From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 121: This Is My Battle

The moment the bright red touched her lips, her whole demeanor changed.

She finished, then reached up and unhooked the pearl necklace from her neck without a second thought—and tossed it onto the vanity.

When she turned around again, she wasn't wearing any flashy jewelry at all.

Clad in a simple black dress, with her delicate skin and bold red lips, she created a sharp contrast that easily made her the focus of any room.

But Sebastian didn't seem satisfied with that.

He was slouched back on the couch, lazy as ever. Without even looking, he snapped his fingers once.

The sharp sound cut through the air. A moment later, an assistant stepped forward with a velvet jewelry box and opened it slowly right in front of Riley.

Inside was a set of ruby jewelry—top quality.

The color, the clarity, the carat weight—everything about it was collector-grade.

The black dress paired with those burning red rubies—it was a perfect match, like they were made for each other.

Riley turned her head and looked at the man on the couch. She'd seen plenty of high-end jewelry in her time, but even she felt her heart skip at how stunning this set was.

This stuff had to be worth at least a hundred million dollars.

Given how complicated things were between her and Sebastian right now, this gift was way too much.

She raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Torres, that's quite a gesture. I'm not sure I can accept something so big."

Sebastian let out a low, quiet laugh.

Then he stood up and walked toward her, step by step.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he tilted his head toward the assistant—a silent signal to put the jewelry on her.

Only then did he lower his gaze to her face. "Don't worry," he said. "Trust yourself."

His eyes slowly traced her features—her brows, her eyes, her red lips. "Even if it were a hundred times more valuable, you could still pull it off."

He wasn't just saying I deserved the jewelry. He was saying I deserved everything fine and precious in this world.

The smile on her lips became a little more real this time.

She didn't refuse again. She just let the stylist put the rubies on her.

The cold stones touched her warm skin—and sent a small shiver through her.

"Okay," she said, lifting her eyes to meet Sebastian's unreadable gaze. Her voice was clear. "Then I owe you one. I'll pay you back when I get the chance."

She was defining this gift as a fair trade.

"Yeah," Sebastian murmured. But his eyes had already drifted to her neck—long and elegant.

Her neck was graceful, her skin smooth and fair, glowing alluringly against the red rubies.

His Adam's apple bobbed—once, out of his control.

Deep in his eyes, something seemed to be stirring and burning.

By the time Riley was fully ready again, the sound of a car engine came from outside the villa.

A moment later, Vincent walked in—calm, steady steps.

He was holding an invitation. When he saw Riley's transformed look, a flicker of approval passed through his eyes. But his expression stayed completely professional.

"Ms. Harper," he said. "Here's what you asked for."

Riley took the invitation.

A black card with crisp gold lettering clearly read: Harper Group Representative.

She tucked it away. "Vincent, want to come with me?"

Vincent gave a smile and shook his head. "No need, Ms. Harper. You're more than enough."

Riley didn't push it.

Vincent excused himself and left her alone with Sebastian.

The two of them got back into the Bentley and headed toward the brightly lit manor.

Inside the car, it was so quiet you could only hear the smooth hum of the engine.

"Not going in with me?" Sebastian broke the silence first as they got close to the manor.

Riley turned her head. She smiled, "This is my battle. I'll make my own entrance. But thank you, Mr. Torres. You really helped me out tonight."

Sebastian looked at the fire in her eyes—that fighting spirit, back again. He smiled and told the driver to stop at a hidden spot a little way from the hotel's main entrance.

The door opened. Riley got out alone. Her black dress cut a sharp line in the night wind.

At the banquet hall entrance, the security guard still remembered Riley's face.

When he saw her come back, his eyes turned wary. He was about to step forward and give her a thorough check—but Riley just pulled the black-and-gold invitation out of her clutch and held it right up to his face.

The guard took it automatically. Then his eyes landed on the words "Harper Group Representative." His pupils shrank. His face went pale with shock.

Everyone in Havenbrook's high society knew that the Quinn family's banquet only sent invitations to the best of the best.

And the Harper Group? It was just as big as the Torres Group—but had stayed mysterious and low-key for years. Everyone had heard of its Havenbrook representative. But no one had ever seen them at any public event.