FINDING YOU , LOVING ME

THE BLUE BOX

CHAPTER 9

The Blue Box

Mia's POV

I couldn't move.

The black car was still parked across the street.

The windows were dark, making it impossible to see who was inside.

But somehow, I knew.

Adrian.

"Mia."

Mom's voice pulled me back.

"Close the curtains."

I quickly did as she said.

Then I turned toward her.

"Mom, what's happening?"

She looked at the blue box in my hands.

"Put it somewhere safe."

"Where?"

"Not here."

"Why?"

"Because if Adrian is watching the house, he'll eventually realize you have it."

My heart pounded.

"What's inside?"

Mom hesitated.

"Something your father found."

"What?"

"Evidence."

I stared at her.

"Evidence against Adrian?"

She nodded.

"Your father discovered that Adrian had been using the bookstore property for something he shouldn't have been doing."

"What was he doing?"

"I don't know all the details."

"Mom, please."

She sat down.

"Your father discovered documents that proved Adrian had been hiding financial transactions and using other people's names."

I looked at the box.

"So that's what's inside?"

"Possibly."

"Possibly?"

"We never opened it."

I frowned.

"Then how do you know?"

"Because your father told me."

"Why didn't he destroy it?"

"Because he wanted the truth to come out someday."

I looked at her.

"Then why wait until I'm eighteen?"

Mom's eyes became sad.

"Because your father believed you would be old enough to decide what to do with it."

I swallowed.

"What happened to Dad?"

She looked away.

"That's another story."

I knew from her expression that she didn't want to continue.

But I wasn't ready to let it go.

"Mom."

She shook her head.

"Not tonight."

---

The next morning, I went straight to school.

Ethan was waiting near the library.

The moment he saw my face, he knew something was wrong.

"What happened?"

I looked around before answering.

"I found something."

"What?"

I pulled the blue box from my bag.

His eyes widened.

"Where did you get that?"

"My mom's room."

He looked at the writing on the bottom.

"For Mia. 18."

"When did you turn eighteen?"

I stared at him.

"I haven't."

He looked confused.

"Then why does it say that?"

"I don't know."

We sat on a bench outside the library.

I told him everything Mom had said.

He listened quietly.

When I finished, he looked at the box.

"My father talked about something similar."

"What?"

"He said there was evidence that could expose Adrian."

"Do you know where it came from?"

He shook his head.

"No."

"Maybe it's in here."

"Maybe."

I tried opening the box.

Nothing.

There was no key.

I turned it around several times.

Then Ethan noticed something.

"Wait."

He pointed at the side.

There was a tiny symbol carved into the wood.

A small star.

"I've seen that before," he said.

"Where?"

He thought for a moment.

"Your notebook."

I immediately opened my notebook.

On one of the first pages was the same symbol.

I stared at it.

"I drew that when I was little."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't remember."

Ethan looked at me.

"Maybe you weren't the one who drew it."

I froze.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe someone showed it to you."

I slowly turned the pages.

The symbol appeared several times.

On old drawings.

On random lists.

Even beside a sentence I had written years ago.

"Don't forget."

My hands went cold.

"Why would I write that?"

Ethan didn't answer.

---

After school, we returned to The Book Nook.

Mrs. Clara was behind the counter.

I showed her the blue box.

The moment she saw it, she went completely silent.

"You have it."

"You know what it is?"

She nodded slowly.

"Your father gave it to me years ago."

I stared at her.

"What?"

"He told me to keep it hidden."

"Why didn't you tell my mother?"

"Because your father asked me not to."

"What's inside?"

She looked at Ethan.

Then back at me.

"You'll need the key."

"What key?"

She reached beneath the counter and pulled out a small envelope.

She handed it to me.

Inside was a tiny silver key.

My heart raced.

"Why are you giving this to me now?"

"Because your father said that if you ever came looking for the truth, I should give it to you."

I stared at the key.

Then at Ethan.

He nodded.

"Open it."

I inserted the key.

Click.

The box opened.

Inside was a stack of old documents.

A photograph.

And a folded letter.

I picked up the photograph first.

It showed my father standing beside Ethan's father.

Behind them was Adrian.

But that wasn't what shocked me.

There was another person in the photograph.

Someone I didn't recognize.

A woman.

On the back were four words:

"She knows everything."

"Who is she?" I asked.

Mrs. Clara looked at the photograph.

Her face suddenly became pale.

"I thought she was gone."

"Who?"

She slowly pointed to the woman.

"Adrian's sister."

Ethan frowned.

"Why would she know everything?"

Mrs. Clara didn't answer.

Instead, she looked toward the bookstore entrance.

A bell rang.

Someone had just walked inside.

We all turned.

A woman stood near the doorway.

She looked directly at me.

Then at the blue box.

Her expression changed.

She whispered something that made my heart stop.

"Mia?"

I had never seen her before.

But she knew my name.

And before she walked away, she said:

"Your father told me you'd come looking for me."