The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 636

Before Victor could answer, Riley spoke up. "I want to handle this myself."

She refused to let the Spencer family go to war with Landon Enterprises and suffer unnecessary financial damage just because of her.

Daphne, however, was fraught with anxiety. "You are our daughter now. You have to learn to rely on your mother and father. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your own shoulders anymore."

A profound warmth swelled in Riley's chest. She firmly believed that love, even familial love, should be reciprocal. She couldn't just sit back and comfortably soak up their protection while offering nothing in return. "I know. But I want to try fixing this on my own first. If it gets out of hand, I promise I'll ask for your help."

"But..."

"Daphne, let Evie handle it." Victor turned to Riley, his gaze steady and deeply reassuring. "Just remember, your mother and I are your absolute, unwavering safety net. Whatever happens, you can always come to us."

"I will."

After dinner, Riley said her goodbyes and left.

The moment the front door clicked shut, Daphne dragged Victor up to their bedroom, glaring at him. "What was that about downstairs? Are you really just going to sit back and watch Evie get bullied?"

Victor's voice softened. "I'm not sitting back. She's an adult with her own mind. If we aggressively interfere in her life, she's going to resent it. I know you want to make up for lost time and give her the world, but have you ever stopped to think that dumping such an intense, overwhelming amount of devotion onto her might actually be suffocating?"

Daphne froze, her anger stalling. "Would it be?"

"It would." Victor gently pulled his wife onto the sofa beside him. "Haven't you noticed how guarded Evie is around us? She's walking on eggshells, desperately trying to maintain this fragile bond. She's terrified that if she asks for too much, she'll lose the family she just found."

"How could she possibly lose us? We're her parents! Everything we do for her is unconditional!"

"We know that, but she didn't grow up with us. She survived twenty brutal years in that toxic household. She's hardwired to rely only on herself. She doesn't know how to simply accept unconditional love without waiting for the catch."