Trick Him Into Divorce, Then Flee With His Unknow Kid novel Chapter 391

Chapter 391: Chapter 391 The Family She Was Never Part Of

The moment Rose stepped out of the car, Alicia came hurrying toward her.

“Rose!”

Alicia slipped her arm through Rose’s with easy familiarity.

“Grandma told me you were coming today, so I came out to wait for you. This place is huge. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Rose glanced down at Alicia’s hand resting on her arm.

She didn’t say anything.

Alicia didn’t seem bothered by her silence. She was practically glowing as she pointed toward different parts of the property.

“The estate is about 23,000 square meters. There’s a private lake on the east side, gardens straight ahead, and tennis courts over there.”

She pointed toward several buildings scattered across the grounds.

“The main house is right in the middle, and there are guesthouses and smaller cottages for family members when they come to stay.”

Then she looked at Rose hopefully.

“If you move back here, you can stay in one of the cottages with me. I’d love that.”

Rose hadn’t expected the invitation.

But Alicia probably didn’t know about the property transfer yet.

She likely assumed Rose was coming back to the family for good and was simply excited about having her around.

“What about Dr. Grace?”

Rose didn’t answer her invitation.

Instead, she asked about Grace.

“Oh, Grandma’s busy.”

Alicia’s expression became slightly apologetic.

“Something went wrong with the research her team is working on. They’re having a video conference right now, and apparently some of the students are pretty stressed.”

That sounded like Grace.

She had always taken responsibility for the people working under her seriously.

Rose wasn’t surprised.

“Why don’t I show you my place first?” Alicia suggested.

Rose thought about it before nodding.

After all, these days, she was more of a guest here than anything else.

They continued walking.

As they passed one of the gardens, Rose noticed several gardeners working near a row of trees.

She slowed.

They were digging up several large flowering trees.

Rose immediately recognized them.

Camellias.

And not ordinary ones.

They were mature, beautifully maintained trees, their glossy leaves healthy and full. Several of them were already covered with buds, ready to bloom.

Yet someone was having them removed.

“Why are they digging those up?”

Rose stopped completely.

She’d always loved plants.

Her home was usually filled with flowers and greenery, so she could tell immediately when a plant had been carefully cultivated.

These trees were exceptional.

Seeing them torn from the ground made her wince.

Alicia scratched the back of her head.

“Actually... that’s because of me.”

Before Rose could ask what she meant, Alicia sneezed.

She laughed sheepishly.

“I’m allergic to pollen. I’ve had bad reactions since I was little, so my parents don’t keep many flowers around the house.”

She glanced toward the gardeners.

“Since spring is coming, they were worried I’d have another serious reaction. So, they decided to remove anything that might trigger my allergies.”

Rose hadn’t expected that.

Her gaze shifted toward Alicia.

It was obvious her parents had gone to great lengths to protect her.

Even though Alicia was only staying here temporarily, they’d arranged for the gardeners to remove perfectly healthy flowering trees rather than risk making her sick.

Rose said nothing.

A strange feeling settled somewhere deep inside her chest.

“Rose?”

She looked up.

Derick had just come around the corner.

He stopped when he saw her.

For a moment, surprise flashed across his face.

Then his expression softened.

“You’re back.”

He stepped toward her.

Rose instinctively took a step backward.

Derick’s hand, which had been reaching for her, stopped in midair.

His expression dimmed.

Before he could say anything, Victoria approached.

She took in the scene and looked at Rose sadly.

“Rose... are you still angry with your dad?”

Rose’s expression remained blank.

Victoria continued gently.

“I’m sorry about what happened last time. Your dad was in a difficult position. He loves you very much. He was just trying to deal with everything as best he could.”

She reached for Rose’s hand.

“Please don’t think it was because you weren’t important to him.”

Rose pulled her hand away.

Her brows drew together.

“Do I know you?”

Victoria froze.

Her face went pale.

“I... I’m sorry.”

“Dad.”

Alicia suddenly walked over.

She looked between them.

“What’s going on? Is something wrong between Mom and Rose?”

Rose’s eyes snapped toward her.

Mom.

Dad.

Her gaze hardened.

“What did you just call him?”

Alicia looked confused.

“My dad.”

She glanced at Derick.

“What’s wrong, Rose?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify