The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 533

Before all this, Lucille Lowell had only known Riley as a doctor. It wasn't until the internet exploded that she learned Riley was Pierce Landon's ex-wife and shared a child with him.

Seeing her again, Lucille seemed to struggle to find the right words.

It wasn't until Madeline fell asleep for her afternoon nap that the two of them finally had a moment alone.

Riley looked at Lucille, her eyes filled with guilt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep it a secret. I just... didn't know how to bring it up."

Lucille immediately knew she was talking about Pierce. She shook her head. "I don't blame you. I never asked, either. I just want to know—now that things have escalated this much, what are you planning to do?"

Riley lowered her gaze, looking utterly defeated.

It was the ninth day of the New Year. The market had been open for three days, and St. John Global's stock was in a freefall with absolutely zero signs of recovery. She was agonizing over the situation, but she was entirely powerless to help.

Over the past few days, she had considered ending things with Sebastian more than once. Breaking up was the only way to stop the storm tearing his life apart, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She felt incredibly selfish. She knew he was taking the brunt of a brutal attack, yet she refused to let go. She really, truly loved him. It was a completely different feeling from whatever she had shared with Pierce.

With Pierce, she had just been desperate for affection. Growing up completely unloved, the bare minimum—buying her breakfast, getting her medicine, bringing her takeout on a rainy night—had been enough to move her. She had desperately clung to the feeling of being valued, which was why she had married him.

But it wasn't until she met Sebastian that she understood what genuine love felt like.

She wanted to be with him every single second. Even when they were together, she still missed him. When he was happy, she was ecstatic; when he was exhausted, her heart broke. Even physically, she naturally craved his touch.