From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 145: You're Seeing the Result

Julian and Anthea exchanged a look. Their expressions shifted almost at the same time.

But Jeremy was just a child. He didn't notice anything wrong.

He held tight to Lucas' leg, tilted his tear-streaked face up, and pointed at Riley. "Daddy!" he announced loudly. "That evil witch is crazy! She yelled at Grandma and Grandpa, and I saw her trying to hit them with a whip!"

"What?" Lucas felt blood rush to his head. He instinctively moved Jeremy behind him and looked at Riley with anger. "Riley—you tried to hurt my parents?"

But Riley didn't raise her voice. She just asked a simple question. "Lucas, what did Jeremy just call you?"

No screaming or cursing—yet far sharper than any accusation.

Lucas' face—red with anger from Jeremy's tattling—froze solid.

His arms stiffened around Jeremy. Panic flashed in his eyes, then turned into a warning glare—aimed straight at Sophia.

Sophia felt her heart tremble under that look.

They'd all gotten used to Jeremy calling Lucas "Daddy" at home. No one really thought anything of it. But now—with Riley calling it out like this—on top of everything that came out today...

Sophia wanted to keep playing dumb.

But Lucas' warning left her no choice.

If this blows up any more over a word, I'll only hurt myself.

And if Riley goes to Caleb with it? Even worse.

So Sophia crouched down and picked Jeremy up from Lucas' leg.

"It's okay, sweetie, don't be scared..." Sophia's voice was soft, soothing. "Daddy's... not here."

Jeremy was young, but he was good at reading a room. He pouted, curled into Sophia's arms, and gave Riley a look of pure hatred.

Sophia carried Jeremy quickly up the stairs.

Riley's icy expression didn't thaw one bit.

"Riley..." Lucas softened his voice. He tried to brush it off as nothing. "Jeremy was just scared. He's little. He doesn't feel safe, so he—"

Riley let out a small laugh.

"So, Lucas," she said, "in your mind—the mess at home tonight, the disaster at the banquet—all of this is my fault?"

She threw the question back at him.

Her voice was calm. But Lucas' heart sank.

He felt guilty.

Lucas avoided Riley's eyes and looked around at the mess on the floor, trying to change the subject. "Then... why is the house like this?"

Just then, Anthea—still sweating from the scare—tried to jump in with her side. "Lucas, thank God you're back! Look at your wife, she—"

However, she was abruptly cut off by Riley's even louder outburst.

"Shut up!" Riley slammed the whiskey glass onto the floor. The crash cut Anthea off mid-sentence.

Anthea's words died in her throat.

Riley said, "Let me talk first."

Even Lucas was stunned by Riley's intensity.

"Mom, calm down," Lucas said to Anthea. Then he turned back to Riley. "Tell me what happened. Why is the house like this?"

"What happened?" Riley's voice was flat. "I came home. Your mother saw my diamond necklace and tried to take it. Said I was the one behind the reporters at the banquet tonight.

"I defended myself. They didn't listen. Said I was disrespectful. Decided to use the whip on me."

Riley's cold eyes swept over the shattered glasses on the coffee table, then down to the leather whip on the floor. "So, you're seeing the result."

As Riley spoke calmly, Lucas' face got darker and darker.

He knew Anthea was vain. He knew she could be unreasonable. But he never thought she'd go this far.

"Mom!" Lucas said. "Is everything Riley said true?"

Anthea was already feeling guilty. Now her face went pale.

Her earlier arrogance crumbled. Her voice turned shaky.

"I—I just mentioned it. What do you mean by 'tried to take it'?" She tried to defend herself. "Besides, it was bought with your money anyway, wasn't it?"

Lucas heard her words. His eyes went to the diamond necklace around Riley's neck.

He'd caught a glimpse of it at the banquet. Even from far away, he could tell it was stunning and expensive—more expensive than the set he'd had made for Sophia.

But he'd never bought Riley anything like that.