Ava’s POV
The triplets had given me more than enough money, and I felt a strange mix of gratitude and guilt as I carried the cash in my bag on the walk home.
When I finally made it back to the house, my nerves were on edge. I could hear my stepmother moving around in the living room. Taking a deep breath, I walked in, my heart pounding as soon as I crossed the threshold.
She was sitting on the couch, her back straight as she scrolled through her phone, but when she heard the door close, her eyes immediately snapped to me. There was no soft greeting, no warm words. Just the cold gaze of a woman who expected everything to go her way.
“You’re back,” she said flatly, her tone laced with suspicion. “Where’s the money?”
I hesitated for a moment, the weight of the envelope heavy in my hands
