From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 49: The Lipstick Stain

He thought her meltdown was only about losing the baby—completely missing that it was really about him.

Riley lifted a shaky hand and pointed at his collar.

"Then explain this to me. What's that?"

Lucas instinctively glanced down where she was pointing.

The vibrant lipstick stain glared back at him, and his pupils tightened.

It all came rushing back: right before the clinic called, Sophia had been clinging to him in his office, all hugs and sweet talk.

That mark must've been from her.

A wave of guilt washed over him at being caught.

"This is..." His eyes darted away nervously.

"I was in a rush getting to the hospital," he said, avoiding her stare and grasping for an excuse. "At the entrance, I bumped into some woman by accident..."

Riley didn't blink.

"Really?" she asked quietly. "You haven't been seeing someone else? And you don't feel... different about me now?"

"Why would I feel different?" Lucas replied, pouring on the sincerity. "Riley, don't go there. You're the only one I want."

Hearing his hollow reassurance, the fire in Riley's eyes dimmed. She lowered her head again.

"But... I can't give you children anymore," she whispered, voice cracking. "Your family expects an heir... someone to carry on the Ashford name."

Her words broke between quiet sobs. "Even if you're not looking now... what about later? You'll find some younger, prettier woman to have your kids. Where does that leave me?"

Lucas recalled Isolde's warning—that patients could be emotionally fragile after waking up. Riley's shift from fury to despair fit the description perfectly.

"No, Riley, don't think like that," he softened his tone, patting her hand gently. "Let's just focus on you getting better. Don't worry about anything else. Didn't you mention Lydia knows that herbalist upstate? Once you're stronger, I'll take you there myself. Things will work out."

Riley could tell he'd fully bought into the emotional act. The timing felt right.

She leaned back against the propped-up hospital bed, wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and sniffled softly—as if finally swayed by his words.

Then, with eyes still red and swollen, she shifted the subject.

"Will you call the police for me? There's something wrong with those pills I was taking... I just know it. Otherwise why would I suddenly hemorrhage like that..."

Lucas' stomach dropped.

This was exactly what he'd been dreading.

His heart, which had just begun to calm, hammered against his ribs again.

"No!" he refused almost too quickly. "Isolde said it wasn't the medication. You've been pushing yourself too hard, your body was run down—it just gave out. She said you need rest to recover."

To steer her completely away from the idea, Lucas stayed quiet a moment, then stood up.

"You should rest. I'll have Isolde give you something to help you sleep. You'll feel better after."

Without waiting for a reply, he hurried out.

Soon Isolde entered and, without discussion, administered a mild sedative.

Lucas watched Riley's eyelids grow heavy until they closed, then finally let out a long, uneasy breath.

He bent down, brushed a light kiss on her forehead, and whispered in what he thought was a tender tone, "Sleep well, Riley. There's an emergency board meeting I have to get back to. I'll come see you tonight."

Then he made a quick exit from the clinic.

But the moment the door shut, Riley's eyes opened on the pillow.

None of the earlier sorrow or fragility remained in her gaze.

Isolde leaned in slightly. "That's it? A couple outbursts and one slap... and you're letting him off that easy?"

Riley allowed a slow, cool smile to touch her lips.

"Of course not," she murmured. "You eat a meal one bite at a time, and you play a part step by step. Come on too strong too fast, and the whole act falls apart."

Isolde looked intrigued. "So you think that jerk actually went back to the office?"

Riley shook her head.

"No," she said with quiet certainty. "If I had to guess, he's rushing to cover his tracks."

Hurrying away from the private clinic, Lucas knew better than anyone what had truly caused Riley's hemorrhage.

He was the one who'd swapped her original fertility pills with the ones Sophia had secretly had made.

Back then, he never imagined things would go this wrong. To erase the evidence, he'd even flushed her original prescription down the toilet.

If the police got involved, tested the pills, followed the trail—they'd trace it back to Sophia. And to him.

A scandal like this would trash his reputation and send Ashford Group stock into freefall.