From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 209: A Planned Celebration

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

If earlier she'd only sensed something slightly off about how things were unfolding, now she felt almost sure someone was pulling strings behind the scenes—someone trying to derail the project.

Whether their aim was to keep the town exactly as it was, or whether they were working for a rival firm, there was no way to tell yet.

Half an hour later, the music finally faded out with one last sharp clash. Onstage, the performers took a bow to enthusiastic applause, the crowd clearly wanting more.

Riley and the others stood at the back, watching the townsfolk clap and cheer. Inside, they each let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Finally over," Anne murmured under her breath.

But before they could take a step away, they noticed several elderly men in dark suit jackets, hair silvered with age, slowly making their way onto the stage with the help of canes.

The most respected-looking of them accepted a handheld microphone, cleared his throat, and began speaking in a strong local drawl.

His speech covered the usual themes—family history, the virtues of earlier generations, and encouragement for the younger folks to stick together and treat each other well.

The crowd listened intently, nodding along now and then.

Without realizing it, Riley's frown deepened.

She glanced at Anne and Calvin, gave a slight nod, then turned and led them away from the buzzing crowd.

"Doesn't look like this is winding down anytime soon," Anne said from behind her, tone tinged with helplessness.

"Let's go," Riley replied, her voice low and firm.

On their walk back to the temporary site office, they passed the large oak tree at the entrance to town. A few older men who hadn't gone to the gathering were relaxing in the shade, chatting casually.

Riley's eyes swept over them and settled on one who looked particularly approachable. She slowed her pace, walked over, and put on a warm, polite smile.

"Excuse me, sir," she said, her tone friendly and her accent blending smoothly into the local way of speaking. "Is there something special going on at the community hall today? Looks like quite the event."

The old man brightened at being addressed by a pleasant young woman. "Why yes, miss—today's our town's heritage ceremony. We're honoring our forefathers, brought in a band and some performers. Later there'll be a big potluck dinner, tables set up right there at the hall. Always a real lively time!"

"Heritage ceremony?" Riley caught the phrase right away.

"That's right. Happens a few times a year—tradition going way back," he replied cheerfully.

"Thank you, sir," Riley said politely before quickly rejoining Anne and Calvin.

Back in the office, Anne dropped into a chair with a sigh. "Just our luck, huh? Of all days to show up, it had to be when the whole town's tied up with some big gathering. Now we can't even get hold of the leader."

Calvin's expression was serious. He had a feeling this wasn't just bad timing.

Riley didn't speak right away. She went to her desk, sat down, pulled out her phone, and began scrolling through what looked like research notes.

For a while, the only sounds in the room were the soft glow from her screen and the occasional swipe of her finger.

After a few minutes, she looked up. Her eyes, usually calm, now held a sharp, alert gleam as she turned to Anne and Calvin.

"I went through old town records and some local historical archives," she began.

"Their heritage ceremonies aren't usually held this time of year. The next one should've been two weeks from now."

"What?" Anne and Calvin exchanged glances. "Are you saying... today's event was put together last minute?"

"Most likely." Riley nodded. "And something this size—booking performers, organizing food—doesn't just happen spontaneously. It feels planned ahead of time."

Calvin's face grew even more grave. After a moment, he added, "You think they found out we're bringing a full team in soon, guessed we'd try to meet with the town council today, and moved the event up on purpose?"

"That way," Riley picked up, "under the banner of important community business, they keep us from reaching key decision-makers. And by holding the ceremony and entertainment, they pull everyone together—which quietly strengthens their front against outsiders."

She looked out the window. Faint sounds of chatter and activity still drifted from the direction of the community hall.

"Given how things played out today, we shouldn't make any direct moves right now."

She spoke carefully, "A moment like this is exactly when we can't afford to look rushed or give them anything to use against us."

She paused, then laid out a plan. "Here's what we'll do. This afternoon, we split up. Stay clear of the community hall. Just walk the edges of the town and the project site. Get a feel for the layout, notice how people are reacting—but don't initiate contact with anyone."