The black car remained behind them.
Mr. Jones watched it through the rearview mirror, his face becoming more serious with every passing second.
"Are they still following us?" Mrs. Jones asked quietly.
"Yes."
She immediately looked at Mira.
Their daughter was sitting in the back seat, happily looking through the window, completely unaware of what was happening.
"What are we going to do?" Mrs. Jones whispered.
Mr. Jones lowered his voice.
"Don't let her know anything."
He picked up his phone and called the head of his security team.
"David, I need you to send two more cars. We have been followed."
"How many vehicles?"
"One black sedan."
"Do you know who they are?"
"No. But they know exactly where we are."
David became silent for a moment.
"Sir, should we return to the mansion?"
Mr. Jones looked at his wife.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because if they know where we are, they may already know where the mansion is."
Mrs. Jones's face went pale.
"Then where are we going?"
Mr. Jones looked ahead.
"To the second house."
---
Mira finally noticed that something was wrong.
Her father had stopped talking.
Her mother looked frightened.
Even the bodyguards seemed tense.
"Daddy?"
Mr. Jones turned around.
"Yes, princess?"
"Why is everyone quiet?"
He forced a smile.
"Nothing is wrong."
Mira didn't believe him.
"Are we still going to the vacation house?"
"Yes."
She smiled.
"Good."
Mr. Jones turned away.
He couldn't bring himself to tell his daughter the truth.
Not yet.
---
Twenty minutes later, the convoy suddenly turned onto a narrow road.
Mira frowned.
"This isn't the road we came through."
Her mother quickly answered.
"We're taking another route."
Mira looked at her suspiciously.
"Why?"
"Because your father wants to."
"Oh."
She turned back toward the window.
But then she saw something.
The black car had followed them.
Mira's eyes widened.
"Daddy!"
Mr. Jones turned around.
"What?"
"That car has been following us since the restaurant."
Her father froze.
She had noticed.
Before he could respond, the black car suddenly accelerated.
"Everyone, get down!" one of the bodyguards shouted.
Mira screamed.
Her mother pulled her down and covered her body.
"Mommy!"
"Don't move!"
The sound of tires screeching filled the road.
The bodyguards' vehicles surrounded their car.
Mr. Jones grabbed the steering wheel tightly.
"Hold on!"
Their car sped forward.
The black car continued chasing them.
Mira's heart was beating violently.
She didn't understand what was happening.
"Daddy, what's going on?"
Her father didn't answer.
"Daddy!"
Still nothing.
Tears began forming in her eyes.
"Why are they chasing us?"
Her mother hugged her tightly.
"Everything will be okay."
But even she didn't believe her own words.
Suddenly, one of the security vehicles moved directly in front of the black car.
The black car swerved and disappeared down another road.
The convoy continued driving.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Finally, Mr. Jones slowedChapter Four
The Man in the Black Car
The black car remained several meters behind them.
Mr. Jones kept looking through the rearview mirror.
His heart was beating faster than usual.
He had spent years preparing for this day.
He had changed security companies, moved houses, changed travel routes, and done everything possible to keep his daughter hidden.
Yet somehow, they had found her.
"Take the next turn," Mr. Jones ordered the driver.
"Yes, sir."
The driver immediately turned onto a smaller road.
The other cars in the convoy followed.
Mrs. Jones looked at her husband nervously.
"Is it them?"
"I don't know."
"But you said they wouldn't find us."
"I said I would protect her."
Mr. Jones looked at Mira.
She was sitting in the back seat, looking out the window.
She had no idea what was happening.
"Whatever happens," he whispered, "Mira must not know."
Mrs. Jones nodded.
"But what if they attack us?"
Mr. Jones didn't answer.
Because deep down, he was afraid of exactly the same thing.
---
Mira noticed that something was wrong.
Her father had been unusually quiet.
Her mother kept checking her phone.
Even the bodyguards looked tense.
"Daddy?"
Mr. Jones turned around.
"Yes, princess?"
"Why is everyone acting strange?"
"No one is acting strange."
Mira frowned.
"You're lying."
Her father forced a smile.
"Why would I lie to you?"
"Because you always tell me everything is fine when it isn't."
Her mother looked at her husband.
Mira was becoming too observant.
Mr. Jones reached back and held his daughter's hand.
"Nothing will happen to you."
Mira stared at him.
"Promise?"
"I promise."
She smiled slightly.
"Okay."
But neither of them knew if that promise could be kept.
---
The convoy eventually reached a large hotel surrounded by tall trees.
Mr. Jones had originally planned to spend the night there before continuing their journey the following morning.
The moment the cars stopped, security guards surrounded them.
"Sir," one of the guards said quietly, "we checked the surroundings. Everything appears clear."
Mr. Jones nodded.
"Keep checking."
"Yes, sir."
Mira jumped out of the car.
"Finally!"
She looked around excitedly.
"It's beautiful!"
Her mother smiled.
"Come on, princess."
They entered the hotel.
Mira was fascinated by everything.
The enormous chandelier.
The beautiful decorations.
The Christmas tree standing in the lobby.
She ran toward it.
"Mommy, look!"
Mrs. Jones smiled.
"It's beautiful."
Mira turned around.
"Can I take pictures?"
"Of course."
Mira pulled out her phone.
As she posed beside the Christmas tree, she noticed someone standing near the entrance.
A man.
He was wearing a black jacket and a cap.
He was staring directly at her.
Mira lowered her phone.
Their eyes met.
The man's expression was cold.
Then he turned and walked away.
Mira frowned.
"Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"Who is that man?"
Mrs. Jones looked toward the entrance.
The man was gone.
"What man?"
"The one standing there."
Mrs. Jones's face suddenly lost its color.
"Come here."
She quickly pulled Mira closer.
"Mommy, what happened?"
"Nothing."
"But—"
"Stay beside me."
Mira stared at her mother in confusion.
Something was definitely wrong.
---
Later that night, Mira was asleep in her hotel room.
Her parents were in the room next door with their security team.
Mr. Jones was studying the security cameras on a laptop.
Suddenly, one of the guards rushed into the room.
"Sir!"
Mr. Jones stood up.
"What happened?"
"We found someone near the hotel."
"Who?"
"We don't know. He escaped before our men could catch him."
Mr. Jones's face became serious.
"Show me the footage."
The guard handed him a tablet.
Mr. Jones watched the recording.
A man walked through the hotel's parking area.
He stopped.
Looked directly at one of the cameras.
And smiled.
Mr. Jones froze.
He recognized him.
It was a man from his past.
A man he had believed was dead.
His wife noticed his expression.
"Who is that?"
Mr. Jones slowly lowered the tablet.
"Someone I never wanted to see again."
"Who?"
He looked toward Mira's room.
"The man who knows the truth about our daughter."
Mrs. Jones covered her mouth.
"No…"
Before Mr. Jones could say anything else, the lights suddenly went out.
The entire hotel fell into darkness.
Then came a loud sound from downstairs.
BANG!
Mira woke up screaming.
"Mommy!"
Her parents rushed toward her room.
"Mira!"
She jumped out of bed and ran into her mother's arms.
"What happened?"
Mr. Jones looked toward the hallway.
His security team was already moving.
Then another loud sound echoed through the hotel.
BANG!
Mrs. Jones held Mira tightly.
Mr. Jones looked at his wife.
"They're here."
Mira looked up at her father.
"Who is here?"
Her father didn't answer.
For the first time in her life, Mira saw genuine fear in her father's eyes.
And she knew something terrible was about to happen.
Outside the hotel, a group of men stepped out of several black vehicles.
Their leader looked up at the building.
"Find the girl."
He smiled coldly.
"Bring Mira Jones to me."
To be continued...