Chapter 412 His Daughter

Chapter 412: Chapter 412 His Daughter

Ryan’s clear, commanding voice carried through the microphone, reaching every corner of the auditorium.

And with one name, everything changed.

Ariel.

In an instant, the little girl became the reason hundreds of students from less privileged backgrounds might receive financial aid.

She also became the bombshell no one had seen coming.

Nearly a thousand people filled the auditorium, and disbelief spread across the room.

"President Knight has a daughter?"

"Since when?"

"I’ve never heard anything about that."

"Didn’t everyone say his marriage to Rose was already falling apart?"

Whispers swept through the crowd.

Rose barely heard them.

She stood frozen near the back of the auditorium, staring at Ryan.

The pen in her hand slipped from her fingers.

It hit the floor and snapped cleanly in two.

Her face went pale.

For several seconds, she couldn’t process what she’d just heard.

Ryan had just announced that Ariel was his daughter.

Not privately.

Not to a few carefully chosen people.

He had said it in front of the entire university.

Beside her, Alicia looked equally stunned.

She turned sharply toward Rose.

"What does that mean?"

Her voice was no longer sweet or carefully measured. There was genuine shock in it.

"Did you ask President Knight to say that? Did you ask him to tell everyone Ariel is his daughter?"

Rose didn’t answer.

She couldn’t.

Her eyes remained fixed on the stage.

Her breathing had become uneven, and a cold shiver traveled down her spine.

She’d suspected Ryan had a plan.

She just hadn’t imagined this.

Not even close.

Onstage, Ryan remained completely composed.

His dark eyes were cold and unwavering.

"This educational fund is being established jointly by Rose and me for our daughter."

The auditorium erupted again.

"Our daughter."

Those two words seemed to hit Alicia harder than anything else.

Her eyes widened.

Their daughter?

How was that possible?

A few feet away, someone pushed through the crowd.

Trevor had finally arrived.

He stopped dead the moment he heard Ryan’s words.

His expression changed.

Ryan knew.

But when had he found out?

Trevor’s gaze swept through the packed auditorium, searching frantically for Rose.

He found her near the back.

She looked just as stunned as everyone else.

Trevor’s jaw tightened.

Rose had suspected Ryan knew something.

But she had never imagined he’d reveal Ariel’s identity in front of an entire university.

What was he thinking?

What exactly was he planning?

Rose didn’t dare let her thoughts go any further.

She could only hope he knew what he was doing.

Onstage, Ryan continued.

"As for the education fund, fifty million dollars will be distributed directly to students."

The excitement in the room immediately surged.

Ryan raised a hand, and the noise gradually died down.

"But there is one condition."

His gaze moved slowly across the audience.

"I know there have been a number of rumors circulating around campus recently. Some of you may have repeated things you heard without knowing whether they were true."

His voice remained calm.

"But you had a choice."

The room grew quiet.

"The school and my office have agreed on the eligibility requirements for these funds."

He paused.

"The students who qualify will be those who did not participate in spreading the rumors, did not post or comment on them, and did not join in attacking Rose or my daughter."

Silence.

"That is the only requirement."

Ryan’s eyes swept over the crowd again.

His tone never rose.

He didn’t need it to.

Every word landed with unmistakable authority.

Some students looked relieved.

Others looked horrified.

A few people who had been celebrating moments earlier suddenly lowered their heads.

Everyone understood what was happening.

Rose had always attracted attention.

After all, she’d achieved what most people her age could only dream about. While many of her peers were still working toward advanced degrees, she’d already been appointed to a prestigious academic position.

That kind of success inevitably attracted envy.

Some people had no personal grudge against her at all.

They had simply seen the rumors spreading and decided to join in.

One comment.

One repost.

One cruel joke.

It had seemed harmless at the time.

Now they were realizing it wasn’t.

Ryan knew exactly how people behaved when they thought their actions had no consequences.

And he wasn’t finished.

"This is also a mandatory requirement for anyone applying to Kingswell."

The room went silent again.

Ryan’s expression remained impassive.

"As for anyone who made particularly malicious statements about Rose or my daughter, or anyone who publicly labeled my daughter an illegitimate child and contributed to the harassment against her—Kingswell will be pursuing legal action."

A collective gasp moved through the auditorium.

Ryan took a step back.

"That’s all."

The entire announcement had taken less than ten minutes.

It was clean.

Direct.

And devastating.

The auditorium exploded into noise.

Some students were cheering because they’d suddenly found themselves eligible for scholarships and potential jobs.

Others looked as though the floor had dropped out from beneath them.

They finally understood what Ryan had done.

This wasn’t simply a donation.

It was a reward and a warning.

He’d given people a reason to support the truth—and a very real reason to regret spreading lies.

More importantly, he’d destroyed the foundation of the rumors in a single stroke.

If Ariel was Ryan’s daughter, then the entire narrative about Rose cheating on him and having an illegitimate child collapsed.

The proof was Ryan himself.

Why would a man donate one hundred million dollars, put his own reputation on the line, and publicly claim a child who wasn’t his?

No one would believe that.

Rose stood completely still.

Her ears were ringing.

She couldn’t deny it.

Ryan’s plan had worked.

He hadn’t tried to argue with every rumor individually.

He’d simply changed the entire story.

But before Rose could fully process that, she saw Ryan walking toward her.

Alicia was still staring at him.

She couldn’t believe what she’d just witnessed.

Not only had Ryan publicly acknowledged Ariel as his daughter, he’d done it at NYU, in front of hundreds of students and faculty members.

Everyone had believed Ryan was the wronged husband.

Everyone had assumed he would want nothing to do with Rose.

Instead, he’d stepped forward.

He’d protected Rose.

He’d protected Ariel.

And he’d spent one hundred million dollars doing it.

No one would believe he was merely helping Rose out of kindness.

They would assume the obvious.

Ariel had to be his daughter.

Otherwise, why would Ryan Knight go this far?

A strange feeling tightened in Alicia’s chest.

Jealousy.

She didn’t want to admit it, but that was what it was.

They were divorced.

So why was Ryan still willing to protect Rose?

Why was he willing to do something this extraordinary for her?

Rose didn’t notice Alicia’s expression.

Ryan had already stopped in front of her.

Rose looked up.

Her throat felt painfully dry.

Only now did she understand what he’d meant earlier.

"You can’t build something new without tearing down the old."

He hadn’t simply tried to defend her.

He’d replaced the entire narrative.

He’d given everyone a new truth to believe in.

"You..."

Rose’s voice came out hoarse.

There were a hundred questions she wanted to ask.

Ryan looked down at her.

"I told you."

His voice was quiet.

"This can be resolved."

Alicia stood nearby, watching them.

Something about the way Ryan looked at Rose unsettled her.

There was no tenderness in his expression.

No obvious affection.

He was still as controlled and rational as ever.

And yet...

He was different with Rose.

Alicia forced a smile.

She pushed down the strange emotion twisting inside her and looked at Ryan.

"Mr. Knight, thank you for helping Rose."

She paused.

"Even if it meant publicly claiming Ariel as your daughter."

Ryan turned his eyes toward her.

His gaze was cold enough to make the temperature around them seem to drop.

"How well do you actually know me?"

Alicia’s smile faltered.

Ryan’s voice remained calm.

But there was a razor-sharp edge beneath it.

"And what makes you think you’re in a position to decide what I’m doing?"