Chapter 23 I Am Not a Significant Presence
Zayden abruptly remembered the call from Lailah at the scene of Tamara’s accident.
He’d received it, but caught up in the immediate crisis, he hadn’t had a moment to answer before hanging up.
The memory struck him. He immediately dialed Lailah’s number.
“Beep… beep… beep…”
The call rang and rang, stretching on, but there was no answer.
When the call finally disconnected, Zayden’s brow furrowed deeper.
He tried again, and then again. Still nothing.
Was she ignoring him deliberately because he’d hung up?
Jaylen had warned him about spoiling women. Maybe he’d been too easy on Lailah, letting her get away with ignoring him.
*****
In the hospital room, the phone on the nightstand vibrated against the surface with a soft buzz, but Lailah was already asleep.
She only saw them the next morning when she woke.
A cold, mocking smile touched her lips. She picked up the phone and set it down on the nightstand with deliberate indifference.
Half an hour later, a knock sounded at the door.
Several uniformed traffic police officers entered, there to question Lailah about the accident.
She recounted what had happened, sticking closely to the truth.
“I was making my turn when the other car just appeared, didn’t even slow down.” Lailah explained.
After recording her statement, the officer asked, “Ms. Griffith, are you certain the other driver hit you, and not the other way around?”
Lailah detected a nuance in the officer’s question.
“Does that mean the other driver is denying responsibility?” she asked.
Liability was key in these situations.
The officer explained plainly, “Here’s the situation. The accident happened in a remote area, no surveillance cameras around. We can’t assign liability just yet. We need statements from both drivers first.”
“Is she also here in this hospital?” Lailah inquired.
“Yes, it’s the closest hospital to the scene,” the officer confirmed. He paused, then added, “Right now, the other driver claims you hit her. We’re actively looking for witnesses and any other evidence. We’ll let you know, Ms. Griffith, as soon as we have anything conclusive.”
“Thank you for your trouble,” Lailah replied politely.
The officers left quickly.
Watching them go, a shadow fell over Lailah’s eyes.
She didn’t believe in coincidences, not like this.
Why Tamara? Why did she have to crash into her?
Chapter 231 Am Not a Significant Presiden
Was she trying to force Zayden to choose between them?
***
In another part of the hospital, Konnor was reporting to Zayden in a low voice. “The traffic police report that the other driver denies any collision. and is actually claiming Ms. Mosley hit her. The area is too remote, not surveillance cameras. If we wait for their standard investigation, it could, take quite some time.”
Hearing this, Tamara, lying in the bed beside them, quickly feigned a look
of terror.
“She came barreling out like a madwoman, didn’t even brake! It must have been drunk driving, or worse, attempted murder…”
Her gaze fell on her hand, encased in a plaster cast, and tears welled in her eyes.
“I wanted to hold a final concert, but now, I don’t know if my hand is ruined…”
Zayden replied calmly, “I’ve already arranged for a top medical team for you. Focus on recovering. I’ll handle this matter.”
Tamara shook her head, her vision blurring with tears. “She must have used connections to have the surveillance footage deleted, leaving us with no proof. This whole thing will probably just fizzle out. Nothing will come of it…”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you suffer any injustice in this.”
Only then did Tamara offer a watery smile through her tears. She knew Zayden was a man of his word; once he made a promise, he saw it through.
A few minutes later, Konnor appeared at the door of the other hospital
Chapter 23 | Am Not a Significant Presence
room.
The one where the driver who’d collided with Tamara was staying..
Matters like this didn’t require Zayden’s personal involvement.
Konnor knocked, entered the room.
Zayden stood in the corridor, his hand dialing Lailah’s number again.
Just like the day before, the call went unanswered.
An inexplicable irritation began to prickle at Zayden.
Just as he was about to try once more, he saw Konnor emerge from the room, his expression peculiar.
Zayden paused, frowning. “Why did you come out so fast? Is she still refusing to admit fault?”
Konnor glanced at him, his expression guarded, hesitant to speak.
After a long silence, he finally said, his voice low.
“Mr. Walter, you should probably go see for yourself.”
Konnor was an exceptionally capable assistant; a simple matter like this shouldn’t have posed any difficulty for him.
Now that Konnor suggested he see for himself, it clearly wasn’t a trivial
matter.
Zayden fixed Konnor with a look, then pushed open the door and entered the room.
Seeing the woman sitting up in the hospital bed, he was momentarily stunned.
Chapter 231 Am Not Significant Presence
“Lailah? Why are you here?”
Lailah had already pieced together Zayden’s purpose from Konnor’s
words.
As Zayden entered, she showed no surprise at all.
Lailah leaned back against the headboard, her attractive face pale, faint traces of healed wounds visible on her forehead.
Facing him, Lailah spoke calmly, “Why am I here, Mr. Walter? Isn’t it obvious? You, of all people, should know the reason for your visit better than I do.“–
Zayden’s gaze sharpened. “The person who hit Tamara… was it you?”
Lailah replied coolly, “Yes.”
Instantly, Zayden understood everything.
His dark eyes flickered.
He looked at her, his expression complex. “Were you in the car when you called me yesterday?”
Lailah’s voice was quiet, utterly devoid of emotion.
“When you were helping Ms. Mosley, my foot was trapped in the car. I meant to call you, to ask for help getting out too.”
But he’d hung up.
And if he’d just glanced her way, he would have seen her.
He hadn’t.
Not even a flicker of acknowledgment.
