From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 175: A Calculated Invitation

"Alright," Riley replied, her tone detached.

Lucas seemed taken aback by her chill response and quickly added, "I already emailed you the auction catalog. Take a look and let me know if anything catches your eye. Just say the word, and I'll place a bid for you."

His effort to win her over was unmistakable.

Too bad the Riley of today wasn't the kind of woman who'd be over the moon just because he showed her a little kindness.

"Got it. I'll browse through it first," she answered evenly.

After hanging up, Riley opened her email and skimmed the auction materials Lucas had sent.

The listed items were certainly high-value—typical estate jewelry, vintage watches, and contemporary art pieces you'd expect at an upscale auction. Still, nothing really stood out to her.

She saw right through what Lucas was doing.

Bringing her along wasn't really about her, and it wasn't about winning her back either. This was all for Aiden's benefit—to show that she, as Mrs. Ashford, was fully on board and engaged in the partnership. That way, Lucas could solidify his deal with Aiden.

A faint, cool smile touched Riley's lips.

But if Lucas wanted to throw money around to keep up appearances, she certainly wasn't going to stop him.

The following evening, after wrapping up at the office, Riley left the building with Lucas.

What struck her as odd was that Sophia—who usually clung to Lucas at events like these—didn't make a sound all day. She stayed quietly in her office and showed no interest in joining them.

Lucas' car pulled smoothly out of the parking garage. Just as they were about to turn onto the main road, Sophia hurried over and tapped on the passenger window.

Lucas rolled it down. Sophia leaned in, wearing a polished, gracious smile, though her eyes flickered meaningfully toward Riley before she spoke. "Lucas, I just remembered Mom's birthday is coming up. If you spot something nice at the auction, don't forget to bid on it for her. It'd make a lovely gift."

Lucas nodded right away. "Sure, I'll keep an eye out. You have the catalog too—check with her about what she likes, then text me a screenshot."

"Will do. Drive safe," Sophia said as she straightened up, giving a little wave.

Their exchange played out like a well-rehearsed scene—the devoted son and the thoughtful adopted daughter. They clearly thought nobody could see through it.

But Riley, sitting in the passenger seat, caught the subtext immediately.

Sophia wasn't just reminding him to buy Anthea a gift. She was using it as a way to ask Lucas for something she wanted herself, all while hiding behind the perfectly respectable excuse of Anthea's birthday.

The auction was being held in the grand ballroom of a luxury downtown hotel.

Riley, dressed in an understated but elegant white gown, walked into the venue on Lucas' arm.

To her surprise, Aiden hadn't gone inside yet. Instead, he stood near one of the pillars at the entrance, almost as if he'd been waiting for them.

When he spotted them, Aiden approached with a warm, sociable smile. "Mr. Ashford, Ms. Harper—there you are."

"Apologies for the delay, Mr. Quinn. Traffic was heavier than expected," Lucas replied courteously. He handed his keys to the valet and said, "Riley, why don't you go ahead with Mr. Quinn? I'll join you right after I park."

Riley nodded. She watched Lucas walk away, then let her gaze drift casually around the opulent lobby without being obvious about it.

Just as she looked back, Aiden leaned in slightly, dropping his voice to a confidential tone. "Sebastian isn't here tonight," he murmured.

Riley's lashes lowered slightly.

After their conversation the night before, she understood completely the true nature of Aiden and Sebastian's relationship beneath all the polite facade. Him telling her this now was a test—to see if she'd react with disappointment, or better yet, to catch some flicker of emotion before Lucas returned, something he could later twist into a story.

That realization only made Riley more composed.

She turned and met Aiden's eyes with calm detachment, her tone even and deliberate. "I'm here with my husband tonight. Whether Mr. Torres attends or not really doesn't concern me."

Aiden's smile stiffened for a fraction of a second. He clearly hadn't expected his carefully set-up remark to be turned back on him so smoothly.

He gave a light, unconvincing laugh and quickly adjusted his expression. "You're absolutely right, Ms. Harper. That was thoughtless of me."

But he wasn't ready to drop it just yet.

"I didn't mean anything by it, truly.

"My cousin has never been the... warm type. It's rare to see him take an active interest in anyone, which under other circumstances might be flattering. But... for your own sake, I feel I should give you a friendly heads-up."

He paused, as though weighing his words carefully.