The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 438

Sebastian's eyes brewed a horrifying storm, as black and volatile as thunderclouds just before a hurricane.

Through sheer, agonizing willpower, he choked down the explosive rage threatening to tear out of him.

He stared coldly at Pierce, completely ignoring his feigned shock, and immediately seized the interrogation. "Why are you here?"

Pierce was utterly thrown by Sebastian's composure. He needed an explosive confrontation to draw a crowd. If Sebastian didn't blow up, what would Victoria even see when she arrived?

"I... I'm sorry if this looks bad. Riley was just exhausted, so I kept her company while she rested."

Sebastian strode to the side of the bed and leaned over, gently nudging Riley's shoulder. She remained completely unresponsive, her eyes shut tight. He slowly straightened up and locked his predatory gaze onto Pierce. "Explain."

Pierce's fists clenched subtly against the mattress. This terrifyingly icy control was entirely outside his calculations. Sebastian wasn't screaming. He wasn't throwing punches. He was dissecting the situation with lethal precision.

"She might just be too tired... she's sleeping deeply."

"Is that right?" Sebastian towered over him, his voice dangerously soft. "Then explain why Winona was drugged and left unconscious in the room next door."

Sebastian's dominating presence crashed down on Pierce like a suffocating weight. His chest tightened, his breathing turning shallow.

The arrogant confidence he normally wielded as the head of Landon Enterprises was being completely obliterated by Sebastian's innate, overpowering authority.

And with Victoria missing and Winona proving to be an uncontrolled variable, Pierce realized with creeping dread that his elaborate trap had been entirely compromised.

Staying any longer was pointless. If he forced Sebastian's hand now, the collateral damage would be his entire empire.

Seething with bitter resentment, Pierce got off the bed and walked out.

Left alone with the toxic, boiling rage he couldn't unleash on the man responsible, Sebastian slammed his fist brutally into the wall.

Franklin watched in silence, knowing exactly how agonizing this was for him. Sebastian knew full well Pierce had targeted Riley, yet he was completely paralyzed. If he started a brawl with Pierce while the entirety of Statenbury's elite drank champagne downstairs, the scandal would be apocalyptic.

The public backlash was the least of his worries. The real danger was exposing his ultimate weakness to monsters like Victoria and Barnaby. If they knew he loved Riley, she would have a permanent target on her back.

And keeping her safe was the only thing that mattered.