Chapter 210 What Was the Hidden Truth Behind the Car Accident Back Then
Lily was startled and glanced at Dennis beside her.
She asked cautiously, “What’s wrong?”
The sudden brake made her think something had happened.
“I zoned out just now,” Dennis said, staring at the car ahead, but his mind was completely blank.
Could it be that the Roberts family had found out?
Along the way, Dennis wished the road could be longer.
Because once Lily got to the hospital and asked Michael who was in the car during the accident, things between him and Lily would never be the same.
But the drive was smooth, without even a hint of traffic.
Lily looked at the hospital outside and said to Dennis, “If you’ve got something to do, you can go. I’ll just take a cab back later.”
“I’ll wait for you here,” Dennis replied, his gaze dark. He needed to wait for an answer.
An answer that belonged to him.
Lily nodded, turned, and got out of the car.
But Dennis called her back, “Lily.”
She turned around, seeing his hesitant expression, and walked back to the car. “What is it?”
Dennis’s hands were sweaty with nerves.
He pressed his thin lips together. “It’s nothing.”
“If you’ve got something to say, just say it. Don’t beat around the bush.”
“I mean, no matter what happens in the future, I’ll always be your strongest support.”
Lily smiled faintly. “I get it. If anything comes up, I’ll text you.”
After saying that, she turned and walked into the hospital. Dennis watched her go, his expression complicated.
He couldn’t help but light a cigarette, feeling like time should have never dragged on this painfully.
So, the day had finally come, hadn’t it?
Lily walked into Michael’s hospital room and saw Alvin trying to convince him to eat.
The moment Michael saw her, his face lit up with joy. “Lily, you’re here! Have you eaten? You should’ve told me earlier, and I could’ve had Alvin pick you up.”
“I just decided to come on a whim,” Lily said, her expression cold as she looked at Michael. “I want to know the truth about the car accident back then.”
Alvin interjected, “Ms. Roberts, could we wait until Mr. Roberts finished eating? His stomach…”
“No, I’m not hungry. Don’t make Lily wait,” Michael cut Alvin off, pushing the blanket aside to get out of bed.
Lily noticed the back of Michael’s hand, bruised and purple from the IV needle. She lowered her eyes. “You should eat first.”
Alvin looked pleased. “Mr. Roberts, see? Even Ms. Roberts is telling you to eat. Go ahead and eat first, okay?”
Michael hesitated for a moment but sat back on the bed and picked up his fork to eat.
As he ate, Michael wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “It’s been so long since our family ate together like this.”
He still remembered how Lily used to cook for their family gatherings.
She’d always take care of everyone’s different tastes.
But ever since Lily left, the Roberts family hadn’t had a single gathering. Even the villa in Empire City felt empty and deserted.
Lily didn’t say a word.
The room was dead silent.
Seeing Michael eat, Alvin happily said to Lily, “Mr. Roberts hasn’t been eating properly lately. Only you can convince him to eat.”
“Don’t flatter me. I can’t handle it,” Lily replied, sensitive to such comments now.
Alvin quickly apologized, “I didn’t mean it like that.”
After Michael finished eating, Alvin cleared the dishes and left the room.
Only then did Lily look at him and speak, “Can you tell me now?”
“Lily, the investigation into what happened back then is over. If you don’t remember, why burden yourself with knowing so much?”
That was why they hadn’t told her in the first place.
Lily frowned. “But I’m an adult now, not a kid. I have the right to know.”
“Fine. Did Peter tell you there was someone else in the car that caused the accident? From what we know, the person in that car was either rich or powerful, part of a big, influential family in Empire City.”
“So, you don’t know who it was?”
Michael shook his head. “No. That road was newly built, the cameras weren’t even working yet, and it was at night. So, the person in the car probably escaped under the cover of darkness.”
“But if someone was just a passenger, they wouldn’t have been driving, right?”
It should’ve been the driver who ran the red light.
Michael nodded. “That’s true, but the fact that they fled makes me suspicious that they were the ones driving. Why else would they run?”
Lily thought that made sense.
Why run for no reason unless they felt guilty?
Lily frowned. “But I can’t remember anything from that day. I don’t even know if the driver was the real culprit. Are you disappointed in me?”
It was her birthday, and her parents forgot to buy a cake.
She threw a tantrum, insisting on having one, so her parents took the newly built road to save time. That’s when the accident happened.
“Yes, we are disappointed in you,” David said as he pushed open the door and walked in, followed by Peter and Austin.
Michael’s expression changed. “David, what are you all doing here?”
“Good thing I came. Otherwise, how would I know Lily had the nerve to come ask about this?”
David stared coldly at Lily. “Peter let it slip, and now you think catching the culprit will make up for what you did? Will it bring Mom and Dad back?”
Lily’s eyes instantly turned red.
Michael stepped in front of Lily. “David, that’s too harsh. She was just a kid back then. How is it her fault?”
“Yeah, David, Lily might be a bit rebellious now, but with some guidance, she’ll come around,” Peter chimed in, trying to smooth things over. No matter what it took, they could teach her.
“I can’t teach her. She’s all grown up now, living on her own,” David said sarcastically.
Peter gave Lily a half-smile. “That’s not right of you. Back then, you made such a huge mistake, and we all hid it from you, carrying the pain ourselves. David even insisted on coming to Empire City to track down the culprit. But what did you do? You almost ruined David’s company!”
Lily forced back her tears.
She looked at Peter. “But I didn’t force them to do anything illegal. How is that my fault?”
“I know, this was Austin and Sophie’s mistake. Sophie already apologized, and now Austin will apologize too. We’re family. Can’t we work together to stand strong in Empire City and find the person responsible to avenge Mom and Dad?” Peter said.
“I’ll handle the revenge myself. As for the lawsuit, that’s not up to me.”
Lily knew exactly why Peter was saying all this.
She wasn’t going to fall for it.
Peter sighed and turned to Austin. “I’m telling you, how could you believe Sophie’s terrible idea? You deserve to take the blame.”
Austin stayed silent.
But David wasn’t happy. “Peter, what’s that supposed to mean? Sophie is still young, and her father died trying to save Mom and Dad. We can’t let her go to jail, can we?”
“David, we’ve done enough for Sophie over the years. Don’t forget Lily is our sister. Sophie’s been pulling these sneaky tricks. She needs to learn a lesson,” Peter said. He’d only realized what kind of person Sophie was after seeing the video.
If Sophie hadn’t saved his life once, he would’ve kicked her out of the Roberts family long ago.
David frowned. “No way. It’s already decided that Austin will take the fall for everything.”
Peter turned to Austin. “Say something, will you? You’ve only got a few days before the bail hearing. If you don’t speak up now, it’ll be too late.”
Finally, Austin looked up at Lily with difficulty.
After everything that had happened, he’d lost it all and realized just how wrong he’d been.
Lily didn’t even glance at Austin. She walked straight to the door of the room.
David spoke up, “Actually, I’ve found a lead on the person who fled.”
“Who is it?” Lily’s heart sank as she turned back to look at him.
David made a demand. “If you want to know the lead, fine. But Austin can’t go to jail. It’s your choice.”