid, Rose had a pretty good idea what he wanted to discuss.

Alicia glanced at the screen.

She stared at the caller ID for a second before looking back at Rose.

“Why aren’t you answering?” she teased. “Didn’t you two get closer last night? Isn’t this supposed to be the part where you can’t stop talking to each other?”

There was something she wasn’t quite understanding about their relationship.

Alicia was clearly trying to find out without asking outright.

Rose honestly didn’t know what she would say to Trevor.

After a moment, she declined the call.

“I need to get to the lab.”

She didn’t answer Alicia’s question.

Alicia gave a small, understanding “Oh” and didn’t push.

Then her face brightened.

“Can I come with you?”

Rose nodded.

Alicia hesitated before adding, “And… can I call you Rose?”

Her eyes were full of hope.

She looked almost nervous that Rose might turn her down.

Rose understood what was happening.

The Taylor family had probably given Alicia permission to get closer to her. Calling her “Rose” was more than a casual nickname—it was Alicia’s way of trying to build a relationship with her.

Rose looked at the young woman beside her.

Her feelings were complicated.

She still hadn’t figured out how she felt about the Taylor family or how she wanted to handle her relationship with them.

Before she could answer, a woman’s voice came from behind them.

“Rose, do you have a minute?”

Both women turned.

Julia had just stepped out of her car and was standing a short distance away.

Her expression was warm and composed.

Alicia immediately straightened.

“Hello, Aunt Julia.”

Julia glanced at her.

She recognized Alicia immediately.

The Taylor family wasn’t particularly large, and there were more men than women among its younger generation. Other than the family’s missing heiress, Alicia was the only other young woman in the family.

Julia had met her several times over the years.

She remembered Alicia as a sickly child who was often unwell, but she had never seemed foolish or spoiled. If anything, she had always been observant and sensible for her age.

Julia gave her a polite nod.

Rose hadn’t expected Julia to come looking for her so soon.

Then she remembered Shuan’s obvious attempts to bring her and Trevor together the night before.

The Ellis family clearly cared a great deal about Trevor’s marriage.

And Julia was probably one of the people behind it.

“Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?” Rose asked.

Julia glanced at Alicia.

“I’d like to speak with Rose privately. Would you mind giving us a moment, Miss Taylor?”

Alicia finally realized she was being dismissed.

Her face turned pink.

“Oh. Sure. I’m sorry.”

She stepped back.

“You two go ahead.”

As she walked away, Alicia glanced back once.

It was obvious that Rose mattered to Julia.

Julia had come to see her personally, and her entire demeanor was surprisingly gentle.

It was nothing like the image Alicia had always had of the formidable, career-focused woman.

Julia didn’t waste time with small talk.

She sighed and stepped closer.

“Rose, I assume you’ve heard that Robinson Corporation is still in the running for the bid.”

Rose pressed her lips together.

“Yes. I know.”

Julia’s expression grew heavier.

“Trevor has already made his position clear to me. He really does intend to withdraw. He was willing to step aside because he didn’t want the Knight family to feel that he was going back on his word.”

She paused.

“I came here because I don’t want you to think he lied to you. He meant what he said.”

Rose listened quietly.

“But Robinson Corporation isn’t Trevor’s decision alone. The board and the senior members of the family consider that property extremely important. Even if Trevor forced the issue and withdrew against everyone’s wishes, he’d face serious backlash. It could create problems inside the company and within the family.”

Julia’s expression tightened.

“He’s already under enough pressure. So he withdrew his own bid.”

She took a breath.

“As his mother, I had to think about what would happen to him if this turned into a fight with everyone around him. I didn’t tell Trevor what I was doing. Instead, I submitted a separate bid myself.”

Rose wasn’t surprised.

That explained everything.

It was inevitable that Robinson Corporation’s leadership would object to giving up such a valuable property. And Julia, as Trevor’s mother, had stepped in to absorb some of the pressure herself.

“Rose, I know how this looks.”

Julia’s voice softened.

“It probably feels like Trevor made a promise to you and then went back on it.”

She stepped closer.

“I’m sorry. I came here to apologize because I don’t want you to misunderstand him. He really is sincere about you.”

Julia had gone out of her way to explain herself.

Rose couldn’t exactly respond by accusing her of deceiving her.

Besides, she had never asked Trevor to sacrifice the company for her.

The Robinson family had its own interests to protect.

“It’s okay,” Rose said. “I don’t blame him.”

And she meant it.

Still, the situation had given her something to think about.

Julia visibly relaxed.

“All things considered, you’ve both been through a lot. I really hope you two can make this work.”

Her expression softened.

“I know my son. When you were in trouble in D.C., he was willing to risk his life for you. He even went against the board because of you. That’s when I realized how much you meant to him.”

Rose’s expression shifted.

She hadn’t expected Julia to bring that up.

Because, in the end, she did owe Trevor.

There had been what happened in D.C.

There was the way he had helped her secure custody of Ariel.

And now there was this.

He had been willing to withdraw from an extremely important deal despite the pressure coming from his own family and company.

“Don’t worry,” Rose said quietly. “I’m not going to argue with Trevor about this.”

There was no reason to.

She had never expected Trevor to give up everything for her.

She wasn’t looking for some grand declaration of love, unwavering devotion, or selfless sacrifice.

Their relationship was temporary.

It was an arrangement.

Without genuine feelings holding them together, there was no reason for her to become emotionally invested in every decision they made.

Julia seemed to take Rose’s words as reassurance that she understood.

She stepped forward and hugged her.

“Thank you, Rose.”

She patted her back gently.

“And don’t worry. Once you marry Trevor, I’ll make sure the Knight family doesn’t give you any trouble. The wedding isn’t far away now. We’ll make sure everything goes smoothly and that you have a beautiful day.”

Rose smiled.

She nodded, though her mind was somewhere else entirely.

Julia had work to get back to, so after a few more words, she left.

Only then did Rose take out her phone and call Trevor back.

He answered almost immediately.

His voice was slightly deeper than usual.

“I thought you weren’t going to answer.”

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