MIRABELLA

Chapter 3

As the car drove through the streets, mirabella's mind raced with questions, lot of questions. Who was the detective working with?? What did they want from her?? She glanced at the detective, but his expression remained netural, giving away nothing.

Mirabella decided to play cool, gathering information without arousing suspicion. She asked the detective about the safe house again, trying to sound concerned about her safety. He provided vague answers, but she noticed he avoided specific details.

The car eventually stopped in front of a shabby building. Mirabella's heart skipped, balls of sweat dripping from her face. The detective led her inside. The building seemed abandoned, with peeling paint and broken windows.

" Is this the safe house??? mirabella asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

The detective smiled, his eyes glinting with something sinister. " Yes, it's perfectly safe. You will be protected here. Your parents enemies won't have an idea that you are here.

Mirabella's heart sank. She knew she had to escape, and fast. She pretended to cooperate, taking in her surroundings. The building was dimly lit, with narrow corridors and multiple exits.

"Here" The detective said stretching his phone to Mirabella. " Use my phone as a flashlight towards this door. I need to unlock it." She nodded and collected the phone.

As the detective was keen on opening the door, mirabella spotted an opportunity. She waited until he opened the door, then made a run for it. sprinting down the corridor, her footsteps echoing off the walls.

"s**t!! s**t!! Detective Leo cursed loudly, chasing after her. Mirabel didn't dare look back, fearing what she might see. She ran as fast as she could.

She finally reached the exit and burst through the door, emerging into the night air, gasping for breath.

"Mom, Dad" she called out weakly with tears rushing down her eyesas she collapsed on the grass. " it appears that the detective you trusted, is not who he seems to be. Heaving a long sigh, she sat down looking around taking in her surroundings. She didn't know where she was or where she was going, but she knew she had to keep moving.

As she ran, mirabella pulled out the detective's phone from her pocket. She powered it on, hoping to find some clues. The

phone was locked, but mira managed to access the call logs. She saw a number that kept popping up, with calls made to and from the detective's phone.

Mira memorized the number, wondering who it belonged to. She knew she had to get rid of the phone, in case the detective was tracking it. Mira dropped the phone into a nearby trash can, hoping to cover her tracks.

With the phone gone, mira continued running. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she had to get away from the detective.

Detective leo paced around the woods after searching endlessly for her. His eyes red with anger. "That b***h" He sneered when he realized she got away with his phone. He walked for a while and got to the trash can mira had disposed his phone with the aid of a tracker.

He heaved a sign of relief "Thank goodness"

Mirabella ran through the streets, her heart pounding in her chest. After a few blocks, she ducked into a small cafe, hoping to blend in.

She ordered a coffee and sat down at a table by the window, trying to catch her breath. She watched the people outside, wondering if anyone was looking for her. Sipping her coffee, she noticed a payphone on the wall.

She got up and approached the payphone, deciding to call the number she had seen on the detective's phone. Mira inserted coins and dialed the number, her heart racing with fear and anticipation.

A smooth yet deep voice answered on the first ring. "Hello".

Mirabella hesitated, unsure of what to say.

"I...I found this number on a phone," she said finally. " I think it might be important."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Who is this??" The voice asked, its tone changing from smooth to sharp.

Mira realized that she had made a mistake. She didn't know who she was dealing with, and she had just given away her location. "I....I'm sorry," she stammered. "I'll hang up"

"No, don't hang up," the voice said, it's tone urgent. " Tell me who you are and where you are. I can help you."

" I'm mirabella Martinez," she responded." my parents were murdered, and I'm in danger."

The voice on the other end of the line went silent for a moment. " Mirabella Martinez," it repeated. " I know about your parents. Meet me now at the old clock tower on 5th and main. "Come alone".

The line went dead, leaving mirabella wondering what she had gotten herself into. She looked around the cafe feeling a sense of uneasy.

Miller Harrison burst into a long wicked laughter after his right hand man ended the call. " well, look at that. I so much love the game of catch the trail. Call that detective and let him know his prey is on her way to him. He commanded. "Just like an animal, walking into the den of a hungry lion." He muttered grinning widely as he took a sip from his alcohol.

Mirabella made her way to the old clock tower, her senses on high alert. She approached the building cautiously, scanning the surrounding area for any sign of danger.

"Hello, is anyone there"? She called out. The only response was the echo of her voice off the walls.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming from the shadows. Her heartbeat increased, turning to run she bumped into the detective emerging from the darkness, a smug expression on his face.

"Well, well,well," he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. " look what we have here. You're quite the little troublemaker, aren't you, mira?

Mirabella collapsed in frustration. " Why are you doing this?"

Leo smirked "let's just say I am a ambitious person."

Mirabella's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape route. But the detective seemed to have anticipated her every move. He was blocking her path, and mirabella knew she was trapped.

"Its no use Mira. He said bringing out his pistol and laughing hysterically. Look, I've really had a stressful day. Let's quickly get this over with. See it as a chance to reunite with your parents.

The detective took a step closer, his eyes glinting maliciously. "You shouldn't have called that number Mira.

Mira took a step backwards, her heart pounding in her chest as the detective moved towards her.