Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Lizetta nestled against his chest, feeling the steady and strong beat of his heart, her body rigid.

He could sense her silent resistance. A shadow of melancholy crossed his eyes as he leaned down to kiss her slightly damp hair, asking softly, "What did you dream about?"

Lizetta didn't want to share, deflecting instead, "When did you get back? Did you sort everything out?"

The grip Remington had around Lizetta's waist tightened slightly, his gaze turning darker. Her frightened expression and reaction in her sleep were both heart-wrenching and familiar to him. As a child, she often had nightmares.

Wakened by him, she'd snuggle into his embrace and without waiting for him to ask, she'd start chattering nonstop.

She used to say talking about nightmares made her less afraid, piling up little bits of wisdom that were just excuses to linger in his arms a bit longer.

But now, her reactions were the complete opposite. She was drifting further away from him.

Remington shared the outcomes of his inquiries with her, "You won't have to deal with Edith again. As for my mother, with bodyguards on her, she won't be able

stir of emotion at his

but she hadn't expected Remington to go as far as to have bodyguards constantly

Hanna. Lizetta truly hadn't anticipated Remington would take such a step. A tingling sourness touched her nose, and she bit her lip harder to clear her mind, not to be swayed by his

was probably doing all this for his own flesh and blood. It was his

Edith and Hanna but

"What about Evelina?"

carrying Quentin's posthumous child, and Quentin was Stella's brother. He could

her breath slightly, her hand moving under her shirt

root cause. Joy was safe this time, but what

relied on the West family lineage