The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 418

Only after the kiss did he finally let her go. "Go back inside."

"Are you staying at the Manor tonight?"

"No. Work is piling up. I have to head back into the city to deal with it."

Riley nodded. "Alright, I'm going." She turned and practically skipped up the stairs.

Sebastian stood by the door, watching until she was completely out of sight, before finally turning to track down the attending physician.

The St. John Manor, Main Living Room.

Barnaby was still sulking over Eleanor publicly chewing him out at the hospital. The second they dropped her off at the Manor, he fabricated an excuse and left. Montgomery was out in the gardens feeding the koi. Victoria was practically suffocating on her own resentment, having sat in dead silence the entire car ride back, and was currently glaring holes into the living room floor.

Eleanor ignored her completely. She was casually chatting with Pierce and Serena. "Since you're both staying in Statenbury indefinitely, you should come visit more often."

Pierce nodded respectfully. "We will. Honestly, I was totally against Serena working in Statenbury alone. But now that she's secured a position at St. John Global, knowing Sebastian is looking out for her puts my mind at ease. I just hope she doesn't cause him too much trouble."

"We're basically family. There's no such thing as trouble."

Serena looked at Pierce, playing her part perfectly. "Pierce, did you buy a house yet?"

"Not yet. Buying real estate isn't like buying groceries. It takes time. I have to look at the location, the price, the layout."

Serena immediately threw a childish pout. "But I hate living in hotels."

Hearing this, Eleanor chimed in. "If you don't mind the commute, you can stay here with me for the time being."

Serena's face lit up instantly. She didn't even try to hide her ecstatic grin. "Really? I'd love that!"

She had told her, If you want to live under my roof, you will keep your nose out of the family's business. That is the only way you survive here.

It was nothing but endless warnings and paranoid defense mechanisms.

"Mother, dinner is still hours away. Should I help you upstairs so you can rest?" Victoria's words sounded like a polite offer, but she was already on her feet, grabbing Eleanor's arm to haul her up.

Eleanor cast a side-eye at Victoria but didn't pull away. She allowed herself to be pulled up, offered a polite excuse to the Landon siblings, and followed Victoria upstairs.

The moment the bedroom door clicked shut.

Victoria helped Eleanor sit on the edge of the bed. The suffocating resentment she had been swallowing all day finally exploded. "Am I even your actual daughter?"

Eleanor stared blankly at her furious, bitter daughter. Instead of answering, she simply asked, "Do you feel wronged?"