The watcher

A week later

The twins were climbing into the car, Isla swinging her lunchbox as Dorothy buckled them in. "Sit tight, kids," she said, adjusting the seatbelts.

"Miss Dorothy, can we get ice cream after school?" Isla asked brightly.

"If you finish all your lunch," Dorothy teased with a smile.

As the car pulled away, Dorothy glanced in the rearview mirror and tensed. The black sedan was there again, keeping its distance but following.

At the school, Dorothy walked the twins to their classroom. Isla hugged her tightly. "See you later!"

"Be good," Dorothy replied before heading back to the car. As she stepped out of the gate, her eyes caught the same sedan parked across the street. The driver's silhouette was vague behind the tinted windows.

Later that morning, Dorothy returned home and found Ever in the kitchen. "Ma'am, can I have a word?"

"Of course." Ever looked up from her laptop, closing it."Is everything fine?"