The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 383

Riley was speechless.

This man was incredibly persistent.

She had meant it when she said she missed him earlier, but right now, she truly felt helpless.

If she had known, she would have kept her mouth shut. She had completely shot herself in the foot.

Riley thought for a moment and replied: [I took on a special patient today who needs constant monitoring. I don't have time to video call.]

It took a few seconds for him to reply: [Okay.]

Seeing Riley slip her phone back into her pocket, Pierce asked in a feigned casual tone, "Who were you messaging?"

Riley's eyes faltered for a second, a brief flash of panic rising in her chest, but she quickly masked it. "None of your business."

Their relationship had slightly thawed over his donation to the orphanage, but thanks to the Seraphina situation, it was back to freezing. Pierce sighed helplessly. He would have to start from scratch all over again.

"Focus on recovering. I'm leaving." Riley grabbed the thermos and headed for the door.

Watching her back, Pierce asked, "Will you come visit me again?"

Riley paused. "Your mother wouldn't want to see me." Without looking back, she strode away.

That afternoon, Riley received a call from the police asking her to come down. A decision had been made.

When Riley arrived at the station, the officer informed her that Seraphina had been released on bail.

Riley stared in sheer disbelief. "Why? She tried to murder someone with a knife. How could you just let her go?"

The officer explained, "Her family provided a medical certificate stating she suffers from complex post-traumatic stress disorder and severe psychiatric issues. They claimed she was triggered and in a manic state when she attacked. Based on the statements from both you and Mr. Landon, she was indeed highly unstable. Furthermore, Mr. Landon, as the victim of the stabbing, has agreed to a settlement. According to the relevant legal clauses, she is eligible for bail."

Riley never expected the Sutton family to use a psychiatric defense to get Seraphina off the hook. "I'm a victim too. She almost killed me. The bruise on my neck is the best proof of that. I do not agree to a settlement."

A man in a suit standing next to the officer stepped forward. "Hello, Ms. Vance. I am Ms. Sutton's attorney. If you have any demands or require compensation, you can discuss them with me."

Riley frowned. "I've already made my stance clear. No settlement. Do you not understand English?"

The lawyer looked completely unfazed and arrogant. "Then Ms. Vance is welcome to press charges. I'll entertain you until the very end."

Riley clenched her fists in anger, but she knew arguing further was pointless. She turned around, left the station, and headed straight to Quinn's law firm.

If they got a lawyer, she would get one too.

After hearing Riley's story, Quinn was furious. "How can they be so shameless? Using the insanity plea to get away with it? And that Pierce Landon... was he kicked in the head by a mule? He got stabbed and still agreed to settle?"

After weighing her options, even with the bitter taste of injustice in her mouth, Riley had to swallow her pride. "Forget it."

"Why don't you tell Mr. St. John? With his connections, he could definitely ensure Seraphina faces consequences," Quinn suggested.

Riley thought about it and shook her head. "If standard legal procedures can't convict Seraphina, telling him might lead him to use extreme, underhanded methods. Last time he stood up for me and did that to Seraphina, it felt satisfying, but if things are exposed and it traces back to him, it would cause massive trouble for him."

Quinn had to admit Riley made a valid point.

Riley continued, "Getting away with it once was pure luck. If he does it again, the Sutton family isn't exactly powerless. I don't want to implicate him. Plus, if he gets dragged into this, our relationship won't stay a secret anymore. I can't even imagine what kind of scandalous rumors would break out."

Quinn realized she had only made the suggestion in a fit of rage and hadn't thought it through. Hearing Riley's analysis, she agreed that involving Sebastian was a bad idea.

It was just so frustrating. Furious, Quinn slammed her hand on the desk.

They both fell silent.

After a while, Quinn spoke up. "Don't agree to the settlement just yet. I'm going to negotiate with the police and their lawyer. We'll decide our next move after that."

"Okay."

Quinn immediately went back to the police station with Riley. After an entire afternoon of arguing and pleading their case, the outcome remained the same. The police had to follow procedure, and the lawyer's attitude was simple: if they wouldn't settle, they could go ahead and sue.