Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Lizetta thought he had calmed down, but unexpectedly, he hadn’t given up, prompting her to struggle again with renewed vigor.

He overpowered her significantly, and with her eyes shut, she was drowning in fear and confusion.

The horror she had faced not so long ago flashed back, and Lizetta’s emotions just crumbled. Tears started streaming down her face.

Tasting the bitter saltiness, Remington sensed something was wrong and retreated from her lips.

She found her voice, and her bruised, delicate lips moved to voice a faint sound.

The moment Remington heard her clearly, he felt as if struck by lightning.

She said, “Don’t, brother, please don’t.”

Remington stiffened and lifted his head to see the woman underneath him pale and terrified.

She kept her eyes tightly shut, turned her head away, her lashes wet, and her tears silently pouring down in sheer desperation and panic.

All of Remington’s lust dissipated in an instant.

He let go abruptly, his face a stormy shade of thunder, his eyes a whirlpool of indecipherable emotions.

Feeling a sudden lightness, Lizetta lay still on the floor.

After a while, she steadied her breathing and emotions, and opened her eyes. The dressing room was empty; he was gone.

On her bare skin, the residual warmth he left felt almost present.

Lizetta wiped away her tears, got up quickly, put on her pants, and staggered downstairs.

She was about to leave with two jars of wine from the small living room table when Remington’s voice echoed from the spiral staircase.

“What are you taking?”

Lizetta froze. She thought he had left. How was he still here?

She turned to look and saw Remington in a different suit, a slate gray three–piece with exceptional style.

Standing on the stairs, his appearance was clean–cut and abstinent, cold and aloof, as if what had just happened in the dressing room was a bizarre dream of hers.

Lizetta pursed her lips before replying, “I came back for the plum wine.”

“What do you need that for?”

“Lucian wants to drink it. I’m going now.”

Lizetta averted her gaze and was about to leave, but she had barely taken two steps when Remington came the stairs in big strides, catching up and gripping her arm tightly.

“What are you doing now?!”

Lizetta was annoyed; Remington’s handsome face was even colder.

“Weren’t you very proud? Not taking anything, huh? Put it down!”

Frowning in irritation, Lizetta retorted, “I meant it when I said I’m not taking anything. These two jars of wine

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aren’t worth much, and I made the wine myself. They’re mine. What’s wrong with taking them?”

His expression and gaze made her feel like a shameless thief.

Remington scoffed coldly. “Aren’t the plums from the Dashiell family’s orchard? Do you even know how much that rum you brewed sells for a bottle? And those jars, they belong to the Dashiell family, don’t they

Lizetta glanced at the two glass wine jars in her hands, which to the unaware might seem like antiques.

“You don’t drink this wine.”

“Who says I don’t drink plum wine? Even if I don’t, they’re still mine! Nobody should lay a finger on Remington’s stuff!”

。-。,,

Too fed up to deal with this Scrooge, she tried to walk away, but Remington didn’t let go and reached for the jars instead.

Lizetta struggled in annoyance, and accidentally, one of the wine jars fell to the ground, which to the unaware might seem like antiques.

“Are you hurt?”

Remington lifted her away, his brow furrowed as he checked her legs.

Lizetta slammed the other jar down on the table, “Yours, it’s all yours, are you satisfied now?

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Having said that, she pushed him away and left in a huff.

Remington stood there, looking at the mess on the ground, his handsome face icy cold.

As Lizetta left Oakridge Heights and got into the car, she received a call from Joseph.

“Liz, Wilma took me to the amusement park for the night, but I turned around for a second, and she was gone. There are so many people.”

Joseph sounded helpless, and Lizetta immediately felt anxious and asked him

“Which amusement park? Stay put, don’t go anywhere. I’m on my way, got it?”

After getting the details, she instructed the driver to change course.

Upon arrival, the sky was dark, and the amusement park was lit up. Lizetta indeed spotted Joseph squatting alone in a corner by the east gate.

A man with granny gray hair, earrings, and a black mask–looking very much like a kidnapper–was bending down, coaxing Joseph to eat some cotton candy.