From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 198: A Crowd's Fury

Riley felt a stir of curiosity. "Alright," she replied.

Shortly after she ended the call, the three who had stepped out for a smoke returned. As the car door opened, the smell of tobacco, mixed with something faint and unfamiliar, drifted inside.

But the moment they climbed back in, Riley caught a whiff of something she recognized.

Her brows drew together almost involuntarily.

That scent... she'd definitely come across it before.

She glanced subtly toward Anne beside her, then toward the two men in the front seats.

Still, she couldn't quite place it.

Maybe she was just being overly cautious.

Pushing the thought aside for the moment, Riley tucked that faint, elusive clue into the back of her mind.

The engine started up again, and they continued toward their final stop.

By the time they reached Cedar Creek, the sky had turned completely dark. The last traces of sunset had vanished behind the rolling hills, leaving the old rural community wrapped in a quiet, heavy dusk.

Not far from the edge of town, Quinn Group had set up a row of portable site offices—temporary trailers with the lights on inside, glowing starkly against the deepening night.

But even before the car came to a full stop, Riley could see through the window that a large, restless crowd had gathered outside those lit-up offices.

Local residents were worked up, completely blocking the entrance. Their raised, angry voices carried clearly, even through the closed car windows.

"You people aren't being straight with us! All you developers are the same!"

"How come they're getting so much more than we are? Weren't we all supposed to get the same deal?"

"You handed out different contracts just to get signatures faster—every family's offer is different!"

"Listen here, we're not accepting those papers we signed before! If you don't make this right, not one more piece of this town is getting touched!"

Harvey parked at a safe distance. Everyone got out. Riley hung back for a moment, listening carefully, and quickly picked up the main points from the heated shouts.

She turned sharply toward Anne. "What's going on? From what they're saying, it sounds like someone's been stirring the pot about the buyout amounts?"

Mentioning such a huge payout difference was like tossing a match into dry grass—it had lit up every resident's sense of being treated unfairly.

Anne's usual polite smile was gone, replaced by clear worry.

She exchanged a quick glance with Calvin beside her, and both could see the seriousness in the other's eyes.

"We really don't know, Ms. Harper," Anne said hurriedly. "Our compensation terms were posted publicly for everyone to review. There's no way there could be that kind of difference—it doesn't make any sense. Someone must be spreading rumors behind our backs, trying to turn people against us."

Calvin's expression was tense. "Some folks just won't quit unless they think they can squeeze more out of you," he muttered under his breath.

Just then, someone in the crowd with sharp eyes noticed Riley and the others stepping out of the car.

He raised a hand and called out, pointing in their direction, "Hey, look! The people from the company are here—the ones dressed in suits! They're probably the ones calling the shots!"

All at once, the crowd turned and stared right at Riley's group.

"Let's get answers from them!"

"Don't let them walk away!"

The group surged forward like one wave.

"Ms. Harper, be careful!" Anne gasped, instinctively taking a step back.

Calvin's face changed. He moved as if to put an arm out, but against the moving crowd, it did little to help.

Harvey, without drawing attention, had already shifted back to stand slightly behind Riley. It looked protective, but actually placed him in a less exposed spot.

Within moments, dozens of upset locals had closed in around Riley.

"You're in charge, aren't you? Explain this! How come one family gets millions more than the rest of us?"

"You think you can take advantage of us just because we live out here? If we don't get answers today, nobody's going anywhere!"

"Show us the contracts! We want to see every single one!"

In the jostling, someone shoved her hard. Riley's ankle twisted, and she nearly lost her balance.

Suddenly, she was completely on her own.

She looked up. Anne and Calvin were caught up trying not to get pushed themselves, and Harvey was stuck at the edge of the crowd, calling out, "Everyone, please, let's calm down."

Things had escalated faster than Riley had expected.

A sharp pain shot through her ankle. Staggering forward from the push, she bumped into someone in front of her, only to be shoved back roughly.

But when it came down to it, this was a situation Aiden had left unresolved—a mess he hadn't cleaned up properly before.

And she was just the one they'd carefully placed out front to deal with it.

That realization steadied her almost instantly.

Ignoring the throbbing in her ankle, she forced herself to find her balance. The slight widening of her eyes from surprise faded, replaced by complete composure.