Ellen’s POV

Smoking was strictly prohibited around the children at the elite private school where I worked, so staff members usually retreated to the courtyard when the kids were elsewhere or hid in their cars to sneak a cigarette.

But my nerves were frayed beyond caring about rules. I paced anxiously in the gym, waiting for Mia to show up as I’d instructed her during lunch. She was late, and with recess nearing its end, my window of opportunity was shrinking fast.

“Where the hell is ...