From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 266: Deliberate Concessions

Riley had no desire to linger in the awkward garden any longer. She nodded faintly and accepted his offer without refusal.

The two walked back to the villa one after another.

After they left, Caleb's gaze lingered on Jeremy, who still had tears lingering on his face. The thought of Riley's earlier confession about being unable to conceive crossed his mind instantly.

A quiet suspicion stirred in his heart—the child might well be Lucas' hidden illegitimate son after all.

That very thought tempered his sternness, softening the edge of his scrutiny. The piercing look was replaced by a complex, measuring stare.

That subtle shift in Caleb's expression did not escape Sophia's sharp notice. A plan formed quickly in her mind.

She crouched down and nudged Jeremy gently. "Be good, Jeremy. Say goodnight to Great-Grandpa."

Though still frightened by the earlier commotion, Jeremy obeyed obediently and mumbled, "Goodnight, Great-Grandpa."

The simple address seemed to strike a hidden chord in Caleb's heart.

The tight sternness in his expression faded completely. He nodded slowly. "It's late. All of you head upstairs to rest."

His tone held obvious leniency now, a far cry from his earlier cold disapproval.

Sophia's eyes lit up with quiet joy and hope.

*****

The next morning, Riley and Lucas rode to the company together in the same car.

Riley sat in the back seat, her profile cold and rigid.

She had barely slept the whole night, the bruise on her calf a constant reminder of the garden farce.

Lucas hesitated repeatedly, his gaze lingering on her side profile with tangled guilt and regret.

He knew he had been wrong to side blindly with Sophia and Jeremy once again.

Yet the words of apology felt heavy and stuck in his throat, impossible to speak aloud.

He tried to make amends in a clumsy, roundabout way. "Does your leg still hurt? I'll have Trevor buy medicinal ointment to reduce the swelling and send it to your office at noon."

"No need."

Lucas' heart sank at her flat reply. He fell silent entirely, leaning back against the seat as awkward stillness engulfed the car.

Meanwhile, outside the Ashford Manor gates, with Caleb still staying at the house, Sophia deliberately avoided riding with Lucas and drove Jeremy to school herself.

To maintain her image as a humble, modest woman, she even took an old, scratched car tucked away in the garage—the very vehicle once involved in a police investigation.

Its unpatched dents and scratches made it look shabby and out of place among the luxury cars lined up in the driveway.

As expected, Caleb caught sight of the mismatched car the moment he stepped into the courtyard for his morning exercise.

A frown settled on his face, and there was obvious displeasure in his tone. "What kind of car is this? Do you intend to make outsiders think the Ashford family mistreats you?

"Jeremy attends a top international kindergarten where all his classmates come from wealthy families. Driving this battered car will only make the child a target of mockery among his peers."

Sophia hung her head at once, putting on a timid, wronged expression and speaking softly, "Grandpa, I just feel my ambiguous status doesn't warrant driving an overly luxurious car."

"There is no such thing as unwarranted propriety." Caleb cut her off firmly. "Tell the driver to hand over the keys to the new Porsche. You'll drive that from now on."

Sophia nodded obediently. "Yes, Grandpa." Quiet delight bubbled in her heart.

She was certain she had found the perfect way to soften Caleb's attitude toward her.

Near noon, Trevor called Riley's office line. "Mr. Ashford requests your presence in his top-floor office immediately."

Riley set aside her work documents and headed straight to the executive suite.

Lucas had just ended a phone call when she walked in, looking up to speak, "Aiden just called. He's hosting a dinner tonight to thank you personally for resolving the Cedar Creek holdout dispute and pushing the project forward smoothly. He specifically insisted you attend as his guest of honor."

Riley felt an instinctive urge to decline, yet she reconsidered. Work social events were unavoidable, and spending the evening trapped with the Ashford family held far more dread.

"I understand," she replied flatly and turned to leave.

"Wait." Lucas stopped her. "Sophia will be joining us tonight as well."

Riley's footsteps paused. She glanced back at him, mocking amusement clear in her eyes.

Growing uncomfortable under her stare, he rushed to offer a clumsy excuse. "Jeremy's school notified parents of a last-minute parent-child activity tonight. Sophia has no other option but to tag along. The dinner venue is close to the kindergarten, so she plans to drop by to greet Mr. Quinn and the others and express her gratitude for their support of the project."

The excuse was laughably transparent.

Riley saw through it instantly yet chose not to expose him, turning and leaving without another word.

As evening fell, the group arrived at the high-end private club Aiden had reserved.

When Riley, Lucas and Sophia stepped into the private dining room, she found the gathering far more grand than she had imagined.

Many distinguished men in tailored formal suits filled the large round table, each carrying an air of wealth and high social standing.