Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

I never expected to get caught in a downpour, with both the signal and the mountain roads cut off, delaying my journey. What I least expected was for Stella to come down with a relentless fever halfway

through, nor did I anticipate Yolanda's accident at the wedding."

It was his arrogance, always believing he had everything under control, but he forgot that things didn't always go according to plan.

Lizetta slowly turned her head to look at him. Perhaps it was the dim lighting of the hospital corridor, but the man's handsome features seemed shadowed, almost pale.

But Lizetta realized she no longer felt sorry for him.

With a voice as calm as it could possibly be, she said, "Whatever issues you're wrestling with, whether you've let go of the past or not, I don't care anymore. Mr. Dashiell, please, show some self-respect." Remington's grip on Lizetta's arm loosened slightly. She took a deep breath, about to pull her arm away to leave, but then he suddenly pulled her in closer, holding her tight.

His familiar scent overwhelmed her. But all Lizetta felt was revulsion as she pushed against him.

"Remington, what exactly are you trying to do!"

person you confessed your love to in your diary,

woman firmly in his embrace as if not

now, with everything laid bare, Lizetta

struggled even harder, "Yes, I did love you! Loved you so much that I demeaned myself, but now I've woken up. I don't want to love you anymore! I'm begging you, let me go!" Lizetta managed to lift her head from his embrace, her

hearing her admit that she'd always loved him felt like a painful strike to his heart, cruelly torn apart. His eyes

Lucian all this time. I've been so foolish; Liz, you can't do this!

so. I refuse to believe that you can just stop loving

of emotion raising in his icy gaze. His demand was fierce; he commanded her to keep loving

suddenly stiffened; then in a burst of anger, she slapped Remington hard across the

froze, momentarily lost, as if he couldn't understand what

bitter laugh, her

happen overnight. It's the culmination of disappointment reaching its peak, a qualitative change brought on

you, but you never believed me! Four years ago, when I said I didn't drug you to get into your bed, you didn't believe me! When I said

me with that handwriting, and you said you believed me, said you'd get to the bottom of it. Clearly,