Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Hospital parking lot.

The black Cullinan hadn’t even settled into the parking spot before its owner was ordered to scram from the hospital.

Cedric had picked up breakfast this morning and packed it in a thermal container, but didn’t manage to deliver it to the ward.

The tension inside the car was thick enough to cut with a knife. Remington, sitting in the back seat, had his usual poker face, but Cedric could feel a crushing and destructive vibe in the air.

He seriously felt like bursting into tears.

He thought that after the boss cared for the missus all night, they’d kiss and make up today.

But how did things get even worse?

All the way, Cedric was on pins and needles, not daring to utter a word.

Cedric thought the boss being like this would affect his work, but instead, Remington didn’t even go home to change. He headed straight to the Starlight Group.

He immediately got into work mode, and his efficiency that morning was through the roof, more than ever before.

After wrapping up the morning’s work and returning to the office, Cedric reported the afternoon’s schedule.

“Ms. Hawthorne’s solo concert. The lady of the house just called to remind you not to miss it.”

Remington nodded, signaling he got the message

Looks like he’s really going.

Cedric was utterly baffled. Could it be that the boss actually has a thing for Ms. Hawthorne?

He left the office, and after sitting for a moment, Remington reached out and pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk.

When the drawer slid open, he took out a brocade box and a diary.

The brocade box was the one on hand when Lizetta smashed the cake against the car window.

Opening the box, he found there was a top–notch, heirloom jade bangle from the Dashiell family.

Remington gently caressed the bangle, and his eyes darkened.

He suddenly clenched the bangle; his grip was so tight that his veins popped on the hand, as if he was about to crush it to pieces.

After the surge of uncontrolled, violent emotions was quickly suppressed, he eventually placed the bangle back in the box.

The lid of the brocade box was closed, as if it would never see its owner again, and would be forever sealed in dust.

Remington tossed the box back into the drawer, and the diary that came with it fell to the floor.

As the diary opened, the old pages revealed a familiar handwriting full of character–a stream of tender thoughts from a young girl.

Today is the 1196th day I’ve loved Lucian.

That prow was hied with Lucian’s name

A few teardrops blurred the handwriting, which was the silent testimony of a young girl’s secret crush

The irony was that Lizetta had learned to write by copying his handwriting

Using a script so similar to his to write these words, she’d protest if you called her heartless.

Remington stared at the diary, his gaze heavy with shadows, then he suddenly lifted his foot and stomped down herd on it.

The next day.

Timothy came to the Starlight Group for a project meeting. After it ended, he insisted on tagging along with Remington back to his office for a cup of coffee.

Absorbed in the project cooperation document, Remington ignored him.

Cedric brought Timothy his coffee, but after one sip, Timothy scrunched his face and set it down. He looked at Remington behind the desk.

“What’s the deal here, why does your coffee taste different? Don’t tell me you’re messing with me on ригрове.”

He stood up and walked over to Remington’s desk, leaned over, and took the cup of coffee in front of Remington, taking a sip.

Having not touched his own coffee, Remington paid no mind to him.

But Timothy frowned soon after, “This is just as bad. Who made this, wasting such good coffee beans.”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

He put down the coffee cup. “No shade, Remi, but it’s tough to downgrade, huh? Did you change assistants? The one who used to make the coffee.”

Before he finished speaking, Remington slammed the project document on the desk, and the chill in the air soon spread.

“Noisy!”

Any sane person would take the hint at this point, but Timothy was one to stir the pot; he raised an eyebrow. “Got it, it was Litchi who used to make the coffee, right? No wonder it’s not the same; she could give baristas a run for their money. Remi, for the sake of this coffee, you better sweet–talk her back.”

Remington lifted his eyes, and his gaze was as cold as ice.

“I’m not in a good mood today, and I’m itching to do something painful; care to give it a shot?”

Feeling a chill run down his spine, Timothy immediately zipped his lips and headed out.

Cedric came to see him off; Timothy pulled out his phone and started scrolling as he walked towards the elevator, still keen on gossiping.

“What’s the deal with Remi and Litchi?

Cedric gave a polite smile and shook his head; it was not that he didn’t want to spill the beans, but he was clueless about it too.

However, Timothy seemed to have spotted something shocking; stopping in his tracks, he exclaimed.

“Whoa, savage. Your boss and the lady are really going for it separately, huh?”

its

A couple both trending for the wrong reasons.