From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 186: A Life in Danger

Jeremy obediently opened his mouth and took a small bite. His eyes immediately lit up. "This is so good!" he exclaimed.

But after just his third spoonful, his little face suddenly flushed bright red. He looked like he was choking—tiny hands flailing toward his throat, a strained wheezing sound escaping his lips.

"Jeremy? Jeremy, what's happening?"

Sophia and Anthea, seated closest to him, were the first to notice something was wrong. Their terrified cries rang out across the table.

This allergic reaction was even more severe than the one he'd had at the charity gala months before.

Right before everyone's eyes, his lips began to swell and turn bluish-purple. Angry red rashes spread rapidly across his cheeks and neck.

"What's going on?!" Lucas shot up from his seat and reached the boy's side in two long strides.

Seeing Jeremy writhing in pain, he didn't wait for an explanation. He swept the child out of Sophia's arms—the boy's eyes were already rolling back—and bolted from the private dining room like a man possessed, heading straight for the nearest hospital.

It all happened so fast that the others barely had time to react.

Back in the room, Sophia sank heavily into her chair, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. "How could he be allergic again?" she muttered, almost to herself. "There were no hazelnuts in it... I made sure..."

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, her head snapped up. She fixed a hard, suspicious stare directly on Riley, who hadn't moved from her place at the table.

In response to that silent accusation, Riley slowly spread her hands, her expression calm.

"What? You're trying to pin this on me again?" Her tone was measured, almost weary. "But let's be clear—Lucas chose this restaurant. Anthea personally went to the kitchen to place the dessert order. And I haven't left this room once since I arrived."

Riley's defense was crisp, logical, and left no room for argument.

She was right. Lucas had picked the restaurant. Anthea had personally ordered the dessert. And Riley had been in plain sight the entire evening—no opportunity, no access.

After the last incident at the charity gala, they had already established Riley had nothing to do with Jeremy's allergy attack. If Sophia tried to drag her into it again now, it would only come across as desperate and frankly, a little pathetic.

Sophia's lips trembled. Under Riley's steady gaze, she couldn't muster a single word in reply.

Her pale face, aside from sheer panic, flashed with something harder to name—something that looked almost like guilt.

"Enough!"

Julian stood abruptly, his expression dark. He shot a sharp look at Anthea, who still seemed dazed, before turning his stern attention to Sophia. "Is this really the time to play the blame game? Lucas has already taken Jeremy to the ER! What matters more right now—saving your son's life, or standing around here arguing?"

Anthea seemed to snap back to reality. That was right—her grandson's life was on the line!

Frantically, she grabbed her purse from the sofa, her hands shaking. "Julian's right—we need to get to the hospital now! We have to see if Jeremy's okay!"

Sophia seemed to wake up then too, quickly following Julian and Anthea as they hurried out of the private room.

Riley said nothing, quietly bringing up the rear.

Watching the three figures rushing ahead of her, she felt nothing but a cold, still emptiness in her chest.

They made their way through the restaurant's softly lit hallway and had just reached the bustling entrance of the main dining area when Sophia's phone buzzed.

The moment she glanced at the screen, her pupils contracted.

It was an unsaved number.

A flicker of fear crossed her features. Instinctively, she turned away, shielding the screen from Julian and Anthea's view, and answered in a rush.

"Hello...?" She pressed the phone tightly to her ear, her voice barely a whisper.

Whoever was on the other end spoke briefly—the call lasted only seconds—and through it all, Sophia kept biting down hard on her lower lip.

She ended the call, drew a shaky breath, and turned back to Julian and Anthea, who were already near the host stand. "Dad, Mom... you two go ahead with Riley. Please—keep an eye on Jeremy for me. I'll catch up."

Anthea, already frayed with worry, frowned deeply. "What are you talking about, Sophia? Jeremy is in the ER, and you're not coming? What could possibly be more important than being with your son right now?"

"I..." Sophia's eyes darted sideways. "Mom, I can't just leave like this! Jeremy had a severe reaction out of nowhere—something isn't right here. I need to stay and speak with the restaurant manager. I'll have them pull the kitchen surveillance footage. I need to find out who tampered with that pudding! I won't let someone get away with hurting my boy."

To Riley, the whole act felt off.

It was all too strange.

Wouldn't any mother's first instinct be to race to the hospital to be at her son's bedside?

Finding out what happened mattered, of course—but that could wait until the child was stable. Besides, leaving it to the restaurant staff and the authorities would be far more effective than her staying behind alone.

Sophia's urgency to stay didn't feel like the drive to find a culprit. It felt more like... she needed to cover something up.

Riley recalled that brief, mysterious call and the fear that had flashed across Sophia's face moments before.