The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 407

Inside the bedroom, Eleanor was sitting up against her pillows. When she saw Riley, a warm, affectionate smile spread across her face. "Riley, sweetheart, you're so busy. You don't need to come visit me every single day."

Riley pulled up a chair beside the bed. "I'm really not that busy. How are you feeling today?"

"Much better."

Mrs. Higgins opened the thermos and noticed the generous portions of oatmeal, fresh juice, and the three hard-boiled eggs. She beamed at Riley. "Did you pack enough for me and the young master too?"

"Yes."

"That is incredibly sweet of you."

Eleanor's eyes softened as she noticed the dark shadows under Riley's eyes. "You must have been up awfully early, huh? Look at those dark circles. Don't push yourself so hard next time. It breaks my heart to see you exhausted."

She then looked past Riley toward the doorway. "Riley brought breakfast for you too."

Riley turned around. Sebastian had silently materialized in the bedroom doorway.

He gave Riley a stiff, imperceptible nod. As he walked into the room, his voice was flat. "Thank you."

His tone was so distant, so coldly formal, that it sent a sharp pang straight through Riley's chest. "You're welcome," she replied quietly. She stood up and looked at Eleanor. "Get some rest. I have things to take care of in my department, so I should head upstairs."

"Go on, then. Don't worry about this old bag of bones. I'm doing perfectly fine."

As Riley walked toward the door, Sebastian was simultaneously walking toward the bed. They brushed past each other. He stared straight ahead, completely ignoring her existence, as if she were a total stranger. Riley's fingers twitched, curling slightly into her palms.

She practically sprinted out of the suite. The moment she hit the hospital corridor, her eyes inexplicably welled up with tears.

She tilted her head back, forcing the tears down, and pulled out her phone to shoot Sebastian a text: [I need to talk to you. I'll be waiting in the stairwell.]

Back in the suite.

Eleanor noticed Sebastian staring intensely at his phone. "Go handle your work. You don't need to babysit me. Mrs. Higgins is here."

Sebastian slipped the phone back into his pocket. "I'm not busy."

"Don't give me that. You've been glued to that screen all morning. If there's a crisis at the company, go deal with it. The surgery is over, I'm recovering nicely, and I don't need you hovering."

Ding.

Sebastian's phone chimed. He whipped it out immediately. Seeing the message from Riley, the corner of his mouth twitched upward before he ruthlessly flattened it back into a straight line.

He looked up at Eleanor. "I need to take a call." He turned and strode out of the room before she could even reply.

"What call is so urgent? Eat your breakfast first!" Eleanor yelled at his retreating back.

"I'll eat it when I get back," he replied, not even slowing down.

Riley's fingers curled into her palms again. Mustering every ounce of courage she possessed, she closed the distance and gently took his hand. When he didn't pull away, she finally found her voice. "Are you still mad at me?"

Sebastian's lips parted slightly. "Isn't it obvious?"

Riley was completely at a loss. It was very obvious.

She looked up at him, her eyes completely earnest. "I swear, there is absolutely nothing between him and me anymore. The past is dead. I will never, ever go back to him."

Sebastian looked down at her. "Do you honestly think that's why I'm angry?"

Riley froze. Total confusion washed over her face.

If it wasn't about Pierce, then what was it about?

Seeing her genuine bewilderment, Sebastian let out a heavy sigh. He had been so furious last night that he hadn't slept a wink, and she didn't even know what she had done wrong.

As a minor punishment, he gave the soft hand resting in his a sharp, warning squeeze.

It stung slightly, but Riley didn't make a sound. She just stared at him like an eager student waiting for the answer. "Then why are you mad?"

"The fact that you were anywhere near him obviously pisses me off. But I'm not totally unreasonable. I know some situations are unavoidable. What makes me furious is that something massive happened, and it never even crossed your mind to tell me. Even when I directly asked you, you tried to lie to my face. Where exactly do I fit into your life?"

Now it made sense. No wonder he had hung up the second she answered those two questions last night. This was why he was furious.