Chapter 30

(IVY POV)

I sat in the back seat, gripping my handbag like it was some sort of lifeline, my fingers digging into the soft leather.

I kept checking my watch, feeling every second stretch out like hours.

I tried to steady my breathing, but it came out in shallow, bursts.

I inhaled deeply, trying to steady myself, but my mind kept drifting back to my twins.

“God, I hoped they were safe.”

I had locked the doors, checked the windows twice, but was that enough?

Maybe I should have just brought them with me, but then again, where I was going… I shook my head, no way, that wasn’t an option.

Not with their constant questions, their bright eyes full of curiosity.

Especially not now. I glanced at my watch again. Time seemed to crawl.

I tried to push the memory away, but it crept back in. Just a few minutes ago, they had been so insistent, asking about their father, out of the blue, right after coming back from school.

For a stupid second, I thought about changing their school altogether,