From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 90: A Slap and a Revelation

Even though Lucas didn't agree with what she had done, he couldn't help but soften toward her, remembering how he had failed her in the past.

Anthea couldn't believe what she was seeing.

She turned all her rage toward her son.

"Lucas! Are you really letting her throw money around like this? Did you give her the money to buy all this useless stuff? Do you even know what she's doing? Why are you spoiling her like this?"

Standing off to the side, Sophia looked just as awful.

The fact that Riley could afford so much meant Lucas had given her a black card with no spending limit.

She had hinted at it so many times, but she'd never gotten one.

And then she remembered what Lucas said yesterday about transferring that priceless beachfront villa in Louvian Port to Riley's name...

For a moment, Sophia forgot everything else.

She took a slow breath, looked at Riley hiding behind Lucas, and spoke in a wounded tone, "Riley... what happened to you?

"Lucas already agreed to give you the villa at Louvian Port to make up for everything. So why did you still go and buy all these luxury things? Are you really not going to stop until you've drained the Ashfords dry?"

A villa?

What villa?

The anger on Anthea's face froze. She whipped her head toward her son, her expression shocked and disbelieving. "Lucas! Is Sophia telling the truth? You're giving Riley the Louvian Port villa? You'd better explain yourself. Right now."

All the pressure landed on Lucas at once.

He felt more irritated than ever.

Just as his frustration was about to boil over into shouting, he felt the hand clutching his sleeve from behind tighten slightly.

As if seeking protection.

Lucas' expression turned cold.

"That's enough."

He glanced down at Riley's hand still holding his sleeve, then looked back up, his eyes sharp as blades.

"Yes, I'm giving Riley the Louvian Port villa. And yes, I gave her the black card.

"Since when do I need any of you to question how I spend my own money?"

Anthea's mouth hung open. Shock and anger were still written across her face, but she couldn't get a word out.

She was completely cowed by her son's uncharacteristic firmness.

Sophia just stood there, frozen.

The color drained from her pitiful face right in front of everyone.

She stared at Lucas without moving, her eyes filled with hurt.

How could he be so harsh with her and Anthea, all because of Riley?

Where was the Lucas who used to dote on her and speak to her so gently?

Her eyes silently accused him of how much he had changed.

Lucas felt a slight pang at that.

He did carry guilt toward Sophia, and he was used to her being vulnerable and leaning on him.

But right now, what he owed Riley weighed more heavily. He couldn't back down.

But in the middle of that tense, charged silence—

Riley, who had been playing the fragile, helpless role, let go of his sleeve.

She stepped out from behind Lucas and walked right up to Sophia.

Without warning, she raised her hand and—before anyone could react—slapped Sophia clean across the face, sharp and swift.

The loud, crisp sound of the slap echoed through the large living room, sudden and startling.

Sophia stumbled from the impact.

"Ah!"

Anthea finally snapped out of her daze and let out a shrill cry.

She rushed forward, shoved Riley aside, and positioned herself in front of Sophia.

"Riley, how dare you hit Sophia? What gives you the right to lay a hand on her!"

Lucas was completely stunned too.

He stepped forward instinctively, catching Riley as she staggered back from the push. His gaze was filled with confusion.

He had been willing to shield her, but he never expected her to retaliate in such a direct, physical way.

But even with Anthea shouting and everyone's eyes fixed on her, Riley showed no sign of panic.

She looked Sophia straight in the eye and, mimicking the falsely innocent act Sophia herself used to put on, spoke with feigned hurt in her voice.

"Sophia...

"I really misjudged you.

"How could you—just because your own love life is such a disaster—turn around and try to drive a wedge between me and Lucas?"

Her love life... a disaster?

Sophia's loud sobs caught in her throat.

She was utterly bewildered. Holding her stinging cheek, she even forgot to cry.

"What... what are you even talking about?" Sophia cried out. "What did I ever do to you? Why do you keep coming after me, even hitting me to take out your anger? You've gone too far!"

Riley slowly shook her head.

"Sophia, I was trying... to spare you some dignity," she said softly. "After all, it's not easy having a child out of wedlock and raising Jeremy all on your own."

Then Riley pulled out her phone and brought up a photo.

It clearly showed Sophia walking out of an upscale hotel with some gray-haired older man, clinging to his arm.

"You!"

The moment she saw the photo, Sophia felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. She stood frozen, as though she'd fallen into an ice-cold abyss.

How did anyone get a picture of that?