Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Remington watched Stella's tear-streaked face, her anxious and furrowed brow, feeling a mix of impatience and sympathy.

He couldn't help but think of Liz, who, despite her delicate appearance, had bravely left with her unborn child, managing to take care of herself and little Daisy admirably.

He wished Liz would show some vulnerability, some need for him, but she seemed only to want distance.

"Remington, please, don't make me leave," Stella's pleading voice snapped him back to reality.

He looked at her with a mix of annoyance and pity. Considering the hardships and trauma she'd endured over the years, he tried to suppress his irritation, speaking more gently. "You're the West family's heiress. Your brother's gone, and your father's getting older and his health isn't great. Who else is going to carry the West family legacy?"

He picked up the documents, walked around his desk, and handed them back to Stella.

"Take a good look at these. I've got another meeting, so I can't keep you."

As he turned to leave, Stella suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.From NôvelDrama.Org.

Clinging to him, she sobbed, "Remington, can't you help me? The collaboration between Starlight Group and the West family has been going well. I heard you and Liz are getting a divorce. Can't you consider me...?"

Before she could finish, Remington sternly removed her arms and stepped away, causing Stella to stumble and fall.

Looking up at him, her eyes were filled with hurt.

Remington's voice was cold and firm, "Even if Liz and I were to part ways, you and I wouldn't be possible."

Stella shook her head in disbelief, "I can't believe you feel nothing for me. After all these years, you even named the corporation after me, and for my sake, you nearly missed your own wedding..." She couldn't accept that all his actions were out of guilt rather than affection.

But Remington cut her off again, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "It's just guilt, nothing more."

Stella's eyes brimmed with tears as she struggled to her feet, choking on her words.

"But Liz doesn't love you. She's

trying to escape, to divorce you. I'm the one who loves you! Do you think I'm tainted? That's not true. Despite the beatings and the cold, it was because I fought back against that foot they wanted me to marry. I've never been touched; I'm still pure..."

Stella frantically tried to defend her honor.

Remington was well aware of

Stella's plight controlled by a family whose hopes rested on a

simple-minded heir. Stella's defiance had made her a target of their resentment, leading to years of

abuse and even a broken leg in her attempts to escape.

Seeing her so vulnerable and self-deprecating, Remington softened.

He stepped forward, offering her a tissue.

Stella's tears flowed even more freely, though her smile hinted at a fleeting hope.

However, Remington's next words dashed that hope entirely.

"Stella, if a man truly loves a woman, he wouldn't care about such things. If his loved one was mistreated, he'd feel compassion, not disdain. By degrading yourself this way, you're not only insulting yourself but me as well. ś

We were like siblings in our youth. After so many years apart, we've only been reunited for a few months. How could you possibly love me?"