Lila Opens Her Eyes
Chapter 13 - Lila Opens Her Eyes
Lila was transferred to the county hospital under independent care.
The first twenty-four hours were slow. She slept, woke confused, and asked for Noah every time. Jax stayed in the chair beside her, leaving only to call Sarah or drink coffee from a machine that made everything taste burned.
On the second morning, Lila was strong enough to speak clearly.
She told them Daniel had begun taking money from Noah’s trust five years earlier. The trust had been created by Lila’s father and was meant for Noah’s education and medical care.
When Lila confronted him, Daniel said the money was financing investments that would eventually benefit the family.
When she threatened to report him, he reminded her that he was Noah’s legal father and could portray her as unstable.
“He started recording me during arguments,” Lila said. “Only after he pushed me until I shouted. He collected my worst moments and erased everything that came before them.”
Sarah nodded. “A manufactured pattern.”
“I began recording him too.”
“Where is the complete admission about the paternity documents?”
Lila closed her eyes. “In Noah’s toy compass. I hid a memory card inside it.”
Jax remembered the pristine shelves in Noah’s bedroom.
There had been a brass compass beside an unopened model airplane.
Daniel still had it.
Lila reached for Jax’s hand.
“I am sorry.”
“For what?”
“For not telling you sooner. For choosing Daniel because he looked safe. For letting Noah believe you did not want him.”
Jax turned her hand over carefully.
“You did tell me. Mae kept the letter.”
Lila’s eyes moved toward Mae, who stood near the window.
Mae began to cry. “I thought I was waiting for the right time.”
“There was no right time,” Lila said. “There was only the truth.”
Mae nodded, accepting the wound she had caused.
Jax looked back at Lila. “I was not ready then.”
“No.”
“But I should have been.”
Lila studied him. “Noah does not need guilt. He needs a father who stays.”
“I’m staying.”
Sarah’s phone rang.
She listened, then ended the call with a grim expression.
Daniel had requested an immediate hearing.
He was claiming Lila’s release proved Jax and Officer Ruiz had conspired to remove a mentally ill patient from treatment.
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The judge had moved the custody case to the next morning.
They had less than eighteen hours to recover the compass.
