From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress (Riley and Lucas) novel Chapter 187

Chapter 187 A Mother’s Absence

Chapter 187 A Mother’s Absence

+30 Free Coins

As Sophia turned and made her way toward the restaurant manager’s office, Riley instinctively moved to follow, wanting to see what would happen next.

But she had only taken a single step when a hand closed around her arm.

“What are you just standing there for?” Anthea’s sharp, impatient voice cut in beside her. “Lucas already left. You need to drive us to the hospital-now.”

Riley froze, then turned to face Anthea’s commanding expression.

For a moment, she wanted to shake off the grip and say she didn’t owe them a thing.

But she held back.

This wasn’t the time to pick a fight with Anthea.

Besides, Lucas was already at the hospital. Wasting time here would only give him more reasons to blame her later.

“Fine,” Riley replied flatly, looking away.

As soon as Riley pulled the car up to the ER entrance, Anthea stumbled out from the back seat and rushed inside, her voice breaking as she cried, “My Jeremy…”

Julian followed right behind, his face tense and unreadable.

Riley turned off the engine, pocketed the keys, and walked in after them without hurrying.

They found Lucas quickly enough, standing in the waiting area outside the emergency room.

Hearing their approach, he looked up. His eyes were bloodshot, fixed directly on them.

“Lucas! How is Jeremy? Tell me!” Anthea grabbed her son’s arm the second she reached him, her words choked with tears.

Lucas stiffened briefly, then steadied his mother, who seemed on the verge of collapsing. “They’re still working on him.

“The doctor said it’s much more severe than last time. Acute laryngeal edema. If we’d gotten here a few minutes later… He trailed off, voice tight. “He could’ve stopped breathing at any point.”

Anthea’s legs buckled. She would have fallen if Julian hadn’t caught her by the arm.

She covered her mouth, sobs finally breaking through.

Lucas rubbed his temples, eyes squeezed shut as he forced down the fear still clawing inside him.

His gaze swept over his parents, then past them. He didn’t see the one person who should have been there, worned sick,

His frown deepened. “Where’s Sophia? Her son is in the ER and she’s not even here? Where did she go?

Julian let out a tired sigh and spoke up for her. “She… stayed back at the restaurant. Said there’s no way leremy’s allergy attack was an accident. Wanted to speak to the manager, find out who was behind it.”

8:38 am p

Chapter 187 A Mother’s Absence

“Are you kidding me?”

The words burst out of Lucas before he could hold them back, low and rough with anger.

+30 Free Coins

“What could possibly be more important than being here right now?! The restaurant isn’t going anywhere. Even if she wants to find who’s responsible, it doesn’t have to be this very second! What is she even thinking?!”

Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Sophia hadn’t done what she’d said she would.

She didn’t demand that the manager review security footage or track down whoever was responsible.

Instead, she moved like someone with something to hide, avoiding the main dining area, slipping through a service corridor she seemed to know too well, and pushing open the heavy fire exit door.

Her eyes kept darting around, nervous that someone might spot her.

A few steps down the dim stairwell, on a gray concrete landing, she saw the figure that made her heart hammer against her ribs.

A tall man leaned against the cold wall, wearing a black leather jacket that had faded from too many washes. A half-smoked cigarette dangled between his fingers, the glowing tip pulsing in the shadows like a warning light.

He looked like he’d been waiting awhile.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify