The heavy oak door of the library stood slightly ajar, letting in the faint draft that carried the distant murmur of footsteps echoing through the stone corridors of the old manor. I sat curled on the worn leather sofa I had dragged closer to the massive stone fireplace, its flames crackling softly and casting flickering golden light across the towering shelves lined with ancient tomes.
The air inside was thick with the comforting scent of aged paper, polished wood, and the faint, lingering aroma of dried herbs from the bundles I had once stored here myself. Lifting my gaze from the yellowed pages of the book in my lap, I caught sight of Ronan’s broad silhouette leaning casually against the doorframe.
His muscular arms were crossed over his chest, his sharp eyes fixed on the empty hallwa
