Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Remington's jaw clenched tight as he gazed deeply into the foggy depths of Lizetta's eyes.

He gritted his teeth, "You're never an outsider to me, not before, and definitely not in the future!"

Lizetta's breath hitched, and she quickly looked away, flustered.

After applying some ointment, Remington sat down beside her, wiping his fingers with a tissue, and said, "Mind helping me with this?"

Lizetta turned to him, puzzled, "Help with what?"

He tilted his chin, revealing a slender scratch on his neck, barely breaking the skin.

"It's just a small scratch; it doesn't need any ointment," Lizetta tried to brush it off.

But Remington gave her a wounded, reproachful look, "How can you be so heartless? I got this because of you. It's only fair you help me since I've helped you."

The scratch had come about during a scuffle between Ethan and Wendy, who had started clawing wildly. Amidst the chaos, Remington had pulled Lizetta to safety, likely getting scratched in the process. Lizetta felt a twinge of guilt.

Standing up, she fetched a cotton swab and some iodine, leaning in to carefully treat his wound.

finishing in seconds and about to stand up when Remington

manicures and lovers all over town;

lifestyle, Lizetta felt a bit

took another cotton swab and

her closely, a small

you do care about

suddenly echoed near her ear, making Lizetta pause and

got tangled in Remington's watch,

arms encircled her waist, gently pulling her onto

"Remington!"

still, it'll be over soon," he assured her, carefully untangling

contrast to Lizetta's panicky demeanor, making her seem

Lizetta urged, "Hurry up."

wrapped

me do

with a pair of familiar ones staring straight at her. It took Lizetta a moment to realize that Thaddeus, who had been lying in the hospital bed, had

he had been watching, she

she was still sitting on Remington's