From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress (Riley and Lucas) novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24 Sophia Takes Credit

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Zoe’s face was etched with frustration. “She doesn’t have a clue about anything, but she loves ordering everyone around!

“No matter what the task is, she dumps it all on us to handle. Then when it’s time to report to upper management, she takes the results and data we put together and parades around like she did all the work herself. I swear, I’m this close to handing in my resignation.”

Riley reached out and gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. “Don’t do anything rash. Think about your bills. No job comes without its headaches.”

“Ugh…” Zoe let out a heavy sigh, the brief surge of determination she’d mustered instantly deflated by reality. “Thanks for that. Now I just feel worse.”

Riley couldn’t help but smile at her defeated expression.

Her gaze drifted almost imperceptibly toward the closed door of the corner office as she lowered her voice. “Alright, enough venting. Probably best not to say these things where they might get back to her. You don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”

Zoe caught the hint immediately and nodded quickly before hurrying back to her own desk.

Not long after Riley settled into her temporary corner workstation, her phone lit up on silent.

It was a message from Vincent.

“Ms. Harper, just wanted to give you a heads–up. The point person on the Ashford side has been replaced. The new one… How do I put this? Seems pretty green. Doesn’t really know much about the project.”

Riley stared at the message. Exactly what she’d anticipated.

She thought back to where the project stood.

According to the original timeline, around now, the full marketing proposal should have been submitted.

She’d personally drafted the initial version before she left.

It just hadn’t been formally sent over to the client yet.

A few minutes later, Vincent messaged again, this time with a file attached.

“This is the proposal they just sent over. Take a look.”

Riley opened it. One glance at the table of contents and the first couple of pages outlining the core strategy, and she knew with absolute certainty.

This was her proposal. Word for word.

Apparently, Sophia hadn’t just taken over her office–she’d helped herself to everything on her computer too.

When Riley left, she hadn’t bothered wiping or transferring those business files. Partly because she didn’t see the need. But mostly because she’d fully expected that, given Sophia’s personality and skill set, she’d take the easy route and claim someone else’s

work as her own.

1/3

1:16 pm

Chapter 24 Sophia Takes Credit

+30 Free Coins

After all, building something from scratch takes effort. But slapping your name on someone else’s work? That’s just copy and paste.

There was no way Sophia would actually put in the time to really understand the project.

What she wanted was to pick up where Riley left off and take all the credit.

A faint, knowing gleam flickered in Riley’s eyes as she typed her reply.

“Perfect chance for you to put your expertise to work, isn’t it?”

After sending the message, Riley set her phone down and leaned back comfortably in her chair.

She figured it wouldn’t be long before Sophia came marching out with the client’s rejected proposal, ready to dump the whole mess back in her lap.

But as the hours ticked by, the office door stayed firmly shut.

Riley was a little surprised.

Had Sophia actually changed her approach?

Was she really planning to handle the revisions herself?

Riley shook her head with a faint, amused smile.

The proposal she’d crafted had a very distinct style and real depth to it. No outsider could just tweak a few surface–level phrases and pass it off as their own.

About another half hour later, the office door finally opened.

Sophia stepped out.

She walked straight past Riley’s desk like she wasn’t even there, heading directly toward the break room.

Her expression, though, told a different story–it wasn’t pretty.

And so, Riley spent the entire day sitting quietly at her corner desk, effectively being treated like a ghost.

That evening, back at the Ashford family estate, everyone gathered in the dining room for dinner.

Julian, seated at the head of the table, fixed his gaze on Sophia, his expression gradually darkening.

“So, Sophia. How did things go at the office today?” he asked, his tone carefully neutral.

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