Mira remained frozen behind her bedroom door.
Her father's words kept repeating in her mind.
"Mira must never know who she really is."
Who she really was?
What did that mean?
Mira slowly walked back to her bed and sat down.
For the first time, the mansion that had always felt like home suddenly felt different.
She looked around her room.
Her expensive toys.
Her beautiful dresses.
The family pictures on the wall.
Everything suddenly felt like a puzzle.
"Who am I?" she whispered.
She wanted to go downstairs and ask her parents, but fear stopped her.
What if they refused to tell her?
What if they became angry?
Or worse...
What if the truth was something terrible?
Mira eventually fell asleep, but her sleep was filled with strange dreams.
She saw a dark forest.
She was running.
Someone was chasing her.
Then she heard a voice calling her name.
"Mira!"
She turned around.
Before she could see who was calling her, she woke up.
Her heart was pounding.
Sunlight was already entering through the curtains.
Today was the day.
They were leaving for their Christmas vacation.
Mira quickly got out of bed and began getting ready.
She was determined to enjoy herself.
Whatever secret her parents were hiding, she would find out eventually.
---
Downstairs, several suitcases were already waiting near the entrance.
The servants were moving around, carrying luggage into the cars.
Mira came downstairs wearing a beautiful red dress.
"Mommy!"
Mrs. Jones turned around and smiled.
"My princess."
"Are we ready?"
"Almost."
Mira ran toward her father.
"Daddy, I'm so excited!"
Mr. Jones smiled and hugged her.
"I know."
Their driver opened the car door.
Mira climbed inside while her parents followed.
Three heavily armed bodyguards entered the other vehicles.
Mira frowned when she noticed them.
"Daddy, why do we need so many bodyguards?"
Her father smiled.
"Because you're important."
She laughed.
"I'm always important."
"Yes, you are."
The cars slowly left the mansion.
Mira pressed her face against the window.
For once, she was seeing the city without the thick walls of the mansion separating her from it.
People walked along the streets.
Children played.
Cars moved everywhere.
Small shops stood beside large buildings.
Mira smiled.
"It looks so beautiful."
Her mother looked at her through the mirror.
"Yes, it does."
But her mother's eyes were filled with fear.
She knew something Mira didn't.
They were not simply going on vacation.
They were leaving because staying at the mansion was no longer safe.
---
After driving for several hours, the convoy stopped at a small restaurant.
Mira looked surprised.
"Are we stopping here?"
"Yes," her father answered.
"I want ice cream!"
Her father laughed.
"Go with your nanny."
Mira happily climbed out of the car.
Her nanny followed closely behind.
One of the bodyguards remained nearby.
Mira entered the restaurant and immediately began looking at the different flavors of ice cream.
She was smiling when suddenly—
A man across the street stopped walking.
His eyes locked onto her.
He stared at Mira for several seconds.
Then he quickly pulled out his phone.
"She's here," he whispered.
A voice answered.
"Are you sure?"
The man kept his eyes on Mira.
"I'm certain."
"Don't approach her."
"Then what should I do?"
"Follow them."
The man ended the call.
Inside the restaurant, Mira suddenly felt a strange chill.
She turned around.
"What's wrong, princess?" her nanny asked.
Mira looked through the window.
The man was gone.
"I thought someone was watching me."
Her nanny's expression changed.
"Let's go back to the car."
"But I haven't finished my ice cream."
"Now, Mira."
Something in her nanny's voice made Mira stop arguing.
They hurried outside.
Her father was already waiting.
"What happened?"
The nanny looked nervous.
"I think someone was watching Mira."
Mr. Jones immediately looked around.
His expression changed.
"Everyone, get in the cars."
Mira climbed inside.
"What happened, Daddy?"
"Nothing, princess."
But his voice didn't sound calm.
The cars started moving again.
Mr. Jones looked through the rear window.
A black car was following them.
His heart sank.
He immediately picked up his phone.
"Change the route," he ordered the driver.
Then he called one of his security men.
"Someone knows we're here."
There was silence on the phone.
"Who?"
Mr. Jones looked at his daughter.
"I don't know."
His hand tightened around the phone.
"But they found us."
And somewhere behind them, the black car continued following.
Mira had no idea that her family's secret had finally caught up with them.
And this time...
They were coming for her.