From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 256: Integrity in the Face of Humiliation

Too ignorant to grasp professional depth himself, James chose instead to berate his subordinate for being overly skilled.

Hidden in the background, Caleb frowned deeply at the unfair spectacle unfolding before him.

Misreading Riley's silence as timid submission, James grew smug and condescending. "I know young women from out of town will do anything to stay rooted in Havenbrook and climb the career ladder. I understand the drive to prove yourselves.

"Still, you ought to know your place. Be a little more obedient, and I might even lend you a hand. I have a nephew, a top graduate from Havenbrook University, handsome and promising. Want me to set you two up?"

His words carried blatant insult, trampling both her professional credibility and personal dignity.

Suppressed snickers rippled through the surrounding colleagues.

Everyone expected Riley to swallow her pride to keep her job, or even break down in tearful humiliation.

Instead, she lifted her head slowly, clear and steady eyes holding not a trace of timidity or hurt—only quiet, unyielding resolve.

She spoke firmly and evenly, "Mr. Sterling, I tailored this proposal strictly to the project's unique traits and the client's practical needs, fully complying with company standards and industry benchmarks.

"If you struggle to comprehend its content, that only means your own professional expertise needs improvement. You ought to focus on learning and growing, rather than blaming your subordinate for your own shortcomings."

Her gaze swept over James' stunned face. "I have no interest in meeting your nephew. Kindly refrain from making such trivial, inappropriate suggestions to me in the future."

With that, she sat back down at her desk.

A heavy, awkward silence fell over the entire marketing department.

James' face flushed red, then pale. He was lost for words entirely.

Caleb watched Riley stand tall and unyielding amid unfair pressure, his aged eyes lighting up with rare admiration.

She left every onlooker stunned, including the arrogant James, who sputtered uselessly without forming a single coherent retort.

Caleb already recognized the proposal in question.

Days earlier, he'd attended a high-stakes client negotiation as the final decision-maker. James had been tasked with presenting the report.

He remembered vividly how polished, logically tight, and insightfully perceptive the written proposal was, brimming with strategic vision and bold ambition.

Yet James had delivered it clumsily, flattening its brilliance and failing to convey even a third of its core strengths.

When clients raised in-depth professional questions, he stammered awkwardly, revealing obvious gaps in his knowledge.

Discontent lingered among the client executives, even as they maintained polite composure.

Seated at the head of the table, Caleb was busy soothing clients when a nagging sense of strangeness about the whole situation began to creep up on him.

The sharp genius of the written work clashed completely with James' mediocre presentation skills, like a professional race car paired with an amateur driver behind the wheel.

That lingering doubt had prompted his unannounced visit today, leading him straight to this unexpected revelation.

Hidden within the department was an unpolished gem of raw talent.

That evening, Caleb had his driver park discreetly across from the corporate tower, waiting until nightfall when Riley became the last employee to leave the building.

Watching her slender figure walk steadily into the dark, he nodded to his assistant, Caspian Vale, beside him.

Their car glided silently to pull up beside her.

Startled by the sudden approach, Riley stepped back warily, eyeing the vehicle with caution.

"No need to be alarmed, Ms. Harper. I'd like a word with you," Caleb spoke first in a gentle tone.

Recognizing his face from distant company annual event footage, Riley guessed his identity yet remained perfectly composed.

Pleased by her poise, Caleb cut straight to the point. "If I assigned you full authority over an independent project, would you be confident enough to lead it to success?"

The question was abrupt and monumental.

Any ordinary employee would have been overwhelmed with gratitude, rushing to pledge loyalty without hesitation—but not Riley.