From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 252: Restlessness

Little did Lucas know, the son he'd gone to such lengths to protect—the child for whom he'd hurt his wife time and time again—carried no blood relation to the Ashford line at all.

The irony of it all could not have been more profound.

Lucas fell completely lost for words.

Riley had never once stood in his way, that much he knew.

Even at the very start, she'd treated Jeremy with genuine care and kindness.

Yet as he replayed every moment of her quiet indifference, every time she'd stepped back from their arguments without interference, a strange unease settled over him.

Somehow, her calm silence felt far more punishing than any screaming fight Lydia would have thrown.

Just then, a soft beep sounded as the gate lock unlocked.

Riley pushed the door open, yet made no move to let Lucas inside. Blocking the entrance with her body, she spoke in a clear dismissal, "It's late. You should head home. I'm worn out and turning in early tonight."

Lucas hadn't shared a bed with Riley in far too long.

"I'm not leaving!" He stepped forward stubbornly, attempting to force his way past her. "This is my home, too. I'm staying here tonight with you."

His sentence was cut short by the sharp ring of his phone.

Annoyed, Lucas pulled out his phone. The name "Sophia" flashed across the screen, burning bright under Riley's mocking stare.

Lucas hesitated, then answered the call awkwardly.

Sophia's soft, anxious voice drifted through the line at once. "Lucas, when will you be home? Jeremy's throwing a fit and refusing to do his homework until he sees you..."

Beneath Riley's unmissable look of ridicule, Lucas burned with embarrassment and frustration.

He ended the call and offered a lame excuse. "H-He just started at a new preschool, that's all. He's being overly clingy; he'll settle down in a few days."

Riley remained unmoved, finding his hollow excuse tedious and ridiculous.

"Why tell me this? I never asked," she replied coldly.

Without giving Lucas a chance to respond, she shut the door firmly in his face, leaving him stranded outside.

Lucas stood frozen in the courtyard, seething with frustration.

He lifted his hand to knock again, yet his arm hung suspended in mid-air; he was unable to bring himself to make the move.

After standing there in a daze for a long while, Lucas ran a hand roughly through his hair in irritation, then finally turned toward his own car to help Jeremy with his homework.

From behind the floor-to-ceiling curtains on the second floor, Riley watched his car glide out of the courtyard until its taillights vanished into the night.

No time was wasted wallowing in emotion. She picked up her phone at once and dialed Vincent's number, her tone steady and composed.

"Arrange people to keep a close watch on Harvey. I want full details on everything he's done regarding the Cedar Creek project, everyone he's been in contact with—and especially all his dealings with Sophia. Leave no detail uncovered."

*****

The next morning, a vague sense of unease lingered over Lucas the moment he woke. A nameless restlessness gnawed at him, yet he could not pinpoint its source.

He brushed the odd feeling aside, chalking it up to the quarrel with Riley the night before.

Down in the living room, an air of forced warmth hung thick.

Jeremy stood holding Sophia's hand, dressed in a brand-new preschool uniform, his face bright with excitement, ready to ride to school with Lucas.

Sophia savored the calm comfort of the past few days.

With Riley out of the picture, she'd stepped seamlessly into the role of lady of the house, tending to the two most important men in the household. The sense of control and belonging filled her with intoxicating satisfaction.

"Good morning, Daddy!" Jeremy chirped the second he spotted Lucas coming down the stairs.

Lucas walked over and lifted him up instinctively.

Sophia slipped naturally into place beside him, linking her arm through his own. The three of them looked every bit a perfect, harmonious family.

Overjoyed, Jeremy wrapped his arms around Lucas' neck, begging to be taken to the newly opened aquarium that Saturday.

"Alright, I'll take you," Lucas agreed absently, his mind elsewhere.

Just as they prepared to head out, the deep roar of car engines echoed outside the villa gates.

A fleet of sleek black luxury vehicles pulled up abruptly, blocking the entire driveway completely.

Car doors opened in unison, and a line of suited bodyguards stepped out in perfect formation, their imposing presence casting a heavy silence over the scene.

Sophia's eyes widened in shock. She tightened her grip on Lucas' arm nervously. "W-What's going on?"

Dread sank deep into Lucas' heart instantly.

Before he could speak, the door of the central stretched limousine swung open.

An elderly man in a tailored classic suit stepped out slowly, leaning on an eagle-headed cane, surrounded by his security detail.

At the sight of that familiar, feared face, Lucas' mind went completely blank.

Jeremy in his arms suddenly felt like a time-bomb ready to explode at any moment.