From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 265: Malicious Frame-up

"He was wrong to hit you with the ball, and I'll apologize to you on his behalf." She held Jeremy and bowed slightly toward Riley, then straightened up to stare at her with teary, accusing eyes. "Now will you apologize to Jeremy for the cruel words you said to him?"

Julian frowned sternly and chimed in agreement. "Sophia is right. No matter the circumstance, speaking such harsh words to a child is unforgivable. You owe Jeremy an apology, Riley."

Anthea pressed the attack relentlessly. "Exactly—apologize at once! How could we have a daughter-in-law with such a petty heart and cruel nature?"

Lucas stood back, glancing up at the darkened window of Caleb's private room to confirm the elderly patriarch had not been disturbed.

He then spoke to Riley in a light, dismissive tone as if passing casual judgment, "Riley, you shouldn't argue with a child over trivial matters. Just apologize, and we can let this drop."

Riley listened to their absurd, one-sided judgment in perfect silence. Not one person present had stopped to ask if she was hurt.

All their concern centered solely on the supposedly wronged child.

A soft laugh escaped her suddenly, sharp and clear amid the tense atmosphere.

Amid everyone's stunned silence, she bent down slowly. Under the soft garden lights, the red, swollen bruise on her fair calf stood vivid and glaring for all to see.

"You're all perfectly content turning a blind eye to the truth.

"He left me with this painful bruise, yet none of you bothered to check if I was hurt. You demand I apologize without even verifying whether I said those cruel words.

"Does the entire Ashford family not even have a single security camera installed in the garden for basic safety?"

Her words carried no volume, yet irrefutable logic tore through the false unity and hypocrisy of the Ashford family in an instant.

Lucas fell speechless, his throat tightening with embarrassment.

He thought instantly of the surveillance cameras mounted at the garden entrance and along the villa's outer walls.

Logic told him Riley was right—pulling the footage would reveal the whole truth beyond doubt.

Yet emotion and family loyalty held him back. Revealing the footage would publicly humiliate his mother and Sophia.

His momentary hesitation did not escape Riley's notice, and she read it as expected cowardice and biased favoritism.

Anthea flew into defensive rage before Lucas could reply, raising her voice to cover her inner guilt. "What are you implying? Jeremy is only a little child—why would he lie? We've all seen how cold and indifferent you are toward him day in and day out. Stop pretending to be the innocent victim now!"

Her words were nothing but emotional outbursts. She was using moral manipulation to mask her unease.

Meanwhile, Sophia caught the flicker of hesitation in Lucas' expression. She darted a quick glance toward the corridor leading back to the villa and let her sobs grow louder and more heart-wrenching.

"Enough... please stop arguing. It's all my fault for bringing Jeremy here in the first place. Lucas, maybe I should take Jeremy and move out. It's clear we'll always be outsiders in this household to Riley."

A deep, displeased voice suddenly cut through the commotion from behind the crowd.

"Late at night, none of you are resting. What is all this shouting about?"

Every person froze on the spot and turned around in unison.

Caleb stood on the stone steps with a stern, unreadable expression under the dim garden lighting.

Anthea rushed forward at the sight of him, twisting the truth entirely to pour out her grievances. "Dad, you're finally here! Please judge this fairly! Jeremy accidentally brushed against Riley with his ball, yet she overreacted terribly, reduced the child to tears, and even called him a bastard with no proper upbringing! We only said a few words to reason with her, and she grew instantly hostile."

Caleb fell silent for a long moment, his eyes deep and unreadable.

Lucas waited nervously for his judgment.

Finally, Caleb spoke, "Is what Riley said not the truth?"

The smug look froze on Anthea's face, and Sophia's sobs cut off abruptly.

"Why are all of you so quick to overreact? What is a small child doing playing with a ball in the garden late at night instead of resting in his room? Sophia, is this how you discipline your child?"

Sophia hung her head in embarrassment. "You're right, Grandpa."

Caleb let out a cold huff, clearly still displeased. "All of you disperse at once. Stop making a fuss over trivial matters and disturbing the whole household late at night."

After reprimanding the others, he turned his concerned gaze to Riley. "How is your leg? Shall I send for the family doctor to examine it?"

Riley shook her head gently. "Thank you, Grandpa. It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

Lucas stood aside, his cheeks burning with shame and regret as he stared at the glaring bruise on her calf.

Fear lingered that the rift between them would grow irreparable. He stepped forward cautiously. "Riley... let me walk you back to your room. I'll put some ointment on the bruise so it doesn't swell worse tomorrow."