From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 107: Another Slap

She didn't care what these people thought of her anymore.

Out on the lawn, the moment they stopped, the warmth drained from Lucas' face.

He lowered his voice. "Sophia, did you know I was coming here to meet Sebastian, and just follow me?"

"No... Lucas, I really didn't!" Sophia shook her head pitifully, her voice cracking. "Mr. Hull invited me. I would never mess with something this important to you. I know how much this Torres Group deal means. And I know I'm not good enough to actually help you...

"But I swear, I didn't know anything beforehand. If I'd known you and Riley were coming, I never would've shown up."

Seeing her all teary-eyed like that, Lucas felt his anger soften—just a little.

He pushed down his frustration.

She was already here. And with Terrence watching, he couldn't exactly kick her out.

"Enough," he said, cutting off her excuses, his voice cold and hard. "Listen to me. When Mr. Torres gets here, you stay quiet. No interrupting, no running your mouth. Just sit there and watch. Got it?"

"Yes! Got it!" Sophia's face lit up again with an obedient smile, now that he wasn't pushing further.

But the minutes ticked by.

The pastries under the umbrella got swapped out. The coffee got refilled.

More than an hour had passed the agreed time. And the honorable president of the Torres Group—Sebastian—was nowhere to be seen.

The air grew awkward.

Sophia kept glancing toward the entrance, getting antsy.

No one felt more embarrassed than Terrence, the middleman.

He kept checking his watch, the easy confidence of an elder slipping away by the second.

"What's going on?" He gave an awkward laugh. "Mr. Torres is usually very punctual. I'd better call him. Maybe he's stuck in traffic."

He pulled out his phone and stepped aside to make the call.

Throughout it all, only Riley stayed completely relaxed in the entire lounge area.

She stirred her coffee slowly with a tiny spoon, watching the small whirlpool spread and fade.

Riley sneered inwardly.

Like Sebastian was ever going to show up today.

Terrence's back—confident at first—gradually went stiff and uncomfortable.

The call didn't last long.

He hung up and turned around.

The polite smile was gone. His face was an ugly shade of embarrassment.

Terrence cleared his throat and mumbled vaguely, "Mr. Torres' assistant said he got held up by an urgent international meeting. He won't be able to make it today."

Lucas had prepared so much for this meeting.

And once again, he got another slap in the face.

His expression darkened visibly.

Sophia's carefully chosen pink golf outfit suddenly looked ridiculous.

Then, like lightning, Sophia's gaze shot toward Riley—the one person who'd stayed completely out of it the whole time.

She bit her lower lip, quickly put on a worried face, and carefully spoke up. "Lucas, don't take it too hard. What if Mr. Torres heard that someone—someone who doesn't quite fit in—would be at this meeting? Maybe that's why he backed out at the last minute. Maybe he felt it wasn't worth his time."

The words were crafty. She didn't name names. But the target was crystal clear.

Among the people there—Lucas, heir to Ashford Group, Terrence, head of an old Havenbrook family, Sophia herself, the Ashfords' adopted daughter—who didn't "fit in"?

Then she turned to Riley with a soothing tone. "Riley, I know you might not get how things work in our world. But meetings like this—they mean a lot to Lucas. He's under so much pressure. Sometimes... you really should think about him more, instead of just yourself."

It meant that Riley's presence lowered the room's class, and that's why someone as proud as Sebastian wouldn't show.

Sure enough, Terrence nodded in firm agreement.

He'd been fuming over the embarrassment anyway. Sophia's words gave him a perfect target.

"Sophia's got a point!" he sighed heavily, shaking his head at Lucas with genuine disappointment. "Lucas, I hate to say it, but you know how hard it was to even get this meeting with Sebastian. That guy's famous for being difficult. One wrong move, and you offend him. Who knows how long before we get another chance like this?"

Seeing her opening, Sophia pressed her advantage. She comforted Terrence while subtly steering things her way. "Don't be upset, Mr. Hull. It is what it is. We'll figure something out. Don't worry. Mr. Torres will most likely be at the Quinn family's gala in a couple of days. We'll find another chance then. Apologize in person. It'll be fine."