Chapter 81

Chapter 81
Lila’s POV

“Stay out of it.” Garrett warned coldly, his gaze sharp.

My hands trembled by my side as his words came through. “Me?“ I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

My heart broke in that moment, because instead of pulling me closer, instead of trusting me with something of his, a shared problem or challenge, he was pushing me away. Again.

And for the first time in a while, I was scared. Not of what Garrett had done, but of how far he would go to keep it hidden, to push me away.

I don’t know how long I just sat there staring at the wall after Garrett finally drifted off. His breathing was deep, steady, and for a second I envied him.

He could shut it all out, push it to the back of his mind, but me? My thoughts clawed at me until I couldn’t breathe right. I had to know the truth.

The photos… those stupid photos burned in my head and each time I tried to shake them off, the come back clearer. I could barely focus when I finally cleared my head, I'd always see Vivian with that smug smile, and her taunts. But now there's a faint mention of a doctor added to all of this. I had barely caught the name but now I'm finding myself repeating it over and over, like if I said it enough times it would make sense.

Dr. Richard.

The first thing I did was grab my phone. I knew it was risky, Garrett had made it clear he didn’t want me sticking my nose too deep, but he didn’t know what it was like, living in this constant fog of not knowing.

I opened a private browser and started digging. His name wasn’t common, but it wasn’t rare either. There were Richards in every corner of the internet, but I narrowed it down to one.

Doctor Elias Richard.

A practicing surgeon, working out of a private hospital on the east side. I think I must have been there a few times, but I it's not too clear right now.

My chest tightened the more I found out. My fingers hovered over the screen as I read, trembling slightly. It should have been coincidence, Garrett meeting with someone like him, maybe. But my gut told me it wasn’t.

I pulled up more records. Reviews from patients, public appearances, even some old photos of him shaking hands with investors. He looked clean, professional, polished like a normal man. The type you would trust without hesitation. But I had seen enough masks to know that what someone showed to the world was rarely the truth.

The deeper I went, the more I uncovered. I didn't have the hacking skills of a professional, but I was gold at researching deep enough to uncover hidden truths.

Like a malpractice case buried under confidentiality. An unexplained resignation from a prestigious hospital years back. And then there were financial ties, money funneled through obscure channels, linked to names I hadn't heard whispered before.

I saved every screenshot I could, every small detail into a hidden folder. My hands shook so bad I almost dropped the phone when I heard a floorboard creak. My head snapped up, but the room was empty.

Garrett had warned me to stay away from this. But he was gone now, probably dressing up in the other room and getting ready to head out or something.

I had to be smart. If I continued like this, I know I’ll definitely leave clues that I tampered with his workspace.

I was about clearing out and putting everything back in place when I suddenly remembered the hospital records.

If I could get my hands on the files from that day, the one containing Garrett's parents, it might clear out a suspicion.

I gathered my things, my phone in hand, slid out of the chair and shortly after, I was out of the room. I hurried back to mine when I perceived the faint smell of his perfume filling the air.

I closed the door to my room as quietly as I could, my heart still racing like I had done something criminal. My hands were sweaty, the phone nearly slipping out of them, and I just sat there on the bed staring at the black screen.

Dr. Richard.

The name wouldn’t leave my head. It felt like it was carved into the back of my mind now, whispering, mocking me almost.

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, and muttered, “You need more. This… this isn’t enough.”

My contacts list felt foreign as I scrolled through, looking for a name I hadn’t said out loud in years. I stopped when I saw it. Carmen.

We used to be close back in acting school. She knew people, remembered things I didn’t. And if there was one person who’d know about someone like Dr. Richard, it was her. My thumb hovered before I finally pressed call.

It rang twice before she picked up, her voice tired but still sharp. “Lila? Wow. Been a while.”

“Yeah… hey, Carmen. Sorry for calling out of the blue.” My voice shook but I pushed on. “I—I need to ask you something. About a doctor. Dr. Richard.”

There was a pause and it was long. This make my stomach dropped.

“You mean Elias?” Carmen finally asked, her tone cautious, like the name itself was dangerous.

“Yes. Him. Did you—do you know anything about him?”

She sighed, and I could almost picture her shaking her head on the other end. “Not much. But I remember he had… issues. Back when we were in school, some whispers went around. About him drinking too much, maybe even more than that. Drugs, possibly. Cocaine, heroin—I don’t know if it was true, but he got in trouble once. Almost lost his license. Somehow he swept it under the rug.”

My grip on the phone tightened. My pulse hammered in my ears.

“He’s careful,” Carmen continued softly. “Always had connections to cover his mess.”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to sound casual. “Thanks, Carmen. I… I just needed to hear something. I’ll call you later.”

“Lila, be careful,” she said again. “If you're somehow connected to him.... Find a way out.” I hung up shortly after.