From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 258: No Real Conclusion

Riley lifted her eyes slowly. She buried all churning emotions deep in her heart and gave a slight shake of her head.

"I'm fine, Grandpa." She kept her tone gentle and composed, with a soft, placating smile on her lips. "Lucas and I are doing just fine, no different from before."

No difference indeed.

Their public affection had always been fake. Now they were strangers behind closed doors. Beneath the surface, nothing had truly changed.

Caleb possessed a shrewd eye for human nature. He could easily tell that every word from Riley's mouth rang hollow.

Having lived most of his life, he had read far more people than Riley had years of experience to match.

"Speak the truth to me, Riley." His tone turned earnest. "You don't have to cover for that brat. If he has wronged you in any way, tell me plainly. I will stand firmly behind you."

Every word cut deep into Riley's heart, laced with sharp irony.

Her smile never faded.

She met Caleb's gaze directly and turned his gentle pressing back onto himself with tact.

"Please do not overthink things, Grandpa. I truly have no complaints."

She paused for a moment and brought up the unspoken topic hanging over everyone's minds. "I know you must be worried about Sophia and Jeremy. Yet Sophia already released an official public statement, claiming Jeremy is her child with her first love. Could it be... she has been lying to everyone?"

If Caleb admitted Sophia lied, he would personally confirm Lucas' marital infidelity and solidify his grandson's scandal.

If he denied it, he would have no reason to pry further into the rift between Riley and Lucas—the root of their conflict had already been publicly settled.

Riley's subtle question left Caleb momentarily lost for words.

His expression turned stiff for a split second before he quickly forced a hearty laugh to cover his awkwardness. "I'm glad you're truly alright. Us elders only worry about young couples falling out over trivial matters."

He picked up his coffee cup and took a slow sip, buying time to reorganize his thoughts.

With a sigh, Caleb continued, "Riley, I was at fault for letting Lucas hide Sophia's existence from you all these years. You may have heard Sophia was practically raised by our family and grew up alongside Lucas. The two shared an innocent, childish infatuation in their younger days.

"Rest assured, I stepped in the moment I noticed their inappropriate bond and sent her away from our household. Lucas only ever sees her as a younger sister. Nothing else has ever existed between them."

Caleb stared straight at Riley with sincere gravity in his eyes. "I speak plainly to you today not to plant unnecessary doubt in your mind, but because I truly regard you as one of our own family. I will not let outside gossip mislead you."

The phrase "one of our own family" stabbed sharply at Riley's heart, stirring tangled emotions she could barely contain.

Gratitude lingered in her heart for Caleb's early mentorship that had shaped her career path.

Yet she also sensed he was quietly using that kindness to trap her in emotional obligation.

She lowered her gaze and stared at the coffee in her cup, filled with cold scorn inwardly.

If Caleb truly treated her as family, he should have told her plainly about Sophia from the very day he matched her with Lucas.

He should have let her choose freely whether to step into this complicated relationship.

But he had chosen instead to stay silent, letting her devote years of relentless effort to the Ashford family and endure a fake marriage. Only after the truth unraveled and she learned the cruel secret from outsiders did he rush to soothe her with empty words of being family, just to gloss over all deception.

This was never the honesty of a true family. It was merely a superior calming his obedient pawn.

Bitter coffee lingered on her tongue, mirroring the cold melancholy weighing heavily on her mood.

Out of respect for the elderly patriarch, she swallowed all the harsh words she longed to speak.

The conversation between Riley and Caleb ended in veiled probing with no real conclusion reached.

The two stepped out of the private booth one after another and walked along the antique corridor toward the exit.

Lucas hurried over the moment they reached the door, wearing a perfectly practiced look of concern.

"Grandpa," he greeted Caleb respectfully, then naturally reached for Riley's hand. The warmth of his touch seeped into her skin, yet the contact felt alien and repulsive to her.

He turned to look at Riley. "Did you finish your talk? Is Grandpa feeling well today?"

Every gesture and line formed a flawless performance.

Caleb watched his grandson's attentive manner with quiet satisfaction in his eyes. He seized the chance to speak up, "This old body of mine is still holding up well. Since you two are both here, why not keep me company for dinner tonight?"

Lucas agreed without the slightest hesitation, "I'd love to. We'll go to your favorite restaurant."