From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress (Riley and Lucas) novel Chapter 422

Chapter 422 ! Want to Host a Banquet

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The house was quiet. There wasn’t Melissa barking orders, or Elsie whiting in that susary voice. The whole place felt open and still.

Zavier and Raymond sat side by side on the couch, clearly waiting for her. They both stood the second she walked in.

Zavier’s face lit up, and he couldn’t quite hide his eagerness. “Riley, you’re here. Traffic okay?”

“Not bad.” She swapped her shoes and set her bag on the entryway cabinet.

Without the two people who usually put her on high alert, she felt her whole body relax. She could even look at Zavier and Raymond without the usual tension coiling in her stomach.

She met Zavier’s eyes and asked, “What did you want to see me about?”

“Sit. Sit down and we’ll talk.” Zavier waved her over.

They settled back onto the couches, and Zavier cleared his throat. He looked as serious as he did in a board meeting

“Riley, I’ve been thinking. The Harpers never formally announced your return.” He gazed at her with open expectation, as if desperate to make up for lost time. “I want to host a banquet early next month. We’ll invite everyone family, friends, business partners. Let them all know my daughter’s back.”

Riley blinked.

She hadn’t expected him to go this big.

“And on top of that,” Zavier’s voice picked up a note of approval, “that feedback you gave on the island project was excellent. Real foresight. Raymond met with Brandon a couple of days ago, and they had a good initial talk. Things are moving. Brandon’s very interested in your eco–resort expansion concept.”

A small ripple moved through Riley’s chest. The clean, simple satisfaction of having her ideas recognized.

Zavier pressed forward, getting to his real point. “So I was thinking, why don’t you come on board at the company in the next couple of days? Lead the island project with Raymond.”

The offer made sense. It was logical.

Riley went quiet for a moment. Truth was, the project genuinely interested her.

But stepping into Harper Group meant stepping into Melissa’s territory.

She lifted her eyes to Zavier and hesitated. “I don’t have a problem with that. But…”

She didn’t need to finish. Everyone in the room knew exactly what she was worried about: Melissa’s bitter, sharp face and her relentless determination to push Elsie into the company no matter what.

Zavier had clearly anticipated this. The brightness in his expression dimmed, and he let out a heavy sigh.

“It’s fine.” He rubbed his temple, the gesture weary, but his voice held firm. “I still call the shots at my own company–who comes in, who stays out. That much I can still decide.”

He said it with the weight of a man who ran his own house, but underneath the authority was pure exhaustion.

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10:54 pm P p p p

Chapter 422 I Want to Host a Banquet

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Before he could say mure, he turned his head and coughed hard into a handkerchief.

The cough was dry and backing. One after another, doubling him over until his shoulders curled inward. The sturdy frame he always carried suddenly looked fragile.

Riley’s chest seized. She leaned forward fast. “Dad, are you sick? You look way worse than before.”

Only then did she notice how much more gray had crept into his hair in just a few days.

Raymond got up, poured him a glass of water, and patted him on the back. He explained to Ritey, “He hasn’t been sleeping. All this family stuff. He’s been up half the night.”

Zavier took a sip of water and waved it off. He didn’t want her worrying, “Old problem. It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing.” Raymond frowned, worry bleeding through. “The family doctor already came by. Saïd it’s stress. Combined with his age, his immune system’s dropping. Told him he needs rest. No more late nights.”

Riley looked at Zavier’s face, lined and worn. At the gray streaking his hair. Something tender in her chest twisted hard, and a dull ache spread through her.

He got old. He got tired. The weight of the family wore him down until he looked like this.

And a good chunk of that weight came from the war between her and Melissa.

She made her decision. “Okay, Dad. I’ll do it. I’ll report to the office on Monday.”

Zavier’s eyes brightened instantly. He nodded, the relief flooding his face. “Good. That’s good.”

He remembered something and immediately called for the kitchen to bring out the food they’d prepared.

The table was filled with dishes. All of them were her favorites.

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Chapter 423 Are They Good Together?