The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 39

"It's completely fabricated. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. You don't actually believe it, do you?"

Riley neither confirmed nor denied it. She simply asked, "Who is the woman in the photo?"

"Lydia Sterling. We went to the hotel to discuss a project."

Riley frowned slightly.

Lydia again.

The perfume from last time was also her.

Sensing her doubt, Pierce added, "If this is making you unhappy, I'll go cancel the partnership with her tomorrow."

In the past, Riley would have immediately told him not to mix personal feelings with business.

But now... "Arrange for us to meet. We can talk about everything else after I've met her."

Pierce stared at her for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright."

"There's one more thing. I heard Seraphina took over the joint project between the Sutton family and Landon Enterprises, meaning you'll be seeing a lot of her for work. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"If I constantly had meetings with a man who used to be obsessed with me, would you be happy about it?"

Pierce instantly understood what she was getting at, but... "You were the one who agreed to let me partner with the Sutton family. I already severed ties with them once. If I do it again, I won't be able to justify it to the board of directors. Going back on my word like this will severely damage my reputation and tank the company's stock."

"I didn't ask you to sever the partnership. The Suttons can put Seraphina in charge, but you can assign someone else to handle the project on your end."

Pierce fell silent for a moment before letting go of her hand. "You don't trust me."

"Trust is built on your actions."

"What's wrong with my actions?" Pierce's brow furrowed in irritation. "Back then, for your sake, I decisively sent her out of the country and cut all ties with the Sutton family. Grandpa screamed at me, the board pressured me, and Ethan told me I was throwing away our brotherhood for a woman. Was that not enough?"

Riley recounted the events of the previous evening.

Quinn looked guilty. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have brought any of that up and caused you guys to fight."

"It's not your fault. I was just too naive and ignored all the signs. The truth is, there have been problems between us for a long time."

Riley had done a lot of thinking the night before.

Ever since they got married, they barely spent any time together.

She had faced so much on her own—morning sickness, prenatal checkups, the relentless bullying from his relatives at the estate, the whispered insults at banquets... In so many of the moments when she needed him most, he wasn't there.

Quinn tried to comfort her. "Don't overthink it. Pierce really does treat you well.

"Remember when we were in school? To win you over, he'd wake up at the crack of dawn to buy your favorite pan-fried buns. He'd stand in endless lines for that trendy boba tea you loved. When you had terrible cramps, he skipped class just to buy you painkillers.