The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 396

"Mom." Pierce stared at Beatrice, his expression dead serious. "Riley is my wife. She was before, and she will be again. In this lifetime, I will never marry another woman but her."

"You..." Beatrice's chest heaved with fury, her face a mask of bitter disappointment. "I swear, she's bewitched you!"

Pierce didn't bother arguing with her. He turned to Scott. "Go handle my discharge papers."

"Yes, sir." Scott turned and left the room.

Knowing that Pierce was dead set on going to Statenbury—just like he was dead set on marrying Riley back then—Beatrice realized she couldn't stop him.

Wiping her tears, she resorted to begging. "I won't stop you from going to Statenbury to find her. But Mom is begging you, wait until you've healed a bit more. Please?"

Seeing the sheer worry in Beatrice's eyes and her tear-stained face, Pierce softened his tone slightly. "I'll take care of myself. Don't worry. I know my own body."

"But..."

"Mom, go pack a few sets of clothes for me."

Realizing Pierce was truly resolute, Beatrice knew it was useless to argue.

She wiped her tears and headed out the door, sobbing as she walked. "It's a cursed fate. A cursed fate."

Statenbury, The Grand Regency.

After getting off her night shift, Riley went straight to sleep. By the time she woke up, it was already 3:00 PM. She washed up and got ready, planning to visit Eleanor at the hospital.

Before she went to sleep, she had asked Mrs. Gable to simmer a light chicken broth.

As soon as Riley stepped out of her room, the faint, savory aroma of chicken soup hit her.

Mrs. Gable was sitting on the sofa, holding Alora and feeding her water. Seeing Riley head toward the kitchen, she said, "I just turned off the stove. Careful, it's hot."

"Okay." Riley went into the kitchen. A few moments later, she walked out with a thermos. She stepped over to her daughter and leaned down, pressing a loud kiss to her soft, chubby cheek. "Be a good girl for Mrs. Gable. Mommy has to go out for a bit."

Alora stared at Riley with big, round eyes like black grapes. She waved her hands wildly in the air, babbling happily.

Mrs. Gable laughed. "She wants you to hold her."

Riley's heart melted completely. She kissed her daughter's other cheek. "Mommy will hold you when I get back." She then looked at Mrs. Gable. "I'm heading out."

"Drive safe."

"I will." Riley left the apartment, stopped by a fruit shop to buy a nice basket, and headed to the hospital.

When Riley arrived at the VIP suite, three people were sitting in the outer living area: Victoria, a man in a wheelchair who looked to be in his early fifties, and another middle-aged man wearing glasses who looked slightly younger than the man in the wheelchair. Looking at the man in the wheelchair, Riley immediately recalled what Victoria had said last night.

Riley merely exchanged a brief, fleeting glance with him before walking over to the bed. "Lady Eleanor, how are you feeling today?"

Eleanor's face held the sickly pallor of someone bedridden. She let out a long, dramatic sigh. "At my age, I'm just waiting for my time to be up."

Hearing such a kind, gentle old woman say something so morbid made Riley's heart sink. "You're going to live a long, healthy life."

Winona immediately chimed in. "Exactly! You have to live a long life!"

Eleanor smiled warmly. "I'll make sure to stay alive. I still have to watch you and Sebastian get married and have kids."

Winona instantly lost all her words. Guiltily, she lowered her head. Here was an elderly woman, sick in bed, still worrying about her future, and she was lying to her face. She felt absolutely terrible.

Mrs. Higgins stepped forward to take the things from Riley's hands, but Sebastian hung up his phone and got there first.

He walked up to Riley and took the fruit basket and thermos from her. As he grabbed the handles, his fingers deliberately brushed against the soft flesh of her palm.

It felt like a jolt of electricity. Riley yanked her hand back in a panic.

Mrs. Higgins looked at her. "Ms. Vance, is something wrong?"

Riley looked at the nanny in a total panic. Had she seen what just happened?