too late for a second chance novel (Lila and Dorian)

The staff member gave Lila a quick once-over before his expression shifted to a more serious one. "Which case are you referring to?"

Lila answered, "The car accident involving Henry Hart and his wife 12 years ago."

He seemed to recognize the case but didn't say much after some thought. "You should talk to Officer Rob. He was in charge of the investigation and would know more."

Lila felt confused but accepted the address he had written down. "Officer, do you remember anything else about this case?"

"When the accident happened, I had just started here. From what I remember, it caused quite a stir at the time. But I wasn't involved in the investigation, so I don't know the details."

He paused, his expression softening as he looked at Lila. "I didn't expect you to have grown up so much. How have you been all these years?"

Lila hadn't expected him to remember her. A wave of emotion hit her, and she nodded silently, and they left it at that.

...

After leaving the police station, Lila made her way to Rob's home.

Her parents' car accident had been ruled an accidental death, but how could something like that have caused such a stir?

When she arrived at Rob's house, he happened to be home. After she explained her reason for visiting, he was initially surprised, but soon his gaze softened.

He asked his family to step out for a while, leaving just him and Lila in the living

room.

"The initial investigation pointed to it being an accident," Rob began as he recalled the case. "The brakes failed, causing the car to go off the mountain road, ultimately leading to fatalities."

He continued, "After the crash, gasoline leaked, causing an explosion, which made it impossible to determine if the brakes had been tampered with."

Lila frowned. "So, what was the conclusion?"

Rob's brows furrowed deeply, still troubled by the case. "I revisited the investigation several times afterward. Everything checked out-there were no signs of third-party involvement.

"But no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't find your father's phone."

Lila's expression stiffened. "I remember clearly that my father received a call that

day just before he took my mother out. His phone wasn't left at home."

"And that's the key mystery. Shortly after the accident, there was news about Morgan Group's core technology being leaked."

Lila fell silent at his words.

The coincidence was too striking to ignore.

The living room fell into a heavy silence, and after a long pause, Rob spoke again. "Kid, as a police officer, I should never let the truth stay buried. But for you, it might be different."

Lila looked up at him. Despite being under 60, his hair was almost entirely white.noveldrama

He spoke slowly as if each word was carefully chosen, like a clock ticking.

"I know you were taken in by someone after. From the looks of it, you've been doing well. If that's the case, there's no need to look back.

"Sometimes, knowing the truth isn't a blessing."

Lila didn't know how to respond. If the Morgan family had something to do with her parents' deaths, what was she supposed to do with that information?

But what if her parents had indeed died unjustly?

She didn't catch most of Rob's comforting words after that. She simply nodded absent-mindedly before leaving in silence.

She was already sitting in her car when she regained her focus.

Just then, Kieran's call came through.

She hesitated briefly before answering, "Uncle Kieran, are you home yet? I'll be back in about 20 minutes."

He responded with a simple, "Alright."

Lila took a deep breath, focused on driving, and returned to Evergreen Heights.

By the time she arrived, she had composed herself. Until the truth came to light, everything was just speculation.

Over the years, whether the Morgan family's care for her had been genuine, no one understood it better than she did.

When she entered the house, she

saw Kieran sitting in the living room,

his ga

fixed intently on his phone,

though she couldn't tell what he was looking at.

Śwnovel

He was already strikingly handsome, but the focus on his face made him even more captivating.

Lila's once turbulent emotions seemed to settle, her heart softening slightly. A faint smile unconsciously curved her lips.

The moment he turned around, he saw the bright and radiant expression on her face.

"Come here and try on some clothes," he said, motioning for her to come closer. His gaze softened.

Since it was winter, he had chosen a two-piece quifit for her. The top was a cream-colored, loose-knit sweater, and the bottom was a long black skirt that reached her ankles, paired with black heels adorned with tiny butterfly-shaped crystals.