From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 170: Reading Between the Lines

She kept her contempt well hidden, her face as calm and unreadable as ever.

After a moment of thought, she spoke slowly. "This project... the other party's intentions seem a bit too transparent.

"Aiden is specifically requesting someone who wasn't even originally in charge—me—to take over. That doesn't add up from a business standpoint. To me, it feels more like... they're looking for someone to shoulder the blame. So my personal advice is, the risk here is too high. You're better off walking away."

Lucas had invested considerable effort into securing this deal, hoping it would propel Ashford Group to new heights. Now, with success within reach, Riley was telling him to back out?

"I know there are risks! But since when has big reward ever come without risk, Riley? Since when did you become so cautious?"

When he saw she wasn't softening, he quickly shifted tactics.

"Besides, Riley, I'd rather believe he named you because you truly bring that much value—enough to make them confident handing a project this important over to our company.

"So you'll help me with this one too, won't you?"

If she hadn't already seen through his self-serving nature long ago, she might actually have been swayed by his words.

"Of course I will," Riley replied evenly.

A flash of satisfaction appeared in Lucas' eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Riley cut him off.

"But you have to promise me one thing—if anything goes wrong with this project down the line, you won't immediately point the finger at me."

"Absolutely not!" Lucas vowed earnestly. "Riley, don't worry. You're doing this for the company and for me. No matter what happens, I'll have your back!"

What Lucas was really thinking in that moment was that he just needed to smooth things over with pretty words, to get Riley to take this mess off his hands. Whatever came later... they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

That was why he failed to notice that, just as he made that promise, the screen of Riley's phone on the table was open to the voice recording app.

After saving the recording in an encrypted folder, Riley finally allowed herself to feel a small sense of relief.

Truth be told, she hadn't wanted things to come to this—hadn't wanted to guard herself so closely against a man she once shared a life with.

But he had long since lost any credibility with her.

Whether it was the cold efficiency with which he had pushed her aside for the sake of profit, or his wishy-washy behavior with Sophia, she had seen it all clearly.

The person Lucas loved most would always be himself.

Besides, that deal with Aiden—specifically demanding her involvement—was clearly a setup. Their intentions were far from good.

A little extra caution never hurt.

Pushing the tangled thoughts aside, Riley checked the time. It was almost six—time to wrap up and head home.

This time, Lucas didn't insist on going back with her like he had the day before.

Riley guessed that her modest apartment, with its one-person couch, had probably bruised his ego more than he'd admit.

Fine by her. A little peace and quiet was exactly what she needed.

On the ride home, her phone buzzed with an alert.

Riley picked it up to see a severe weather warning from the National Weather Service: widespread severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were expected overnight. Residents were advised to prepare accordingly and avoid unnecessary travel.

Looking outside at the already darkening sky, Riley changed her plans and asked the driver to stop by a neighborhood bistro she frequented.

After a relaxed dinner, she even picked up some pastries to go—enough for a late-night treat and breakfast the next morning. Then she called another rideshare and continued home.

By the time the car pulled into her apartment complex, fat raindrops were already drumming against the windows, streaking the glass and blurring the world outside.

She made a dash for the building under her umbrella, but the wind-driven rain still managed to soak one shoulder and the hem of her pants, leaving a damp chill in its wake.

Riley was fishing through her bag for her keys, walking briskly toward her door, when the motion-sensor light in the hallway flicked on—and her steps came to a sudden halt.

There, leaning against the wall beside her door, was Sebastian's tall, upright frame.

He wore a well-tailored black shirt. He must have been waiting for a while, because his hair and shoulders carried a faint sheen of dampness. At the sound of her footsteps, he looked up slowly, his deep eyes—almost black in the low light—locking directly onto hers.

Riley's heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, her fingers tightened around her keys. "What are you doing here?" she asked, surprise clear in her voice. "Didn't you see the storm warning for tonight?"

The moment Sebastian saw her, the tension in his jaw seemed to ease slightly.

He took several long strides forward, closing the distance between them.

His eyes held hers, unwavering.

"Riley," he said, voice low. "You weren't answering my calls. I got worried, so I came to find you."