Chapter 359: Worry

“What do you mean?” Jessica asked.

“Sis, think about it carefully. Did anything unusual happen after I gave you the keycard?”

Riley clearly remembered giving Jessica the keycard before he left for the gala dinner. At that time, he had been certain everything was in order. That meant something must have happened afterward for Jessica to end up with a different keycard.

Silence followed. ℯℓ.

Riley waited patiently, his expression becoming more serious as he listened.

Finally, Jessica answered hesitantly.

“Well, before I got into the elevator, I ran into a woman, and she said she was a fan of mine. I… I dropped my bag at that time, and…”

“That’s it! It must have happened then!” Riley interrupted. His eyes narrowed as the pieces suddenly began to fit together. “That woman must have switched your keycard!”

“But she was my fan,” Jessica argued immediately. “It’s impossible. Why would she have your keycard in the first place? How could some random fan even get it?”

Riley fell silent.

That was exactly the question he needed to answer.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as his mind began working through every possibility. If Jessica had really dropped her bag while meeting that woman, then the keycard could have been switched without her noticing. But if that was what happened, then the woman had not been an ordinary fan at all.

Someone had deliberately run into Jessica, pretending to be her fan.

That someone had taken the opportunity to switch the keycards.

And someone else had made sure Jessica entered the wrong room.

Riley’s anger returned, but this time it was mixed with suspicion. He no longer believed Jessica had simply made a careless mistake. Too many things had gone wrong at once, and the paparazzi appearing on the restricted floor only made the situation even more suspicious.

“Jessica, what did that woman look like?” he asked.

“I don’t know, an average-looking woman,” she replied nervously. “She looked like and behaved like any fans of mine I ever met. My fans are always excited to see me.”

“This woman, did she touch your bag?”

“I… I think so. She helped me pick it up when I dropped it.”

Riley’s jaw tightened.

“I see.”

“What are you going to do?” Jessica asked, her voice still trembling.

“I’m going to find her.”

“Riley—”

“I need to check the hotel CCTV,” he said firmly. “If she switched the keycard, there should be footage of it.”

Jessica remained quiet for a moment. Then she asked, “What if someone really planned all of this?”

Riley stared at the floor, his expression hardening.

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to find out.”

He ended the call shortly afterward, but he did not put his phone down. His mind raced through the possibilities. He needed to trace the CCTV footage, identify the woman who had approached Jessica, and find out who had sent her.

Now he was very sure someone had interfered with his plan, gained access to the Imperial Hotel staff to change Jessica’s keycard, knocked him out, and gave him heavy drugs before dragging him to his room.

And whoever it was knew exactly how to make everything collapse around him.

Riley clenched his phone in his hand, his anger growing as he stared ahead.

He would find that person. And when he did, he intended to make sure they got their punishment for messing with him.

…

Lakeside Garden.

A few days had passed since Riley and Jessica’s scandal became a nationwide trending topic, but the news still had not died down. If anything, it had gained even more attention after news broke about the lawsuit between Sterling Tech and Creswell.

Ever since the legal battle between Sterling Tech and Creswell became public, Sienna had worried that Zachary and his company, Sterling Capital, would inevitably be affected.

She knew how quickly business scandals could spread and how easily one company’s troubles could spill over into another, especially when powerful families and companies were involved.

Today, however, her worries were confirmed when Zachary was suddenly called to his family’s house.

Sienna walked her husband to his car, but she could no longer keep her thoughts to herself. She had been trying to act as though everything was fine, especially since Zachary seemed calm about the situation. Still, she could see the tension in him. His jaw had tightened, and a noticeable furrow had formed between his brows as though he were silently thinking through a serious problem.

It was rare for Sienna to see her husband so troubled and tense, and that alone made her more uneasy.

“Zach, is everything okay?” she asked cautiously, not wanting to dampen his mood further.

Zachary stopped walking and turned fully toward her. For a moment, he simply looked at her before a warm, friendly smile naturally spread across his lips. His expression softened as soon as he saw the concern in her eyes.

“Of course,” he replied gently. He slowly raised a hand and cupped her chin, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin. “Is my beautiful wife worried about me?” he asked teasingly, his tone carrying just enough humor to ease the tension between them.

Sienna smiled and nodded briefly. “Mhmm… a bit. I just worry that the news out there might affect your company’s performance, and that Kennedy might punish you for it too.”

Instead of answering immediately, Zachary laughed, as though her concern had amused him. No panic showed in his expression, and his confidence seemed almost effortless.

“My love, neither my father nor William would dare criticize the company’s performance. I simply don’t give them the chance to do so,” Zachary said confidently.

Hearing his words and seeing the certainty in his expression, Sienna slowly felt some of her anxiety ease. She knew Zachary well enough to know he wouldn’t pretend everything was fine if he truly believed there was a serious problem. Even so, his confidence made it easier for her to breathe.

Zachary gently cupped her face with both hands and leaned closer. He pressed a light kiss to her lips before pulling back just enough to look into her eyes.

“Trust your husband,” he said softly. “My dad is calling me and the others in just to discuss the Sterling Tech and Riley situation. So, I might only be sitting with them while enjoying some tea…” His lips curved into an amused smile, making it clear that he was not taking the situation nearly as seriously as she was.

Sienna could not help chuckling at that. “Alright, I won’t hold you up. You can go now, or Kennedy will scold you for making him wait.”

Zachary laughed, his eyes warming as he looked at her. “Bye, my love. I’ll call you later.”

“Bye… love you!”

“Love you too.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead one last time before finally getting into his car.

Sienna remained where she stood, waving as she watched Zachary’s car slowly pull away. She continued watching until the vehicle disappeared from sight, then lowered her hand and let out a quiet breath. Zachary’s confidence reassured her, and she wanted to believe there was nothing to worry about. Still, no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, the uneasiness in her heart refused to disappear.