The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 561

She held his gaze and forced herself to continue. "You were incredibly good to me, and I was so touched. That's why I agreed to give us a try. But now I realize that feeling grateful is completely different from being in love. I can't keep lying to you, and I can't lie to myself anymore. You can't force chemistry. So please, Sebastian, just let me go."

Sebastian stared at her in sheer disbelief. He staggered backward, the edges of his eyes burning with a sudden, devastating rim of red. "Grateful?"

Seeing the absolute devastation on his face, Riley felt her heart physically ache. She clenched her fists tightly, fighting back a suffocating wave of despair to keep her composure intact.

"I need to go upstairs. They're waiting for me for dinner." Terrified that staying a second longer would ruin everything, she spun around and walked briskly toward the lobby.

She was terrified that if she hesitated, the tears she was fighting so desperately to hold back would finally spill over.

She was terrified that her true feelings would slip through the cracks of her facade.

Most of all, she was terrified she would turn around, throw her arms around him, and never find the strength to push him away again.

But she couldn't. She needed him to survive. She needed him to be safe, to remain the untouchable, powerful man he had always been.

Riley stepped into the building but didn't head for the elevator. Instead, she ducked behind a pillar, peeking back out at him. Only when she saw Franklin Finch rushing over to support his boss did the knot of anxiety in her stomach finally loosen.

Sebastian shoved Franklin away, his dark eyes instantly snapping toward the glass doors of the lobby.

Riley yanked herself back, pressing her trembling spine flush against the wall. A long, agonizing silence stretched until the low rumble of a car engine echoed from the street.

She peeked out once more, watching the sleek vehicle pull away. It drove further and further into the distance until it melted completely into the traffic.

Just like him. Fading into the distance, walking out of her life forever.

Silent tears spilled down her cheeks, coming faster and faster until the world dissolved into a watery blur.

It felt as if a massive, gaping hole had been torn through her chest, leaving her hollowed out and completely broken.

Her cruel words must have truly broken his heart, because after that night, he never came looking for her again. He vanished from her life without a trace.