From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 273: Midnight Solace Next Door

The sharp chime sliced through the silence, jolting Riley back to reality.

Impulsive. Too impulsive.

Regret washed over her instantly, but retreating was no longer an option. Heavy footsteps approached from within.

Sebastian appeared in the doorway, clad only in a loose black bathrobe. The collar gaped open, revealing his collarbone and the hard definition of his chest.

His hair was still damp, droplets clinging to the strands and sliding down a jawline that looked chiseled from stone. He carried the faint, clean scent of a fresh shower.

He froze for a split second when he saw Riley standing there, caught completely off guard.

But the surprise vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by a sudden, blazing heat.

His gaze burned as it traced over her pale features, searing her inch by inch.

"I thought you were staying at Ashford Manor tonight," he asked.

His question shattered the fragile mask Riley had worn all evening. "I couldn't stand it there anymore. I... ran away."

She followed him into the living room, where the light was warm and inviting.

Sebastian grabbed a towel from the sofa, toweling his hair with lazy, deliberate movements, though his eyes never left her.

"Did they mistreat you?" he asked.

Riley collapsed into the armchair beside him.

"Lucas and Sophia are sleeping together in the master bedroom. I recorded it all. But just thinking about it makes me feel filthy. Like I've been contaminated."

Mid-motion, Sebastian's hand froze. The towel hung limp.

Seeing the raw vulnerability in her eyes, he dropped the fabric onto the armrest and stepped closer.

Riley had to crane her neck to meet his gaze.

Leaning down, Sebastian brushed her cheek with his fingers, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear in a slow, deliberate motion.

"So you ran away and came straight to me." His finger trailed down the strand to brush the sensitive shell of her ear, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous intimacy. "What exactly are you hoping I'll do?"

The question was blunt, bordering on intrusive.

Riley felt the air between them thicken, saturated with tension—like a powder keg waiting for a spark.

He's waiting for my command. I can walk away with my pride intact, or I can let myself fall, just this once.

The image of Lucas and Sophia tangled in her sheets flashed through her mind, severing her last nerve of resistance. Acting on pure instinct, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms tight around Sebastian's waist.

His body went rigid at the contact.

She pressed her face against the soft terrycloth of his robe. "You'll never be like him... right?"

The storm of desire inside him softened at the plea.

He pulled her into a steady, grounding embrace. "You have my word. I will never be another Lucas."

Sebastian pulled back slightly, scooped her up effortlessly, and carried her toward the bedroom.

Riley rested her head against his shoulder—a silent, willing surrender to his company.

The bedroom was bathed in dim, warm light.

Sebastian laid her gently on the mattress, with her eyes fixed on him intently.

He didn't push for more, simply pulling the duvet up to tuck her in.

"Get some rest."

A tangle of emotions tightened Riley's chest.

She didn't go back to Ashford Manor that night. Instead, she spent the night beside Sebastian, both of them sober and awake, separated only by the invisible divide stretching down the center of the bed.

Riley curled up on her side, her back to him. Even with another man in the bed, the searing pain of betrayal dulled to a manageable ache.

*****

Lucas woke the next morning with a distinct weight of guilt on his chest. He rushed to tidy the master suite before heading to the guest room to find Riley.

But the door was ajar. The room was empty, the bed pristine—clear evidence that no one had slept there.

Riley's gone?

Panic spiked in his pulse. He dialed her number immediately.

"What?" Riley's voice came through after several rings, cool and detached.

"Where are you? Did you even stay here last night?" Lucas demanded, his voice sharp.

"I went back to my place at Louvian Port to pick up a few things." Her tone remained maddeningly calm.

"What?" Lucas roared in disbelief, "What could possibly be so important that you left in the middle of the night?"

"Grandpa was asking for you first thing this morning, and I had to cover for you." He tried to shift the blame, using the family elder as leverage. "Riley, stop being so unreasonable and impulsive."

A faint, mocking glint flickered in Riley's eyes.

Classic. Hiding behind Caleb to intimidate me.

"I was going to come find you last night to explain, but then I heard noises from your room. It sounded like a video playing, so I didn't want to disturb you," she said evenly.

Lucas froze on the other end of the line.

Video? That was us together... Did she come back? Did she hear everything?