CHAPTER 179

After Elena left, Mia pushed herself out of bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor. She could see Stefan's silhouette outlined against the glass. He sat in the leather armchair by the window, still as a statue, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him.

He hadn't looked up when she approached, his focus locked on something unseen, but the moment her hands touched his shoulders, she felt the tension coiled in his muscles.

His fingers slid around her waist without hesitation, pulling her onto his lap with a gentleness that contradicted the storm she could feel brewing beneath his calm...