From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 38: A Calculated Interruption

Everything suggested Sebastian spent nights here regularly.

Even though in a month, she and the owner of this place would legally become the closest of spouses, she had no intention of prying too deeply into his personal space.

After a quick look around, she quietly positioned herself behind the door and listened to what was happening outside.

It wasn't long before she heard the office door open again.

A polished, courteous man's voice spoke up. "Mr. Torres, I've heard so much about you. Apologies for stopping by without an appointment—I hope you don't mind."

Sebastian didn't rise. He simply gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"What can I do for you today, Mr. Ashford?"

The smile on Lucas' face faltered for a fraction of a second, but then returned as if he hadn't noticed the cool reception.

"Well, Mr. Torres," Lucas began, settling himself on the guest sofa uninvited, putting on a cooperative tone. "While I was in Nexopolis on business, I had the chance to meet your cousin Aiden Quinn a few times. We had some great conversations. He mentioned you're looking for a partner in Havenbrook for the new energy initiative. I took the liberty of coming by to see if Ashford Group might be fortunate enough to explore a collaboration."

He'd name-dropped Aiden to create a sense of connection.

What he didn't realize was that Sebastian and Aiden weren't particularly close.

Sebastian tapped his fingers lightly on the desk a couple of times, then glanced subtly toward the bathroom door.

After a moment, he said, "Mr. Ashford, I heard the two most successful projects your company ever executed in this sector were entirely handled by your wife. But she's no longer with Ashford Group. Tell me—have you already found someone who matches her caliber?"

The moment the words were spoken, the perfectly composed expression on Lucas' face cracked.

Since Riley had left the company, he'd lost count of how many times clients had brought this up.

Riley had cast such a long shadow that her departure had become an unavoidable question mark hovering over Ashford Group's capabilities.

"You flatter me, Mr. Torres," Lucas replied with a strained chuckle. "My wife only joined the company to pass the time—she wanted something to do. You know how it is, women really belong at home. She's shifted all her focus toward taking care of me and our family now.

"Ashford Group's real strength has always been our professional team and solid technical expertise."

He'd assumed that would smooth things over.

But Sebastian appeared genuinely interested in the topic and wasn't letting it go.

"Is that so? So in your wife's view, being a homemaker is more fulfilling than serving as marketing director?

"I'd always heard Mrs. Ashford was sharp in business—the kind of woman who lived for her career."

Sebastian's tone was conversational, but each sentence carried a subtle sting.

Lucas could barely conceal his irritation.

It felt like Sebastian was ridiculing him to his face, insinuating he couldn't keep a competent wife by his side.

But losing his temper wasn't an option.

Faced with the prospect of partnering with Torres Group, he had little choice but to swallow his pride.

He took a steadying breath, pasted the smile back on, and offered a smooth explanation. "Mr. Torres, you might not be aware, but Riley... she loves me deeply. When I first took over the company, we were dealing with internal issues and external pressure—it was a lot. She felt for me, so she stepped in to help.

"Now that the company's stabilized, she worries about how hard I work. She insisted on staying home to look after me properly, to be my support system."

Every one of those shameless words filtered clearly through the door into the bathroom.

Riley felt fury surge through her.

How could Lucas have the nerve to dismiss everything she'd done for the company over the years—all while secretly marrying Sophia and having a child with her, making a fool of Riley the entire time?

It was disgusting.

She was trembling with anger.

For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to storm out and confront him right then.

But reason held her back.

Now wasn't the time.

The rage churned inside her with nowhere to go.

Riley bit down hard on her lower lip.

Then, a strange, dark glint flashed in her eyes.

She unclenched her fists, walked to the door, and took a second to steady herself.

Then she raised her voice and called out sweetly, "Sebby, are you almost done? I've been waiting forever..."

Outside, Lucas' smooth talk cut off abruptly.

His smile froze in place. He stared at Sebastian, disbelief written across his face.

There was a woman in the bathroom.

The discovery stunned him even more than if his proposal had been flat-out rejected.

Everyone in Havenbrook's elite circles knew Sebastian was famously hard to approach—cool, detached, and seemingly uninterested in women.

It had never crossed Lucas' mind that this untouchable-seeming man would have someone hidden away in his private office.