From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 308: Desperate Gambit

Lucas made it past Caspian this time and wasn't stopped at the door. He pushed it open to find Caleb propped up in bed, while a nurse beside him was carefully dabbing at his arm.

Lucas began, placing the insulated container on the bedside table. "Grandpa, I had the housekeeper prepare some broth for you. Would you like to try some?"

Caleb glanced at the offering, then at his grandson. With a curt wave of his hand, he dismissed the nurse.

Once the door clicked shut, Caleb's gaze sharpened, fixing on Lucas. "Have you thought about what I said yesterday?"

Lucas knew this was it—the moment to declare his allegiance.

He lowered his head, his response a subdued murmur. "I understand, Grandpa. I-I'll... handle the situation with Sophia and Jeremy."

"Handle it?" Caleb's tone was icy with dissatisfaction. "I don't want it 'handled.' I want them gone from the Ashford family's sight. Permanently. That's the line. Your first real test to prove you deserve the name." The weight of the ultimatum hung in the sterile air.

"Yes, Grandpa." Lucas swallowed the bitter knot of resentment in his throat, forcing the words out.

Play along for now. Just get through this.

Some of the tension left Caleb's shoulders as his eyes drifted to the container of broth. "Leave it. I need some quiet now. Go."

Lucas retreated without another word, the door closing softly behind him.

*****

Meanwhile, across town, Sophia just dropped Jeremy off at preschool.

The morning sun had bathed his small face, illuminating the innocent sparkle in his eyes.

She straightened his little collar, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. "Be good for the teachers, sweetheart. Mommy will pick you up this afternoon."

"Okay!" Jeremy chirped, hugging his backpack as he scampered inside.

With her son settled, Sophia drove out to a secluded private club on the city's outskirts.

Inside a reserved booth, Harvey was already waiting, though he was barely recognizable. He slumped on the sofa, looking drawn and weary, dark circles stark against the pallor of his skin. The past few weeks hadn't been kind.

The moment Sophia entered, he snapped to his feet, a flicker of desperate, obsessive light crossing his gaze.

"Sophia," he called out.

Offering him a faint smile, Sophia took a seat opposite him.

She wasted no time. "Harvey, I asked you here today because there's something you need to know."

She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping into a tone laden with carefully curated worry and hurt. "Caleb knows. He knows Jeremy is Lucas' grandson."

Harvey's expression shifted, shock then confusion washing over him. "What? The old man knows? But... isn't that a good thing?"

The thought was unsettling; after all, that boy was still Harvey's blood.

"Shh, keep your voice down," Sophia whispered urgently, casting a glance toward the door.

She continued, her eyes beginning to glisten with unshed tears, "He knows... and he's refusing to acknowledge Jeremy anyway. He's even pressuring Lucas to send me and Jeremy away... for good."

"That's outrageous!" Harvey erupted, surging to his feet and pacing the length of the plush carpet. "How can he be so heartless? Doesn't he have any shred of decency left?

"I'd do anything for Jeremy, Sophia. Anything! Tell me. What can I do? How do we make that old bastard recognize him as an Ashford? What will force his hand?"

Sophia watched him, this man so easily consumed by emotion, and a cold, sharp smile touched her lips internally.

She let out a slow, shaky breath, feigning immense difficulty. "There's only one way now. The only path left... is for Riley to claim Jeremy as her own. That's the only chance Jeremy has..."

Harvey froze, the implication sinking in. He understood exactly what she meant.

Seeing comprehension dawn, Sophia laid out the plan plainly. "So, we need to deal with Riley. I need you to help me create an opportunity. A situation where Riley and you... have an 'accident'. And we'll need to get pictures.

"With those photos, we'll have leverage over Riley for the rest of her life. She'll have no choice but to do exactly as I say, no matter how much she hates it."

Harvey paled.

He knew the plan would work, logically. But a deep-seated fear of Riley crawled up his spine.

The last time in Cedar Creek—he'd been so sure the trap was flawless, yet she saw right through it, nearly exposing him.

He'd kept his distance ever since, terrified of her piercing gaze.

That woman looks delicate, but her mind is sharper than a razor.

"Sophia, I-I don't know. She's... she's not someone to be taken lightly," he stammered, the memory of his failure a heavy shadow.

Sophia's demeanor softened instantly, her expression crumbling into one of pleading vulnerability. "Harvey, I know you're wary of her. I am, too. But what other choice do we have? Grandpa has drawn a line in the sand. If we don't succeed this time, Jeremy and I will be thrown out on the street! My son will be nothing but a bastard, a shameful secret he'll carry forever!"

A single tear escaped, tracing a path down her cheek. It was a masterstroke of calculated despair. That show of utter fragility shattered Harvey's remaining reservations.