Chapter 76

Chapter 76
Garrett’s POV

It had been days since I first started piecing things together, running through files, emails, phone logs, everything I could get my hands on.

Normally, my investigations took weeks, sometimes months. But this time… this time felt different. It was like every lead was falling into place faster than I expected.

And yet, the faster things came together, the more uneasy I felt. The kind of unease that sits at the back of your mind, whispering, something isn’t right, Garrett.

I sat at my desk, papers scattered everywhere, laptop open, my coffee long gone cold. My fingers hovered over the keyboard as I ran through the latest report from my contact.

I know I asked for proof and further investigation into Lila's life, those who might be pulling the strings, but this.... This was something completely off.

I rubbed my face. “No… this can’t be right. Tristan? He’s my blood. He… he wouldn’t…” My voice trailed off, the sentence dying in the dark corners of the office.

I wanted to believe it was a mistake. I wanted to believe someone had hacked the system, planted fake evidence, I wanted to believe anything else but this. But the files weren't lying.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling, trying to process it. The files my contacts had fetched me, the specific ones I had to request to pinpoint certain things, all of the were pointing to one thing, one name. Tristan… My own brother…

I wanted to know the truth, to know if he was working against me? Destroying my business, manipulating deals, sabotaging every step I took? I felt my chest tighten.

Part of me wanted to call him immediately, yell at him, demand answers. But another part, the rational part, the part that had kept me alive and successful this long, told me to wait, to gather more proof before I did anything.

I grabbed my phone and dialed my contact again. “I need everything, everything you got. Double check every transaction, every email, every call. I don’t care how long it takes. If Tristan’s fingerprints are on these, then I want Tristan’s fingerprints, or I swear…” My voice broke slightly, but I caught it before it went too far.

On the other end, a calm voice replied, “Garrett… you sure you want to dig this deep? I mean, if it’s him…”

“I don’t care who it is. I want the truth, that’s all.” I cut the call short, squeezing hard on my phone to vent out my anger. This was infuriating every fibre of my being, and I couldn't handle it, I couldn’t. Not now.

I pushed back from the desk and ran my hands through my hair, pacing the room. The office felt smaller, like it would suffocate me any time soon.

The weight of betrayal that was pressing down on me was too much at the moment. I tried to remember the last time I’d spoken to Tristan, tried to find any clue, any sign, that he might have been plotting against me.

But all I found were memories of him smiling, maybe pretending to be supportive, shaking my hand like nothing was wrong. It made my stomach turn.

I didn't want to consider the possibility, I certainly didn't want to have that thought, the thought that he could play me for this long and I wouldn't know. But I couldn’t let anger cloud my judgment. I needed evidence, undeniable proof. That’s why I kept asking my contact to dive deeper, to find the specific truth, the one thing that would make Tristan’s guilt undeniable.

Days passed by in a blur and each time results came out, it just kept confirming what I already knew. My brother was betraying me behind my back and no one knew about it. No one trustworthy.

I soon lost track. I barely slept most days, barely ate. I existed in a fog of documents, screenshots, recordings. And then… I started seeing the patterns as the papers piled up.

It was the small things first; a contract suddenly disappearing, an unexplained withdrawal from an account only a select few knew off, a deal falling apart for no apparent reason. Each of these things alone could have been coincidence. But together… they painted a picture.

I leaned over my desk again, squinting at the spreadsheets. “It’s all here… all of it…” My hands trembled as I scrolled through emails, messages, bank transfers. My eyes caught something, a message Tristan had sent to an associate, a few months back.

It looked vague, coded too, but the intent was clear. “Shares will dip. Pull out now.” I read it and my stomach churned, bile rising in my throat.

There was a certain time the shares in the company took an unexplainable drop, suddenly going from having high value rate to almost completely crashing. It wasn’t for long but it was quickly resolved. Was he responsible for that too? Was this my own brother, my own blood plotting against me?

I slammed my fist onto the desk. “How… why would you do this?” I whispered, almost to myself. I imagined him smiling at my confusion, pretending to care, all while plotting my downfall. And this made my blood boil.

Just then, the door to my office opened and she walked in.

“Garrett,” she called, her voice so soft like she was just waking up. “Is everything okay?” she asked, still by the door.

“Lila," I got up and immediately walked over to her. “I’m sorry. Did I wake you up? Was I being too loud?”

“No,”

“I’m sorry I woke you up,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I was just… caught up with work. That’s all. I didn’t mean to make noise.”

Her eyes lingered on me for a moment, the kind of stare that digs past whatever mask you try to put on. She stepped closer, tilting her head as if she was reading something written all over my face.

But before I could say more, she wrapped her arms around me, pressing herself against my chest. “You don’t have to handle it alone,” she whispered, her cheek brushing against me. “Whatever this is, we’ll tackle it together. You hear me? Together.”

My arms hung there for a second, stiff, like I wasn’t sure what to do. But then something in me gave way, the wall I’d been holding up cracked just a little, and I hugged her back, burying my face in her hair.