His Dangerous Love On Ice Chapter 170: Olive's Pov

"Aunty Olive!" they screamed in unison, throwing their toys on the ground and running toward me like I was the best thing they'd seen all day.

They hopped into my outstretched arms like they'd been waiting eagerly for this exact moment, and I caught them both even though they were getting too big for me to hold like this anymore.

The one good thing I knew that came from my parents' divorce was these two, and I could never hate them or resent them because they had absolutely nothing to do with the chaotic grown-up life I'd been forced to navigate.

After I was done asking them about their day and they were asking if I'd come watch the latest Bluey episode with them—which I agreed to immediately because how could I say no to those faces, I finally pushed them back toward the living room so I could deal with Annie.

When I turned around, I saw Annie watching me with a smile on her face that looked disturbingly similar to my mother's when she was plotting something.

"You're so good with kids," she said softly. "When will you consider having your own?"

"No, Annie. Not today." I walked past her, not in the mood for another grown adult telling me about my biological clock and when I should start popping out babies. "And I thought you were in a hurry?"

"Okay, okay," she said, holding up her hands in surrender. "Well, I do have to be going to my aunt's house. She's so devastated about her son's death."

I turned around so fast I almost ran into her, not realizing how close she'd been standing.

"I think you should tell her all this when you arrive," I said, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

I couldn't handle hearing about someone else's dead son right now, not when I'd just discovered Klaus had been murdered and Judy had been killed and someone was threatening to make me next on their list.

"You really should have more compassion," Annie said, giving me a look that was somewhere between disappointed and understanding. "You're just like your father sometimes. No difference between the both of you, but still, you're both loving in your own ways."

She smiled like that was supposed to be a compliment, then started heading for the door.

"Well, I will be going now. Try not to succumb to the twins' trap of offering them cookies before bedtime. And ensure you enjoy the week with them."

She was humming happily as she walked out, and I watched her figure disappear from view.

But I couldn't remove her words from my mind.

The implication that I was heartless like my father stung more than it should have, but it wasn't true…it was just that I was trying not to accept that whoever her aunt was had a heavy chance of being Judy's mom, and I wasn't ready to go back into that loop again, wasn't ready to find myself entangled with everything I was actively trying to run away from.

Just then, my phone rang and my eyes widened slightly when I saw the name on the screen.

Paloma.

I'd called her almost an hour ago when I was panicking in my apartment. I watched as the line rang, debating whether I should pick it up or let it go to voicemail.

I shook my head—I had called her first, and her calling back and me not picking might make her think something was seriously wrong.

Which, to be fair, it kind of was.

I slid my finger across the screen to answer.