Chapter 47:
Ivy's POV
I pushed the door open, wincing as it let out a low creak, hesitating at the entrance before finally stepping in. I gasped, the room looked nothing like the rest of Damian’s fortress of a house. Despite the fact that it was large, it looked and felt cozy. Lived in.
Sunlight spilled through half-drawn curtains, glinting off shelves lined with glass bottles and stacks of old books. And there was a lot of books! Books filled every corner—some open, others stacked haphazardly like they’d been read and reread a hundred times.
A soft breeze stirred the gauzy curtains, carrying the scent of something floral—lavender, maybe, or sage.
And then I saw her.
At the center, seated in a massive chair, near a window and holding a steaming cup I assumed was probably tea, was a w
