Chapter 69: Followed

The last of the children’s laughter faded as the sun sank behind the preschool fence, casting long shadows across the empty playground. Inside, the soft hum of the cleaning crew’s vacuum echoed faintly from the hallway. Giana gathered the final stack of lesson plans from her desk, slipping them into her bag before switching off the classroom lights.

It had been an ordinary day — until she noticed the car again.

A dark sedan sat across the street, engine off but unmistakably occupied. She could just make out the faint outline of someone behind the wheel. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen it. For the past three afternoons, it had been there when she locked up, parked in the same spot, angled the same way.

The first day, she’d told herself it was a coincidence. The second, she started to wonder. Now, on the third, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, making her flinch. She glanced at the screen — a text from one of her coworkers. Forgot my sweater, mind locking up?

“Yeah,” she whispered to herself. “Already on it.”

She stepped out into the cool evening air, the weight of her bag heavy against her shoulder. The parking lot was nearly empty — just her small sedan under the flickering streetlight. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she walked, each sound echoing louder than it should.

She forced herself not to look toward the street. Not yet.

When she finally did, her heart kicked hard in her chest. The dark car’s headlights flicked on.

Giana froze for half a second before fumbling with her keys and sliding into her own car. She locked the doors immediately, gripping the steering wheel with clammy hands. “It’s fine,” she muttered under her breath. “You’re overreacting. Just drive.”

She started the engine and pulled out of the lot, trying to keep her breathing even. In the rearview mirror, two headlights turned on and followed at a measured distance.

Every turn she made, they made.

By the time she reached the intersection near the coffee shop, her pulse was pounding. She took a random left, then another. The car stayed with her.

That’s when panic began to rise — cold and sharp.

Her fingers trembled as she grabbed her phone, hitting the only contact she could think of. It rang once, twice.

“Pablo,” she whispered, voice cracking.

He answered on the third ring. “Giana? Hey, I was just—”

“Someone’s following me.” The words tumbled out fast, her breath coming short. “I—I don’t know who. There’s a car behind me. It’s been there for days, I think, but I didn’t—”

“Where are you?” His voice changed instantly — all calmness gone, replaced by steel.

“Driving past Millbrook Avenue. The dark sedan’s still there. Every turn I make, they—oh God.”

“Okay, listen to me,” Pablo said, his tone low, controlled, the way it got when he was thinking fast. “Stay on the phone with me. Don’t go home. You hear me?”

“Where do I go?”

“Somewhere crowded. Somewhere with lights. Gas station, grocery store, anywhere public.”

Giana’s knuckles whitened around the steering wheel. “What if they follow me there?”

“I’ll find you before they do.”

“Pablo—”

“Giana, listen to me.” His voice was firm but grounding. “You’re doing great. Just keep driving. What street are you on now?”

She glanced at a passing sign. “East Ridge. Heading toward Pine Market.”

“Good. Pull into that parking lot. I’m ten minutes away.”

She nodded even though he couldn’t see her, blinking back tears as adrenaline surged through her veins. She turned into the brightly lit grocery store lot, pulling up near the entrance. Her heart leapt when she saw the dark sedan glide past — slow, deliberate — then turn in behind her.

“They’re here,” she whispered.

“Stay in the car. Lock the doors.”

“I already did.” Her voice shook. “Pablo, what if they try to—”

“They won’t,” he said. “I’m almost there.”

The sedan parked three rows back. Giana could see the silhouette of a man behind the wheel. He didn’t get out. Didn’t move. Just sat there. Watching.

Minutes felt like hours. She kept her eyes on the mirrors, her breath uneven. The sound of her own pulse filled the silence. Then — movement. The man opened his door.

“Pablo,” she said quickly, voice barely above a whisper. “He’s getting out.”

“Listen to me,” Pablo said, his voice sharp and commanding now. “Turn your engine back on and drive toward the exit. Don’t wait for me. Go.”

“I can’t just—”

“Giana, go!”

She threw the car into reverse, tires squealing as she backed out. The man froze for a moment in the headlights before stepping back. She swung the wheel and sped toward the main road, breath ragged, panic clawing at her chest.

“Keep me on the line,” Pablo said, his tone steady despite the sound of his own car starting in the background. “I can track you. Just keep talking to me.”

Her voice broke. “Why is this happening? Who is he?”

There was a pause — long enough for her to know Pablo already had an idea.

“Someone who shouldn’t have found you,” he said finally. “But I’m not letting them get close again.”

The weight of his words pressed against her fear, grounding her just enough to breathe. She kept driving, headlights slicing through the dark, the city stretching ahead like a maze.

And somewhere behind her, the sedan followed still — a shadow she couldn’t shake.