Divorced CEO's Forgotten Wife Strikes Back (Riley and Bryce) novel Chapter 164

**TITLE: Dreams Refuse Gravity by Leo Arden Knox 164**
**CONTENT: Chapter 164 Unreasonable Request**

**Lucky Draw**

The aftermath of the blaze had cast a long, dark shadow over Riley’s life. It was a fire that had been ignited by a careless act of smoking, yet the blame had not stopped there. Even in death, the man at the center of the tragedy had become a target for relentless online vitriol. The digital world had turned into a merciless arena, where even the deceased could not find peace.

Riley’s family, too, had been dragged into this maelstrom of accusations and shame, their reputations tarnished by association. It was as if the flames had not only consumed the physical space but had also scorched the very essence of their lives.

At that time, Cloud Airlines had engaged in an all-out campaign of damage control, employing every tactic in the book to buy silence and shift blame onto anyone but themselves. They had hoped that with enough time, the public would forget, and the incident would dissolve into the ether of memory.

But Riley couldn’t shake a nagging thought—if that man had indeed brought this upon himself, did he deserve the scorn he received? And what secrets was Bella desperately trying to conceal?

Just then, Bella’s voice sliced through the tension, sharp and accusatory. “Riley, don’t tell me you’re the one who sent that smear message!”

Riley turned abruptly, her heart racing as she spotted Bella just a few feet behind her, eyes blazing with indignation.

“What on earth are you talking about?” she shot back, confusion mingling with irritation.

“Hah! Look at you, flustered already. I must’ve hit a nerve,” Bella taunted, stepping closer, her tone growing more aggressive. “If it wasn’t you, then why were you just now checking up on news about that fire? Huh? About my colleague?”

As she spoke, Bella reached out, attempting to snatch Riley’s phone from her grasp.

Riley, however, was quick on her feet, sidestepping Bella’s lunge and allowing her to grasp at nothing but air.

“So what if I looked up old news? Does that automatically make me the culprit?” Riley retorted, her voice laced with scorn.

“Who else could it possibly be?” Bella fired back, her voice escalating as her conviction grew.

The more she mulled it over, the more convinced she became of Riley’s guilt. “You’ve always had it out for me, haven’t you? You can’t stand that I took Bryce from you. You knew I’d be here today, and you used the press to humiliate me. Don’t even bother denying it.”

Riley let out a chilling laugh, disbelief etched across her features. “You just can’t stop weaving your little stories, can you? You honestly think I care about Bryce? If you wanted him, you could have had him! I dumped him ages ago. Why on earth would I be jealous of you?”

She stepped closer, her voice dripping with disdain. “You seem so rattled. One might even think everything you said on stage was a facade. That maybe, just maybe, the message was telling the truth.”

“You!” Bella’s complexion drained of color, her eyes wide with shock. “If you really didn’t do it, then hand over your phone. I want to see it.”

Bella was utterly convinced that Riley had orchestrated this entire setup against her.

Of everyone in the room, Riley had the greatest motive for revenge. She had been present at every pivotal moment of this debacle—the fire footage on the island, the anonymous text branding Bella a murderer, the tip-off to the reporters… it was all too coincidental for Bella’s liking.

And in Bella’s world, coincidence was never a satisfactory explanation.

“I’m supposed to hand over my phone just because you demand it?” Riley scoffed, her brow arching in disbelief.

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