From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 62: An Unexpected Freedom

Lucas shut his eyes, exhausted. His thoughts were all over the place.

In the end, he gave in. His voice came out rough as he muttered, "Alright, enough fighting. Let's just go check on Dad at the hospital first. As for Riley... I'll talk to her."

They hurried to the hospital.

Fortunately, Julian wasn't seriously hurt—he'd dislocated his arm from the impact, but otherwise, he was okay.

After Isolde finished treating him, Anthea couldn't hold back. "Julian, you were driving just fine. What happened?"

Julian scowled, clearly irritated. "Don't even ask. I was trying to keep a low profile today, so I took Sophia's old clunker out to the lake to do some fishing. On the way back, everything was normal until suddenly the steering locked up. I turned the wheel, but nothing—just went straight into the guardrail. Felt like something... off had gotten into the car."

The moment Anthea heard that, she launched into the whole story about visiting the spiritual advisor, adding plenty of dramatic flair along the way.

The second Julian realized this "bad energy" might have actually affected him, his expression darkened.

He pointed at Lucas with his good arm and issued a firm, no-nonsense order. "You go talk to Riley right now. Tell her to recover somewhere else first before coming back. We can't afford any more weird accidents in this house."

So, pressured from all sides, Lucas swallowed his frustration and made his way to Riley's hospital room.

Riley had just finished her delivered lunch and was leaning against the propped-up bed, quietly reading.

When she saw him walk in looking gloomy and worn out, she casually asked, "What's going on? Everything okay?"

Lucas sank into the chair beside her bed and took a long moment to gather his words. Finally, in an apologetic tone, he said, "Riley, lately the house... might have some negative energy or something. Mom and Dad are pretty worried. They're concerned it could slow down your recovery, so they'd prefer if you stayed somewhere else until you're fully better."

To keep her from blowing up right away, he quickly offered a solution. "It's not like you'll have nowhere to go, though. I own a few other properties—you can pick any one you like, they're all furnished. Or... the condo I promised to transfer to you last time, we can start the paperwork immediately so you can move right in."

He watched her face carefully, bracing for the questions and anger he was sure would follow.

But what he didn't know was that beneath Riley's calm expression, only one thought was running through her mind.

Could something this good really be happening?

Riley lowered her gaze, as though seriously considering his unlikely suggestion.

Lucas held his breath through the silence.

A few seconds later, she looked up.

There was no anger in her face—instead, she wore an unusual calm and understanding.

She let out a soft sigh and said, almost generously, "I get it. Older folks can be superstitious. I really don't want to bring any trouble into the house, and I definitely don't need bad vibes messing with my healing. So, fine—I'll recover outside first and come back later."

Lucas had imagined a hundred different ways she might argue, but he never expected her to be so reasonable and cooperative.

That reasonableness only made him more aware of how selfish and unfair his family was being.

For a moment, Lucas felt genuinely moved.

He convinced himself Riley was swallowing this unfairness all for his sake.

He leaned closer, took her hand, and promised earnestly, "Riley, don't worry. I'll come stay with you often. And you know Nina, the housekeeper—she's the most careful one. I'll have her come take care of you personally."

But Riley gently pulled her hand back and shook her head. "There's no need. More people around just means less peace anyway."

She paused. "Lydia has a spare apartment. I'll stay there. That way we can keep each other company."

"How is that okay?" Lucas objected without thinking. "You're recovering. You can't be left alone."

"Lydia can help me find a per-diem aide with medical experience," Riley replied, turning her face slightly away. She let just the right amount of weariness into her voice. "Besides... I haven't been in a great headspace lately. And with how things are now, if I go home, I'll probably just end up clashing with your parents. Maybe it's better if I take this chance to be somewhere quiet, alone. Think of it as a little break."

Every word she spoke made Lucas feel increasingly guilty.

"Then... once you're better, I'll make sure to take you to the Maldova for a proper vacation. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Okay," Riley said. She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes—there was a faint, unspoken coolness behind it. "We can talk about that when you actually have the time."

What Lucas didn't know was that over a year ago, Riley had already bought an apartment with her own savings, without telling a soul.

Back then, she believed every woman needed her own safety net—a place in her name meant she'd never have to panic.

Now, with the Ashford family putting on one ridiculous show after another, going to such lengths just to keep her from coming back...

As far as Riley was concerned, this wasn't a setback—it was a gift.