Chapter 319: Hope

Jessica’s smile grew as she continued imagining meeting Zachary.

"I’ll forgive you this time, Zach. I’ll give you another chance to come back to me. You just have to realize that I’m still the woman who belongs beside you."

She reached toward the drawer beside the sofa and opened it.

After searching inside for a moment, she took out a photograph she cherished more than anything else.

She held the picture carefully and looked at Zachary’s face. In the photograph, he appeared to be sleeping peacefully on the bed while she lay beside him with her head resting on his arm.

The image brought back memories she had tried to push aside, but she had never truly been able to let them go.

Jessica slowly rubbed her fingers over Zachary’s face in the photograph, her expression softening as she remembered the time when they had been deeply in love. Her heart began beating faster, and she could almost feel the rush of emotion tingling every inch of her skin as the memory returned and preoccupied her mind.

Back then, she had believed Zachary would always be hers. She had believed their relationship would continue if she returned to this country.

She had never imagined that when she returned, another woman would eventually stand between them.

Now, as she stared at the photograph, she felt that same possessive affection returning.

"You’re still mine, Zach," she whispered, holding the picture a little closer. "You just haven’t realized it yet."

Her eyes remained fixed on his face as she allowed herself to sink deeper into the memory of the two of them when they were still wildly in love.

For the moment, she chose to believe that nothing had truly changed and that the future she wanted was still within her reach.

"Jess, you must be confident," Jessica told herself, trying to gather the courage she needed as she slowly stood up from her seat.

But before she could take a step, her private cell phone vibrated.

She immediately turned toward it, and her expression tightened as she stared at the screen.

Only a few carefully selected people knew this number, and she could recall every single person’s full name and face she’d given it to. Seeing an unknown number call her at this moment made her heart jump with fear.

Jessica quickly picked up the phone and looked at the screen again. The unfamiliar number was still there. A small sense of fear now settled in her chest as she wondered who could possibly be calling her.

"Who is calling me? It couldn’t be a wrong number, could it?" she muttered to herself.

She hesitated for a few seconds, her thumb hovering over the answer button. She knew she should probably ignore it, but curiosity slowly won over her caution. There was also a small part of her that could not stop herself from wondering if the call had something to do with Zachary.

"What if it’s Zach?" The thought made her heart beat faster, but she quickly shook her head. "No. He doesn’t know this number. I haven’t told him about it yet."

After letting it vibrate a few more seconds, Jessica finally answered. She held the phone close to her ear, still uncertain about who was on the other end.

"Hello..."

"Jess, are you alright?"

Jessica immediately recognized the voice. Her eyes widened slightly, and she pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the number again, as if seeing it would somehow confirm what she had just heard.

"Riley?"

"Yeah, it’s me."

"Damn you! You almost gave me a heart attack! Why did you call me from a new number?" Jessica asked, her confusion clear in her voice.

"For security, of course." Riley’s voice sounded more guarded than usual. "I don’t want anyone to know that we’re talking like this."

Jessica’s fingers tightened around her cell phone. His careful tone made her uneasy, and for a moment, she wondered if something had happened that she did not know about. Riley was usually confident when they spoke, but this time, there was a seriousness in his voice that she could not ignore.

Still, she pushed the concern aside because there was something much more important she needed to discuss with him.

"Are you okay?" Riley asked again.

Jessica knew exactly what he meant, but she still asked, "You mean I’m okay with the news about Zach on the internet?"

"Yes."

"What the hell with your uncle? What was he thinking?" Jessica finally let her irritation show. "Why did he suddenly announce his marriage after all this time?"

"I know, right? I was also surprised when I read the news." Riley sounded genuinely surprised, although Jessica could not tell whether that was all he was feeling.

Jessica took a deep breath and sat back down on the sofa. Her mind was still filled with everything she had read about Zach, and the more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. She raised her free hand and pinched the flesh between her brows, trying to ease the sudden headache that had begun to build.

"Riley, what should I do?" Her voice sounded helpless despite her efforts to remain calm.

"Relax. You still have a chance."

Jessica lifted her eyes as she listened to him. His confidence gave her a small sense of relief, but she still needed to hear something more reassuring before she could truly calm down.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. You just need to stick to your plan. Seduce him, now harder, and I’ll take care of the rest."

Jessica remained silent for a moment. Hearing Riley say it so confidently made the plan sound simple, but she knew nothing about what she was about to do was simple. Too much was at stake, and if she failed, she could lose far more than she was prepared to admit.

"Riley, please don’t give me false hope. I might not be strong enough if this plan fails." She let out a heavy sigh before continuing, her voice quieter than before. "My career is on the line."

"Relax, sis... I promised to help you."

His answer was firm enough to make Jessica pause. She had been relying on that promise from the beginning, even though a small part of her had always feared that she would eventually have to face the consequences alone.

"Alright, I’ll trust you. And I’ve already told you my plan in detail... If you have any questions, just call me."

"Ok!" Riley’s voice remained confident on the other end, and that confidence gradually helped Jessica settle down. "But next time, I’ll call you from another new number. I’m just worried someone might try to hack my phone."

Jessica frowned slightly at his words but did not question him further. If Riley believed they needed to be this careful, she would follow his lead.

"Okay!"

"See you next week," Riley said.

"See you..."

Jessica ended the call and slowly lowered the phone from her ear. The tension she had been carrying since seeing Zachary’s marriage announcement had not disappeared completely. Still, Riley’s reassurance had given her something she desperately needed: hope.

She finally smiled, letting herself believe she still had a chance and that Riley would help her when the time came.