The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 523

His voice seemed to carry a grounding power, instantly easing Riley's tense nerves. "Okay."

Riley made it home safely.

Hearing her come in, Ross practically bolted out of his room. The moment he saw she was unharmed, a massive wave of relief washed over him. "Riley, you scared me to death! I thought you were only going to be gone for a couple of hours. When you didn't come back, I thought something terrible had happened. I was literally seconds away from calling the cops."

Noticing the dark circles under his eyes, she realized he had probably stayed up all night worrying. Guilt flashed across her face. "I'm so sorry. I fell asleep and completely lost track of time."

"As long as you're okay. Alora was an angel. She woke up once, I gave her some water, and she went right back to sleep."

"Okay, hurry back to bed."

Ross yawned, shuffling toward his room. "Yeah, I'm passing out now."

Around nine o'clock, Winona Spencer dropped by.

The moment she walked in, she threw her arms around Riley, her face full of sympathy. "You've been through so much, Riley."

Warmth bloomed in Riley's chest, and she smiled, patting her friend's back. "I'm holding up."

They moved into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

Bringing up the online chaos, Winona's clear eyes clouded with worry. "My dad says the only reason this hasn't blown over is because someone is pulling strings behind the scenes."

Riley's heart tightened. "Didn't they arrest Victoria St. John?"

"It's not her. It's someone else, and it's more than one group. Otherwise, with Sebastian's influence, it wouldn't have gotten this bad."

"Who could it be?"

Winona shook her head. "It's all happening in the shadows. My dad thinks Sebastian made a lot of enemies when he first took over the family business. They're probably kicking him while he's down."

Worry flickered in Riley's eyes. She wanted to stand by Sebastian and weather the storm with him, but she didn't have the power to fight back. All she could do was watch him face the onslaught alone.