Chapter 358: Someone Set Me Up!

In a luxury condominium in the capital, Riley massaged his temples, his head throbbing as though it were about to explode. Too much had happened in a single day, and his entire life suddenly felt like a wreck.

Riley’s cell phone had been buzzing nonstop with calls, messages, and notifications ever since the news about Jessica Simmons broke online. His family, friends, and personal staff had all tried to reach him.

At first, he still hoped people wouldn’t recognize him. He had convinced himself that the lack of a clear image would protect his identity. ℯ𝐥.𝒄ℴ𝓶

But an hour earlier, someone had commented online that the mysterious man was Riley Sterling. It didn’t take long for other online users to join the discussion, compare details from the photograph, and eventually become convinced the man in the picture was really him.

“Buzzz.”

“Buzzz.”

His cell phone continued vibrating on the table.

Riley ignored it.

For now, he couldn’t deal with the endless calls, especially the ones from his father. He was already dealing with the ongoing lawsuit and legal battle with Cresswell, and he knew he would have to face his father sooner or later.

But before that happened, he needed to figure out how everything had gone so badly wrong.

Riley still could not understand how a plan he had arranged so carefully had ended in complete failure.

With help from the hotel’s security team, he and Jessica left the Imperial Hotel this morning without being followed by paparazzi or reporters. He escaped Bellfront City aboard his family’s private jet.

Even after reaching the capital, Riley still couldn’t understand why his plan failed. Not only had Jessica failed to carry out their original plan, but somehow she had ended up in his hotel room, and the paparazzi had photographed them together.

The most suspicious part was how the paparazzi had reached the top floor and knew which room to target. Regular hotel guests could not access the restricted floor unless a hotel employee gave them an access card.

He knew that security at the Imperial Hotel was strict, especially on the floor reserved for the Sterling family. Someone had deliberately gained access to that floor, and that fact bothered him more than the scandal itself.

Riley suddenly stopped rubbing his temples as a thought crossed his mind. ℴ𝒗ⅇ𝑙.

“Damn it! Someone set me up. That must be it.”

Hearing his own words only made his anger flare. His hand clenched tightly as he tried to figure out who could have interfered with his plan. Someone had switched something, changed something, or deliberately pushed the situation in another direction. He just could not figure out who had done it.

Then another possibility came to him.

“Wait. It must be Jessica… She must have made a mistake, right?”

Riley frowned as he thought about it. From his side, he had made sure everything was prepared properly. He had given Jessica the keycard and explained what she needed to do. As far as he knew, he hadn’t made any mistakes.

“This is exactly why I was worried about arranging things with her. I need to call her now.”

He quickly picked up his second cell phone, which he kept for emergencies, and dialed Jessica’s number.

Riley did not want to use his primary phone for the conversation while so many people were already trying to reach him.

The call connected after only two rings.

“R-Riley?”

Jessica’s fearful voice immediately came through the speaker.

“Yes.”

“My goodness, Riley! I’ve been waiting for your call. Things have become even worse out there.” Her voice trembled as she continued, “My manager just told me that a few of my projects have already been canceled. I need to make a public statement and clarify our relationship, so, Riley, what do you think I should do?”

Riley could hear the soft sound of her sobbing in the background. His grip tightened around the phone because he understood exactly what she was asking for.

If Jessica made a public statement and revealed that the man in the photograph was Riley Sterling, his identity as the chaebol heir would become public immediately. He couldn’t allow that to happen, especially when he was already dealing with the lawsuit involving Cresswell, and people out there knew Jessica was his uncle’s ex-girlfriend.

“Sister Jess, you can make an announcement, but never mention my name—”

“Why?” Jessica interrupted before he could finish. Her voice rose as her fear turned into anger. “Why shouldn’t I mention your name? Do you realize you’ve already ruined my life? My career? How can you now expect me to face this mess alone?”

Her sob became more obvious, and Riley gritted his teeth as he listened.

“Sister, that’s why I called you.” Riley’s voice was no longer as polite as it had been at the beginning of the conversation. “I guess… you’re the one who made a mistake; you ended up in my hotel room.”

“What the hell, Riley!” Jessica shouted. “I told you many times that I didn’t make any mistake. I entered the room using the keycard you gave me!”

“Jessica,” Riley cut her off, his patience wearing thin. “I gave you my uncle’s room card.”

A heavy sigh came from the other end. Jessica seemed just as frustrated as he was, and when she spoke again, her tone carried anger and disbelief.

“But you saw it yourself, Riley. The keycard showed your room number. So I didn’t make a mistake. You did!”

Riley rubbed his forehead and sank deeper into the sofa. His head was already pounding, and arguing with Jessica was only making it worse. He closed his eyes for a moment and forced himself to calm down. Getting angry would not solve anything. He needed to understand exactly what had happened.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was lower and more controlled.

“Listen. I need you to answer one question honestly.”

Jessica did not respond immediately.

Instead, Riley heard a strange noise through the phone, followed by something hitting a hard surface with a loud thud.

“Clang.”

Then another.

Riley opened his eyes and waited.

“Are you experiencing anything unusual?” he asked carefully.

“What do you mean?”