Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

When Lizetta arrived at the city hall, Remington was already there, surprisingly early.

Dressed in a sleek gunmetal gray suit that hugged his frame perfectly, he looked both handsome and aristocratic, completely belying any signs of a sleepless night.

He was smoking a cigarette, half gone, with wisps of smoke curling from his lips, partially obscuring his expression but leaving his profile looking somber and contemplative. Feeling her approach, he turned, met her gaze, extinguished the cigarette, and tossed it into the nearby bin.

Lizetta walked over, and he mentioned, with a slight furrow of his brow, "Didn't sleep well last night, needed a bit of a pick-me-up. Hope you don't mind."

He stepped aside, waving away the lingering scent of smoke with a gesture of his hand.

Given the day's agenda-filing for divorce-Lizetta found herself treating him with an unusual dose of patience and understanding. She nodded, "It's fine, let's go."

As they entered, their striking looks and evident social standing, compounded by Lizetta's visible pregnancy, drew many curious and speculative glances.

must be here to get married. Looks like she's pulled the

guy's looks

look so icy it silenced her immediately, a clear reminder not

request for mediation, was completed in

a weight lifted off her shoulders, Lizetta turned to Remington, smiling slightly, "Mr. Dashiell, goodbye then. I'll reach out next month for the

was clear: let's keep our distance until

intently. In the sunlight, she seemed to him like

heart clenched. He had truly lost her, the one he thought

"Let's head over to the West family's

Lizetta considered

The assailants had acted in Luminesia, and with an extradition treaty in place between Luminesia and Seraphine Realm, the legal