FINDING YOU , LOVING ME

THE MAN IN THE CAR

CHAPTER 8

The Man in the Car

Mia's POV

"Someone your father told you never to trust?"

I repeated Ethan's words.

He nodded.

"His name is Adrian."

"Who is he?"

Ethan looked toward the school gate.

"I don't know everything. But my father knew him before I was born."

"Was he involved in what happened in 2012?"

"I think so."

I stared at him.

"You think?"

"My father never talked about him. Whenever I asked, he'd change the subject."

I wanted to ask more, but Ethan suddenly looked toward the road.

The black car was gone.

"Come on," he said.

"Where?"

"The library."

---

We spent lunch searching through old newspapers and school archives.

After nearly an hour, Ethan finally found something.

"Here."

He turned the laptop toward me.

It was an old newspaper article.

The headline read:

LOCAL BUSINESSMAN INVOLVED IN BOOKSTORE DISPUTE

Below it was a photograph.

The man in the photograph was older, but I recognized him immediately.

Adrian.

I read the article carefully.

It mentioned a disagreement between several business owners involving the bookstore.

But the article didn't explain what caused the argument.

"Why would Adrian care about the bookstore?" I asked.

Ethan shook his head.

"I don't know."

Then he noticed something.

"Look at the date."

September 6, 2012.

The day after we met.

My stomach tightened.

"So he was here."

"Apparently."

We continued reading.

The article mentioned that Adrian had been negotiating to purchase several properties in the area.

One of those properties was—

The Book Nook.

I looked at Ethan.

"Your family knew he wanted the bookstore?"

"Maybe."

"And our families tried to stop him?"

"Maybe."

We had too many questions and not enough answers.

---

After school, we went back to The Book Nook.

The owner, Mrs. Clara, was arranging books near the counter.

When she saw us, she smiled.

"You two again."

I smiled back.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

I showed her the photograph of Adrian.

Her smile disappeared.

"Where did you get that?"

"An old newspaper."

She stared at the photograph for several seconds.

"I haven't seen that man in years."

"You know him?"

She nodded.

"He wanted this bookstore."

Ethan stepped closer.

"Why?"

"Because the property was valuable."

"But why did our parents get involved?"

Mrs. Clara looked at both of us.

"Because they refused to let him take it."

I swallowed.

"What happened?"

She sighed.

"Your parents tried to protect the bookstore. But Adrian wasn't happy about it."

"Did he threaten them?"

She paused.

"Not directly."

That answer didn't make me feel better.

"Then what happened?"

Mrs. Clara looked toward the back hallway.

"Your parents had evidence."

"Evidence of what?"

"I don't know."

She lowered her voice.

"But whatever it was, Adrian wanted it."

Ethan exchanged a look with me.

"What kind of evidence?"

Mrs. Clara shook her head.

"Your parents hid it."

"Where?"

She smiled sadly.

"That's something they never told me."

---

That night, I couldn't stop thinking about the conversation.

I opened my notebook and wrote everything we knew.

2012.

Our parents.

The bookstore.

Adrian.

The missing evidence.

Then I noticed something.

The date.

September 5, 2012.

I stared at it.

That was the day Ethan and I met.

But why?

I suddenly remembered something from my childhood.

A small box.

A blue box.

I had seen it before.

Where?

I closed my eyes.

Then I remembered.

My mother's old bedroom.

There was a wooden cabinet she rarely opened.

I stood up.

I quietly walked toward her room.

The cabinet was still there.

I opened the bottom drawer.

Nothing.

The second drawer.

Nothing.

Then I saw a small blue box hidden underneath some old clothes.

My heart raced.

I picked it up.

There was a tiny lock on the front.

I turned it over.

A piece of paper was attached to the bottom.

Three words were written on it:

"For Mia. 18."

I froze.

Why would someone leave me something to open when I turned eighteen?

And who had hidden it?

Before I could think further, I heard footsteps behind me.

I turned around.

Mom was standing in the doorway.

Her face went pale when she saw the box.

"Mia..."

I held it tightly.

"What is this?"

She didn't answer.

"Mom, what is inside?"

She walked toward me slowly.

"Put it back."

"No."

"Mia."

"I deserve to know."

Her eyes filled with worry.

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me!"

She looked at the box.

Then at me.

Finally, she whispered:

"That box is the reason your father and I lost everything."

I froze.

"What?"

Mom looked away.

"And if Adrian knows you have it..."

She stopped.

I waited.

"What?"

Her voice trembled.

"He'll come looking for you."

The room suddenly felt silent.

I looked down at the blue box.

For the first time, I realized that the secret inside it might be bigger than anything Ethan and I had imagined.

And somewhere outside the house—

a car engine started.

I looked toward the window.

A black car was parked across the street.

Adrian was watching.