The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 182

Sebastian offered a faint, "Yes."

From the driver's seat, Franklin thought: ...

He literally came here specifically to 'bump into' her.

"Did you come to Statenbury alone?" Sebastian asked.

"I came with Alora and Mrs. Gable."

Sebastian gave a slight nod. His phone rang, and he answered it.

Riley glanced forward, having no idea where they were headed. She wanted to ask Franklin, but afraid of interrupting Sebastian's call, she held her tongue. A few minutes later, the car drove into a residential complex called The Grand Regency and parked in the underground garage.

Riley had actually researched this complex while apartment hunting. It was incredibly close to the hospital, but it was a top-tier luxury community. The rent was astronomically high, easily thousands of dollars a month, and required an annual upfront payment. She hadn't even dared to schedule a viewing.

Why was Sebastian here?

As she was wondering, Sebastian ended his call and looked at her. "I have a property here. Go take a look and see if it suits you."

Riley understood instantly—he was offering to let her stay in his place. But she was already divorced from Pierce and had cut all ties with the Landon family. She felt completely unjustified accepting such a huge favor from him.

She immediately waved her hands in refusal. "No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I'll find a place on my own."

"It's for Alora. You don't need to feel guilty."

He was implying that this was entirely for Alora's sake and had nothing to do with her. It seemed Sebastian genuinely adored the baby. Even so, she was the one who would be living there. How could she shamelessly take advantage of his generosity?

Just as Riley was about to refuse again, Sebastian beat her to it. "If you really feel that bad about it, you can pay me rent."

Riley flushed with embarrassment. "The rent here is way too high. I can't afford it."

A large, warm hand grabbed her from behind just in time. The world went black, and she lost consciousness. Before completely fading out, she felt herself collapsing into a solid, muscular chest, and the faint, crisp scent of cedar filled her senses.

When Riley opened her eyes, a stark white ceiling greeted her. The sharp smell of antiseptic hung in the air. She was in a hospital.

"You're awake?"

A deep, cool voice echoed through the room.

She turned her head and saw Sebastian sitting by the bed. His legs were casually crossed, an open file resting on his knee. "Sebastian, what happened?"

"You were severely dehydrated and had heatstroke." Sebastian stood, placing the file on the chair. He poured a glass of water and walked to the bed. "Drink."

Seeing him reach out to help her up, Riley immediately struggled to prop herself up. Just as she sat up, the glass was already pressed to her lips. Trying to take it from him now would feel awkwardly deliberate.