The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 560

The smile on Pierce's face froze for a fraction of a second before melting back into a mask of perfect composure. He turned a gentle gaze toward Riley. "Riley, why don't you catch up with Sebastian? I'll take Alora upstairs first."

Riley silently handed over the toddler.

Pierce carried the little girl toward the apartment building. After a few steps, he paused and glanced back at her. "It's freezing out here, Riley. Don't take too long. Our daughter and I will be waiting inside for you to join us for dinner."

He threw a casually triumphant, provoking look in Sebastian's direction before finally turning away and disappearing through the lobby doors.

Riley lifted her gaze to Sebastian. "What did you want to say?"

His eyes were dark and heavy as he studied her. "Are you getting back together with him?"

"We're going to take it slow and see how things go," Riley replied, her voice carefully neutral.

The ambiguity of her answer hit him much harder than a flat-out 'yes', twisting the knife in his chest. "He betrayed you. He's not exactly trustworthy."

The quiet intensity of his gaze was laced with an undeniable worry. She was treating him with such cold detachment, yet he was still so concerned for her. The sheer vulnerability in his eyes pierced right through her heart.

She averted her eyes, staring blankly at the nearby landscaping. "He said he's going to change. I want to give him another chance."

"Once a cheater, always a cheater..."

"Mr. St. John." Riley cut him off, her tone dripping with icy distance. "This is my private life, and it's none of your concern. Also, please pull the bodyguards you have secretly tailing me. I don't appreciate having my every move monitored."

"Monitored?"

Riley knew perfectly well that Sebastian wasn't spying on her; he was protecting her. But in this moment, phrasing it like an accusation was the only way to sever his remaining hope. "Yes."

Watching her stand there, so resolute in drawing a line between them, sent a blinding throb of pain through his head. The sudden agony was disorienting, and he stumbled backward, his balance slipping.