Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Lizetta wasn't sure if this was a good omen or a bad one as she hung up the phone, her gaze instinctively seeking out Remington.

Remington had also just ended a call, evidently receiving one from the hospital as well.

"I've got it all figured out. The doctors are all there; it must be good news. Don't worry," he said, taking Lizetta's cold hands into his warm grasp.

Led by him, Lizetta turned, and they both headed out. Her heart began to calm down with each step they took together.

They got into the car, and Remington drove swiftly out of the diner's parking lot, heading towards Dashiell Hospital.

Thaddeus had been in a coma for over two years now, showing more responsiveness in the past six months thanks to the medical team Remington had enlisted.

Yet, despite the half year that had passed, there had been no significant breakthrough.

This sudden spike in activity gave Lizetta a gut feeling-Thaddeus would either wake up or...

Tension and worry tightly knotted inside her, she clasped her hands together.

Driving, Remington glanced at her and spoke softly, "Maybe you should start thinking about how you'll thank me when your brother wakes up."

His comment wasn't meant to extract gratitude from Lizetta; it was simply an attempt to lighten the heavy air.

However, Lizetta took his words to

heart, turning to him with earnest eyes. "If my brother wakes up, I'll definitely find a way to thank you

Mr. Dashiell. Whatever you ne

long as it's within the bounds of

sto

morality." t

as

At her words, Remington's grip on the steering wheel tightened momentarily. A selfish wish flickered through his deep gaze-the desire to have her back by his side. Yet, this ignoble thought was fleeting.

After all, he knew well that even if heNôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.

voiced such a demand, she would never agree. And even if, by some chance, she did agree to return to his side out of a sense of obligation, it wouldn't truly make him happy. Worse, it might forever close the

door on winning her heart genuinely.

He reminded himself to be a patient hunter. The most effective hunter is often the one who appears not to be a threat at all. He needed to make her feel safe, with no guard up, open-hearted. Thus, Remington simply smiled and said, "Silly, I was just teasing. He's like a real brother to you, and helping out is the least I can do."

Lizetta, taken aback by Remington's casual demeanor, paused. Even in marriage, there was no obligation to care for a brother-in-law in a vegetative state. Let alone now, as Lizetta and Remington were already divorced. These acts of kindness weren't Remington's responsibility, a fact Lizetta was acutely aware of.

She suddenly remembered she had accidentally damaged something important to him earlier. Her eyelashes fluttered, a peculiar feeling stirring within her, and she even forgot to retort to Remington's affectionate "Silly."

Just then, Lizetta's phone rang. Pulling it out, her heart skipped a beat at seeing "Jerome" flash across the screen. "Oh no, I forgot to tell my brother. He must still be waiting for us at the diner."

Remington glanced at Lizetta's phone, noting the name "Jerome" saved as a contact, and listened as she referred to him as "my brother." A pleasant smile spread across his face.

His voice softer, he reassured, "No worries, Mr. Madden is so understanding. He'll get it. Go ahead, answer the call."