Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Lucian overheard their chat and cocked his head towards Lizetta, saying, “Go ahead and play with them. If you lose, I’ll take the shots for you.”

With Lucian backing her up, what’s there for Lizetta to fear? Besides, she wasn’t scared in the first place!

She grinned and gave Lucian a playful eyebrow raise before looking at Evelina, “Bring it on.”

Evelina’s eyes curved into a smile. “I’m so jealous of you, Liz. Even without Remi taking care of you, you’ve still got Lucian treating you like a princess.”

Lizetta shot back with a smirk, “What, were you raised on a diet of wind?”

Evelina was taken aback.

“How else could every word out of your mouth be so loaded?” Lizetta said while shaking the dice and slamming the cup down on the table. “Your turn.”

She lifted the cup to reveal a six and a five.

Wearing a sour look, Evelina shook the cup for a long time until Lulu leaned in.

“Let me do the honors for Ms. Hawthorne. I’m on a lucky streak.”

As Lulu spoke, she lifted the cup – two fours. Not too shabby, but still a loss against Lizetta.

With an awkward smile, Lulu handed a glass of booze to Evelina, who took it and turned to glance at Remington.

The man, still lounging back in his leather chair, was casually smoking; with his legs crossed and resting on the coffee table, he looked utterly unbothered by the whole scene.

Evelina bit her lip, “You ask the question.”

Lizetta smiled lightly, “I’m curious about something. When I was six, uncle and auntie brought me back to the Hawthome family for a visit, and that very night you had a fever and nightmares. Nora the maid said I had jinxed you, and the next day I was sent away immediately. I heard water in your room in the middle of the night, were you taking a cold shower?”

The moment Lizetta and Evelina locked eyes, people started paying attention.

Now, Lizetta’s question had Evelina’s expression freezing, and she could feel the prying eyes from all around.

Back then, of course, she was all intentional. Lizetta, bruised from Hans‘ beatings, was kicked out barefoot in the dead of winter to buy him cigarettes, and she happened to run into the Hawthorne family’s car.

Her parents took Lizetta home, and Evelina, hearing Elara crying about how pitiful Lizetta was, wanted to keep her so the two girls could grow up as sisters.

That just wouldn’t do!

So she took a cold shower that night and feigned fever and tantrums, before she clung to Elara, saying Lizetta reminded her of the hellish times at the Gardenia family’s, and even got Nora to vouch for her.

The next day, sure enough, her parents sent Lizetta packing early.

“What are you talking about, Liz? I would never do such a thing. You must have heard wrong.” Evelina denied vehemently, but her brief stiff expression had already spoken volumes.

Lizetta didn’t expect much sportsmanship from someone like Evelina, so she didn’t press further and continued playing with Lulu.

Evelina sat there, feeling like she was on pins and needles, as she sensed that everyone was still sneakily watching, judging and seeing right through her.

Chapter/1

Lulu also lost to Lizetta and, pouting, tried to get Frank to drink for her.

Frank caressed her face, saying, “Baby, I like a woman who can stand on her own two feet.”

Lulu contorted her face and downed the drink.

She couldn’t believe Lizetta’s luck could hold out forever.

But Lizetta just kept on winning.

Throwing two sixes, she looked leisurely at Evelina, “Truth again?”

Evelina, afraid of Lizetta’s cunning, picked up the glass, “I’ll drink.”

With a hard gulp, she tipped her head back, but then a hand reached over and took the glass from her.

It was Remington.

The man holding the glass looked at Lizetta, all cool and indifferent.

“She’s not in a position to drink. I’ll take it for her.”

As Evelina almost had a miscarriage recently and had just managed to stay out of bed for a few days, naturally. she couldn’t drink.

A smile spread across Evelina’s face as she leaned intentionally into Remington’s embrace.

“Liz, Lucian said he’d drink for you, and Remi is doing it for me, you don’t mind, right?”

Lizetta didn’t want to care, but just moments ago Remington was pouring drinks for Cassius, and now he was blocking them for Evelina.

Love and lack of love, the epitome of double standards.

Lizetta swallowed a sip as bitter as gentian, while maintaining a facade of carefree laughter.

“Sure thing, Mr. Dashiell, just don’t regret it later.”

Remington tilted his head back; with the drink sliding into his mouth, his sexy Adam’s apple bobbed, while his deep eyes were fixed on Lizetta the whole time.

The dice–throwing skills Lizetta had were taught by him personally.

The girl had a knack for it, indeed a chip off the old block.

No one knew better than him how capable she was. Evelina wouldn’t stand a chance against this little vixen, and she could bleed internally and still lose.

Remington set the empty glass down, giving Lizetta a noncommittal eyebrow raise.

Lizetta lowered her gaze with a cold laugh. The damn man wanted to shield his lover from drinks; what was there for her to be heartbroken about?

After that, Evelina and Lulu kept on losing.

Lulu was almost crying, but she was still holding up as she had a good tolerance. NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

And Remington, one glass… eight glasses.

Evelina said with concern, “Remi, stop drinking. I don’t want to play anymore.”