Chapter 177 Hundred And Seventy Seven

• ARIEL’S POV
• When I opened my eyes, the space beside me was cold. Ryan was gone. My hand reached instinctively for him, but only the empty sheets answered back. For a moment, disappointment washed over me, but then I noticed the smell drifting through the house. Something warm. Something comforting.
• On the table in the dining area sat a tray, neat and deliberate, with toast, eggs, and a glass of juice. Ryan must have left it before heading out. I couldn’t help the small tug of a smile on my lips. The man who had spent weeks brooding, denying, fighting every corner of this bond, had actually prepared breakfast for me. A gesture so simple, yet it felt like an entire mountain moved.