From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 290: Misplaced Bouquet

A fresh wave of guilt washed over Lucas as he listened to Riley's reply.

He still hadn't told Caleb that the shell company was registered under Riley's name, complete with signed authorization papers.

Driven by a need to soothe his deepening remorse, Lucas made a call right after Riley left, intent on arranging a surprise for her.

*****

Early the next morning, an enormous bouquet of roses arrived at Ashford Manor, delivered by the florist.

Sophia, the only one awake at that hour, was in the foyer when a servant carried the massive arrangement into the living room.

Her eyes lit up with delighted surprise.

"Who sent these?" she asked, stepping forward to carefully pluck the elegant card nestled among the blooms.

Written in a graceful hand were the words, "To Lasting Forever."

A blush of shy pleasure instantly colored Sophia's cheeks.

It must be from Lucas.

After all, he used to create little romantic gestures for her all the time. And "lasting forever" perfectly matched her hopes for their future.

"How thoughtful of Lucas," she murmured to herself. Tucking the card away carefully, she gathered the roses in her arms and carried them to her room, heart brimming with happiness.

*****

At the breakfast table, Lucas kept glancing toward the doorway, all while subtly observing Riley across from him.

He was eagerly awaiting her reaction when she saw the flowers.

But Riley was nearly finished with her meal, and there was still no sign of the bouquet.

Frowning, Lucas wondered if the florist had messed up.

Restraining his impatience, he excused himself and stepped into the adjoining hallway to call the shop.

The polite customer service representative assured him the bouquet had been delivered to Ashford Manor a full half-hour ago and had been signed for by a woman.

Delivered? Signed for?

Hanging up, Lucas walked back to the dining room, puzzled.

His gaze swept over the table and happened to land on Sophia, seated diagonally across from him. She looked up just then and met his eyes with a tender, meaningful glance, a sweet smile playing on her lips.

In that instant, understanding dawned.

The flowers had been mistakenly received by Sophia.

A sharp sense of defeat flooded him.

His carefully planned surprise had gone to the wrong person.

And he couldn't very well correct the mistake openly.

As he stewed in frustration, Riley stood up, her tone flat. "I'm finished. I'll head to the office."

"Wait. You don't need to go in today," Lucas called out instinctively.

Riley turned, a faint, mocking smile on her lips. "What, giving me a day off?"

"Didn't I mention it before?" Lucas pushed down his irritation. "I booked a top couture designer for you. You need to get measured for your dress today."

Caleb looked up from his newspaper. "What designer?"

Lucas explained respectfully, "Grandpa, since everything was so rushed and simple when Riley and I got married, I've felt I owe her. So... I thought I'd make it up to her with a proper proposal ceremony."

The atmosphere at the table shifted instantly.

Sophia's grip tightened sharply around her spoon, an ache twisting in her heart.

Suppressing a spike of jealousy, she chimed in, her voice dripping with false sweetness, "Yes, Grandpa, Lucas is being so considerate. Actually, this is something Riley wanted herself. I always thought she preferred things low-key. I didn't realize she liked these formal gestures too."

With a few deft words, she twisted Lucas' initiative into a demand from Riley.

Caleb was silent for a moment before responding, "It's good that Lucas is learning to be thoughtful."

Had he not known about Riley's infertility, he would have been genuinely pleased by this sign of growing affection between the young couple.

Now, however, a thread of regret wove through his thoughts.

What's the point of all this fuss for a granddaughter-in-law who can't continue the Ashford line?

All these lavish preparations seemed like hollow pageantry to him.

Listening to Caleb's lukewarm praise and watching Lucas' devoted expression, Sophia felt a nauseating churn in her stomach. She was too angry to eat another bite.

She stood, forcing a smile. "I'll go drive Jeremy to school."

But as she helped her son get dressed, a sudden, vengeful idea sparked in Sophia's mind.

She remembered the last time—how her joyfully commissioned custom jewelry had been hijacked and altered to Riley's taste. She'd been forced to wear pieces that clashed with her gown at the gala, becoming a laughingstock among Havenbrook's elite, a subject of behind-the-back whispers ever since.

Since Riley has humiliated me over jewelry, it is only fair to return the favor with the wedding dress. Let her wear a gown tailored to my measurements for her own grand proposal.