From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 263: Calculated Self-Exposure

Waiting passively for others to reveal her secret held no advantage. Taking the initiative to speak the truth granted her full control of the situation.

Admitting it herself stirred a quiet sense of guilt in Caleb toward her, even as lingering doubt over her infertility remained tucked away in his heart.

When the truth of Jeremy's lineage eventually came to light, Caleb's judgment would grow far more tangled and complicated.

Her move inadvertently gave Sophia false hope, letting the woman believe she stood on the brink of gaining status and recognition within the Ashford family.

The sharpest irony of all lingered unseen beneath everything.

The son Sophia cherished dearly, the child she planned to use to elevate her own position, shared no blood whatsoever with Lucas.

An air of quiet unspoken thoughts hung over the table as the dinner drew to a close.

Plates and tableware were cleared away, yet the heavy atmosphere spawned by the topic of infertility refused to fade.

Caleb broke the lingering silence first. He tapped his cane lightly against the floor and fixed his gaze on Riley. "It's growing late, and I'll be staying at the Ashford Manor tonight. There's no need for you to return to Louvian Port. Come back to the villa with me instead."

Confusion crossed the faces of both Riley and Lucas. Caleb elaborated slowly after a moment. "I came back from abroad with several promising new energy project proposals. I'd like you to review the materials and offer your professional insight."

The excuse sounded perfectly reasonable on the surface.

Riley saw straight through his underlying motive. Caleb feared the rift between her and Lucas would continue to widen, and he intended to use this chance to force them back under the same roof.

She lowered her eyes to hide the mocking glint in her gaze and nodded. "Okay, Grandpa."

Unbridled joy surged in Lucas' heart the instant he heard her agree.

Riley had kept her distance and refused to reconcile with him for far too long.

All his attempts to mend their relationship had fallen flat, yet a single word from his grandfather had made her yield at last.

He saw this as the perfect turning point to heal their fractured marriage.

His elation lasted only the short drive from the restaurant to the villa gates.

A sudden realization struck Lucas as the car pulled up to the courtyard. With Riley staying away at Louvian Port these past days, Sophia and Jeremy had freely taken over his master bedroom, leaving countless traces of their presence scattered throughout the room.

Cold sweat broke out across his back in an instant.

If Riley laid eyes on those belongings now, her current resolute temperament would surely erupt in anger. Any hope of reconciling their relationship would vanish entirely, and even Caleb would struggle to calm the ensuing chaos.

The moment the car came to a complete stop, Lucas hurried out first. He opened the carriage door politely for Caleb and Riley, wearing a practiced warm smile. "Grandpa, Riley, head to the study for coffee first—those project documents can't wait. I'll head upstairs to tidy the rooms and air them out properly."

He offered a clumsy excuse without waiting for their reply, then turned and hurried into the villa.

Once inside, he pulled out his phone at once, hiding in a quiet corner to call Sophia in a frantic rush.

"Where are you right now?"

Discontent lingered in Sophia's voice on the line, yet Lucas gave her no room to complain. He spoke rapidly in a sharp, commanding tone, "Make sure you tell Jeremy to behave tonight. Not a single careless word in front of Grandpa. Most importantly, he must call me Uncle, not Daddy. Do you understand?"

"I-I understand." Though seething with inner resentment, Sophia had no choice but to comply reluctantly.

Now was not the time to clash openly with Caleb.

She hung up the phone, drove to pick Jeremy up from school, and began manipulating the child on the ride home.

Her tone dripped with hurt implication as she spoke softly, "Be good, Jeremy. Listen to Mommy carefully. Ignore Ms. Harper tonight. She dislikes us very much, and that's why Daddy dares not let your Great-Grandpa know about you. We have to stay hidden like this. Help Mommy drive that mean lady away, okay?"

Young and impressionable, Jeremy had long grown to harbor a dislike for Riley under Sophia's daily indoctrination.

*****

That night's dinner unfolded on a long mahogany dining table. Every dish looked rich and appetizing, yet none could dispel the stiff, suffocating tension hanging thick in the air.

Caleb sat at the head of the table with an unreadable, solemn expression.

Riley and Lucas took seats to his left, maintaining the superficial decency of a married couple. Sophia sat across from them with Jeremy tucked close to her side.

The seating arrangement itself carried silent, biting irony.

It felt as though Caleb and Riley were outsiders intruding on a tight-knit family bound by blood.

Sophia played the role of a gentle, virtuous mother flawlessly throughout the meal.

She tended to Jeremy's every need, speaking softly to urge him to eat slowly and mind his manners.

Jeremy had been well trained by his mother's strict guidance. He behaved perfectly at the table all evening, addressing Lucas properly as Uncle and carrying himself with polished etiquette.

Yet undisguised hatred flashed plainly in his eyes every time he glanced toward Riley.

Riley paid no mind to the oppressive atmosphere around her.

She dined quietly and gracefully, treating the mother and son across the table as nothing more than empty air.