Chapter Seventy Four

TESSA

"You had a girl." My mother's voice was a flat murmur, her gaze fixed on Ivy with an expression I couldn't decipher. No warmth. No joy. Just a cold, detached interest, like she was inspecting a stranger rather than her granddaughter. My chest tightened.

"Hector, take her to her room," I said, my voice sharper than I had intended. Ivy's wide, confused eyes looked up at me, and guilt twisted i