Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Chapter 4

But back in the day, she got pricked by her mom Jolin Gardenia with a needle and it left her with some serious mental scars. She tried to get her ears pierced three times and chickened out every time, yet she was green with envy seeing others rock some snazzy studs

Remington was off studying in Astoria and somehow caught wind of this. He came back for Christmas and, out of the blue, whipped out an ear piercing gun, claiming it was just a toy, and duped her into giving it a whirl-

The guy brushed her hair aside, the gun aimed at her lobes, and before she knew it -bam, bam- she had pierced ears.

Fuming, she chased after him swinging her fists, “I hate you, Remi!”

He turned around, she stumbled into his arms, and under the warm sun, he bent down and tenderly wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes.

“Little Liz, such a drama queen.”

Later on, Remington went all out and had the world–renowned designer Jonathan whip up a custom pair of earrings just for her.

A masterpiece, starting at six figures, no less. She wasn’t one for bling, but she wore those earrings for ten years straight, never taking them off.

A decade. She’d think something that felt like a part of her, in her flesh and blood, would be excruciating to let go. Turned out, not so much.

On the big screen at the street corner, some gossip news was playing, and a reporter cornered Evelina at the airport, grilling her about her love life.

“Yeah, there’s a guy I’m mad about. We split over a misunderstanding four years ago, but I believe true lovers will eventually reunite.”

She turned to the guy next to her with a smile, and the gutsy reporter shoved the mic his way.

Dashiell, are you the man Ms. Hawthorne is

bodyguard to step up, and with a

her

the wife was the

up. “Miss, there’s a car tailing us, someone after

a black Bentley on their tail with a license plate too bold to ignore. In a blink, the Bentley sped up, tires screeching in a drift, blocking their way.

driver slammed the brakes; Lizetta lurched forward, then snapped back by the seatbelt, her head spinning.

and rhythmic, it

gripping the seatbelt, refusing to look

caught in that icy stare, felt like prey under the gaze

and Remington

a click, he yanked off her seatbelt, his hand pressing against the inside of the seat, his eyes piercing

Lizetta

her, but all he did was sneer, “Lizetta, playing possum? That fun

Chapter 4

her “Liz” with that affectionate tone,

chest, Lizetta turned her head,

without another word, Remington scooped her out

She struggled.

grip on her hip was firm and unyielding, as if