From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress (Riley and Lucas) novel Chapter 391

Sebastian.

Thapter 391 Secret Feelings for Sebastian

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Melissa came back from Riley’s room empty–handed. She was frustrated and angry, and her face looked terrible.

All she could think about was Riley’s cold expression and those impossible conditions that had left her speechless.

Melissa felt terrible for letting Elsie down.

She had promised Elsie–just moments before, in fact–that she would find a way to get her into Harper Group in style.

Feeling guilty, she pushed open the door to Elsie’s bedroom.

Under the soft glow of the bedside lamp, Elsie was bent over her desk, scribbling furiously in what looked like a diary.

When she heard the door open, she spun around, startled. Seeing it was Melissa, panic flashed in her eyes. She quickly snapped the diary shut and shoved it into a drawer, fumbling.

Melissa noticed every nervous move. But she didn’t say anything right away.

She pushed down her curiosity, put on a gentle, loving face, and walked over. She stroked Elsie’s hair, her heart aching.

Then she asked, “Elsie, why aren’t you in bed yet? Are you… still upset about what happened at dinner?”

Elsie shook her head hard and forced a smile. “No, Mom. Dad was right. I was being childish.”

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. “It’s getting late. I’m tired. I think I want to sleep.”

It was clearly a dismissal.

Melissa’s heart sank a little, but she didn’t push. She just said softly, “Alright. Get some rest. Don’t worry about anything. Mom’s got

this.”

The next morning, Elsie left early. She said she needed to go to her studio and deal with those customer issues–she didn’t want to upset Zavier any further.

Melissa saw her off with a warm smile. But the second the door closed behind Elsie, the smile vanished.

She turned around and headed straight upstairs–into Elsie’s room.

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Ever since adopting Elsie, Melissa had poured an almost obsessive amount of love and control into this sweet, obedient girl.

This wasn’t the first time she’d snooped through Elsie’s diary to find out what she was really thinking and what secrets she was hiding.

This time, she had a clear target–the diary Elsie had hurriedly hidden away last night.

She went straight to the desk drawer and found the little locked book in no time.

The lock was more for show than anything. She pried it open with a bobby pin in seconds.

Melissa flipped straight to the most recent pages. She had expected to find worries about Riley coming back, or frustration about not getting into Harper Group. Instead, she was shocked to see page after page of Elsie’s secret feelings for Sebastian.

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1:20 pm PPP

Chapter 391 Secret Feelings for Sebastian

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#t–read, “I saw him again today. At a party. He shines brighter than everyofre else in the room. I looked at him once, and my heart skipped a beat. He actually came over and talked to me asked if ! was bored…

“Someone purposely bumped into me and spilled champagne all over my dress. He came to my rescue. His voice is so beautiful. In that moment, I felt like a princess in a fairy tale…”

Melissa’s heart was pounding. She kept reading.

It read, “So this is what it feels like to like someone. When I heard the news about the Torres family and the Harper family forming an alliance, I was so happy I thought I’d burst. I thought–I really thought–it would be me. That I was about to become his fiancée…

“But I forgot. I’m not Dad’s real daughter. That huge blessing was never meant for me in the first place. The engagement was always for Riley–the sister I’d never even met. Dad never even considered me…

“I’ve always felt like he liked me, too, or at least felt something for me. How could he be happy marrying a woman he has no connection with? A woman who, I heard, was even married before in Havenbrook? But what can I do? I’m just the adopted daughter of the Harper family. Riley suffered so much out there. How could I be so selfish and ruin her happiness? So I told him- forget every interaction we ever had. From now on, let’s be strangers. My heart shattered when I said those words.

“Today, he brought Riley home to meet the parents. Both families are even talking about wedding plans. And me? I just have to sit on the side like a stranger and smile. And offer my blessings. Every second… every minute… it feels like a knife cutting into my heart.”

The diary slipped from Melissa’s shaking hands. It hit the carpet with a soft thud.

She felt like all the strength had drained out of her. She staggered back and grabbed the vanity to keep from falling.

Her reflection in the mirror–pale, drawn–looked years older.

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