From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 136: Who Started This Rumor?

Riley stood beside him and watched it all. A faint, almost invisible smile touched her lips.

The three of them walked out of the lounge area and back into the noisy banquet hall. The night had gotten late. The party was almost over.

The smooth jazz music had softened. The glow from the crystal chandeliers felt dimmer now.

Aiden—tonight's host—walked to the center of the stage. He gave a short, polite closing speech. Then the guests started leaving in small groups.

They made their way to the hotel entrance and waited for the car to pull around.

Lucas was still talking quietly to Sophia, smiling. Sophia tilted her head down, acting shy, enjoying the attention.

Then—out of nowhere—shouts shattered the quiet night.

"Mr. Ashford is right here!"

"Hurry! That's Lucas from Ashford Group!"

"Wow—and Sophia's with him, too..."

Before anyone could react, dozens of blinding white lights flashed from every direction.

Then a swarm of reporters rushed forward and surrounded them.

Cameras flashed nonstop.

Microphones were shoved almost into Lucas' face.

"Mr. Ashford!" a female reporter said. "We've heard that you've been in a long-term relationship with Ms. Myers. That her child is actually yours. Is that true?"

Lucas' face went pale instantly.

On pure instinct, he pushed Sophia behind him. His eyes went wide with anger. "That's complete nonsense!" he yelled at the reporters. "How dare you ask something like that? Who started this rumor?"

His shouting sounded more desperate than threatening. If anything, it only made the reporters more sure they were onto something.

"Mr. Ashford, we received a tip from an anonymous source!"

The reporters weren't scared off by his anger. They got even more excited.

When Lucas heard the words "anonymous source," his heart sank.

He shot a look back at Sophia, suspicious.

Is she behind this?

Meanwhile, more cameras and microphones had turned to Sophia.

"Ms. Myers, is it true? Is that really Mr. Ashford's child?"

"Ms. Myers, your career in entertainment has been so smooth. Everyone says Mr. Ashford has been funding you behind the scenes—getting you roles, pushing you to the top, even helping you win that Best Actress award. Is that true?"

Sophia was terrified. Her face had gone pale.

She'd always wanted her and Jeremy's true identities to come out, but not like this, not ambushed by paparazzi in public.

She cowered behind Lucas' tall frame, trying to hide from the blinding cameras. All she could manage was a small, weak whimper. She couldn't say a word.

At one point, the scene descended into complete chaos.

Lucas struggled to protect a shaking Sophia while trying to fend off the reporters.

In the middle of all this, his eyes darted to Riley—standing off to the side, looking completely out of place.

He looked at her instinctively—a silent plea for help.

Every time he faced an unsolvable problem, his subconscious expected Riley to step in—calm, sharp, and fully capable of fixing everything and erasing all his troubles.

But Riley's face was blank, impossible to read.

She stood there like she had nothing to do with any of it. That distant attitude made something stir in Lucas' chest—annoyance.

Then some of the reporters spotted Riley. They turned some of their questions on her.

"Mrs. Ashford! Did you know about any of this? Or has Mr. Ashford been lying to you all these years?"

"Yes, Mrs. Ashford! Did you know that Ms. Myers' child is actually Mr. Ashford's?"

"Have you ever done a paternity test?"

The questions came fast, sharp, and mean.

Riley slowly turned her head and looked at Lucas.

His usually refined face looked twisted under the flashing lights. His eyes—normally so warm—were begging.

It's so ridiculous.

When he was sneaking around with Sophia, betraying me—did he feel even a little sorry?

And now that he's trapped in his own mess, he expects me to clean it up for him.

Riley let out a soft laugh.

She stopped hiding from the cameras. She stepped forward slowly and stood next to Lucas and Sophia.

Then she faced the reporters directly. "I'm sorry, everyone.

"What you're saying is... honestly, shocking. Personally, I don't believe it."

She paused for a second. Then she looked at Lucas—sincere, trusting.

"Besides," she went on, "my husband and I have always had a very loving relationship.

"I truly believe he would never do something so immoral. The Ashford family is an honest, respectable family. We value decency. So Sophia's child could not possibly be my husband's."