From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 80: The Villa Transfer

She had been thinking exactly that.

But now that Lucas had called her out, she had no choice but to switch tactics, however reluctantly.

After all, she was no stranger to weathering storms. Within seconds, her expression shifted, turning fragile and unsteady. She lowered her gaze, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Lucas, I... didn't mean it like that," she said weakly, tears welling up right on cue. "But you promised me before. That house was for me and Jeremy. Riley... she already gets to be Mrs. Ashford in public, enjoying everyone's admiration and respect. Isn't that enough? Jeremy and I have stayed in the shadows all these years, keeping quiet, without any real standing. And now we're supposed to give up that last bit of hope and hand it over to her?"

Lucas' tone softened a little—not out of affection, but as a tactical move to smooth things over.

"It's just a property, right?" he said casually. "I'm giving it to her to keep the peace for now. It's temporary."

Seeing Sophia still teary-eyed and resentful, Lucas frowned more deeply and let slip the real reason.

"You heard Grandpa's call yesterday. He asked if Riley was still with the company.

"He's back in two weeks. If I don't get Riley back on board before then—and if she doesn't help you stabilize things so the Ashford Group's transition goes smoothly—do you honestly think you can handle Grandpa on your own? What if my grandfather comes back furious and sends you and Jeremy away again?"

Sophia's face went pale. She even forgot to cry.

Resentment churned inside her.

"But I gave you Jeremy—a son for the Ashford family! Even if your grandfather disapproves of me, he should at least acknowledge that!"

That was her biggest card, the reason she believed she'd eventually replace Riley as the rightful Mrs. Ashford.

A mother's status rises with her son—or so she'd always told herself.

But Lucas' next words hit her like a bucket of ice water, chilling her to the bone.

"Acknowledge you?" Lucas let out a cold, humorless laugh. "Sophia, after all this time with me, don't you know Grandpa by now? If he were the type to change his mind over a grandson, I wouldn't have had to hide you and Jeremy all these years. You know what he's capable of."

A shiver ran through her.

Back when Caleb first discovered her relationship with Lucas, that iron-willed man who'd ruled the Ashford family for decades hadn't hesitated for a second. He'd not only thrown her out but used every means possible to keep Lucas from seeing her.

If she hadn't secretly reached out to Anthea and used some underhanded tactics of her own, she might never have made it back to Lucas' side.

Thinking it over, Sophia finally understood.

There was no room to negotiate about the house.

In the face of someone as decisive as Caleb, Lucas wouldn't think twice—not about one property, not even ten—if it helped calm the situation.

Sophia sniffled softly.

She furrowed her delicate brows and looked up at Lucas carefully, as if only concerned for him. "Lucas, don't be upset. I know you're thinking about what's best. I just never expected Riley to become so... materialistic.

"Asking for the most valuable property you own... Do you think she was after your money from the start?"

A complicated, unreadable emotion flashed in Lucas' eyes. He didn't want to answer that.

For some reason, hearing Sophia talk about Riley that way stirred an unexpected irritation in him.

He knew better than anyone what Riley used to be like. If she'd really been after money, she wouldn't have stood by him during his toughest years.

He sidestepped the question and gave a direct order. "Sophia, Riley has agreed to come back and will keep handling company affairs."

He held her gaze, his eyes warning.

"I know you can't help playing your little games behind the scenes. But let me make this clear—if you really want my grandfather to accept you, if you want to marry into this family without a mess, then behave yourself from now on. No more tricks, especially not around Riley."

Sophia's heart sank, but she forced her expression into something even more fragile and innocent.

She looked up at him timidly, as if stung by his harshness, and whispered, "Lucas, don't worry. I won't do anything. You don't have to say it like that. I just want you to be happy. I want our family to be okay. Please... don't think so poorly of me."

Early the next morning, Riley and an energetic Lydia marched into the most upscale mall in town—the Global Mall.

This place was a real wallet-drainer, a battleground for socialites and wealthy women alike.