From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 92: I Still Remember Clearly

He would lose her forever.

A sharp wave of fear crashed over him the next second. He knew deep down he could never come to terms with losing her for good.

This end had always been inevitable.

But it could not happen—not right now.

Lucas denied the claim without the slightest hesitation. "How could you think that?

"Riley, don't let your imagination run wild. Sophia shares no blood with our family, but I've watched her grow up her whole life. I've always treated her like my own little sister. There's no way I'd have a child with her."

A sister.

The tiny spark of hope in Sophia's eyes died out in an instant.

All strength drained from her body, and she swayed unsteadily on her feet.

He denied everything.

Standing before this entire crowd, he picked Riley over me. He wiped away our past and brushed off Jeremy's existence like it meant nothing—all to protect her.

He only saw me as a sister, nothing more.

"Sophia!" Anthea rushed forward and held the deathly pale Sophia tight to keep her from falling.

Anthea's heart ached for her, yet that single photo Riley had shown lingered in her mind.

She kept a firm grip on Sophia, hesitated for a long moment, then lowered her voice to ask, "Sophia, tell me the truth... what about the man in this photo? Is there truly nothing going on between you two?"

Anthea's doubt did not come from nowhere. She'd heard rumors about this wealthy older man at exclusive high-society cocktail parties for upper-class wives.

Word spread that he'd lost his wife years ago and held endless power across the city. His only known weakness was a fondness for young, pretty women in the entertainment industry—and he always spent money on them without holding back.

This gossip, paired with the damning photo, was exactly why Anthea could not shake her suspicion.

Sophia's chest tightened sharply. A strong urge to save herself cleared her mind in an instant.

She lifted her head sharply, and fresh tears streamed down her face nonstop.

"Mom..." Sophia spoke in a rough, broken voice, thick with pain from being doubted by the person she trusted most. "Strangers don't believe me, Lucas doesn't believe me... will you turn your back on me, too?

"You raised me. You know exactly what kind of person I am. Do you really think I'd chase fame and fortune by throwing my life away? Would you rather trust meaningless gossip and a misleading photo than your own daughter?"

Her tearful, heartfelt words touched the softest part of Anthea's heart.

Yes. I watched Sophia grow into a quiet, gentle, fragile young woman. Someone like her will never sink to such low acts.

Riley must have framed her on purpose, out of pure malice.

Guilt quickly replaced the suspicion that had just taken root.

"I'm so sorry, Sophia..." Anthea pulled her into a warm hug, patting her back gently with clear remorse. "I never meant to doubt you. I was only scared you're too young and naive, that some cruel stranger might have tricked you out.

"Don't cry anymore. I believe you, and I will always be on your side."

Anthea whispered soft words of comfort. She then lifted her head, ready to lash out at Riley once again.

Before she could speak a single word, Riley's cold, sarcastic voice rang out slowly through the quiet living room.

She let out a light chuckle and met Anthea's gaze with lazy, unhurried calm. "Anthea, that's quite interesting.

"I still remember clearly—once, you and Sophia used a random photo with no proof to accuse me of secretly seeing another man. You were unreasonable back then."

Embarrassment washed over Anthea in an instant.

She and Sophia had worked together to drag Riley's name through the mud before. They'd grabbed a vague, unconfirmed photo and labeled her unfaithful, screaming to kick her out of the Ashford family for good. The contrast between that cruel, aggressive attitude and her current desperate defense of Sophia was a ridiculous, poorly-acted farce.

Still, Anthea had ruled over the Ashford family her entire life. Admitting she was wrong was never an option.

She would never bow down and apologize to Riley—not now, not ever.

Burning with shame and anger, Anthea threw all caution aside and shouted at Riley, "So what? Are you digging up old dirt just to show off your newfound power and get revenge on Sophia? Riley, remember your place!

"You can never have children again. The Ashford family still lets you stay in this house, still accepts you. That alone shows our great kindness and mercy.

"You bite the hand that feeds you. You come back and tear this family apart at every turn. What exactly are you after? Do you hate the Ashford family so much that you'd destroy this home just to make yourself happy?"

"Mom, that's enough." Lucas cut Anthea off with a tired, worn tone. He then turned to face Riley, a quiet plea in his eyes. "Riley, please stop this, too. Let's all take a step back. Your health hasn't fully recovered, and you shouldn't let anger wear you out. I truly believe Sophia is innocent. Everything today is just a terrible misunderstanding."

He kept playing the peacemaker, clinging to compromise to cover up the ugly tension in the room.

Riley backed off without pushing further and stepped calmly to stand beside Lucas.