The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 47

He didn't reply instantly. A few heavy seconds ticked by before his message came through.

[Depends on the person.]

Riley stared at the words, momentarily stunned.

Did 'depends on the person' mean his fondness for children depended entirely on who the child was?

Was that what he meant?

So, did he actually like Alora or not?

He had sent her two outrageously expensive gifts and personally chosen her name. He had to care, right?

It had been an entire month, and Beatrice and Great-grandfather Arthur hadn't visited the baby once.

The Landon family had endless wealth, yet her own grandmother and great-grandfather hadn't even bothered to send a milestone gift. It was painfully obvious they couldn't care less about Alora.

Growing up in the Landon household, Alora was bound to be marginalized and treated unfairly. But if she had the ultimate backing of a titan like Sebastian St. John, her status within the family would skyrocket.

It was settled. She was going to make sure Alora built a strong bond with her uncle. From now on, whenever she sent baby photos to Quinn, she would forward a batch to Sebastian as well.

She needed to keep Alora present in his life, let him watch her grow, and ensure he grew fiercely protective of her.

The thought of her daughter having an untouchable billionaire as her guardian angel instantly wiped away all of Riley's prior gloom. A wave of profound satisfaction washed over her.

For the first time, she truly understood the meaning behind the saying: A mother's love means building a fortress for her child's future.

That evening, Elaine and George Vance stopped by for a visit.

They brought two small gold beads strung on a red cord for the baby. While it wasn't a lavish gift, it was given with genuine love, and Riley was genuinely touched.

Elaine pulled Riley aside. "It's the baby's one-month mark. What did the Landons give her?"

Remembering her actual agenda, Elaine turned back to Riley. "Have you talked to Pierce about your brother yet?"

Riley was an orphan, raised in the foster system until George and Elaine adopted her at age seven. A year later, Elaine gave birth to a biological son, Ross Vance. They named him Ross to symbolize how precious he was to them.

Ross was about to graduate. Elaine had demanded Riley leverage her marriage to secure him an effortless, high-paying executive role at Landon Enterprises the moment he got his diploma.

Riley despised nepotism. Beatrice already looked down on her for her background, and Pierce was constantly funneling cash and gifts to her parents as it was. If she forced her utterly unqualified brother into the corporate hierarchy, Beatrice would crucify her.

More importantly, Ross had coasted his entire life. He barely scraped through high school and was finishing up a two-year stint at a local community college this summer.

He had zero qualifications and zero work ethic.

How was she supposed to pitch that to Pierce?

"Mom, Ross is only nineteen. He's still young. Why don't we enroll him in a trade school so he can actually learn a real skill..."