From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 46: An Amateur Proposal

If Lucas hadn't known for sure that this proposal was Sophia's work, he would've lost it right then and there.

What kind of amateur hour garbage was this?

From the very first page, nothing made sense. The market positioning was all over the place, and the user analysis was full of holes.

As for the so-called "core marketing ideas"—they were painfully outdated. The "highlights" section looked like it was pulled from a playbook ten years old. A quick Google search of recent campaign trends would've turned up way more compelling concepts than this.

This thing... forget pitching it to a demanding client like Harper Group. If you showed it to any halfway competent client, they'd toss it straight into the trash.

Lucas took a slow, heavy breath, forcing himself to stay calm. But he couldn't help comparing it to the proposals Riley used to put together.

Hers were always clear and straight to the point. Just a few pages, but she'd nail the client's core needs every time. Her ideas were bold, fresh, and—most importantly—actually executable.

Sophia watched Lucas' expression nervously, her eyes filled with worry.

"Lucas..." she began tentatively, "is it... that bad? Do you think I'm just not as good as Riley?"

The answer was obvious.

The two proposals were night and day.

Lucas' lips parted. The word "yes" hovered right there, ready to slip out.

But at the last second, he held back.

Sophia had never been the business type, after all.

She'd given up her comfortable life as an influencer just to stand beside him openly. She'd stepped into a world she knew nothing about, starting from zero.

Back in the day, she'd show up in luxury cars, dressed head to toe in designer labels. Now, just to avoid office gossip, she drove a beat-up used Audi to work every day.

So Lucas swallowed his frustration.

He told himself that Riley hadn't been perfect from the start, either.

Sophia just needed time.

Thinking that, he softened his tone, aiming for something encouraging.

"It's not bad, it's just... there's room to polish it. A lot of room. With some adjustments, it could work much better."

He handed the phone back to Sophia. "Don't rush. This stuff takes time. Tell you what—after work, bring all your materials to my office. I'll walk you through everything, help you restructure the proposal and fine-tune the details."

Sophia was instantly touched.

All her earlier hurt and worry melted away.

She threw herself into Lucas' arms, burying her face against his chest, and murmured sweetly, "Lucas... you're so good to me."

Lucas raised a hand and absently patted her hair. "Alright, get back to work for now. Go through your tasks, make a list, and report everything to me. I'll help you get up to speed."

"Okay!" Sophia nodded vigorously against him.

Then she lifted her face, eyes glistening, and puckered her lips, leaning in for a thankful kiss.

Just as she got close, Lucas instinctively turned his head—smoothly dodging it.

"Not here. We're at the office. You're a director now. People watch everything. If they realize we're too close, the gossip will start. It won't do your authority any favors."

For a moment, Sophia's eyes dimmed.

Her body was still pressed against his, and she could feel how deliberately he'd pulled away.

She suddenly remembered what Riley had said at dinner last night.

Sophia didn't insist on the kiss. Instead, she rested her head on Lucas' shoulder.

Under the guise of snuggling, she tilted her head slightly and left a faint lipstick mark on the collar of his shirt—right below the neckline.

It was a hidden spot.

Lucas would hardly notice it himself.

But for a wife who handled her husband's laundry every day, it would stand out like a red flag.

After that little move, Sophia felt a sharp, vengeful sense of satisfaction.

She would've liked to linger in his arms a little longer.

But just then, Lucas' phone rang.

He frowned and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this a family member of Riley Harper? This is St. Mary's Medical Center. Ms. Harper has just been brought in unconscious due to sudden, severe hemorrhaging. Her condition is critical. Can you come to the hospital immediately?"

"What?!" Lucas' face went pale. "Okay—I'm on my way!"

Without another thought, he ended the call and pushed Sophia away so abruptly that she stumbled back several steps, barely catching herself.

"Ah!" she cried out. Once steady, she stared at him, wounded.

She grabbed Lucas' arm as he tried to rush out, her voice trembling. "Lucas! What's wrong? Why are you pushing me like that...?"

"It's Riley—something's happened!"

Lucas shook her off, already heading for the door, his voice tight with urgency.