Chapter 114

• Vanessa’s POV
• I lay in my room, the soft tendrils of sleep beginning to envelop me after thinking of everything and nothing. I sensed a presence—a subtle shift in the air that alerted me to someone's approach. Though my eyes remained closed, I listened intently, my senses attuned to the quiet footsteps drawing nearer. I really should have closed my door. Why didn't I?
• At first, I remained still, feigning sleep in the hope that the intruder would retreat. But as the scent of familiarity wafted toward me, my heart skipped a beat. It was a scent I knew all too well—a blend of earthy musk and forest pine, tinged with a hint of sorrow and longing. Alfie.