Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

A week had passed since Remington had last shown his face to Lizetta.

Lizetta herself had been laying low, only sharing a couple of songs she had composed while in Luminesia online, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility.

Barbara's funeral had been carried out with little fanfare.

On the day of the funeral, Stella and Martin had tried calling Remington several times, but he never picked up.

He missed the funeral, but Nathan and Hanna were there, supporting each other. A few photos from the funeral had leaked online.

In one of them, Hanna was holding Stella, gently patting her back in comfort, while Nathan and Martin looked on, grief-stricken.

The bond between the Dashiell and West families seemed unshaken.

The media had even speculated that the two families had already joined forces through marriage.

After Barbara's first week memorial, Stella headed to the Starlight Group office early in the morning.

She was dressed in a black dress, her right hand covered with a specially designed glove, her arm adorned with a black mourning band, and a small white chrysanthemum clip in her hair, which made her look even more delicate and pitiable.

followed by a servant,

was immediately surrounded

our deepest sympathies. You've

work so soon? You're so dedicated. Mr. Dashiell should really take

seat. I'll go

CEO's office for over a month and had made

clumsily burned her hand and had to remove

of saving Remington when they were kids and their life-and-death bond quickly became the talk of

family, everyone assumed she was actually Remington's secret wife.

Stella stood there surrounded, trying to hold back

for your

she could finish, a cough from the back of the

Remington, his handsome face set in a cold

colleagues they should scatter and save themselves. But the employees, clustered around Stella, didn't

her mother-in-law had just passed

even fancied they might get a bonus for comforting his wife during work