From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 69: A Familiar Name

She picked up her glass of lemon-water and gently clinked it against Lydia's cocktail glass.

"Nah, you came back at the perfect time," she said.

The three of them hung out at the bar until almost ten o'clock. Lydia was already a bit tipsy, so Riley suggested they should head back home.

Sebastian hadn't had a single drop of alcohol the whole night since he had to drive. So, it was only natural that he became the designated driver.

First, he drove Lydia to her apartment complex.

The car pulled up smoothly. Lydia unfastened her seatbelt, her head still a bit hazy.

She pushed the car door open, but before getting out, she turned around, grabbed the window frame, and pointed at Sebastian in the driver's seat rather seriously, her words a bit slurred. "Mr. Torres, my bestie Riley, I'm officially entrusting her to you tonight! You better make sure she gets home safe and sound!"

Sebastian looked at her drunken state and nodded seriously, making a promise. "Don't worry about it."

After getting his assurance, Lydia smiled contentedly, waved at Riley in the car, then turned around and staggered into the neighborhood.

The car fell silent again.

The route from Lydia's place to Riley's apartment wasn't ideal that night. A few of the main roads were jam-packed with traffic.

Sebastian glanced at the GPS and decided to take another route. It was a longer way, but there was less traffic.

But just as they got close to the Louvian Port, the intersection ahead was lit up with the flashing red and blue lights of police cars. Several cop cars were parked there. It seemed like there had been a minor fender-bender, and the police were doing a temporary traffic control.

The cars slowly came to a halt, forming a long line.

Sebastian parked the car and turned off the engine.

The only sound inside the car was their breathing. He turned his head and stared out of the window, looking thoughtfully at the bright night view of Louvian Port in the distance. Then he said to Riley, "Looks like it's not gonna clear up anytime soon. Wanna get out and stretch our legs?"

Riley followed his gaze. The lights from the high-rise buildings across the water were reflected on the ocean.

She nodded and said softly, "Sure."

They both got out of the car.

The night sea breeze was colder than they expected. The moment Riley stepped out of the car, a jacket still warm from Sebastian's body was draped over her shoulders.

"Put it on. Don't catch a cold." Sebastian's voice came from behind her.

Riley pulled the oversized jacket closer to herself. His warmth surrounded her completely, and it even made her heart feel a bit warm.

She walked over to the railing by the water and watched as various cruise ships and sightseeing boats slowly passed by, their night lights strung together like a string of pearls.

For a moment, a flood of memories came back to her, making her feel a bit sentimental.

Just as she was lost in thought, Sebastian's deep voice came from beside her. He suddenly asked, "Why didn't you choose to stay in Nexopolis back then? Why come to Havenbrook?"

Riley was completely stunned.

She had grown up in an orphanage in Nexopolis. With no real support system, she had to rely on herself.

That deep-seated loneliness had shaped her stubborn and competitive personality.

In college, because of her top-notch grades in the entire department, she was selected as an exchange student to come to Havenbrook University.

When she graduated, she gave up the chance to go back to Nexopolis and firmly decided to stay in this bustling city.

She naively thought that there were more opportunities here than in Nexopolis. As long as she worked hard enough, she was sure to achieve great things and make everyone who had looked down on her change their tune.

What happened later seemed to prove that her choice was right.

Her career took off. She became a director at a young age and married Lucas, the son of the well-known Ashford family in Havenbrook.

Riley once thought that she had been lucky and worked hard enough to earn this seemingly perfect life.

But reality hit her like a ton of bricks.

The career she had fought so hard for was just a stepping-stone for Sophia.

And her engagement to Lucas had been a lie from the very start.

Lydia gazed out of the window at the bright neon lights and suddenly piped up, "Come on, let's hit a bar."

Riley shot her down right away. "I can't. I'm still not fully back on my feet. I can't drink."

"Who said you had to drink?" Lydia slung an arm around her shoulder and cajoled her. "You can sip on your water, and I'll have my little fruity cocktail. It's all good. This is your first day out of that Ashford family nightmare, we gotta celebrate!"

Seeing how pumped Lydia was and thinking that she really hadn't let loose in ages, Riley nodded and agreed.

They hopped in a cab and headed to a newly opened lounge bar near the university district.

This place was far from the posh downtown area where all the rich and famous hung out and the gossip flew. The people coming and going were all lively young students. The atmosphere was laid-back and fun.

Riley really dug this vibe. She didn't have to worry about running into anyone from Lucas' social circle.

They found a booth and plopped down. Sure enough, Lydia only ordered a glass of lemon water for Riley.

She held her fruity cocktail and looked around at all the young, fresh-faced kids, then let out a sigh, "It feels like the air just got a whole lot sweeter. I feel like I've knocked a few years off my age, too."