Chapter 85
Lila’s POV
“What is this about, Carmen?” I asked, steeling myself for whatever was coming.
Carmen didn't say anything. She remained silent for a moment, just her breathing on the other end of the line. I couldn't tell if she was waiting for me to try and back out or something. When she finally spoke, it was quiet, calm, like she was taking her time, picking every words one at a time.
“After our little talk that day, I got curious because you asked about Dr Richard, and I went to ask a few close friends from back then. Apparently, Dr Richard... is all calm and stuff, like he's holding a good reputation on the outside but seriously shady on the inside.”
I rolled my eyes before I could even stop myself. “Carmen, please,” I muttered, dragging my palm over my face. My head already felt heavy, like the weight of this conversation was pressing down on me. “I know, okay? I already know he’s shady. I think everyone does.”
“That’s not what I mean,” she said quickly, like she could sense me shutting down.
But I didn’t want to hear it. Not now. The last time I even brought up anything about Dr Richard around Garrett, he’d shut me down so hard my throat had closed up.
His face had gone all tight, like stone, and I’d felt stupid, like I was trespassing in some part of his life I wasn’t meant to see.
“I don’t… I don’t feel like talking about him, Carm,” I said, forcing my voice steady. “A lot happened when I brought it up with someone and the reaction I got was not satisfactory at all. So yeah, I'll appreciate it if you stopped.”
“Lila, listen to me—”
“No,” I cut in, shaking my head even though she couldn’t see me. My voice was sharper than I intended. “I said I don’t want to, Carmen. Please.”
There was a pause, a very long one. And then she spoke again, quieter but with something in her tone that made my stomach twist.
“This isn’t about....whoever you talked with, not this time,” she said. “It’s about Mara.”
My breath caught and I froze. “What? What do you mean?”
“I’ve been trying to piece things together, you know me,” she went on quickly, words spilling out now, her voice almost rushed. “I don’t have much, I’m limited, but what I found… back then, before all this, Mara had some kind of encounter with him. I can’t get the details, but I know it happened?”
My heart gave one hard thud against my ribs, painful almost.
“Mara.”
As I mentioned her name, her face flickered in my mind. That same face she had, the one with the smiled when she framed me, when she turned everyone’s eyes against me.
“Yes, Mara. They met up a long time ago, around the time you were still in acting school.” she added.
I walked to the bed and sat on the edge, slowly processing her words. Is she trying to say that Mara had a hand in not just framing me but several other things?
“Carmen, do you know if they met up recently?” I asked, worry flashing across my face. “Like any time between now and few months, maybe years back?”
“I can’t say, I told you I'm limited, remember?” she said again.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Something was wrong... No, something had always felt wrong. Right from the day I was approached with the acting deal, to when I met up with them, I knew it felt too good.
Garrett told me it was sketchy but I made him shut down his logic and just accept that I wanted to hug the spotlight again. But now that I'm seeing it, Mara might have done this again.
What if she paid them to recruit me? To give me the lead role knowing that I would take it? What if....
I paused, my hand instinctively going down to my tummy. What if Mara made them poison me?
And Dr Richard.... He's a doctor.
What if he told her about what to feed me, what subtle yet effective drug would slowly kill me if fed to me under the guise of acting?
I felt my eyes burn from unshed tears, my heart squeezed until I couldn't breathe. “You know what, Carmen?”
“Lila...”
“I’ll need your help in finding out something. But first, I need you to pick out a place for us to meet,”
Just then Garrett’s footsteps approached, heavy and loud.
“Carmen, wait—” I hissed into the phone, pressing it tighter to my ear.
The door swung open and there he was, Garrett, carrying a tray with my food. His eyes landed on me immediately, then flicked to the phone in my hand.
“Who are you talking to?” he asked, setting the tray down on the bed like nothing was wrong.
My heart almost stopped but I forced my hand out, turning the screen so he could see. “Carmen,” I said, quick but casual, or at least trying to sound that way. “We were just… catching up. She wants us to meet up soon.”
He glanced at the screen, then back at me, his expression blank for what felt like eternity.
“Alright.” he nodded, glancing at me.
Was that it? Just a simple nod, no frown, no interrogation?
He gripped the food tray, slid it toward me, and turned to leave the room again. “Just make sure you eat something, alright?” he said and then left.
I sat there frozen until I heard the sound of his footsteps fading down the hall. Only then did I let out a shaky breath I didn’t even know I was holding.
“Carmen,” I whispered into the phone.
“I’m here.”
“Fix it,” I said quickly, the words tumbling out. “A place for us to meet, a time, a date too. I’ll come.”
For a moment she was silent, then I heard the relief in her voice when she said, “Okay. I will.”