From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 295: Test of Truth

Miranda studied Riley with a thoughtful gaze, allowing her to continue speaking without interruption.

"Before I reunited with the Harper family, I had a marriage here. But I recently found out it wasn't real. Another woman was legally registered as his wife. I need to resolve that situation before I can move forward with Sebastian."

Miranda's expression remained unchanged, though her eyes held a knowing glint. "You're surprisingly forthright. Why share all of this with me so openly?"

Riley said, "You're Sebastian's mother. You have every right to know my past. I could've hidden it, but that would've been disrespectful to you and to him. If this..*plication is too much, I understand. The engagement can be called off."

"Absolutely not!" Miranda's composed demeanor was shattered, her voice sharp with alarm. "Calling it off now would break Seb's heart! How can you suggest that so lightly? Don't you care about his feelings?"

Riley flinched at the sudden intensity. "That's not it, Mrs. Torres. I care about him deeply. That's exactly why I don't want him caught in the middle later, forced to choose. He's a good man. I don't want him hurt because of my past."

Miranda watched the genuine worry in Riley's eyes, her own stern expression softening into a sigh. She gave a slight, self-deprecating shake of her head. "Well, I never was much good at playing the stern mother-in-law," she murmured, a hint of wry humor in her voice.

Leaning forward, she reached across the table and gently covered Riley's hand with her own.

"Riley, Seb already told me everything earlier today. My first reaction was sheer disbelief. I couldn't fathom how something so...bizarre could happen to a girl," Miranda said, her voice now warm and quiet.

Riley stared at her, stunned.

She had braced herself for the worst—a judgmental interrogation, a polite but firm rejection. Her voice trembled slightly when she found it. "Mrs. Torres...you don't mind?"

Miranda gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Mind? Of course not, dear. I trust my son's judgment. And you were willing to be honest with me from the start. I respect that courage far more than a pretty, polished lie."

The truth was, Miranda's initial reaction that afternoon had been far from pleased.

What mother wouldn't be unsettled? Hearing that the woman her accomplished son wanted to marry was entangled in an unresolved, fraudulent marriage was enough to give any parent pause.

But then, clarity had washed over her.

She thought of the years spent buried in her career, the distance it had created between her and Sebastian, the relationship they had only recently begun to mend. Who am I to dictate his life now, after all that time?

So, before meeting Riley, she had set a private test for this young woman.

She needed to see for herself the person who had captured her son's heart.

Had Riley avoided the subject, hidden behind silence or half-truths, Miranda would have intervened, regardless of Sebastian's potential anger.

But Riley, with her raw honesty and sense of responsibility, had passed that unspoken test perfectly.

Feeling the weight of Miranda's acceptance, Riley straightened in her chair, her posture formal with gratitude. "Thank you for understanding, Mrs. Torres. I can't share all the details yet, but I promise you this: once I handle my affairs here, when I leave Havenbrook, none of this will touch my future. Or Sebastian's."

A genuine, relieved smile touched Miranda's lips. "I admit, I had my concerns. Someone with your spirit... I wondered if you two would clash. Seb can be so reserved. But I see it now. You balance him."

Her smile faded into something more contemplative, tinged with old regret. "Our relationship has only been repaired these last few years."

She paused, her gaze drifting as she gathered the words. "I married into the Torres family. It was considered a step up for me. Back then, I was so determined to prove my husband's choice right, to prove I belonged. I poured everything into my work. There was little room for anything else.

"Even after Sebastian was born, that drive didn't fade. I thought that once I've made my mark, once I've succeeded, he'll understand why I had to be away."

Riley listened in respectful silence.

Miranda said, her eyes meeting Riley's again, this time shadowed with a familiar guilt, "You've heard about his Aunt Regina, right? I was selfish. Work consumed me. I handed my little boy over to her care when he was just a child. My sister had her own family, her own responsibilities... and I still burdened her with mine."