The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 382

Riley paused her actions. Pierce and Ethan were close friends, and Seraphina was Pierce's former lover and the mother of his child. "Did you agree?"

Pierce looked at Riley, clearly conflicted. "Riley, I know what she did was wrong, but Ethan asked me personally, and I..."

"You don't need to explain yourself to me." Riley cut him off, already knowing his answer. She looked at him with indifference. "We're divorced. Whatever you decide is entirely up to you."

Saying she wasn't disappointed would be a lie. After all, this man had taken a knife for her just yesterday and claimed he loved her. She had actually thought he would handle this fairly and justly.

Heh.

Absolutely sickening!

It made her see Pierce's true colors even more clearly. He could talk all day about how much he loved her, but the moment it involved Seraphina, he could never truly stand on her side.

His connection to Seraphina wasn't just romantic. Just as Seraphina had once said, the Suttons and the Landons were old family friends. Their business ties and Pierce's brother-like bond with Ethan meant that Seraphina and Pierce could never truly be severed from one another.

She had been a fool not to see it clearly before. That was why she had married Pierce and given him the chance to hurt her and their daughter.

Thankfully, she had walked away in time.

"Riley, I bought back the villa at Golden Sands Cove. Once I recover a bit, I'll transfer it to your name. That was our marital home, the house for us and Alora. In the future..."

"There is no future." Riley stared at Pierce with cold detachment. "I don't want the villa, and I have no desire to bring up the past."

"Riley, I don't believe you can truly forget me..." As Pierce spoke, Riley's phone rang. She set down the bowl and spoon and answered the call. "Dr. Vance, why didn't you come into work today?"

It was Holly.

"I had a personal matter come up and couldn't get away. I have to take a few days off. I already called Dr. Jenson."

"Alright. Haven't seen you in two days, kinda miss you."

Holly was at work, so they only exchanged a few words before hanging up.

Riley placed her phone on the bedside table and resumed pouring the soup. Once it was ready, she handed it to Pierce.

Pierce looked at Riley with tender warmth. "I have a wound on my back. Whenever I move my arm, it pulls on the stitches. Could you feed me?"

Riley pulled the overbed table closer and placed the bowl of soup on it. "You don't have to hold it. Just drink it slowly. It shouldn't pull on your wound."

Disappointment flooded Pierce's eyes. He didn't push the issue. He picked up the spoon, scooped some soup, and brought it to his lips. A searing, tearing pain shot through his back. His hand trembled, the spoon dropped, and the soup spilled all over the bed.

Riley frowned in annoyance. "Don't move. I'll clean it up." She picked up the spoon and walked toward the en-suite bathroom.

Ding.

He had no choice but to suppress his suspicions and investigate it himself later.

If he ever found out which man had the audacity to covet his woman, he would make sure they paid a heavy price!

After quickly wiping the bed and table, Riley returned the basin to the bathroom and started packing up the bowl and spoon.

"You're leaving?" Pierce asked.

"Yeah." Since he couldn't drink it, he just wouldn't. He had Beatrice to take care of him anyway.

As Riley packed the bowl and spoon into the thermos, she grabbed her phone and saw a message from Sebastian. She opened it: [Have you eaten?]

Watching her pick up her phone, Pierce discreetly kept his eyes on her. Seeing the subtle, unconscious smile that graced her lips, his mood darkened.

She was this happy just seeing a message from him. Her relationship with this Sebastian was definitely not simple.

A cold glint surfaced in Pierce's eyes as his fists slowly clenched.

Riley texted back: [Not yet, I'm going to eat soon. What about you?]

Sebastian: [I already ate. Is it convenient to FaceTime after you eat?]