Shattered Illusions: Love, Lies, and Redemption

Stella's smile brightened, but at the next moment, she saw Remington heading toward the exit.

Her surprise was evident as she pointed to a table nearby, "The candy is right there."

Without looking back, Remington replied in an indifferent tone, "I need to make a call."

Stella panicked, quickly standing and following him, "Remington!"

But he'd already shut the door behind him, a bit too forcefully, causing Stella to nearly collide with it.

His refusal to let her follow couldn't have been clearer. Stella frowned, wondering if Remington had noticed something amiss.

Outside.

Remington made his way to the terrace at the end of the corridor, bumping into a waiter carrying drinks along the way.

He casually picked up a glass of red wine and stepped out to the terrace. The breeze was chilly, and he felt an inexplicable restlessness.

Taking a sip of the wine, Remington glanced at his watch, right as Lizetta's show was about to start.

He turned around, his tall body leaning back against the railing which supported his right crooked arm, the wine glass swaying in his hand. He then opened a streaming site on his phone.

Just as the curtains on the screen began to part, a slight smile played on his lips. But in the next second, that smile shattered like thin ice, replaced by a sudden chill.

Lizetta was nowhere to be seen on stage!

In her place stood a stranger.

A sense of dread washed over Remington as countless details raced through his mind. Almost simultaneously, his phone rang.

As the man picked it up, Omar's voice came through, tinged with panic, "Mr. Dashiell, Mrs. Dashiell's gone!"

The wine glass in Remington's hand shattered.

As the wine mixed with blood dripped onto the marble floor, Remington was already dashing back indoors.

Meanwhile, music filled the hall as Stella, holding up her dress, approached Remington, "Remington, it's our turn."

She smiled, standing at the top of the stairs, looking at him as he hurried toward her. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Her heart raced as she reached out to him, full of hope. But as he emerged from the shadows, his face stern and frosty, Stella's smile froze.

The lights suddenly went out, spotlight hitting them.

All eyes turned to them as a

romantic piano melody filled the air,

and Stella forced a smile. But

Remington seemed not to see her,

passing by as if she wasn't there, heading downstairs. S

"Remington! Where are you going?"

Stella called after him, reaching for him, her voice a whisper, "Remington, wait for me; please don't embarrass me."

However, he was too fast, she couldn't successfully reach him, and her pleas couldn't make him stop or look back.

As they moved, both of them arrived at the spiral staircase; they became the center of attention, yet quickly drawing apart.

The gaffer, confused, didn't know whom to follow, his light darting around aimlessly.

Finally, as Remington passed across

the foyer and stormed out in no time, the spotlight settled on Stella now alone and panicked. She stumbled and fell down the stairs, to

the shock and murmurs of the l.ne

crowd.

Among them, Yolanda, with her phone out, gloated while recording the scene.

"Wow, Ms. West sure knows how to make an entrance, doesn't she? A real face-plant."

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Yolanda was there with Cassius as his plus-one, curious to see how Remington and Stella were able to hold the party smoothly with Lizetta's departure.

Now, it seemed that the trip was worth it. Fantastic, she loved it.

"What's wrong with Remi?" Cassius was somewhat shocked by Remington's dark demeanor.

Yolanda turned to him, "Ever heard of the three great tragedies of a man's life?"

Yolanda counted off on her fingers, "Impotence, failure, and his wife running off with someone else." She raise an eyebrow, "Which one do you think it is for him?"