The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 120

Riley's mind immediately flashed to Quinn, but she crushed the thought instantly.

Marrying into a hyper-wealthy family wasn't a fairy tale—she was living proof of that.

Looking back on her year of marriage to Pierce, had she truly been happy?

Not for a second.

She and Pierce were constantly apart, and she had spent the entire year enduring the Landon family's relentless bullying, disgust, and elitist hostility just because of her background.

The St. John family was on an entirely different level of wealth and power than the Landons. The social politics would be infinitely more vicious, and the expectations crushing. There was no way she was throwing her best friend into that kind of nightmare.

Before she could figure out how to respond politely, Serena eagerly jumped in. "Lady Eleanor, her friends are all completely ordinary people. How could they possibly be good enough for Sebastian? With his status, he needs a woman from a prominent family."

Riley knew exactly what Serena was trying to do, but this time, she completely agreed. "Serena is right."

Serena was shocked that Riley had actually backed her up. A smug look quickly flashed across her face. At least the bitch knew her place.

Eleanor frowned and gently patted the back of Riley's hand. "Nonsense. Marriage isn't about matching bank accounts; it's about two souls connecting. Just look at you and Pierce. You're so happy together. What a perfect pair."

Riley forced a stiff, empty smile and said nothing.

"Lady Eleanor is absolutely right," Pierce said, his eyes locking onto Riley with intense, calculated affection. "Marriage is about two souls connecting."

Meeting Pierce's gaze, Riley's fake smile nearly cracked. She refused to play the part in his little lovesick performance. She quickly changed the subject. "Lady Eleanor, is it time for lunch?"

"Oh, listen to me ramble, I completely lost track of time. You all must be starving. Come, let's go eat." Eleanor slowly rose from her seat.

Riley quickly supported her arm.

The group made their way into the grand dining room.

After lunch, they relocated to the tea room for a while, and once Lady Eleanor excused herself for her afternoon nap, Riley and the Landons finally took their leave.

Stepping out of the main house, Serena announced she wanted to check out the racetrack. Beatrice instantly agreed to go with her. Arthur decided he wanted to play a round of golf, and naturally, Pierce was required to escort him.

She had no idea how much time had passed when a sudden phone ring shattered the silence of the room.

Riley jolted awake, her eyes snapping open. Through her blurry vision, she saw Sebastian sitting comfortably in the armchair directly across from her, pulling out his phone to answer a call.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, taking a few seconds to process the scene. When the tall, imposing figure didn't vanish from her sight, her mind snapped completely awake, her eyes widening in pure shock.

Sebastian.

It really was Sebastian.

Why was he here?

When did he get here?

That crisp, woodsy cologne... it was his. She had smelled it once before in his car, when he had caught her during a sudden brake.

But she had only smelled it because they were practically pressed together. He was sitting all the way across the room—how had she smelled it in her sleep?