From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 68: Claiming Him

As soon as the words left her mouth, Riley reached out in front of everyone's stunned eyes and took Sebastian's large hand, which had been resting at his side. She then turned toward the pink-haired girl with a playful wink and a victor's smile curling at her lips.

"Too bad, he's already taken. Why would I bet something that's mine over some silly argument?"

His hand was broad and warm, and as soon as Riley's fingers closed around it, his grip tightened in response.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Besides..." She glanced up at the tall man beside her, mischief flickering in her eyes, and lowered her voice to ask, "She's really not your type, is she?"

From the moment their hands connected, the icy aura around Sebastian melted away completely.

He laced his fingers through hers, looked down at her, and the subtle lift of his mouth betrayed his satisfaction.

Playing right along, he replied bluntly, "Not at all. Too loud and ill-mannered."

Riley and Sebastian's perfectly timed, cutting exchange hit the pink-haired girl like two sharp slaps across the face. All the confidence she'd carried from being young and conventionally attractive shattered in an instant.

The girl's cheeks flushed bright red, and her eyes immediately welled up.

She was used to being the center of attention in her social circle—never had she been publicly humiliated like this.

But her friends, including the guy who'd first tried to hit on Riley, were now too intimidated to speak up. They glanced between Sebastian's stern expression and Riley's commanding presence, not daring to utter a single word in defense. The weight of that unspoken authority made even breathing feel cautious.

Sebastian lifted his hand slightly and gestured toward a man in a sharp black suit—the manager, who had been observing from a distance.

Catching the signal, the manager hurried over, tone respectful. "Mr. Torres, my apologies. Our security should have stepped in sooner. Sorry for the disturbance."

In an even, unaffected tone, Sebastian said, "I don't want to see them here again."

"Understood. We'll handle it immediately," the manager replied with a quick nod before turning sternly to the group of young patrons. He motioned firmly toward the exit. "This way, please."

Several well-trained security staff approached. They weren't rough, but their no-nonsense demeanor made the message clear. All the earlier bravado left the students as they were escorted out under the curious gaze of other bar patrons.

With the unwanted crowd gone, the noise around the booth faded, leaving a sudden, almost heavy quiet.

In that brief silence, Riley became acutely aware that her hand was still enclosed in Sebastian's.

She pulled back as if startled.

The moment her fingers slipped from his warm palm, she could've sworn a flicker of something like resentment passed through Sebastian's eyes.

But when she met his gaze, he was simply looking down at his now-empty hand, his expression deep and unreadable.

The air between them turned slightly awkward.

Riley took a sip of her lemon water, hoping to hide the warmth rising in her cheeks.

To break the tension, she started talking. "That manager... does he know you? Do you come here often?"

Sebastian finally looked up from his hand and settled smoothly into the seat beside her—closer than before.

"Not often," he said, his tone returning to its usual evenness. "A friend owns the place. I'm a minority investor."

So he had a stake in it.

Riley nodded in understanding.

She also recalled the text she'd sent earlier that had gone unanswered. "You never replied to my message. I thought you didn't like spots like this and wouldn't show."

Sebastian leaned back against the leather booth, crossing his long legs.

"I usually don't. Too much noise," he admitted frankly. Then his lips curved into a faint, intentional smile. "But stopping by once in a while isn't so bad. See? I showed up... right on cue, didn't I?"

Thrown off by his sudden proximity and the pointed remark, Riley offered a light laugh to mask her fluster. "You really did. Anyway... thanks. You bailed me out again."

Just then, Lydia returned from her phone call, her brows still knit in irritation over whatever she'd been discussing. But the moment she saw the scene in the booth, she froze completely.

"What the..." Lydia's face twisted in bewilderment as her eyes landed on Sebastian, who was now sitting unusually close to Riley. "Was I gone for, like, ten minutes? Did I miss the whole show?"

Riley took in her best friend's utterly lost expression and couldn't help but feel a surge of amusement.