From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 303: Heartless

"Hey, did you hear? That family was just awful this afternoon!" one young nurse complained indignantly.

Another nurse chimed in, her tone tinged with pity, "I know! That young lady twisted her ankle so badly—it was all swollen up. She looked pale as a ghost from the pain. And with all those people in the room, not a single one helped her to the doctor. She ended up hobbling out on her own..."

"No kidding!" The first nurse shook her head, her voice heavy with worldly disillusionment. "That's the high society for you. All glitter and glamour on the surface, but real feeling? Forget it! Cold as ice, watching someone hurt and not even caring."

"Shh... keep your voice down. Don't let anyone hear you."

The conversation stopped Lucas in his tracks.

In a sudden, chilling moment of clarity, he realized the "young lady" the nurses were gossiping about had to be Riley.

All the details he had willfully ignored now flooded back in a relentless wave—Riley's ghostly pale face, her tightly pressed lips, and the flash of disappointment in her eyes when she had shaken off his arm.

Just how much pain was she in back then?

And him? Instead of caring about her injury, he had lashed out at her because of Sophia's words, even hurling accusations of leaking secrets at her!

What was more, when Jeremy had kicked her injured ankle, he had only stood there, bitterly questioning her.

A dull ache throbbed in Lucas' chest.

He vividly remembered the look in her eyes when she had fallen, hitting the cold tile floor after that kick.

The bitter irony was that everyone from the Ashford family present, himself included, had just stood by and watched. Not a single hand was offered.

Regret hit him like a delayed punch.

Forgetting the nurses' chatter, Lucas was consumed by the need to find Riley and apologize immediately.

He snatched out his phone and called his subordinate.

"Listen up. Find out where Riley is right now, immediately!"

A crisp acknowledgment came from the other end. Hanging up, Lucas paced the hallway, anxiety radiating off him.

His eyes darted everywhere, as if he could comb through the entire hospital by sheer will.

Within minutes, his phone rang again.

"Mr. Ashford, we traced Ms. Harper to the Orthopedics clinic. But..." The voice on the line hesitated. "She's already left. And... she left with a man."

"What?" The words struck Lucas like a bolt of lightning. "A man?"

His voice dropped, dangerously low. "What man? Who is he? Where did he take her?"

"Apologies, Mr. Ashford. They moved fast. The team is tracking them, but we have no further information yet."

Lucas' face darkened stormily.

Who dares to take my wife right from under my nose, at a time like this?

He spun around, intent on checking the security feeds himself, only to be blocked by Sophia's timid figure.

"Lucas..."

Sophia was holding Jeremy. The boy had his face buried in her neck, sniffling quietly, seemingly scared by the oppressive hospital atmosphere.

"Jeremy says the hospital smells funny, and he's scared. He wants to go home."

Lucas' response was icy. "Sophia, do you really think I don't know anything?"

Sophia froze, panic flickering in her eyes.

She looked up with feigned confusion, her expression the picture of innocence. "Lucas, what are you talking about? I-I don't understand."

"You don't understand?" Lucas let out a cold laugh. "Did you or did you not deliberately tell Grandpa about Jeremy's true identity?"

Sophia instinctively took a step back, her arms tightening around Jeremy so suddenly he whimpered.

"How could you think that!" Sophia denied, her voice filled with frantic fear. "Lucas! How could you suspect me? I know how important the heir position is to you, and I know Grandpa's prejudice against you. Why would I ever tell him something like that on purpose?

"All I want is to stay quietly by your side without causing trouble. Why would I do something to hurt you?" she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Is that so?" Lucas remained unmoved. "Then tell me, why did Jeremy kick Riley today? And what exactly did you say to him in the lounge?"

Sophia's gaze dropped instantly to Jeremy in her arms.

Sensing the tense shift in the air, the little boy lifted his head from her shoulder, his large eyes looking up at Lucas with apparent innocence.

Lucas turned his stern gaze to Jeremy. "Jeremy, tell me. Why did you kick Ms. Harper earlier?"

Jeremy flinched under the cold stare. Then, he instinctively glanced at Sophia and mumbled, "Mommy said..."

"Jeremy!" Sophia's hand shot up, silencing Jeremy in an instant—swift, desperate.

She was so flustered she forgot her unshed tears.

A cold sharpness settled in Lucas' gaze.

He watched her frantic, performative move, heard the words hanging unfinished in the air. Everything clicked into place, clear and cutting.