The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 154

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"What have I done?" Pierce let out a mocking laugh. "I should be asking you that. Using a medical placement in Statenbury as an excuse to leave me for good—what a brilliant scheme."

And to think he actually believed she was doing this to better herself, to prove she was worthy of standing by his side.

He hadn't realized it was all a premeditated escape plan.

Riley didn't flinch. "You betrayed me. Did you really expect me to stay in Riverport and watch you play house with Seraphina?"

Pierce froze. The irritation vanished from his face almost instantly, replaced by a faint, hopeful smile. "You're angry. You're jealous. You still care about me, Riley. Give me one more chance. Let's start over. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. I'd give you my life if you asked."

"Pierce, when something is broken, it's broken. No matter how much you beg or what you sacrifice, we can't go back! The only path left for us is divorce."

The smile dropped from Pierce's eyes. In two strides, he was in front of her, gripping her shoulders hard. "You want to leave me? Never! You're not going anywhere except by my side!"

His fingers dug painfully into her skin, but Riley didn't make a sound. Showing weakness now would only feel like surrendering. "You still don't know me, Pierce. When I make up my mind, nothing and no one can stop me."

"I'm not going to the courthouse. As long as I refuse to sign, what can you possibly do?"

"Then I'll file a lawsuit!" Riley fired back, refusing to back down.

Pierce scoffed. "I don't think you grasp the concept of power. Go ahead and try. Let's see if a judge even looks at your case."

Riley knew exactly how much weight his power carried. The fact that he could snap his fingers and destroy a confirmed medical placement proved it. But she absolutely refused to yield.

"Push me any further, and I'll leak the news of your infidelity to the press!"

Fury flared in Pierce's chest, and his grip tightened without him realizing. "Do you seriously think I'm scared of that? You think a single scandal is enough to topple my entire company? You underestimate me."

Riley's brow furrowed in pain, but she kept her chin held high, glaring at him with cold, unwavering resolve. "If you want mutual destruction, I'll gladly play along!"