The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 21

It rang a few times before the other party declined the video call.

Why would he decline it?

Did he press the wrong button?

Riley Vance dialed the video call again.

He declined it once more.

Soon after, Pierce Landon's call came through. "Riley, I'm at a dinner with a client. It's not a good time for a video call."

"Then make sure you don't drink too much."

"I won't. Did you need something?"

Riley was about to speak when she suddenly heard the faint sound of a baby crying on the other end. "Why is there a baby over there?"

"...The private room's door is open. Someone must be carrying a baby through the hallway."

"Oh. It's nothing, really. I just wanted you to show me the night view of Ashford."

"I'll take some photos and send them to you later."

"Alright, go back to your work."

"Take good care of yourself and the baby. Get to bed early."

"I will." Riley hung up, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sense of emptiness.

Perhaps it was because she had gone back to the old estate for dinner alone and faced the Landon relatives who despised her, leaving her in low spirits.

Or maybe Pierce had been too busy lately, making her feel lonely and inexplicably wronged as she navigated the late stages of her pregnancy all by herself.

They said pregnant women were emotionally unstable and prone to sentimentality. That was probably it.

Riley went upstairs, washed up, and leaned against the headboard to read a medical book. After a while, perhaps due to her sour mood, she realized she hadn't absorbed a single word.

She simply closed the book, set it aside, and picked up her phone to scroll through the news.

Spotting an entertainment headline about a famous influencer, she clicked on it to pass the time.

The article claimed the influencer had fallen ill and was hospitalized, accompanied closely by a male celebrity. The piece was heavily illustrated with photos.

The pictures were blurry, clearly taken from a distance by paparazzi. The two people in the center were circled in red.

Their facial features were indistinct, but anyone familiar with those celebrities could probably guess their identities.

Riley's pale fingers slowly swiped across the screen, briefly glancing at the photos, until her finger suddenly froze.

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