Chapter Twenty-Nine
I had never felt more trapped in my life.
The walls of Stefan’s mansion felt like they were closing in on me, and no matter how many times I walked from room to room, I couldn’t shake the sensation that I was being watched—monitored at every step. The house was beautiful, immaculate even, but it wasn’t home. Not yet. And maybe it never would be.
I stood at the window, staring out over the sprawling city below. It was early evening, the sky slowly darkening, the lights of the city starting to twinkle on like stars. But the view didn’t comfort me the way it might have for someone else. It just reminded me of how insignificant I felt in the grand scheme of things.
"You're still here."
Stefan's voice broke through my thoughts like a thunderclap. I turned slowly to see him standing in the doorway, his posture relaxed, as if he hadn't just caused my pulse to spike. He was always so controlled, his every movement calculated, and somehow it always unsettled me. I knew what
