From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress (Riley and Lucas) novel Chapter 27

Chapter 27 Lucas Sneaks Out

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Which raised a practical problem–how exactly was she supposed to fend off Lucas‘ advances for an entire month?

Excuses like having her period would only buy her a week at most.

Lucas wasn’t an idiot. If she turned him down too many times, he’d definitely start getting suspicious.

But the thought of forcing herself to endure his touch, of feeling his hands on her while every nerve in her body screamed in

revulsion…

Just imagining it made Riley’s stomach turn.

She’d rather blow up the entire Ashford Manor, everyone inside included, than let him lay another finger on her.

When Riley stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, the steam had fogged up the space, softening her features and masking whatever lay behind her eyes.

She picked up her phone from the nightstand and noticed a new message from Sebastian.

“What kind of wedding do you want?”

Of course, Riley had no idea this text had been sent on the advice of Sebastian’s so–called “relationship expert” friend.

The friend had insisted that every girl dreams of a picture–perfect wedding–give her what she wants, and she’ll be yours.

But when Riley didn’t reply for over five minutes, Sebastian started wondering if his friend’s advice was actually terrible.

After reading the message, Riley felt… conflicted.

If anything, it just struck her as odd.

She and Sebastian were nothing more than chess pieces in an arranged marriage, a transaction between two families.

With that kind of setup, weren’t the weddings usually planned entirely by the parents, just going through the motions?

Why would either of them need to worry about the details?

After a moment’s thought, Riley typed back, “Let’s talk tomorrow in person.”

Not long after, the bedroom door opened again–Lucas was back.

To keep Riley from catching any trace of Sophia’s perfume on him, he made a beeline for the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the room once more.

Riley changed into her pajamas, leaned back against the headboard, and picked up a magazine, flipping through it with a detached expression.

When Lucas finally emerged from the bathroom, he saw Riley’s soft, calm profile illuminated by the bedside lamp.

A familiar surge of desire hit him, and he instinctively moved closer.

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1:17 pm

Chapter 27 Lucas Sneaks Out

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But just as his hand was about to reach her shoulder, Riley–as if she had eyes in the back of her head–shifted away subtly and gently pushed him back.

“Not tonight.”

Lucas froze, frowning in irritation. “Why not?”

“My period started,” Riley said flatly.

Lucas paused, confused. “I thought it wasn’t due yet. Did it come early?”

Riley set the magazine down and looked up at him.

In the warm lamplight, her face seemed slightly pale, and her voice softened. “I’m not sure… Maybe it’s because I’ve been stressed and down lately.”

She pressed a hand lightly to her lower abdomen, her brows knitting slightly. “My stomach hurts a little, too. I should probably see a doctor tomorrow, get it checked out.”

With things framed like that, even if Lucas was still in the mood, there wasn’t much he could do.

Swallowing his frustration, he lay down beside her and switched off the lamp.

In the darkness, Riley lay with her back to him, wide awake.

Even the sound of his breathing grated on her nerves.

It was only because Riley stayed tense, pretending to be asleep, that she could clearly hear every slight movement Lucas made, each one causing the mattress to tremble faintly.

Time dragged on, and just when Riley thought the night might pass without incident, Lucas suddenly shifted.

Then came the soft rustle of him getting dressed, followed by quiet footsteps heading toward the bedroom door.

He was leaving again.

Where could he possibly be going at this hour?

The answer was obvious.

Lucas–after being turned down here–couldn’t control himself and had slipped off to be with Sophia.

A man who couldn’t even make it through a week of “period excuses” without giving in to his urges…

What right did he have to act like some devoted lover?

The longer Riley thought about it, the more the disgust settled in.

She genuinely couldn’t hold it back–she rushed to the bathroom and threw up.

It wasn’t until the first traces of dawn touched the sky that Lucas crept out of Sophia’s room and quietly made his way back to the master bedroom.

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