Chapter 87

Chapter 87
Lila’s POV

The file I was holding slipped out of my hands but I didn't care. I reached for the top shelf and grabbed the box with Garrett's name on it. I opened, almost flipped through it when my chest tightened the headline stamped bold across the page, Accident Report: Blackthorn Case.

My breath got stuck. Garrett’s name was right there, black ink, impossible to miss. I didn’t even think twice, I just opened it fast like I was scared it would vanish if I waited.

The words swam on the paper at first, I had to blink too many times to even get them steady. But when I did, I swear my stomach dropped so hard I felt sick.

It said… “Cause of death... Driving.”

“Driver’s name...” I froze.

The words were literally heavy in my mouth. I couldn't bring myself to freely say it even if I wanted to. It was hard, felt wrong.

“Garrett? But why?” I swallowed, covering my mouth.

The accident, the very one that took his parents. It wasn’t some random storm on the road, or drunk stranger, or bad luck like I always imagined in my head whenever I thought about what happened to him.

No. It said Garrett himself was behind the wheel. Reckless driving. Swerving. Lost of control.

I pressed my lips shut so tight I tasted blood. My hands shaking so bad the paper rattled loud.

And then worse.

Several tests were done, normal tests, blood work too, each one coming back with negative results. It showed heroin, cocaine. All of it in his system.

I nearly dropped the whole thing right there from shock. Why would Garrett have drugs in his blood. The same man who wakes me in the morning with soft kisses, who keeps his coffee too sweet, who sometimes forgets to smile but still cares in ways he doesn’t say.

Him?

I was pained, broken from what I was seeing. I wanted to scream no, no, this wasn’t right. But the pages didn’t lie. His name were there. His test taken, several times too for confirmation. His numbers.

And then, Dr. Richard.

His signature was on the file, all over it. His notes scribbled in that crooked doctor handwriting.

That's when I remembered seeing Garrett's record in the hospital before. His record was clean, cause of death wasn't by him, he didn't have drugs or anything in his system. So what was I seeing here?

Did Dr Richard try to cover it up with fake results? If so, why would he do that? Why would he go that far for Garrett?

Meaning the notes back then, the one I have, weren't just notes, they were lies. Because from what I can see, this was never reported. It was never taken to the cops.

I flipped through the pages aggressively, my eyes scanning and flashing across words with increasing speed. But still, after all my searching, I couldn't find traces of the police involvement.

“So Dr Richard covered it up for him? Why though? What was his gain? What did he plan—” my mind immediately went back to the bank records I found on Garrett's desk and then it all fell into place, like pieces of a large puzzle.

Extortion. Blackmailing.

I walked back and leaned against the wall, my limbs suddenly tired and heavy.

“He has had Garrett right in his palm this whole time...” I breathed out weakly.

And since then… since then he had Garrett under him. Pulling money. Threatening him when he wouldn't comply. A noose around his neck, slow and quiet. Pay or the truth comes out.

I felt the tears blur everything but I didn’t want to cry here. My hands wiped fast at my face even though no one was watching.

And all I could think about was how I’ve been treating him because of what I thought. The sharp words I threw at him when he shut me out. The way I accused him, doubted him, felt angry when he wouldn’t let me in.

And all this time, he was carrying this.

No wonder he was cold sometimes. No wonder he pulled back too often. He’s been living with the ghost of this accident, with his parents’ deaths tied to him, with blood tests and blackmail hanging over his head.

He wasn’t being distant, he was drowning.

And I… I had made it worse.

I pressed my hand against my mouth so the sob wouldn’t come out. I wanted to say sorry to him right that second, but I couldn’t.

Not yet at least. Not here.

I closed the file halfway, my heart still hammering. I couldn’t let anyone see this. Not Carmen, not anyone. Garrett’s secret… it wasn’t mine to throw into the open.

If this ever came out, his life would end. Everything he built, his name, his career, all of it would crash. Especially with his brother and Vivian clawing at him.

I stuffed the file under Mara’s, trying to make it look like I hadn’t even touched it, and sat there breathing so heavy it felt too loud in the empty room.

Just then, the door creaked.

“Lila?” Carmen’s voice jolted me.

I jumped, almost slamming the files too hard. I pushed them back quickly, keeping Garrett’s folder hidden under my arm just enough so it wouldn’t be seen.

She stepped inside, looking around. “You’ve been in here long. Did you find anything?”

I swallowed hard, forcing my face calm. My hand tightened on the papers. “Not… not much. Just little things. Richard’s name here and there, signing on useless medical records and documents, but nothing clear with Mara.”

Her eyes scanned the shelves. “Really? I thought there would be more.”

“Yeah, me too,” I said quickly, my throat still tight. “But maybe we need to check somewhere else.”

She looked disappointed, but she nodded. “Alright. We should leave before anyone notices.”

I stood, pretending like I was sliding the folder back into the shelf but I wasn't, I wanted to help hide this from the public, so I stuffed it inside my clothes.

I grabbed my bag and we left together, the sound of our shoes echoing in the empty hall. My mind raced as I recalled everything, carefully clutching the file under my dress.

I needed to get it t
o safety, to keep it out of the public. But above all of that, I needed to apologize to Garrett.