Jasmine's POV
The asphalt rushed beneath my tires as I drove faster than I should have, my knuckles white against the steering wheel. Every mile that passed felt like another step away from the suffocating weight that had settled on my chest.
I had left the twins safely at home under nanny Yasmin's watchful eye, along with the guards I had stationed around the property. My final words to them before departing had been crystal clear: the gates remain locked, no strangers approach the children, and nobody dares to defy my orders again.
This journey I needed to make alone. While I was perfectly capable of defending myself, what I sought today wasn't protection but clarity.
The familiar outline of Aunt Chloe's bookstore emerged through my windshield, and my grip on the wheel tightened reflexively. After parking at the curb, I pushed through the front door, triggering the soft chime of the bell overhead. The comforting aroma of aged parchment and dried herbs enveloped me immediately.
