From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 182: A Shattered Home

They raced over without delay. Riley hurried back, but as soon as the elevator doors slid open and she stepped into the hallway, the sharp, acrid smell of fresh paint stung her nostrils.

She covered her nose and rushed toward her unit.

The front door had been forced open violently—the deadbolt hung loose, and the frame was splintered around the latch.

The building manager and a couple of security personnel were standing outside looking helpless and uneasy.

Riley stopped in the doorway and stared inside.

The apartment was destroyed.

Her sofa, the bed, the desk—everything was splattered with thick, garish streaks of paint.

For a long moment, Riley just stood there, frozen.

Behind her, Lucas and Sophia caught up.

When Lucas saw the wreckage, he let out a low, startled curse. "What in the world happened? How did it get like this?"

Beside him, Sophia gasped theatrically, bringing a hand to her mouth. Then she turned to Riley, her voice rising as if to stir the pot. "Riley, did you make someone angry? Did they come after you to get even?"

Riley slowly turned her head. Her eyes, blank from shock moments before, had gone cold and sharp.

She fixed her gaze on Sophia and gave a slow nod. "You know, I was thinking the same thing. So... any idea who it might be?"

Her tone was eerily calm, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.

Sophia's heart jumped. She immediately put on an offended, innocent look. "I-I was just speculating. I never said that's what actually happened. Why are you coming at me like that?"

"That's enough, Sophia. Not now," Lucas cut in, his brow furrowed.

Deep down, he felt a thread of relief. Now Riley had no real reason to stay away from the family home. She could just move back in with him.

But he knew better than to voice that thought. Anyone would be furious to find their place vandalized like this.

Riley ignored Sophia's act. She turned to the anxious building manager and asked coolly, "What about the security cameras? Did they catch anything?"

The manager shook his head, looking troubled. "Ms. Harper, I'm really sorry. The hallway camera on your floor... it was tampered with last night. Our maintenance crew hasn't been able to restore the feed yet."

Even the cameras were taken out.

So this wasn't some impulsive act of spite—it was planned, deliberately aimed at her.

Riley drew a slow breath, steadying the anger tightening in her chest. She pulled out her phone and called the police.

But without key evidence like surveillance footage, there wasn't much the police could uncover.

Half an hour later, Riley walked out of the precinct, her expression blank, after giving her statement.

Lucas and Sophia were still waiting outside.

Lucas approached her, tone coaxing. "Look, Riley, you can't stay there now. Just come back to Ashford Manor with me."

Sophia chimed in almost instantly. "Yeah, Riley. Staying out here on your own... people might think you're hiding something. Besides, you've got nowhere else to go now. Why be so stubborn about it?"

Riley glanced at them both and replied lightly, "Who says I have nowhere to go?"

Lucas' frown deepened. He assumed she meant, "Are you going to stay with Lydia? Don't bother her."

But Riley shook her head. "No."

"That villa at Louvian Port... didn't you already transfer the title to my name?

"I'll just move in there."

The smug, gloating look on Sophia's face stiffened.

The villa at Louvian Port...

It hit her then—the waterfront property she'd always dreamed of having had been signed over to Riley not long ago as part of a settlement.

Every snide remark she'd made now only made her look foolish. Not only had she failed to embarrass Riley, she'd only reminded everyone that Riley had a luxury fallback option.

Lucas sighed and tried a softer approach. "Riley, do you really not want to... come home and live with me?"

Riley didn't hesitate. She met his eyes and answered plainly, "Right now, that's true."

Seeing this, Sophia burned with jealousy. She couldn't resist needling her again. "So what if it's Louvian Port? What if whoever did this finds out you moved there and trashes that place too?"

At that, Riley let out a cold, quiet laugh.

She looked straight at Sophia, perfectly composed. "That would actually work out great. It'd be like getting a free renovation. Besides, Louvian Port has round-the-clock patrols and security cameras covering every corner of the community—most of them hidden. I'd love to see anyone dumb enough to try something there."

Sophia's face went pale. A flicker of something like guilt passed behind her eyes.

Lucas had been worn down by all the drama at home. Hearing Riley's response, it suddenly struck him that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to let her stay there after all.