*~~Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Seven~~*

{~~Avery Sterling~~}

I woke up by the fireplace to the faint sound of the doorbell ringing. The soft, persistent chime pulled me from the comforting warmth of sleep, and I groaned quietly as I opened my eyes, taking in the dimly lit room. Logan was still asleep beside me, his arm draped protectively over my waist. His breathing was slow and steady, the kind of deep sleep that only comes after days of exhaustion finally catch up to you. Neither of us had made it to bed last night; instead, we had dozed off by the fire, wrapped in each other's embrace, too tired to move.

As much as I wanted to stay curled up against him, the doorbell rang again, more insistent this time, and I knew I had to get up. I carefully extricated myself from Logan’s grasp, not wanting to wake him, and slipped off the couch. The cool air in the room was a stark contrast to the cozy warmth of the blankets we had shared, and I shivered slightly as I padded across the room. My feet were silent on the hardwood floor,