From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 53: The Perfect Arrangement

"Why not?" Riley asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "Don't you think children are sweet? What's there not to like?"

Sebastian shifted slightly, as if the question had brushed against a raw nerve.

He frowned, just a touch, and for a brief moment his stern expression softened into something almost uneasy.

"They're too noisy," he stated plainly. After a pause, he added, "And... I don't have the patience it takes to raise a child well."

His tone was direct, with no sugarcoating—just frank honesty.

Riley suddenly recalled things she'd heard about Sebastian around town.

The CEO of Torres Group was known to have almost no personal life outside the office.

His idea of relaxation seemed to be sinking hours into complex, single-player strategy games—the kind that demanded full focus and serious brainpower.

To outsiders, he came across as reserved, somewhat detached, even self-contained.

Seen that way, his stance made sense.

Someone who lived so firmly in a world of logic and order would probably find a child's unpredictable cries and chaos utterly overwhelming.

At that moment, any thought Riley had of explaining herself simply faded.

She'd considered, if he really pressed the issue, gently hinting that all this was just part of an arrangement.

But now, there was no need.

The "can't have kids" explanation had turned out to be the perfect unspoken agreement for their partnership.

Even if they did go through with the marriage, it would be a practical alliance—two people getting what they needed, with no expectation of building a family to hold it together.

He didn't want children; she couldn't have them. It was an oddly perfect fit.

Once that settled in her mind, Riley felt a strange sense of relief.

Sebastian stayed quietly in the room a while longer. He didn't speak again, just watched her take slow, careful sips of the soup. The silence between them was unexpectedly comfortable.

After finishing about half the bowl, Riley felt warmer and a bit more steady.

She glanced at her watch and guessed Lucas would be back soon.

"It's getting late," she said, setting the bowl down and looking toward Sebastian. "Lucas will probably be here any minute. You should head out—there's nothing more to handle here anyway."

Sebastian lifted his gaze and held hers for a long moment, his eyes steady and calm. Slowly, he collected the bowl from her bedside, secured the lid back on the container, and took his time straightening up.

"Kicking me out already?"

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and there was a faint trace of amusement in his voice. "Worried he'll see me and jump to conclusions?"

Riley met his questioning look, nodded honestly, then shook her head. A cool, thin smile touched her lips.

"Yes and no," she replied evenly.

"He's the one with someone on the side. He should be the one feeling guilty and looking over his shoulder. Honestly, right now he'd probably love to catch me in some questionable situation—just so he could shift the blame and drag me down to his level.

"I'm not giving him that satisfaction."

Sebastian watched the cool determination in her eyes for another beat. Then he stood.

"Get some rest, then."

This time, he didn't add anything else.

His tall frame reached the door, and he glanced back once more. In the end, he said nothing, simply opened the door and stepped out.

But the sleek insulated food container he'd brought remained on the nightstand, quiet and noticeable—like a silent reminder.

Sure enough, less than half an hour after Sebastian left, Lucas returned.

When he walked in, his face still carried the irritated tension from his earlier argument with Sophia.

But then his eyes swept across the room and immediately landed on the food container that clearly didn't belong in a clinic.

The faint, savory scent of chicken soup still hung in the air.

"Who was here to see you?" he asked as he approached the bed, an accusatory edge in his tone.

Riley pretended to have just woken up. She blinked slowly, following his gaze to the container, and answered flatly, "Oh, that was Lydia. She heard what happened and dropped by to check on me."

She tossed out the safest name she could think of.

Then, before Lucas could dwell on it, she dangled the bait herself.

"She was pretty upset about the medication mix-up. Told me I ought to get to the bottom of it—that I shouldn't let someone screw with me and just take it."

That comment hit a nerve.

Lucas' attention successfully shifted, and his face tightened with clear discomfort.

He leaned over, making a show of tucking the sheets around her thoughtfully, but his voice was dismissive. "Let's not focus on that right now. What matters is you resting and getting your strength back."

He paused, as if realizing that wasn't enough to settle her, then added in a tone meant to sound reasonable, "Besides, if you really wanted to look into it, who in the house would even want to target you? Your in-laws? Or maybe..."

He left the sentence hanging, but the implication was obvious.

Riley played along. She looked up at him, her face pale and her eyes deliberately hazy, and asked with feigned innocence, "Well, who do you think it could be?"