From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 163: A Crack in the Composure

Riley's outburst wasn't really about being asked to run an errand.

It was obvious—she was upset because she'd been excluded from the important meeting, and that had set her off.

Think about it: watching the company on the verge of landing a major deal that could shape its future, seeing someone like Sebastian show up in person, while she—once the star of the marketing department—was now sidelined.

That kind of blow would be enough to crush anyone with a shred of pride.

Sophia even let out a sympathetic sigh. "Riley, I get that you're frustrated, but you can't just pretend this has nothing to do with you. Fine, since you don't want to do it, I won't push you."

Then she turned and called over an intern who'd been lingering near the doorway. "Reese, could you head downtown and pick up some pastries for me? Here's the address and the order. Keep the cab receipt—accounting will reimburse you."

After giving her instructions, Sophia walked away, her steps light and confident.

Riley lifted a hand and pressed her fingers to her throbbing temples.

She began to wonder why she'd suddenly lost her cool like that.

Sophia's little jabs were nothing new. In the past, Riley had always managed to keep her composure, acting as if she hadn't even noticed.

But today, that comment about "leaving a bad impression" had gotten under her skin.

The truth was, no matter how important the clients Ashford Group was entertaining, it really had nothing to do with her.

She should've done what she always did—stayed detached, maybe even amused herself watching Sophia and Lucas scramble to keep everything under control.

But she hadn't.

A while later, once the surge of anger subsided and reason returned, Riley finally settled down.

She had to admit—all of her unusual reactions traced back to Sebastian.

Because he was coming, she couldn't stay completely removed.

Remembering how cold he'd been the night before, her emotions were all over the place, and she couldn't make sense of her own feelings.

But if Sebastian was really going to turn distant and icy over such a small misunderstanding—without even giving her a chance to explain—

Well, that would just prove he wasn't as remarkable as she'd thought.

His generosity and trust couldn't hold up under pressure.

A man like that, no matter how talented or charming, wasn't worth any more of her energy.

With that realization, Riley's heart seemed to harden once more.

She straightened up, opened her laptop, and forced herself to focus on the tedious work in front of her.

She tried to concentrate, but the complicated data on the screen now looked like meaningless clutter—impossible to weave into coherent thought.

She knew Sophia was trying to humiliate her, but beneath it all, what Sophia really wanted was to claim all the attention in front of Sebastian and shut Riley out as a potential rival.

Even so, no matter how much Sophia schemed, Lucas might not play along.

A businessman's nature was to chase profit. Faced with a project this valuable, Lucas would never easily set aside his best asset—Riley—over personal grievances.

Sure enough, just before noon, Lucas came looking for her.

"Still busy?" His tone was unusually gentle. "It's almost lunchtime. Let's go grab a bite."

His appearance brought a sudden quiet over the marketing department. Ears perked up discreetly, though nobody dared to look directly their way.

Riley felt no emotion stir inside.

"Okay."

She shut her laptop, picked up her blazer from the back of her chair, and stood without hesitation.

She didn't decline Lucas' invitation—because she knew this lunch had another purpose.

And she wanted to hear what he had to say.

They walked out of the office one after the other, trailed by curious glances.

The upscale steakhouse near the office was still Lucas' go-to spot.

It was quiet and private, good for talking.

Once seated, Lucas—almost as an apology—ordered nearly the most expensive dishes on the menu.

But throughout the meal, Riley remained cool and detached. She sipped her ice water again and again, barely touching the beautifully plated food in front of her.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them, broken only by the occasional clink of silverware.

Finally, Lucas couldn't take it anymore.

He set down his knife and fork and dabbed the corner of his mouth with his napkin.

"Riley," he began carefully, "about last night... I'm sorry. I was at the hospital until late dealing with things. I thought it was too late, that you'd already be asleep, so I didn't come back to disturb you.

"Please don't be upset with me."

Riley replied evenly, without a trace of emotion, "I'm not."

Because she'd stopped expecting anything from him a long time ago. Where there were no expectations, there could be no disappointment—or anger.

Lucas looked into her utterly calm eyes and felt a strange sense of dread.

Compared to shouting or arguing, this extreme quiet left him feeling even more powerless.