From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 282: Condom

Sebastian pushed the heavily laden cart towards the checkout.

He handed his card to the cashier while Riley waited quietly behind him.

Just then, another couple, both seemingly in their early twenties, joined the queue.

Hand in hand, their cheeks flushed a soft pink as they whispered to each other.

"Should we... get that?" the girl murmured, eyes downcast.

"Yeah... might as well. Just in case," the boy replied, his own face reddening but voice firm. They quickly darted to a nearby shelf for a small, square box.

Nerves must have gotten the better of them. As the boy tried placing it in their cart, his elbow bumped against Sebastian and Riley's. The box slipped from his grasp, tumbling neatly between a bag of potato chips and a pack of cookies in their cart.

The cashier's scanner beeped efficiently through the pile. When she plucked that specific box from between the snacks, Riley's eyes went wide.

That unmistakable brand logo... Oh, for heaven's sake!

Mortification burned through her, her toes curling inside her shoes. Being in a public checkout line while this item got scanned felt like a special kind of torture.

Her mind blanked completely.

Sebastian, meanwhile, remained utterly unflappable.

He gave the box a cursory glance before stating calmly to the cashier, "Not ours."

The cashier paused briefly, then with practiced professionalism, set it aside on a return shelf.

The transaction completed, they carried their bags to the parking lot in heavy silence.

Riley kept her gaze fixed on the ground, wishing she could vanish into the asphalt shadows.

Even after she was buckled into the passenger seat, her cheeks still felt warm.

She stole a glance at Sebastian as he started the car. His expression was placid, as if the entire incident had already been forgotten.

A mix of relief and disappointment pricked at her. Did he really not care at all?

Just as her thoughts began to spiral, his voice cut through the quiet.

Eyes on the road ahead, he said evenly, "About that item earlier..."

Riley's heart leapt into her throat. "I know! It was an accident; it fell into our cart. I'm not reading anything into it, don't worry!" she blurted out, cutting him off.

She tried to sound nonchalant, but the tips of her ears betrayed her, glowing a telling red.

A slight curve touched Sebastian's lips. He turned his head, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"No, I was going to say, the reason I declined it was that the size was wrong. Too small," he drawled.

The words landed with the force of a sledgehammer.

Riley's face burned crimson.

Sebastian watched her stunned reaction, feigning innocence with a slow blink.

Back at the apartment, Riley headed straight for the kitchen.

She took an apron from its hook, tied it around her waist, rolled up her sleeves, and began organizing the ingredients with practiced ease.

A soft rustle came from beside her.

Sebastian had fetched his own apron—a simple black one that, when worn against his tall frame, made him look surprisingly domestic.

"Need any help?" he asked, his voice low.

A smile tugged at her lips.

She nudged him playfully. "You? Cook? Don't wreck my kitchen. Go entertain yourself, it's late."

Instead of retreating, he shook his head, his expression earnest. "I can learn. I want to help."

His eyes held hers, steady and determined.

The refusal died on her tongue.

When Sebastian set his mind to something, there was no dissuading him. And this felt different. Like he genuinely wanted to be part of this mundane slice of her life.

She turned, plucked a bunch of celery from the basket, and handed it to him. "Fine. Start with this. Remove the leaves, but keep the stalks."

His fingers, accustomed to signing documents, now fumbled slightly with the celery.

Yet he worked with meticulous patience, carefully pinching off each leaf and placing it in a bowl.

Dinner was a simple affair, prepared through their combined, if novice, efforts.

It was no gourmet feast, but it was hearty and smelled wonderful.

As she watched Sebastian eat across the table, a strange, warm thought bloomed in Riley's mind.

If a future with him is like this—ordinary, comfortable, punctuated by these unexpected moments of surprise and warmth... it wouldn't be bad at all.

After the meal, they cleared the dishes together.