From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress (Riley and Lucas) novel Chapter 170

Chapter 170 Reading Between the Lines

She kept her contempt well hidden, her face as calm and unreadable as ever.

After a moment of

“Aiden

bu

lowly. “This project… the other party’s intentions seem a bit too transparent.

one who wasn’t even originally in charge–me–to take over. That doesn’t add more like… they’re looking for someone to shoulder the blame. So my personal advice is, off walking away.”

up

from

derable effort into securing this deal, hoping it would propel Ashford Group to new heights. Now, wit Riley was telling him to back out?

risks! But since when has big reward ever come without risk, Riley? Since when did you become so cautious?

w she wasn’t softening, he quickly shifted tact

des, Riley, I’d rather believe he named you ing a project this important over to our

you’ll help me with this one too, w

that much value–enough to make them confident

ng ago, she might actually have been swayed by his words.

she hadn’t already seen

“Of course I will,” P

A flash of

e opened his mouth to speak, but Riley cut him off.

anything goes wrong with this project down the line, you won’t immediately point the

rnestly. “Riley, don’t worry. You’re doing this for the company and for me. No matter what

nking in that moment was that he just needed to smooth things over with pretty words, to get Riley to hands. Whatever came later… they’d cross that bridge when they came to it.

e failed to notice that, just as he made that promise, the screen of Riley’s phone on the table was open to the voice PP. D

ving the recording in an encrypted folder, Riley finally allowed herself to feel a small sense of relief.

th be told, she hadn’t w

e with.

‘t wanted to guard herself so closely against a man she once shared a

it he had

be himself.

sake of profit, or his wishy–washy behavior with

specifically demanding her involvement—was clearly a setup. Their intentions were far from good.

12

Chapter 170 Reading Between the Lines

A little extra caution never hurt.

Pushing the tangled thoughts aside, Riley checked the time. It was almost six–time to wrap up and head home.

This time, Lucas didn’t insist on going back with her like he had the day before.

Riley guessed that her modest apartment, with its one–person couch, had probably bruised his ego more than he’d admit.

Fine by her. A little peace and quiet was exactly what she needed.

On the ride home, her phone buzzed with an alert.

Riley picked it up to see a severe weather warning from the National Weather Service: widespread severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were expected overnight. Residents were advised to prepare accordingly and avoid unnecessary travel.

Looking outside at the already darkening sky, Riley changed her plans and asked the driver to stop by a neighborhood bistro she frequented.

After a relaxed dinner, she even picked up some pastries to go–enough for a late–night treat and breakfast the next morning. Then she called another rideshare and continued home.

By the time the car pulled into her apartment complex, fat raindrops were already drumming against the windows, streaking the glass and blurring the world outside.

She made a dash for the building under her umbrella, but the wind–driven rain still managed to soak one shoulder and the hem of her pants, leaving a damp chill in its wake.

Riley was fishing through her bag for her keys, walking briskly toward her door, when the motion–sensor light in the hallway flicked on–and her steps came to a sudden halt.

There, leaning against the wall beside her door, was Sebastian’s tall, upright frame.

He wore a well–tailored black shirt. He must have been waiting for a while, because his hair and shoulders carried a faint sheen of dampness. At the sound of her footsteps, he looked up slowly, his deep eyes–almost black in the low light–locking directly onto

hers.

Riley’s heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, her fingers tightened around her keys. “What are you doing here?” she asked, surprise clear in her voice. “Didn’t you see the storm warning for tonight?”

The moment Sebastian saw her, the tension in his jaw seemed to ease slightly.

He took several long strides forward, closing the distance between them.

His eyes held hers, unwavering.

“Riley,” he said, voice low. “You weren’t answering my calls. I got worried, so I came to find you.”