The True Heiress Reborn And Slays (Alicia Delaney) novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78 A Promise Made

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He knew Riley still held some care for him deep down–everything else would fall into place after that.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll wait for your answer.”

After finishing dinner, Lucas followed Riley out of the restaurant.

“Riley, let me give you a ride,” he offered, quickening his pace to catch up.

“Don’t worry about it,” she replied without turning. “It’s easy enough to get a cab around here.”

With that, she continued toward the well–lit street and raised her arm to hail a taxi.

Lucas frowned, about to insist, when his phone rang–Sophia was calling.

Riley heard the ringtone and noticed the flicker of irritation on his face.

She didn’t ask. Instead, the corner of her mouth lifted into a faint, almost imperceptible smirk.

In the end, Lucas answered, his voice tight. “What is it?”

Sophia’s sweet, pleading tone came through immediately. “Lucas, are you on your way home? Jeremy’s asking for a strawberry mousse. Could you pick one up on your way back?”

Had Sophia asked for herself, Lucas would likely have refused without a second thought.

Lately, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t the same person he once knew–no longer the thoughtful, selfless woman he remembered from their younger years. Now there was something calculated about her, a kind of grasping opportunism that left him uneasy.

But she’d mentioned Jeremy.

Against his own frustration, Lucas felt his resolve soften.

As a father, he’d already failed the boy in so many ways–he couldn’t even give him a proper name. How could he say no to something as simple as a dessert?

His guilt toward Riley and his simmering annoyance tangled together. Swallowing back his impatience, he finally replied in a low voice, “Fine. I’ll bring one when I come back.”

The call lasted less than a minute. But by the time he hung up and looked back toward the curb, the slender, determined figure was already gone.

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Chapter 78 A Promise Made

A taxi pulled away, its taillights glowing red as it merged into the evening traffic.

An abrupt emptiness opened in Lucas‘ chest.

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He stood outside the restaurant as a cool night breeze swept past, carrying with it a lonely chill.

Only a few steps had separated them, yet the distance now felt impossible to cross.

*****

The cab moved steadily through the city’s evening glow.

Riley leaned back in the seat, calm and quiet, watching the streets pass by outside the window.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from Lucas lighting up the

screen.

“Don’t overthink things. I’m only nice to Jeremy because I feel sorry for him.”

It was the same weak justification he’d used time and again in the past to soothe her worries.

But Riley didn’t feel that old rise of frustration anymore.

Her slender fingers tapped a steady reply.

“So he doesn’t have his real father around to be nice to him?”

She sent it, then muted her phone and dropped it into her bag without waiting for a response. His explanations didn’t matter to her now.

Next, she drew the sleek black card from her pocket.

She turned it idly between her fingers, feeling its smooth, cool surface.

Knowing Lucas, even though he’d handed it over with such confidence, he probably believed on some level that she wouldn’t spend much.

The old Riley had been so fiercely independent–practical, thoughtful, maybe too understanding for her own good.

She rarely asked for anything. She’d never been materialistic, believing that talking about money between spouses cheapened what they had. She had her own career, her own income; she didn’t need to rely on him.

She was always saving, always considering the Ashford family’s needs before her own, putting

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Chapter 78 A Promise Made

herself last.

But now…

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