From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress (Riley and Lucas) novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8 The Chestnut Cake Accusation

The moment Sophia heard the commotion, her face went pale. She rushed inside without a word.

“What happened to Jeremy?”

Anthea scrambled after her, panic written all over her face. Nothing could happen to her precious grandson.

Inside, Jeremy lay limp on the sofa, barely conscious. Rashes covered every inch of his exposed skin.

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Sophia gathered him into her arms, tears streaming down her face. “Jeremy, baby, what’s wrong? You were fine a minute ago- what happened?”

Anthea hovered nearby, wringing her hands, too distraught to speak.

But Sophia’s eyes snapped to the half–eaten cake on the table. Her voice rose, sharp with accusation. “Who gave Jeremy chestnut cake?”

A servant lowered her head and mumbled, “I saw… he got it from Mrs. Ashford.”

All eyes turned to Riley.

Sophia looked at her, disbelief mingling with tears. “Riley, I told you Jeremy’s allergic to chestnuts. Why would you give him chestnut cake?”

Her voice cracked. “I know you and Lucas don’t have children of your own. But you can’t take that out on my little boy!”

The society ladies exchanged glances. They’d just been enjoying Riley’s company moments ago. But they’d also seen enough backroom maneuvering in their circles to know when to hold their tongues.

For now, they watched in silence. Only Sophia’s sobs filled the room.

Riley regarded her coolly. “Chestnuts? Are you sure it was chestnut cake?”

Sophia’s tears paused for half a second. “Of course I’m sure! You knew he was allergic–you did this on purpose!”

Jeremy stirred in Sophia’s arms, his eyes fluttering open. He whimpered pitifully.

“Mommy.. the mean lady gave it to me. She said it was okay…”

Anthea’s face went red with fury. “Riley! How could you?!”

Murmurs rippled through the watching ladies.

“Mrs. Ashford? She seemed so nice…”

“Maybe she’s jealous of how the Ashfords dote on Sophia?”

Riley’s voice cut through the whispers like ice. “Ms. Myers. You keep insisting it was chestnut cake. But there wasn’t a single chestnut dish on today’s menu.”

Anthea pointed at the half–eaten cake on the table. “The evidence is right there! Are you still denying it?”

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Chapter 8 The Chestnut Cake Accusation

Riley stepped forward, one eyebrow raised. “First, Jeremy took that cake himself. I didn’t hand it to him. Second, that cake only looks like chestnut cake. It doesn’t contain any chestnuts.”

Before the luncheon, she’d done her homework. She knew everyone’s preferences, including Sophia and her son’s. The chestnut cake listed on the draft menu was deliberate–a decoy.

The final menu had no chestnuts at all.

The child was young. He’d been nervous, doing something he shouldn’t. He’d grabbed the wrong thing without even realizing it.

If Jeremy had actually eaten chestnuts, they could only have come from one person.

Sophia’s mouth opened, then closed. She stared at the cake, confusion flickering across her face.

It really wasn’t chestnut cake.

But that couldn’t be right. She’d checked the menu. It definitely listed-

“Even if it wasn’t chestnuts, it was something else!” Sophia’s voice pitched higher. “Jeremy has a sensitive system–he reacts to all kinds of things. And he said you gave it to him! Would a child lie about that?”

Riley’s tone remained unhurried. “Sophia. You’ve been back for weeks now, and you still won’t say who Jeremy’s father is. Maybe the father has questionable character, and the child picked it up from him. Or maybe someone taught him to lie.”

The implication landed like a slap.

Sophia’s teeth ground together. She wanted to scream the truth–that Lucas was Jeremy’s father. But she couldn’t. Not yet.

Riley continued smoothly. “As for what caused the allergy and who actually gave Jeremy the cake–we could always check the security footage.”

“Enough!” Anthea snapped. “We need to focus on Jeremy right now. If anything happens to him, you’ll regret it!”

She shot Riley a venomous glare.

Her precious grandson couldn’t possibly have bad genes. No. This was all the fault of that worthless orphan.

The luncheon dissolved into chaos shortly after. Anthea called for a doctor immediately.

***

Lucas came home early that evening, clearly alerted by Sophia about Jeremy’s reaction.

Riley stood at the top of the stairs as he rushed through the front door. She opened her mouth to speak.

He barely glanced at her before heading straight to Sophia’s room.

Sophia appeared on the stairs behind Riley, carrying water and medicine. She paused deliberately, her voice low and sweet. “Don’t blame Lucas, Riley. He’s just worried about Jeremy.”

Riley’s expression didn’t flicker. She turned and walked toward her own room.

Let him go. She didn’t want him near her anyway.

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Chapter 8 The Chestnut Cake Accusation

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In Sophia’s room, Lucas sat by Jeremy’s bed, his jaw tight with worry.

He frowned at Sophia. “What did the doctor say? And the security footage–did anyone check it?”

“Doctor said his stomach is sensitive. The cake upset him.” Sophia’s voice dropped. “As for the footage… for some reason, it’s gone.”

She sighed, touching his arm gently. “Lucas, maybe we should just let it go. Riley probably didn’t mean to hurt Jeremy. Nothing serious happened. Let’s not make it a big thing.”

Her eyes welled with tears–restrained, pitiful, the picture of quiet suffering. Lucas‘ chest tightened.

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