The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 432

Riley hadn't been too swamped lately. Her research project at the institute had concluded, leaving her with only her standard hospital duties. In her free time, she prepared her application for the Youth Science Foundation grant.

In just two weeks, the system would open for her to submit it.

She clocked out on time and headed home. Stepping into the living room, she noticed two elegant gift boxes resting on the coffee table. Curious, she opened them to find two stunning evening gowns.

One was a deep, midnight-blue satin that shimmered with a quiet elegance under the lights—understated but impeccably tailored.

The other was a high-saturation purple, boasting a luxurious, eye-catching sheen. It was flashy and guaranteed to turn heads at any event.

Mrs. Gable walked out of the nursery carrying Alora. Riley asked, "Where did these come from?"

"Mr. Finch delivered the blue one, and Scott dropped off the purple one."

So, one was from Sebastian, and the other from Pierce.

The dresses perfectly reflected their senders: one grounded and sophisticated, the other loud and arrogant.

It seemed Serena had already tipped Pierce off about her attending the Gala.

But she had made it crystal clear she wouldn't accept any more gifts from him. Why was he still trying?

Riley immediately dialed Pierce's number. "Didn't I tell you I won't accept anything from you unless it's for Alora? Why did you send this dress?"

"I bought it while I was picking one out for Serena. It wasn't expensive."

"This isn't about the money. Aside from Alora, we have nothing to do with each other. Give me an address, and I'll courier it back to you."

Pierce let out a long sigh. "I'll be at the Gala tonight. If you're so determined to return it, just bring it with you."

"Fine." Riley hung up and quickly texted Sebastian: [I love the gown. Thank you.]

Before hitting send, she felt 'thank you' was too formal. She deleted the words and replaced them with a cute kissing emoji.

His mind instantly flashed back to the previous night at The Cloudview Terrace, recalling the heated kiss they shared right outside the elevator. His eyes darkened, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

The executives had all been secretly watching him. Seeing the notoriously stone-faced man actually smile at a text sent shockwaves around the room.

The boss was smiling?

This was a man who signed billion-dollar acquisitions without blinking. The fact that a text made him smile was terrifyingly unprecedented.

That definitely wasn't a client. Was it a woman?

Rumors had been swirling that he was seeing the heiress of the Spencer family. Was the text from Winona?

Had the icy CEO finally thawed?

The Spencer family would definitely be at the Gala tonight. The executives silently vowed to keep their eyes peeled to see if wedding bells were in the near future.